Michigan Tech defensive lineman Austin Schlicht (9) celebrates a sack along with teammate Owen Watson (8) during a game against South Dakota Mines Thursday at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — When they stepped on the field at Kearly Stadium to start the second half Thursday evening, the Michigan Tech Huskies football team trailed the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, 21-7. After senior quarterback Alex Fries threw an interception on the first play of the second half, the Huskies quickly found themselves down by three scores, 28-7.

From there, they buckled down, stormed all the way back, forced overtime for the second straight week, and, in the end, emerged victorious, 52-50.

Mettlach was proud of the way his quarterback took ownership over his mistake and how he rallied the Huskies to chip away until they drew even.

“Alex kept playing through it,” he said. “There were a couple of decisions that he wishes he had back, and it was just one of those days where you all of a sudden look up at the scoreboard, and you’re in a 21-point hole. You feel like you have to score 21 points every single throw. I thought he settled in late.

“He made some plays at the end. Obviously, the long one to Ethan (Champney), it’s in a scramble, and he finds him on the crossing route that was not even the focal point of that side of the play. So, (Fries) made a ton of plays.”

By halftime, Fries had already thrown 24 times for 205 yards and a touchdown. In the second half, plus the overtimes, he pushed those totals to 51 attempts with 29 completions for 457 yards and five touchdowns.

It all started on the next drive after the Hardrockers took a three-score lead.

After drawing a pass interference call, Fries found Champney, a junior, for a 35-yard gain. Two plays later, Fries hit senior tight end Drew Collins for a 10-yard touchdown reception to pull the Huskies back within two touchdowns at 28-14.

The Hardrockers got that touchdown back on a 1-yard run from Dawson Dunbar, but the Huskies were not to be denied.

Sophomore running back Asher Gregory scored his first career touchdown for the Huskies a little over two and a half minutes later to cap a one-play drive after the Huskies forced a turnover on a fumble by Hardrockers quarterback Jake Martinelli.

The Huskies then forced another turnover on downs, and got the ball back with just seconds left in the third quarter. Three plays later in the fourth, Fries found Champney in the middle of the Hardrockers’ secondary, and he took off, scoring on a 59-yard touchdown reception that pulled the Huskies back within one score at 35-28.

Champney had a huge night for the Huskies, making 10 catches for 227 and two touchdowns. Add to his total six catches by senior Darius Willis, along with one touchdown, and seven catches for 74 yards by senior Brandon Michalak, along with a touchdown, and the Huskies’ veteran receiving corps proved vital in a big moment at home.

“Michey (Michalak) played well. DWill (Willis) played well. Champney, obviously, played well, all three of those guys,” Mettlach said. “I said it last week, I said at the beginning of the camp in our team meeting, those three are not expected to just be good. They have to be difference makers in our offense on top of that. That whole group played really well.”

The Huskies forced a punt with a little over eight minutes left in the fourth and got to work. Seven plays set the Huskies up at the 1-yard-line. A direct snap to Collins, and a brief delay before he started his journey to the end zone, opened up a hole, and Collins was able to even the game with 4:50 left.

Over the next two and a half minutes, the Hardrockers worked their way into Huskies’ territory, only to have their drive come to an abrupt halt on an interception by senior defensive back Jared Tarrance at the 29-yard-line.

The Huskies could not quite get into field goal range for freshman kicker Avery Kucharski, however, who had already missed two attempts in the first half, and they turned the ball over with 23 seconds left in regulation. The Hardrockers got into Huskies’ territory to the 38-yard-line, but a missed field goal attempt by Connor Taylor sent the two teams into overtime.

The Hardrockers got the ball first and scored on a six-yard pass from Martinelli to Colton Grover. The Huskies responded with a Champney 3-yard touchdown reception, forcing another round. Michalak came down with a 10-yard pass for a touchdown and then Champney caught the two-point conversion to put Michigan Tech up 50-42.

The Hardrockers responded with a 7-yard touchdown from Martinelli to Max Hoatson. After they made their two-point conversion attempt, they got the ball back with a chance to attempt a second two-point conversion, which failed.

The Huskies tried a short pass to Collins, who was run out of bounds just shy of the goal line, forcing another round of conversions. This time, Fries hit Champney to put the Huskies up by two.

Martinelli attempted a pass over the middle to even things up, but senior defensive back Hunter Buechel was there to knock the ball away.

Buechel, who needed to step up in the absence of senior linebacker Marc Sippel, who left the game in the first minute with an injury, did just that when it mattered most.

“Well, you know, behind the scenes, Buechs has been a leader for us, and one of not only the best players on our team, but we feel like in that position of anybody we see,” said Mettlach. “We get that two-point conversion in the last OT, the defense goes out on the field, and he just looked at me, and kind of started shaking his head like it’s time, and he ends up being the one making a play.”

Mettlach felt that Sippel’s injury may have contributed to the Huskies’ slow start to the night as they gave up touchdown passes of 33 yards and 2 yards in the first quarter, and another of nine yards in the second quarter.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Mettlach said. “You could just feel it on the sideline. There was almost a gasp, and not just the players, but the coaches as well. With what he means to our program, not just the defense. That word heart and soul of a team gets thrown out there a lot, but there’s no question that that’s what he is for us.”

UP NEXT

The Huskies have an extended rest before facing Hillsdale at home on Saturday, Sept. 14, at noon at Kearly Stadium in Houghton.