Davenport will look for their second win of the season against Northern Michigan and sixth win overall on Saturday. With a win, Davenport will guarantee themselves their fourth straight winning season under head coach Sparky McEwen. This will also mark the third time that these two teams have played twice in a season (2021, 2022). The Panthers are in the midst of a three-game winning streak having outscored their opponents, 155-54. Quarterback D'Wan Mathis has thrown for five touchdowns over the win streak and rushed for 138 yards. The offensive line has been steady opening up holes in the running game and also in pass protection. The opposition has just two sacks during the win streak and six of the team's games this season has seen one sack or less allowed.

Davenport had their signature win to date this season last Saturday with the 31-17 victory over Saginaw Valley State. The Panthers have now won three of the last four meetings against the Cardinals and the 14-point margin of victory was the most in the series history. The defense rose to the occasion and held the Cardinals to well below their season scoring average. The Panthers forced four turnovers including three interceptions and a fumble. Mason McKenzie, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, was limited to 3.8 yards per carry and also fumbled. He threw two interceptions and one touchdown, while completing just 14-of-29 passes for 188 yards and was sacked four times. Davenport also buckled down inside the red zone giving up two scores on five tries. DU's ground game totaled 182 yards with 88 coming from Cephus Harris. Keonta Nixon had his best game as a Panther with three catches for 115 yards and a fourth-quarter score. Dom Grguric blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone in the first quarter to set the tone. Linebacker Jamar Mills recorded the first interception of his career in his 32nd game. Antonio Mayes had a critical interception at the five-yard line and returned it 43 yards to the DU 48 with DU ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. 

Northern Michigan got their first win under Shane Richardson back on Oct. 18 at Roosevelt by a final score of 42-21. NMU rushed for a school-record 538 yards, while Noah Dobert and Jahi Wood became the seventh duo in Division II history to each eclipse 200 rushing yards. Dobert finished with 243 yards and three scores, while Wood carried for 233 yards and two more scores. Last week, the Wildcats fell 70-35 at No. 1 Ferris State. The silver lining might be that the Wildcats scored more points than any other opponent against the Bulldogs this season. The game was tied at 14 after the first quarter, before Ferris State scored the next 21 points to pull ahead 35-14 with 8:02 left in the second quarter. Trevor Theuerkauf threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Dobert had his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and finished with 117 yards. The Bulldogs rushed for 265 yards and eight touchdowns by six different players. Chase Carter carried seven times for 62 yards and three TD's. Dobert is currently first in the GLIAC and eighth in Division II with 1,007 rushing yards. NMU is second in the GLIAC and eighth in Division II with 257 rushing yards per contest.

The Panthers have won six straight games against Northern Michigan and are 5-0 all-time at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. The two teams have already played once this season as a conference game back on Sept. 20 in the Superior Dome. The Panthers and Wildcats played a tight game through three quarters before Davenport finished the fourth quarter with 14 points for a 35-16 victory. Leading 21-16 entering the final quarter, Davenport got a momentum-changing play on special teams as Kevin Underwood blocked a punt and returned it 24 yards for a score and a 28-16 lead. Just over three minutes later, Cephus Harris ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run which was a back-breaking play for the Wildcats. Harris scored three times on the ground and rushed for 171 yards on just 11 carries. D'Wan Mathis threw for 211 yards and a score going to Evan Brown from 48 yards in the second quarter. The Wildcats ran for 278 yards, but did not complete a pass on five attempts with two interceptions. Noah Dobert carried 23 times for 156 yards and two TD's.

LIVE COVERAGE
Video (FloCollege - Fee)
Stats
Tickets