David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette From left to right, Michigan Tech’s John Williams, Cayman Berg-Morales and Jake Brown celebrate with the Miner’s Cup after a 28-21 win over Northern Michigan, Saturday, at Sherman Field. The win marked the eighth consecutive win for Tech in the series.

HOUGHTON — Lethargic and flat aptly described the Michigan Tech Huskies at the beginning of the 91st matchup with the rival Northern Michigan Wildcats, who took a 14-0 lead and appeared hell-bent on ending a seven-year losing streak against the Huskies. 

But eventually, Tech displayed those same characteristics that led them to victory the last seven years: toughness, perseverance and the ability to make the big play when it mattered most. 

Thanks to the Huskies’ clutch plays in the passing game that left the NMU faithful in disbelief, the Huskies prevailed 28-21 in front of a crowd of 2,979 Saturday at Sherman Field, adding one more victorious chapter to Husky lore, while NMU went home with more heartbreak. 

“I’m very happy we could win this football game to carry on this tradition,” first-year Tech head coach Steve Olson said. This was Olson’s seventh Miner’s Cup as a member of Tech’s coaching staff. “Coaching for Coach (Tom) Kearly and getting those seven in a row, that’s a testament to him and his coaching, so I’m proud to get this one with our team playing so well.”

The last three matchups in this series ended on the last play in gut-wrenching fashion for NMU.

• In 2014, Garrett Mead converted a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give the Huskies a 34-31 victory in the Superior Dome.

• NMU was set to exact revenge until Tech’s Tanner Agen and Evan Mayer blocked the 45-yard field goal attempt of NMU’s Ryan LaBerge.

• And in 2016, following a missed field goal by Tech in overtime, NMU back Jake Mayon fumbled and allowed Tech to recover to force a second overtime. NMU then missed a field goal, and Tech running back John Williams scored a 9-yard touchdown to secure a 51-45 Tech win.

This time, it was Tech’s clutch plays in the passing game that was the deciding-factor between the two rivals.

Entering the game allowing 224 rushing yards per contest (151st out of 168 teams in the country), NMU dedicated eight men to the box in an attempt to limit the Huskies’ power-run game. And for the majority of the night, NMU’s run defense held, surrendering 132 yards (3.3) on 40 attempts. 

But the extra attention to the run game allowed for one-on-one matchups on the outside, and Tech senior quarterback Jake Brown exploited the single coverage. 

Trailing NMU 14-6, from Tech’s own 25, Brown threw a deep pass to sophomore wide receiver Jacob Wenzlick along the right sideline; Wenzlick had his left arm held by NMU’s Deante Young, but the ball sailed into Wenzlick’s right hand for the one-handed grab as Young failed to track the ball and make a play. Wenzlick went 75 yards for the score, cutting NMU’s lead to 14-13 with 53 seconds remaining in the first half. 

“Jake Brown put the ball exactly where it needed to be,” Wenzlick said. 

The score continued Brown’s bounce-back following an interception to NMU senior safety Pat Ryan that set up a 20-yard touchdown by Mayon (157 yards, 31 carries) for a 14-0 NMU (1-3, 1-2 GLIAC) lead. It was the final blow to a uninspiring beginning for Tech.

It wasn’t pretty at all,” Brown said of Tech’s start, “but the guys on the field and everybody on the sideline said, ‘C’mon, you guys got this.’ We’re a big family, and if one guy is down, they’re picking you up on the field or off the field.”

Not deterred, Brown (11 for 21 for 231 yards, two touchdowns and an interception) and his receivers continued to win the one-on-one matchups throughout the night.

On Tech’s game-winning drive, NMU sophomore corner Nick Barnes failed to locate the ball once again, allowing Tech sophomore Kevin Kirkland to make the catch behind Barnes’ back for a gain of 33 in a play similar to Wenzlick’s touchdown against Young. 

Three plays later on third-and-goal from the 6, Brown connected with sophomore receiver Ben Hartley in the corner of the end zone on a fade route for the score. Brown then scrambled and found Hartley for the 2-point conversion and a 28-21 lead. 

“We just thought we had a good matchup,” Brown said of the game-winning touchdown. “I know that all of our receivers are going to get the ball. In that situation, it was to put it up and let a guy be a guy and go get the ball. He did a great job going and getting it.”

While Tech (3-2, 2-1 GLIAC) made plays when they needed to, NMU failed. It was the same story for NMU as it had been in the last seven games against Tech.

The Wildcats weren’t able to go up 17-0 when freshman kicker Ray Dalton sent his 47-yard field goal off the left upright. 

And following an interception off a deflection by NMU junior cornerback Demarious Wright, giving the Wildcats field position at the Tech 33, NMU failed to convert the possession into points when they had a 25-yard field goal blocked by Tech senior Spencer Moran, who came through the NMU line untouched. 

“We had a bunch of missed opportunities in the first half that we didn’t take advantage of,” NMU head coach Kyle Nystrom said. “When you get two takeaways and down in plus-territory, you have to get some productivity and get some points on the board, and we didn’t do that.

“We’re you’re playing this type of game, every play is a difference-maker, and when you don’t take advantage of it and let it get away from you, it goes against you in the end.”

NMU freshman quarterback Ryan Johnson (14 for 24, 185 yards, one touchdown) was efficient throughout the night and answered Brown’s final scoring drive by driving NMU down to the Tech 24. But on a third-and-10, a hesitation on throwing an out route allowed Tech senior Cayman Berg-Morales to sack Johnson for a loss of 7, forcing a punt. 

Tech killed 4 minutes, 40 seconds on the clock, giving the Wildcats possession at their own 20 with just 39 seconds remaining. Another sack by Berg-Morales and an incompletion on a desperation throw by Johnson guaranteed the Miner Cup’s stay in Houghton for another year. 

“I can’t describe it,” Berg-Morales said of the seniors going out undefeated against NMU. “We came out here and played our game. It didn’t start out right, but we’re a family and we stick together. I think that’s what’s giving us these wins at the end of games. We rally and play well. We’re starting to hit our stride.”

NMU 14 0 0 7 — 21

Tech 0 13 7 8 — 28

First quarter

NMU — Ryan Johnson 72-yard pass to Tanner Kruzel (XP good), 7-0, 9:44

NMU — Jake Mayon 20-yard run (XP good), 14-0, 7:29

Second quarter

Tech — James Henderson 3-yard run (XP no good), 14-6, 13:57

Tech — Jacob Wenzlick 75-yard pass from Jake Brown (XP good), 14-13, 00:53

Third quarter 

Tech — John Williams 5-yard run (XP good), 20-14, 3:22

Fourth quarter

NMU — Kruzel 30-yard pass from Mayon, (XP good), 21-20, 11:34

Tech — Ben Hartley 6-yard pass from Brown (2-pt good), 28-21, 8:27

Total offense

NMU 366 (215 passing, 151 rushing); Tech 363 (231 passing, 132 rushing)

Passing (completions-attempts-yards-touchdowns-interceptions)

NMU — Johnson 14-24-185-1-0, Mayon 1-1-30-1-0; Tech — Brown 11-21-231-2-2.

Rushing (attempts-yards-touchdowns)

NMU — Mayon 31-157-1, Mullen 2-7-0, Caldwell 1-0-0, Johnson 3- -13-0; Tech — Williams 25-90-1, Henderson 9-28-1, Brown 4-6-0, Sherbinow 1-5-0, Ferguson 1-3-0. 

Receiving (catches-yards-touchdowns)

NMU — Kruzel 4-116-2, R. Johnson 2-49-0, Knight 3-24-0, Mayon 3-19-0, Mullen 1-5-0, VanEffen 1-3-0, Caldwell 1- -1-0; Tech — Wenzlick 3-114-1, Kirkland 4-79-0, Hartlety 3-25-1, Williams 1-13-0.