Mariano Valenti
QUINCY, IL. — The Northern Michigan University football team found itself in a second-half shootout and couldn’t keep up as the Wildcats fell to 0-4 with a 45-27 loss at Quincy University on Saturday afternoon.
After a scoreless first quarter, NMU trailed just 14-10 at halftime, but the Hawks (3-1) scored another 31 points in the second half, led by former Northern quarterback Drake Davis.
Davis finished by completing 25 of 40 passes for 352 yards, including three touchdown passes, an interception and a rushing touchdown.
He denied the return of current NMU starting signal-caller Mariano Valenti, a transfer from the NCAA Division I Temple. Valenti, who was out with injury last week, had those numbers. they were as impressive as Davis’s: He completed 34 of 49 for 368 yards, two touchdowns, one kick and a rushing score.
Although many of the statistics were fairly even, NMU lost two runs and Quincy didn’t lose any.
The Hawks outgained North by a modest margin, 480-441, in total yards, as Quincy had 128 to NMU’s 73.
The Wildcats also had another first down, 26-25, with 24 more seconds in the clock of possession while both teams scored on each of their five red zone possessions.
Valenti’s favorite target was Sam Peiffer, who had nine pass receptions for 94 yards and one touchdown, while four other NMU receivers had at least four catches each – Michael Love had four catches for 81 yards, Tyquan Cox five for 66. Franco Williams six for 55 and Kyle Sahr four for 23.
On the ground, Cox led North with 70 yards on 16 carries. Valenti also had 16 carries but for just two net yards as he was sacked four times for losses of 37 yards.
Davis’ favorite target was Travis Isaac, who had eight catches for 107 yards and one touchdown, and on the ground Davis proved his worth as he did at NMU, gaining 53 yards on 11 attempts, a number matching teammate J.Q. Brown. who did it in 13 carries with two TDs.
On defense, Jax Hertel and Mitch Larkin led Northern with nine tackles each, as Hertel had the unit’s only loss, an interception, as well as a tackle for loss.
Jake Price had the Wildcats’ only QB sack – an 11-yard loss – and also forced a fumble from Quincy, while Cade Manzo had two pass breakups on six tackles.
Offensively, the game started slowly as each team had the ball twice in the first quarter and failed to score. But NMU’s final drive of the first period came with Michael Karlen’s 39-yard field goal on the first play of the No. 2 quarter for the visitors’ only lead of the day, 3–0.
That might have woken the Hawks up from their slumber, as on the ensuing possession, Davis completed four passes for a total of 78 yards, culminating with a 39-yard touchdown throw to Jalen Lawrence. After Michael Owens’ first of six PAT hits, Quincy led 7-3 with 12:44 left in the first half.
Then the northern defense had to strengthen – and this happened. The Wildcats’ next two possessions quickly ended with failed attempts by Noah Hofmann and Valenti at the NMU 30-yard line.
But Northern “D” stopped Quincy each time without a first down in NMU territory. The Hawks attempted a 43-yard field goal but missed on one of those possessions.
Eventually, however, the Hawks got the ball back and marched 80 yards, the final 42 yards on a pair of Davis rushes that ended with his 12-yard TD run with 5:07 left in the half to make it 14-3.
Quincy drove again before the first half ended with a chance to put the first nail in NMU’s coffin. But Hertel intercepted Davis’ pass with 2:13 left and returned it 26 yards to the NMU 44, putting the offense in prime position.
Valenti and company responded, with the QB throwing five straight passes, the last a 40-yarder to Love, who received the ball a yard from the goal line as time expired. On the next play, Valenti took advantage of a shotgun kick and finished with a kick, and with Carlena’s extra point, Northern trailed by just four points at halftime.
Although NMU shortened the clock and the Hawks defense to start the second half, Quincy proved too strong after that with Davis at the helm.
The Wildcats started the second half and marched 87 yards in six minutes before facing fourth-and-goal at the Quincy 3. Carlen took the field to kick a short 20-yard field goal with Northern trailing just 14-13.
But the Hawks were never stopped in the second half, scoring on all five of their goals after halftime — four touchdowns and one field goal.
That included a 4-yard touchdown run by Davis and a 5-yard scoring run by Brown that made it 28-13 at the end of the third.
Northern wasn’t done yet, however, as Valenti went 5-of-5 passing on the next possession, which spanned the third and fourth quarters and ended with a 7-yard touchdown throw to Cox on the first play of the final period. Carlen’s PAT put NMU back within 28-20.
Although the Hawks were able to score a 35-yard field goal by Owens on their next drive to make the score 31–20, it was the last time Quincy missed the end zone.
NMU added one final touchdown in the final 30 seconds on Valenti’s 5-yard scoring pass to Peiffer for the final lead.
The Wildcats will remain on the road for the next two weeks, opening the GLIAC season with the imminent task of playing two-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Ferris State on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Information compiled by Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.