Huskies Begin Home Stretch vs. Ferris State
THE MATCHUP
Saturday, October 26, 2013 • 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
Michigan Tech (4-2, 4-2 GLIAC) hosts Ferris State (4-3, 4-2 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.
LEFFINGWELL'S LEGS
Charlie Leffingwell rushed 38 times for a career-high 221 yards and two touchdowns at Northwood. He scored on a five-yard run in the first quarter and a 14-yard run in the second quarter. Leffingwell has 777 yards on the ground and is averaging 129.5 yards (fifth in the GLIAC and 13th in the Division II) per game and 4.7 per carry. He also has five touchdowns, tying him for eighth in the league.
LEADING THE NATION
The Tech defense is first in NCAA Division II in first downs allowed with 93 on the season. The offense is second in the nation in time of possession, averaging 34:59 per game. The team is second with fewest penalties per game (2.67) and penalty yards per game (21.233).
LAST SECOND LUCK
Michigan Tech scored a touchdown as time expired at Northwood last Saturday (Oct. 19) for a 33-31 win. Tyler Scarlet threw a pass intended for Brandon Cowie but the ball was tipped and landed in the hands of Jordan McConnell. Tech piled up 583 yards of total offense and held the home team to 325.
COWIE CONTINUES CENTURY STREAK
Brandon Cowie extended his streak of 100+ receiving yards to four games with a season-high 148 yards at Northwood. The freshman had nine catches and a touchdown against the Timberwolves. Cowie had a 32-yard grab with 10 seconds left that setup the game-winning score. He had 142 yards receiving at Findlay to start the streak. He added 133 yards at Grand Valley State and 113 vs. Northern Michigan. Cowie leads the GLIAC with 117.2 yards per game and is tied for 12th nationally.
SHERMAN FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Huskies play their third game of the season at Sherman Field on Saturday. Tech is 2-0 with wins over Walsh (29-7) and Northern Michigan (31-7) so far. The Huskies are 14-3 at Sherman field during the last four seasons. Other teams traveling to Houghton this year are Saginaw Valley State (Nov. 2) and Wayne State (Nov. 16). Tech finished 4-1 at home in 2012 and is currently on a four-game win streak. The last loss was to Grand Valley State on Sept. 29, 2012.
SCARLETT ACCOUNTS FOR 281 YARDS VS. NMU
Quarterback Tyler Scarlett threw for 339 yards in last week's win at Northwood. The junior completed 23-of-37 passes with two touchdowns and an interception. The yardage brought his career total to 6,655. He is just the third Huskies to ever reach 6,000 yards. Scarlett, who owns the top two passing seasons in school history (2,406 as a freshman and 2,596 last year), is averaging 275.5 yards per game so far in 2013.
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- ) 6,655 .624 54 16
SERIES VS. FERRIS STATE
The two teams have met 62 times dating back to 1947. Tech leads the series 34-24-4. Last season in Big Rapids, the Bulldogs defeated the Huskies 56-49. Prior to last season's game, Tech was on a nine-game winning streak in the series.
MEAD ONE AWAY FROM SEASON FIELD GOAL MARK
Kicker Garrett Mead made his ninth field goal of the season vs. Northern Michigan (Oct. 12) and is now just one 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 14-of-18 on extra points this season for 41 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.
LAST SEASON'S MEETING
Tyler Scarlett threw 380 yards and a school record six touchdowns in last season's 56-49 loss at Ferris State. The Bulldogs piled up 601 yards of offense and scored four touchdowns in the second quarter. Tech scored two touchdowns in a 2:11 span to get within seven points. With 35 seconds to play, the Huskies recovered an on-side kick but were whistled for being off-side on the kickoff. The subsequent on-side attempt was recovered by FSU to ice the game.
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)
LOOKING AHEAD
Next weekend the Huskies host Saginaw Valley State at 1 p.m. from Sherman Field. The final road game is at Hillsdale on Nov. 9 and the regular season wraps up on Nov. 16 against Wayne State at Sherman Field.
HUSKIES BITES
Tech is unbeaten when scoring more than 20 points…The Huskies are tied for third in the GLIAC North Standings with Ferris State and plays the two teams ahead of them in the coming weeks…Tech is tied for fourth in the overall GLIAC standings…The only opponent above the Huskies that isn't still on the schedule is top-ranked Ohio Dominican (7-0, 6-0 GLIAC).
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 48-31 record (.608 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.