HOUGHTON, Mich. - Davenport football made a statement on Saturday with a 28-0 win at Michigan Tech in the GLIAC opener for both schools. The teams were both undefeated at 3-0 heading into the game, but the No. 18 Panthers will leave the Upper Peninsula as the lone undefeated team in the conference. It was the first shutout win since Sept. 3, 2016 in the second game in program history (59-0 at Kentucky Christian). In addition, it was the first shutout win over a GLIAC opponent and the second straight win by the Panthers to even the all-time series at 3-3.
"I'm proud of our team today as we beat a really good Michigan Tech team," said head coach
Sparky McEwen. "We executed in every phase of the game and it was the maximum effort needed to win the game."
Running back
Myren Harris rushed for over 100 yards for the third straight game. He finished with 26 carries for 112 yards and had a long run of 25 yards in the fourth quarter.
Caleef Jenkins rushed for two touchdowns for the second straight week and finished with 14 carries for 58 yards. He scored on a seven-yard run with 4:16 left in the first quarter and found the end zone again with 6:22 left in the third quarter.
The Panthers scored one touchdown in each quarter.
Peyton Brown had a critical five-yard touchdown catch from
Jason Whittaker as time expired in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead. The Panthers drove 86 yards in 15 plays and used 8:27 for their second touchdown drive.
The special teams again made an impact as the Panthers had a punt return for a touchdown for the second straight game.
Micah Wilson raced 72 yards for the score with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter for the 28-0 lead.
The Panthers rushed for 206 yards on 50 carries and controlled the clock to the tune of 41:07 to 18:53. The Huskies were only able to run 43 offensive plays and gained just 117 total yards. The Huskies were also 2-of-12 on third downs. Their first nine possessions resulted in a punt and their best chance to score came with about five minutes remaining in the game. MTU drove as far as the DU four-yard line but lost yardage on back-to-back running plays and
Alaric Wooten intercepted Alex Fries in the end zone to end the threat.
Due to the sheer number of plays by Davenport, the Huskies had three players with double-digit tackles. Marc Sippel had 12, Hunter Beuchel had 11, and Dante Basanese finished with 10 including eight solo stops.
Julius Wilkerson led the DU defense with five tackles.
Jamar Mills finished with four tackles including two tackles for loss. Wooten also had three tackles and one tackle for loss to go with his interception.
The Panthers will be back in Caledonia next Saturday for a homecoming against Northern Michigan. Kickoff is set for 2 PM at The Farm.
