Panthers’ Harris had nearly 200 yards in total offense and three touchdowns
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan football team took on the undefeated Davenport Panthers on Homecoming weekend, falling 42-7.
The Panthers jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter, but NMU responded with a trick-play passing TD to offensive lineman Daniel Babcock. Davenport responded and led 21-7 at halftime. They’d go on to outscore the Wildcats 21-0 in the second half for the 42-7 win on the road.
Noah Dobert led the Wildcat offense with 16 carries for 74 yards. Cephus Harris put on a display for the Panthers, totaling 21 touches for 196 yards and three touchdowns.
The Panthers outgained the Wildcats 374-210. Davenport’s defense sacked the Wildcats seven times, more than their season total coming in. Murphy Monreal recorded an interception for the Green and Gold, while Tyler Carnell and Damarcus Chappell each had a sack.
How it Happened
Northern opened with the ball but was forced to punt, and Davenport took over in Wildcat territory. NMU’s defense held the Panthers to a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but Cephus Harris went over the top on the next play to put Davenport ahead 7-0 with 5:45 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Wildcats looked to answer on their next possession, with Liam Oczkowski connecting with Wilson Ptacek for 19 yards on third down to keep the drive moving. NMU elected to go for it on fourth down just across midfield, but Davenport broke through the line for the stop and took over near midfield.
The Panthers converted a third-and-15 with a screen pass before Henry Cason broke free for a 43-yard touchdown, pushing the Davenport lead to 14-0 after one quarter.
The Wildcats came out with a strong response in the second. Ptacek opened the quarter with a 25-yard run, and Trevor Theurkauf kept the drive alive with a fake punt conversion. Noah Dobert then ripped off a 34-yard run to the Davenport 2-yard line before Oczkowski found offensive lineman Daniel Babcock in the end zone.
The touchdown initially appeared to be wiped away by an illegal touching penalty, but the call was overturned following a challenge, giving the Wildcats their first touchdown of the afternoon and cutting the deficit to 14-7 with 10:04 left in the half. The nine-play, 75-yard drive took 4:56 off the clock and featured a little bit of everything from the Wildcat unit.
Davenport answered quickly, as Harris opened the ensuing drive with a 30-yard run before breaking loose for a 45-yard touchdown. The Panthers pushed their lead back to 21-7 with 8:34 remaining in the first half.
NMU continued to battle, converting a fourth-and-1 in Davenport territory before a third-and-25 forced the Wildcats to punt. Davenport took over with just over two minutes remaining, but Northern’s defense stopped the Panthers on four straight downs to give NMU the ball back with 55 seconds left. A sack ended the half as Davenport carried a 21-7 lead into the break.
The Panthers held a narrow 199-178 advantage in total yards at halftime, while NMU led 9-8 in first downs. Harris had 111 rushing yards in the opening half for DU, while Dobert led the Wildcats with 71 yards on the ground.
Northern created an early opportunity in the third quarter when Murphy Monreal secured a tipped-ball interception, giving the Wildcats possession in Davenport territory. NMU couldn’t turn the takeaway into points, however, and was forced to punt.
The defenses continued to make plays, with LeeJohn Majerus coming up with a big tackle for loss as both sides settled into a defensive battle. Davenport eventually put together a long drive into Wildcat territory, with Harris finding the end zone on a 23-yard touchdown reception to extend the Panthers’ lead to 28-7 with 31 seconds remaining in the third.
Both teams punted on their opening possessions of the fourth quarter as the defenses continued to make their presence felt. Davenport then turned a turnover into points when B.J. Windham intercepted Duke Shovald and returned it for a 29-yard pick-six, extending the Panthers’ lead to 35-7 with 9:54 remaining.
The Wildcats continued to fight, but a turnover on downs in Davenport territory midway through the fourth ended another scoring opportunity. Davenport added one final touchdown on a James Young score with less than a minute remaining, finishing with a 42-7 victory.
Up Next
The Wildcats enter their bye week in preparation for welcoming the No. 1 Ferris State Bulldogs to the Superior Dome on Saturday, October 3.
