GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Davenport entered the top 25 of the AFCA Coaches Poll this week at No. 24 after their victory over then No. 17 UIndy last Saturday, 19-12. The Panthers are back in the poll for the first time since 2023 when they ended the season with an 8-2 record. DU was ranked No. 22 in that end of the regular season poll. Northern Michigan is currently 0-3 under first-year head coach Matt Janus, who had six very successful years as head coach at NCAA D3 Wisconsin-La Crosse.

The Panthers grinded out the seven-point win over the Greyhounds last week behind their running game and stopping the run. DU rushed for 300 yards by eight different ball carriers and limited UIndy to 95 rushing yards on 28 attempts (3.4 ypr). Cephus Harris rushed for over 100 yards for the third straight game to start the season with 120 yards on 18 carries. He also found the end zone on the ground giving him a rushing touchdown in each of his last eight games dating back to last season. Mac VandenHout rushed for 72 yards on five carries and caught two passes for 17 yards. Jonathan Palmer rushed for 68 yards and threw for a season-high 165 yards (12-of-16) and a touchdown. Zack Pappadakis was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after a career-high 11 tackles (six solo). He also had 1.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards. Jaxson Engelberg and Jake Fetrow each had a sack.

Davenport has made the most of their third-down conversions at 46.2 percent, while leading the GLIAC at 31.3 percent on defense. UIndy went just 2-of-11 on third down and gained just 10 total yards in the first half. The Panthers also lead the conference in first downs allowed (46), rushing offense (334.0), and total defense (266.0). The team ranks in the top 20 nationally (D2) in net punting (41.0 - 19th), punt return defense (-2.75 - 4th), rushing defense (83.0 - 20th), rushing offense (334.0 - 4th), sacks allowed (0.67 - 18th), total defense (266.0 - 20th), and total offense (470.3 - 17th).

After finishing last year with two wins to end the season, the Wildcats have stumbled to 0-3 in 2026. They have been outscored 132-40 thus far and last week fell 56-14 at St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Tommies are a member of NCAA D1 FCS and built a 35-7 halftime lead before then scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter. Northern Michigan would finish with 343 total yards, including 169 on the ground. St. Thomas concluded with 496 total yards doing their damage through the air with 311 yards and three scores. Liam Oczkowski passed for 137 yards for NMU, while Noah Dobert rushed for 142 yards on 27 carries without finding the end zone. Gabriel Abel carried for just 44 yards for the Tommies, but scored three times. Wilson Ptacek caught three passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats. Jax Hertel made a team-high seven tackles and picked off a pass. Nathan Pralle also had six tackles for the Wildcats.

This is the 12th meeting between the teams, most of any Davenport opponent. This marks the fourth time that the two teams will play each other twice in a season (2021, 2022, 2025, 2026). Today's game will be the non-conference affair with the Wildcats coming to Caledonia on Oct. 10 for the Panthers' homecoming game. Saturday's game will also be NMU's homecoming contest. Last year's game was the wildest in the history of DU football with the Wildcats winning 47-45 in four overtimes to snap a six-game win streak by the Panthers. Davenport trailed 28-14 in the fourth quarter, but scored twice to force overtime. Kayden Collins had a 16-yard TD run at the 9:25 mark and Harris had a five-yard TD run with 1:18 left in regulation for the 28-28 tie. Noah Dobert scored from one yard in the first OT and DU matched it with a four-yard TD pass from D'Wan Mathis to Keonta Nixon. The Panthers scored on a six-yard Mathis run in the second OT and converted the two-point conversion. NMU matched those eight points as Dobert fumbled on the first play, but picked it up and ran 25 yards. He also scored the two-point conversion for the 43-43 tie. The third overtime goes to just two-point plays until someone wins. Both teams scored from the three-yard line on the ground to force a fourth OT. Mathis failed to reach the end zone and Dobert powered through for the winning points. The Wildcats rushed for 344 yards and six scores. The Panthers threw for 185 yards and rushed for 161 yards and five scores. Dobert finished with 243 rushing yards and four TD's.



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