Davenport will look to keep their offensive momentum rolling after back-to-back, 500-yard performances, but it won't be easy against Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals are tied with Ferris State at the top of the GLIAC standings with a 4-0 record. After struggling through the non-conference portion (1-3), SVSU has started to hit its stride with four straight wins. Davenport dominated Roosevelt, 75-23, last Saturday and set a record for most points total, most points in a quarter (28, first quarter), and most points in a half (49, first half). Cephus Harris ran for a school-record 181 yards and three touchdowns, including a school-record 87-yard touchdown run. DU found success on special teams, with Asher Gregory returning a punt 81 yards for a score and GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week George Sims adding an 87-yard kickoff return score. The Panthers racked up 503 total yards of offense, while forcing a school-record six turnovers.

The win over Roosevelt was one for the ages and Davenport left no doubt from the opening kickoff. The Panthers finished the game with a school-record 815 all-purpose yards, eclipsing the previous mark of 685 against Michigan Tech on Oct. 1, 2022. The defense limited the Lakers to 4.2 yards per play and were on the field for 79 plays and 34:20 of possession time. The second quarter alone saw Roosevelt with 12:09 of the 15 minutes. DU scored 31 of their 75 points off turnovers and did not commit a turnover for the third time in a game this season. DU is now plsu-9 in the turnover battle this season (16-7). Ian Jenkins converted on all nine of his PAT's in the game and is now 24-of-24 in his freshman year. He also connected on both of his field goals attempts (32, 19) as DU knocked home a field goal for the first time this season. The defense got contributions from numerous players and 28 different players had a tackle. Jayden Cray had the only sack for a loss of seven yards. It was his first of the season and he also had a season-high six tackles.

Saginaw Valley State quarterback Mason McKenzie will be playing in his hometown for the second time. He got his first career start at The Farm as DU rallied for a 24-21 win. McKenzie completed 22-of-31 passes for 156 yards and also rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown of 43 yards in the second quarter. McKenzie has emerged as one of the top dual-threat field generals ranking second in the GLIAC in completions per game (14.9) and passing yards (1,480). In addition, he ranks second in the league with 7.19 yards per carry and has seven rushing touchdowns. McKenzie leads the conference with 276.6 total yards of offense per game. The Cardinal defense has been stout against the run this season, which is what the Panthers do best. SVSU ranks second in the GLIAC and 15th in Division II allowing 90.4 yards per game on the ground. They also have a top-20 rushing offense checking in at 19th in Division II averaging 222.4 yards per contest. The team's signature win came on Oct. 18 at Grand Valley State, 20-19. It was the first win over the Lakers since 2012 and the first win at Lubbers Stadium since 2003.

The Panthers and Cardinals have played some memorable games over the years with the Cardinals holding a slim 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The previously mentioned 2023 meeting saw the Panthers score 15 fourth-quarter points and drive the length of the field on the last possession to win the game on a Jason Whittaker 10-yard TD run with 11 seconds remaining on fourth-and-goal. The Panthers claimed a 29-28 win in University Center in 2022 highlighted by Whittaker's 307 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinal defense did not allow a point until the fourth quarter in last year's 24-14 win in University Center. Mac VandenHout had an eight-yard TD run at 13:30 and Preston Smith hauled in an 18-yard TD catch from VandenHout with 48 seconds to play. Terrence Brown led SVSU with 70 rushing yards and had a one-yard score in the second quarter. McKenzie completed 9-of-20 passes for 146 yards and carried 19 times for 64 yards and a score from 32 yards with 4:06 left in the game that essentially sealed the victory.

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