Posted: Oct 03, 2024
Game 5: Saginaw Valley State at Northern Michigan
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 1:00 p.m. ET
Superior Dome | Marquette, Mich.
2024 Game Notes: at Northern Michigan
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Video - https://flosports.link/4f826bJ
Live Stats - https://nmuwildcats.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
WSGW Broadcast - https://www.alphamediaplayer.com/wsgwsports
KICK-OFF
The Saginaw Valley State University Football team opens the GLIAC season with a road game against Northern Michigan.
The Cardinals (3-1) scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to climb back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to defeat 15th-ranked Indianapolis 28-24 last Saturday.
The Wildcats (0-4) are coming off a bye week last week. Their last time out they fell to NCAA Division III Alma 44-27.
1ST-AND-10
• The Cardinals currently sit in a four-way tie for second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings with Davenport, Ferris State, and Michigan Tech, who all have an overall record of 3-1.
• This is the middle of a three-game road trip with games at UIndy (9/28, W - 28-24), Northern Michigan (10/5), and Roosevelt (10/12). The Cardinals are 2-1 on the road this year with four more away contests for the season.
• Senior All-American linebacker Micah Cretsinger was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and the D2 Elite 100 watch lists. Junior linebacker Brandon Rawls joined Cretsinger on the D2 Elite 100 list.
• Saginaw Valley faces three ranked opponents this season: at (#15) Indianapolis (W, 28-24), (#2) Grand Valley State on October 19, and at (#5) Ferris State on November 9.
• Freshman quarterback Mason McKenzie leads the Cardinal offense with 737 yards through the air on 56-for-100 (56.0%) passing and five touchdowns. McKenzie also leads the team in rushing with 37 carries for 285 yards and two scores. He currently ranks third in the GLIAC in rushing and passing yards.
• Junior receiver Eric Craft leads the team in receptions with 12 for 205 yards and a score. Sophomore back Terrance Brown Jr. has eight catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Back Michael Jamerson III totals seven receptions for 31 yards through the first four games.
• Eli Gordon leads the team in tackles (28), interceptions (3), and pass breakups (3). The junior from Midland, Michigan earned GLIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week for the third-straight game after a team-high nine tackles and a 70-yard pick-six that put the Cardinals ahead 21-17 early in the fourth quarter. Gordon is the only GLIAC player to score a touchdown on an interception.
• Leonard Henry IV leads NCAA Division II in sacks with eight (2.0 per game) and has the second-most tackles on the Cardinal defense with 27. Henry IV is a menace in the opponent's backfield, as he adds 10.5 tackles for loss to his totals (his 2.6 TFL per game ranks 2nd in the nation).
• The linebacker trio of Alfred Dailey Jr. Brandon Rawls, and Micah Cretsingers have 24, 24, and 22 tackles respectively. Dailey Jr. and Rawls rank third-best on the team, while Cretsinger joins corner Jasper Beeler with 22 stops for fifth-best.