Michigan Tech quarterback Alex Bueno runs the ball during a practice this spring at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The Michigan Tech Huskies football team is coming off another 7-4 season, and with their annual Spring Game Saturday, their spring practices wrapped up. The difference this year is that the Huskies dropped their last two games of the season.

Yet, head coach Dan Mettlach has plenty to be excited about with his group, especially offensively, where a number of skill players are returning to key spots heading into fall.

“Yeah, we’re in a good spot,” he said. “I feel like the trajectory of where we’re heading is on a great path. It’s a sour note last year, compared to 2024, just with dropping the last two games, and, especially, the way we lost the last game. So, (if we could) find a way to get that last one done, we’re right in the playoff picture at that point. Instead, you’re going home. So that part was tough.

“But, we have a ton of guys coming back this year. Last year, we were talking about as much inexperience as we had new guys playing, whether it be young, or older, guys that hadn’t had many reps. That is not the case this year.”

Mettlach said there is no reason the Huskies can’t keep taking steps.

“We don’t have any of those excuses going into this fall,” he said. “I feel like our guys have handled it well, from the offseason conditioning, to what we’ve done in spring ball, and we’re in a good place from that standpoint.

“Certain things just don’t change up here. We’re still trying to create depth, get some of those younger bodies to do what some of the younger guys did a year ago so that they’re capable of helping us out in the field. You take year-to-year is one thing, but where you’re at from when we first started to where we are now, the climb is still going in the right direction.”

That sentiment was evident in the Huskies’ offensive line, which allowed the Huskies to rush for 2,035 yards last season, as opposed to 1,400 in 2024.

“Brandon DeVries sets the tone for where we’re at with our physicality and how we approach practice,” said Mettlach. “It’s awesome that we have guys like him. Ethan Post has taken some incredible steps, but when that leadership is coming from the front, that’s a big deal in terms of working from the front out, in terms of what we’re getting from that physicality and toughness part of it.”

The efforts of the line created time and space for the Huskies’ quarterbacks, Alex Bueno and Elliott Larner. Bueno, a redshirt sophomore, went 133-of-240 through the air for 1,571 yards and 13 touchdowns. Larner, a true freshman, went 21-of-36 for 311 yards and two touchdowns.

As good as both were through the air, they were also dynamic in the running game. Bueno ran 88 times for 418 yards and four touchdowns. Larner ran 49 times for 352 yards and eight touchdowns.

DeVries, a junior, and the line created time and space for both quarterbacks to use their feet effectively.

“No question about it,” Mettlach said. “Not just the inexperience, but getting back to ‘AB’ (Bueno) being a redshirt sophomore, then you have a true freshman, for those guys to be able to stand back in the pocket when they were asked to do that, be able to keep their eyes downfield, and have that trust that they’re going to be protected, was a big deal.

“At the same time, having those two guys with their feet being as dynamic as they are can get us out of trouble as well.”

The pair of signal callers will be expected to continue to grow. They both took reps throughout the spring, and their head coach expects them to continue to develop.

“So, as much as we want the ‘O’ (offensive) line to be able to protect us and do everything right in the run game, to have guys that are athletic enough in the backfield that when it’s not clean or perfect, can get us out of trouble, it kind of works both ways,” Mettlach said. “I felt like those guys all played well off of each other. Of course, AB going into a second year as a starter and Elliott having some experience coming in, those guys need to take that next step as well of finding that fine line of it’s time to go make a play on this one, at the same time the very next play, maybe have some patience to sit back there and let things develop as well.

“So, it’s all coming together. These reps this spring have helped that, and, obviously, we’ll hammer that home in early camp as well.”

Bueno, who missed time late in the season with injury, said Saturday that he felt good through the spring.

“All spring I felt pretty much 100%, so I’m thankful for that, and, come summer, keep working and see how it feels,” he said. “I think I’m all good for the most part, but just trying to maintain it and make sure it’s all good to go for the fall season.”

As he enters his second season behind center, Bueno is excited to build on what he did well in 2025.

“It’s just building upon what I did last year,” he said. “Last year, I set the foundation for myself, and this year it’s starting to stack on top of that, and make plays. Last year, I was commanding the offense. Now it’s time to actually take the offense to a different level, make plays on my feet more, see the progression downfield a lot more clear, and be comfortable in the pocket.

“So, I’m just taking those steps to advance myself in the offense, and, at the same time, elevate the offense as a whole.”

Mettlach has already seen growth in both Bueno and Larner.
”The best thing is that he’s healthy,” said Mettlach. “He’s moving around like he did early in the year last year, which both those guys, you take their feet away from them and their game changes significantly. So, in order for our offense to be as dynamic as we want it to be, those guys need to be healthy and be able to move and make people pay with their feet, whether we’re talking pass game or run game.

“But, having him (Bueno) healthy, back for the spring, he looks good right now, physically, had a good winter in the weight room. Both of them are as interested in understanding defenses, our scheme, why we’re doing things, as much as they are just going around and making a play. That part has been great.”

At the same time, Mettlach and his staff know that the GLIAC is aware both quarterbacks can make things happen with their feet.

“That’s kind of one thing we’ve been harping here the last couple weeks is everybody in our league knows that they both can run,” Mettlach said. “At some point, they’re going to have to beat people with their arms. That can be as simple as knowing when to check it down, or taking a free one on quick game on the backside of our drop back, whatever it might be. Understanding how important it is to be in a rhythm with their feet when they’re throwing it, be in a rhythm with the offense to make sure the ball is moving down the field.

“It doesn’t always have to be a big play, but again, that comes with the reps and understanding what we’re trying to do and what the situation of the game is. Both of them, that is going to be the homework going into summer, as boring as it might be, to harp on the mechanics of throwing the football so that the layups, as we say, the easy throws are completions, not incompletions, and our pass percentage is going to go up significantly when they buy into that part.”

While it is very much a work in progress, Mettlach is happy to have this be the concern.

“I think anybody would love to have the situation we have right now,” he said. “So, it’s work in progress with what we’re doing after them in terms of where that third guy is going to come from. But to have two guys that you know are capable of running the offense, how we are installing it, is awesome.

“It’s not a situation where if one of them is not in the game, we have to change anything up. They can both do the same things, whether that be the ‘Q’ (quarterback) run game, the pass game, whatever, to where you’re not having to go into a game with two separate game plans based off of those talents. So, that part has been incredible.”

Michigan Tech quarterback Elliott Larner rolls out to look for an open wide receiver during a practice this spring at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)