Northern Michigan University senior linebacker Justin Schiets, front right, defends near the line of scrimmage during the Miner’s Cup game played against Michigan Tech in Houghton on Oct. 26. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Maybe it’s good fortune, maybe it’s bad fortune, but the Northern Michigan University football team gets a final chance to put a victory on its ledger on Saturday afternoon in Detroit.

It’s tough because the Wildcats go there to face Wayne State, which was also winless this season until last Saturday, when the Warriors posted a 38-14 win over Roosevelt. Roosevelt also has only one win, a 16-10 overtime victory over NMU in the Superior Dome on Oct. 19.

Maybe it’s good fortune, though, as Wayne State might be a tad overconfident seeing that they’re playing a struggling squad two weeks in a row.

An NMU win combined with a Roosevelt loss to nationally ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday would complete the league season with the Wildcats, WSU and Roosevelt in a three-way tie for sixth place in the eight-team league, a finish maybe not thought possible by NMU fans just a few weeks ago.

Right now, Northern is 0-10 overall and 0-6 in the GLIAC, the Warriors are 1-9 and 1-5, and Roosevelt is 1-5 and 1-8. The next team above that trio is Michigan Tech in fifth at 6-4 and 3-3.

Whichever way it goes, the Northern-Wayne State game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast by radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Fans can also follow @NMU_Football and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the game. Or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the football schedule for links to live video, live audio, live statistics, a series history and game preview.

“I really liked the way we approached last week’s game and the guys believed we could continue to improve and get better,” Northern second-year head coach Shane Richardson said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the game. “Wayne State is going to be athletic and hungry and have some confidence coming off of a win. We have to be ready to play in someone else’s environment and try to do well at.”

Last Saturday, the Wildcats were outscored 52-31 at Davenport in suburban Grand Rapids. Northern kept the game competitive until almost the end, trailing just 31-24 after Michael Karlen kicked a 32-yard field goal in the final minute of the third quarter.

But Davenport answered with a quick score on the final play of the period and added another with a little over 10 minutes remaining to jump back out to a 45-21 lead and effectively end it.

Despite that, the Wildcats added another touchdown with about 3 1/2 minutes to go by Negaunee High School graduate Kai Lacar on an 8-yard run for NMU’s final points.

That rushing play was one of many effective ones by the Northern offense, which rolled up 324 yards on the ground, its most since 2018, while scoring its most points in Richardson’s two years at the NMU helm. Northern’s previous rushing high mark this season was 269 yards vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse.

However, the running came at the expense of the passing game as a pair of Northern quarterbacks were just 2 of 7 passing for 84 yards. Throwing most of the passes was Marquette Senior High School product Austin Ridl, with one incomplete pass tossed by Jake Bilitz.

Ridl, however, led Wildcats rushers with 84 yards in 11 carries, with team leading rusher and freshman Jahi Wood contributing 83 yards in 19 tries.

In addition, another Negaunee grad, Nico Lukkarinen, ran for 26 yards in nine carries as Lacar actually only totaled three yards in three attempts.

NMU actually took the lead in the first quarter when Vince Martin scored on an 8-yard run in the latter stages of the period to make it 7-3.

But DU answered with three straight TDs, the first two spaced just 15 seconds apart early in the second quarter after an NMU fumble was immediately converted into a 20-yard touchdown run.

The Wildcats were forced to play catchup the rest of the game.

Wood still ranks fourth in the GLIAC in rushing with 559 yards, while Martin with 303 yards is 14th, Lukkarinen with 258 yards is 17th and Elizin Rouse with 236 yards is 20th. Lukkarinen and Martin each with three TD runs rank 11th in the conference. Plus the Wildcats have the league’s fourth-best rushing attack at 166.4 yards per game.

Despite the de-emphasis on the passing game, NMU’s Michael Love still ranks third in the conference with five TD catches and is seventh with 443 receiving yards.

And the Wildcats are tied for second in the GLIAC with eight forced fumbles.

Wayne State’s win over Roosevelt last Saturday was led by Jeremiah Sterling Jr. with 79 yards rushing and three TDs, while Champion Edwards threw for 122 yards and a score.

The Warriors have 12 rushing TDs all season, including six by Sterling, while teammates Myles McKatherine and John Rayba each have four TD receptions.

Last season, Wayne State defeated NMU 41-17 in the Superior Dome, though the Wildcats had won their previous two meetings, 37-30 in Detroit in 2022 and 26-19 in Marquette in 2021. Going back to 2012, Northern is 5-5 vs. the Warriors in their past 10 contests.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.