Huskies football returns home for top-25 matchup with Panthers
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HOUGHTON -- The No. 14 Michigan Tech Huskies football team wanted to bounce back from a tough loss on Saturday, Oct. 24, to No. 1 Ferris State, and they did just that against Saginaw Valley State last weekend, winning 27-20. With the win, the Huskies are 7-2 overall and 4-1 in GLIAC play.
The Huskies had spent the week working hard to make sure they did not have a letdown after fall to the Bulldogs, and coach Dan Mettlach was pleased with a lot of what he saw Saturday against the Cardinals.
"I thought it was a great response from our guys," he said. "Lose an emotional game down at Ferris and then get right back on the bus and have to go back down to Saginaw, which is never an easy place to play. Obviously, (it was a) tight game, and came down to the end. Needed all three phases to get it done. But, the way our guys approached it and how we played, how we all stuck together, played off each other throughout the game Saturday, very proud of the effort."
The game was anything but easy. Both teams struggled to find the end zone for much of the contest.
"It was just one of those days, second half of the Ferris game, first half of the Saginaw game, where we were down in the red zone," Mettlach said. "Up to that point in the season, we had scored when we got down there. I think it was a couple weeks ago we were talking about, we’re not settling for field goals, we’re scoring touchdowns. We get down there, and we had four quarters in a row where we were settling for field goals, or at least field goal attempts. So, that part was frustrating. I thought the guys did a nice job moving the football."
From there, the Huskies took penalties, or could not overcome the Cardinals' defensive front, and that led to failed scoring chances.
"So, there’s a couple of things that, whether it be self-inflicted, or things they were doing, that we just did not execute what we needed to in the red zone, and ended up settling for three, rather than putting the ball in the end zone," said Mettlach. "That part was tough. But, the guys kept battling.
"I talked to them about this after the game, and again on Monday. I felt like the attitude, and the way they were talking on the sideline, whether it be adjustments, or just the things they were saying to each other, stayed positive, and we knew we could move it. We just needed to get things going to get into a rhythm, and, fortunately,we were able to make some plays at the right time, and get that last score in the end zone."
One of the things that Mettlach and his staff did as part of their adjustments in-game Saturday was use sophomore wide receiver Abram Larner in the running game in a similar style to junior wide receiver Nic Nora, and the results were positive, as Larner had a big, 58-yard rush in the late stages of the game.
"He and Nic both, we got to the point in the game where we just needed them to have touches," Mettlach said. "So, I thought their defense did a really nice job with what they did with their front. Obviously, you get into that spot in the game in the third, fourth quarter, where we weren’t in a great rhythm offensively. So, you’re trying to find ways to move the football. And, of course, the run that Abe had to get us down into the scoring zone at the end of the game was huge.
"Two big blocks by the 'Q' (quarterback), and then (Bryce) Kurncz on the outside.
"Those guys need to touch the ball in our offense. So, whether we get it to them in jet sweeps, reverses, throwing it to them, letting them throw it, whatever it might be, we’re always going to find ways to get them involved, just to keep them in the rhythm of the game as well."
Scouting the Panthers
The No. 12 Davenport Panthers are 8-1 overall, and 4-1 in the GLIAC. They come into Saturday's matchup having lost to Ferris State last weekend, 23-14, on the road.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jonathan Palmer drives the offense from behind center. He is 88-of-129 through the air for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is also good on the ground, where he has rushed 83 times for 542 yards.
The ground game is led by senior running back Cephus Harris, who has 223 rushes for 1,794 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Through the air, Palmer has two favorite targets. Redshirt junior wide receiver Brody Thompson has 14 catches for 219 yards and four touchdowns. Redshirt junior quarterback Mac VandenHout has also done well in the receiving end of the passing game. He has 20 catches for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
Game time
The Huskies and Panthers meet Saturday at Kearly Stadium with the opening kickoff set for 12 p.m.