PREVIEW: Huskies meet Panthers in Grand Rapids

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech (1-3, 0-0) heads to Grand Rapids to play Davenport (3-0, 0-0) on Saturday, October 1 in their first conference action of the 2022 regular season. Kickoff is at noon. The game can be heard on 920 AM and 107.3 FM WMPL. Last season, the Huskies defeated the Panthers comfortably 31-7 on Homecoming, but DU remains undefeated heading into the weekend at 3-0.

LAST TIME OUT

• No. 19 Saginaw Valley State posted 413 yards of total offense to down Michigan Tech 35-13 at Kearly Stadium in non-conference football Saturday afternoon. The Huskies led 13-7 but Isaiah Malcome rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns to help the Cardinals pull away in the second half.
• The Huskies did score a pair of first-half touchdowns. Darius Willis caught a pass from quarterback Will Ark and ran 59-yards to set up a score by running back Will Marano from the three-yard line. Ark also tossed the football to Ethan Champney behind the line of scrimmage and Champney threw it downfield to a wide-open Brandon Michalak to start the second quarter.
• The Huskies were held off the scoreboard in the second half and posted 176 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, Malcome rushed for his second touchdown from seven yards out to give SVSU a 21-13 advantage. Brito added a touchdown in the third quarter on a one-yard keeper, then found Arron Foulkes to put the game out of reach with 4:04 remaining in the third.

ARK LEADS AT QUARTERBACK

• Senior quarterback Will Ark played a majority of snaps the past two weeks for the Huskies. This season, he has completed 45.6-percent of his passes for 401 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
• The Green Bay native was named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC last season along with the Harold Meese Team Sportsmanship Award.
• He started all 10 games, racked up 1,715 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 64 yards and a pair of scores.
• Ark currently ranks seventh among starting QB's in the GLIAC with 100.3 passing yards per game.

RUSHING REPORT

• Will Marano rushed 17 times for 44 times and one touchdown Saturday against SVSU. Marano averaged 2.6 yards per carry. 
• His 48.0 yards per game is eighth best among backs in the conference. Marano's longest run of the year is 25 yards. His 68 attempts tops the GLIAC.
• Sophomore Alec Moriaty (Berlin, Wis.) increased his workload to a career-high six carries on Saturday for eight yards. He is listed as the second tailback on the depth chart behind Marano heading to Davenport.

WILLIS CONTINUES TO BE TOP TARGET

• Sophomore Darius Willis (Warren, Mich.) continued to be Ark's number one receiving option Saturday, with four receptions for 71 yards.
• Named honorable mention All-GLIAC as a freshman, Willis currently ranks sixth in receiving yards (223) with 16 receptions and 55.8 yards per game.
• With Willis garnering more defensive attention, look for sophomores Ethan Champney and Brandon Michalak to get into the mix Saturday, as well as senior tight end Luke Terrian, who has 36 yards receiving.

SPECIAL TEAMS REPORT

• Brendan Lach took over as the Huskies' primary punter this season and has 21 punts for an average of 39.6 yards, including three landing inside the opponent 20 yard line.
• Sophomore kicker Drew Wyble did not attempt any field goals against Saginaw Valley State and remains 2-for-3 on the season, with a long of 40. He is also 7 of 8 on extra point attempts.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• The Panther roster appears to be significantly improved from last year's squad which finished 3-8. Davenport's offense set a school record last weekend after posting 586 total yards in a 51-17 rout over Northwood.
• Quarterback Jason Whittaker (Rockford, Mich.) was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week in his first start of the season. Whittaker is a graduate student and was a four-star prospect out of high school, ranked as the No. 24 best pocket passer in the nation by ESPN.
• After his first true season on the bench at Division I Northwestern, Whittaker appeared in two games in 2019 and transferred to Davenport. Last week, he completed 21 of 29 passes (72.4-percent) for 360 yards and five touchdowns.
• After adding a sixth touchdown with his legs, Whittaker set the school record for touchdowns in a game.
• Wide receiver Sy Barnett (Williamston, Mich.) joined the Panthers after helping Ferris State to the Division II National Championship last season. There he played 12 games and racked up 12 receptions for 166 yards, including a 65-yard reception against Findlay. He already has 243 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Panthers through three games this fall. He leads the GLIAC with 6.7 receptions per game.
• Roy Livingstone (Miami, Fla.) hauled in three touchdown receptions for DU on Saturday with 111 yards. The senior also handles kick and punt return duties.
• Caleef Jenkins rushed for a career-high 104 yards and two touchdowns in week two against Northern Michigan. Jenkins followed with 92 yards on 13 carries against the Timberwolves with one touchdown, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
• Head coach Sparky McEwen has over 30 years of coaching experience and has been at the helm for Davenport since February 2017. The Panthers' biggest win last season came on the road against Walsh (10-6). DU picked up another close road win over a GLVC opponent to start this season 20-19 against Truman State on September 3.

In Memory Of EyQuan Cobb

The Panthers are playing with heavy hearts this season after student-athlete EyQuan Cobb, a beloved member of the Davenport University community and football team was an innocent victim killed in a drive-by shooting in Detroit in July. Cobb was a native of Detroit, Michigan, and part of the team for the past three seasons after graduating from Detroit Central High School. Michigan Tech Athletics extends its deepest sympathies to the Davenport University community and the family and friends of EyQuan Cobb during this difficult season.

LAST MATCHUP

• Last season, the Huskies downed the Panthers 31-7 at Kearly Stadium. Marano established MTU's ground game early and finished with 90 yards and one touchdown.
• Ark also connected with Willis for a 48 yard catch and run off a screen pass. Tech also forced four fumbles, nabbed two interceptions, and blocked a field goal try.
• On defense, the Huskies brought abundant pressure with eight sacks, including two by Austin Schlicht.

ALSO NOTABLE

• Marc Sippel leads the GLIAC with 49 tackles. He has topped the team in tackles in all four games this fall and tacked on 14 tackles against Saginaw Valley State, one short of a career-high 15. Last season, Sippel appeared in 10 games as a freshman and finished with 47 total tackles (17 solo). He also made two sacks with 4.5 tackles for loss.
• After four weeks of non-conference play, GLIAC teams hold a combined record of 18-8. Four teams remain undefeated and three are ranked inside the AFCA Division II Top-25. Defending national champion Ferris State stayed at No. 1 while Grand Valley State moved up one spot to No. 2 with a 3-0 record. Saginaw Valley State improved two positions to No. 17 after winning on the road at Michigan Tech.
• The Huskies remain at the bottom of the conference at 10-for-44 on third down conversions (23-percent). However, the team is 5-for-9 on fourth down this season (56-percent). MTU also is 5-5 in the red zone with four touchdowns.
• Similar to last year, the Huskies remain the most disciplined team in the conference and have taken a league-low 15 penalties for 144 yards (48.0 yards per game). Tech is also responsible with the football and ties Saginaw Valley State for the lowest number of fumbles lost (one).
• On defense, the Huskies have recovered three fumbles and made four interceptions.