Football Hosts No. 23 Saginaw Valley State on Saturday
THE MATCHUP
Saturday, November 2, 2013 • 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
Michigan Tech (4-3, 4-3 GLIAC) hosts No. 23 Saginaw Valley State (7-1, 7-0 GLIAC)
Radio Broadcast: WKMJ 93.5 FM (Josh Ylitalo, Phil Milbrath)
Video Webcast: https://www.huskieslive.mtu.edu/
Audio Webcast: Pasty.net
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/michigantech/
Full version of game notes available in pdf.
HOME STRETCH FOR HUSKIES
After four of its first six games on the road, Michigan Tech plays three of its final four contests at home. Saturday will be the Huskies' fourth home game of the season at Sherman Field. Tech is 2-1 at home this season with wins over Walsh (29-7) and Northern Michigan (31-7) and a loss to Ferris State (30-27). The Huskies are 14-4 at Sherman field during the last four seasons.
TOTAL DEFENSE REMAINS TOPS IN GLIAC
Michigan Tech boasts the top total defense in the GLIAC, holding opponents to an average of 328.1 yards per game. Wayne State is second at 351.4. With extremely potent offenses league-wide, only six of 16 GLIAC teams have a total defense averages under 400 yards. Two league teams average giving up more than 500 yards per game. Tech's 328.1 ranks 28th nationally.
PENALTIES AND POSSESSION
Michigan Tech is the least-penalized team in terms of yards in the country. The Huskies average just 19.7 yards of penalties per game (all but two teams in the GLIAC are over 34 yards per game). Tech also ranks fourth nationally in time of possession with an average of 34:11.
ANOTHER HUNDRED FOR LEFFINGWELL
Charlie Leffingwell turned in his fourth 100-yard rushing game last Saturday (Oct. 26) vs. Ferris State. The junior carried the ball 24 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. Leffingwell owns 888 yards in seven games this season for a 126.9 yards-per-game average—fifth best in the GLIAC.
TOP TWO RECEIVERS IN GLIAC TAKE TO SHERMAN FIELD SATURDAY
Saturday's (Nov. 2) game between Michigan Tech and Saginaw Valley State will feature the GLIAC's top two receivers in yards per game. SVSU's Jeff Janis ranks second nationally and first in the league at 143.1 yards per game. Tech's Brandon Cowie ranks second in the GLIAC at 101.7 yards per game. The receivers are the only two in the conference averaging more than 100 yards per game.
SCARLETT COULD MOVE INTO SECOND IN TECH CAREER PASSING
Quarterback Tyler Scarlett accounted for three touchdowns last week with one passing and two rushing TDs vs. Ferris State. The junior was 13-of-23 for a season-low 116 yards. Despite that, Scarlett still owns the GLIAC's third-best passing average of 252.7 yards per game. The three-year starter, who has the top two passing seasons in school history (2,406 as a freshman and 2,596 last year), is sitting at 6,771 career yards. He needs just 106 yards to pass Dave Walter for second place.
Michigan Tech Career Passing Yards Pct TDs Ints
1. Steve Short (2006-10) 7,471 .579 59 44
2. Dave Walter (1983-86) 6,876 .505 48 59
3. Tyler Scarlett (2011- ) 6,771 .624 54 16
ZIOLKOWSKI'S BIG DAY
Taylor Ziolkowski had a game-high 12 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery vs. Ferris State last Saturday (Oct. 26). Ten of his 12 tackles were solo stops. The senior linebacker leads the team in tackles on the season with 56.
SERIES VS. SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
Michigan Tech and Saginaw Valley State have met 26 times since the series began in 1980. The Cardinals hold a 19-7 lead with wins in each of the last six games. Tech's last win in the series was a 20-7 triumph at home on Oct. 14, 2006. The teams have combined for an average of 66 points per game since 2007. SVSU came away with a 44-41 overtime victory the last time the teams played in Houghton (Oct. 8, 2011).
MEAD ONE AWAY FROM SEASON FIELD GOAL MARK
Kicker Garrett Mead sits just one field goal shy of the school record of 10 (shared by Grant Botz in 2004 and Billy Scyphers in 2001). Mead is 9-of-11 on field goals and 17-of-22 on extra points this season for 44 total points—most on the team and 15th-best in the GLIAC. The junior, who hit a school record five field goals in the win over Walsh, has makes of 31, 19, 24, 37, 27, 22, 27, 44 and 23 yards this season.
SUPERIOR PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Superior National Bank sponsors the Superior Player of the Game. Following each football game, a player is chosen. A list of the 2013 Superior Players of the Game is below.
Sept. 14 at Tiffin Charlie Leffingwell (33 carries, 192 yds, 2 TD)
Sept. 21 vs. Walsh Garrett Mead (5 field goals, 2 PAT, 17 Total Points)
Sept. 28. at Findlay Brandon Cowie (11 catches, 142 yards)
Oct. 5 at GVSU Brandon Cowie (10 catches, 133 yards)
Oct. 12 vs NMU Brett Gervais (8 tackles, 27 punt return yards)
Oct. 19 at NU Jordan McConnell (7 catches, 112 yards, TD)
Oct. 26 vs FSU Taylor Ziolkowski (12 tackles, INT, Fumble Recovery)
LOOKING AHEAD
Next weekend the Huskies travel to Hillsdale for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The game will be Tech's final road game of 2013. The regular season wraps up back at home on Nov. 16 against Wayne State at Sherman Field.
HUSKIES BITES
Michigan Tech is 4-0 when it wins the time of possession battle and 0-3 when it doesn't … The Huskies went the first five games of the season where the closest contest was decided by 21 points. In the last two weeks, both games were decided by three or less.
COACH KEARLY
Michigan Tech head coach Tom Kearly is in his eighth season as head coach and 14th overall with the Huskies program. The skipper owns a 48-32 record (.600 winning percentage) and has coached Tech to two of the eight eight-win seasons in school history. Kearly, a Hancock native and 1979 Winona State graduate, coached at Central Michigan for 19 seasons before returning to the Copper Country in 2000. He was the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2010.
2013 CAPTAINS
Michigan Tech's team captains for the 2013 season are offensive lineman Chris Mullen, defensive lineman David Russek, quarterback Tyler Scarlett and fullback Cole Welch.