22 unanswered points in final 15 minutes
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — After trailing 28-10 heading into the fourth quarter, the Michigan Tech football team strung together 22 unanswered points to pull off a 32-28 comeback over Saginaw Valley State at the Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The win lifts Michigan Tech to its first seven-win season in the Dan Mettlach era and the first since 2015, where the team finished 7-3. The Huskies finished the 2024 campaign with an overall ledger of 7-4 and 4-3 in GLIAC play. The win was the first against the Cardinals since 2021 and the first road win since 2017.
The result also affected potential playoff berths as Saginaw Valley State entered the week with an outside shot of a postseason game as the No. 10 team in Super Region 3. However, the Cardinal’s loss drops them to an overall record of 7-4 and 4-3 in the loop.
“It took us until the fourth quarter for all three phases to play together but I was proud of how the guys came out at halftime, there was no giving up–the defense played a really good game,” said Tech football coach Dan Mettlach. “The special teams came through and I’m super proud of the way Alex Fries played in his last game, there were a lot of good throws but the plays he made with his feet today, the toughness he showed today was incredible stuff. Everybody that was on the bus today showed up and it was an awesome win for Michigan Tech. It’s an awesome deal for these guys leaving the program and a good note to go into the off season with the guys we have returning.”
Both teams scored on their opening drive of the day with the Huskies getting on the scoreboard first, trekking 75 yards in 14 plays in just under eight minutes capped by a one-yard run by senior quarterback Alex Fries. The Cardinals answered in a hurry, needing three plays and 1:16 to travel 84 yards with an 80-yard bomb from Mason McKenzie to Terrence Brown to tie the game at 7-all.
Saginaw Valley State then scored three times in the second quarter with a one-yard run by Brady Devereaux at the 7:15 mark before McKenze found Joseph Walker for a 28-yard score and Braden Hill from 11 yards out, both with under a minute to play in the half. First-year kicker Avery Kucharski connected on a career-long 45-yard field goal in the period to make it a 28-10 game entering the half.
The defense set the tone for the eventual comeback in the third quarter, holding the Cardinals to just 12 plays and 35 yards in three possessions. Senior defensive lineman James Daanen and defensive back Dante Basanese made big stops on third and short, with the second stop forcing the Cardinals to punt from their 44-yard line near the end of the quarter.
Michigan Tech took 10 plays to go 80 yards with two passes from Fries to Darius Willis for 24 total yards before Fries escaped a third and 10 situation with his legs, gaining 15 yards for a first down to put the Huskies on the Cardinals’ 41-yard line. Four plays later, SVSU got called on a pass interference that put the Black & Gold on the five-yard line before Fries rushed into the endzone two plays later to make it 28-17 following the extra point.
The special teams came alive on the kickoff as Kucharski orchestrated a perfect onside kick, recovering the ball at the Huskies 46 yardline to put the offense back on the field with 10:35 to play.
Fries used his arm to connect with veteran wide receiver Brandon Michalak for 17 yards before completing two passes to Willis for a 29-yard snag and a four-yard reception to put the Huskies on SVSU’s three-yard line before sophomore running back Jake Rueff found the endzone with the two-point conversion being unsuccessful.
The Cardinals offense touched the ball for the first time at the 8:08 mark but were unable to move the chains following back-to-back incomplete passes, a false start and then a fumble on third and 15 recovered by Isaac Kinne deep in SVSU territory.
Michigan Tech looked to Rueff on the first two plays of the drive, rushing for 13 yards on the opening play to get to the three-yard line with his second carry gaining one yard. The Cardinals ultimately held it down, forcing the Huskies to settle for a field goal from 25 yards to make it 28-26 with 5:08 on the clock.
Kucharski once again delivered on special teams for the Black & Gold with a pooch kick recovered by the Huskies to once again receive the ball deep in the Cardinals zone, at the 23-yard line. Fries found first-year wide receiver Ethan Hull down the visitor sideline for a 22-yard snag, forcing SVSU to challenge the call although it would stand. Two plays later, the pride of Swan Valley, Alex Fries, scored his third rushing touchdown on the day on a seven-yard carry to claim the first lead since the opening drive at 32-28.
The Cardinals had a chance to hold off the Huskies with 2:02 to play at their 36-yard line, but Michigan Tech’s defense held McKenzie to four incomplete passes, with Josh Cribben and Greg Lapetina earning quarterback hurries on the first play, followed by pass breakups by Basanese and Porter Zeeman before veterans Owen Watson and Austin Schlicht put the nail in the coffin with a quarterback hurry on fourth down, giving Michigan Tech the ball with 1:38 to play, running out the clock to pull off the comeback and spoil the Cardinals Senior Day.
Fries finished the game and his career with 203 yards through the air (17-for-32) and 69 yards on the ground with three rushing scores. Rueff recorded 21 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown. Michalak had a team-leading 93 yards receiving on seven receptions, while Willis had five catches for 68 yards and Hull grabbed three passes for 49 yards.
Basanese had two breakups as Watson recorded three quarterback hurries with the duo leading the team with seven total tackles each.
Punter Brendan Lach accrued five punts for 212 yards, with his long of the day traveling 57 yards.
Michigan Tech ends its season with 28 seniors completing their playing careers, including Darius Willis and Alex Fries, who broke school records this year
