Michigan Tech beat the number nine ranked Ashland 24-21 this past Saturday, Oct. 30. The game winning touchdown was scored with just 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when senior quarterback Brandon Cowie hit senior wide receiver David Walter with an end zone pass for an eight yard touchdown. “Our players are playing for three things: pride, the university and the guy next to them on the line of scrimmage,” said head coach Tom Kearly. “Sometimes when the grand goals aren’t out there, the ability to play for those three things sometimes doesn’t happen. It did today because we played as hard as we could play.” A strong first quarter set a good foundation for the upset. The Huskies defense forced a punt to start the game in just four plays. Tech took over on their own 16 yard line with 12:29 remaining in the first quarter. Kicker Josh King kicked for a 28 yard field goal to start off. This field goal was number eight for King; two more successful field goals and King will tie the school record for field goals within a single season. Neither team scored again until the second quarter when Ashland made a 12 yard touchdown pass. Just two minutes later the Huskies made it to the end zone.
Cowie found junior wide receiver Ian Fischer, who kept passing defenders to score a 64 yard touchdown. King kicked for the extra point, bringing the Huskies up 10-7. Defensive back Travis Tidwell boasted two interceptions for the day, giving possession back to the Huskies. On fourth and ten in the fourth quarter Cowie found Fischer yet again for a 21 yard touchdown pass bringing the Huskies up 17-14 after the King’s kick. However, the advantage didn’t last long. Ashland scored once more taking the lead 21-17 with just 3:11 left to play. The game winner came on a third down and six from the Ashland eight from Cowie to Walter. Walter slid into the end zone for the points. Ashland gained possession again with just 31 seconds left and all three timeouts. Tidwell grabbed his second interception of the game. However Ashland regained control of the ball again with one second left. Sophomore defensive lineman Cody Goldsworth and senior lineman Evan Mayer sealed the Huskies’ fate with a sack to end the game. “Everyone on the field today made plays.
It wasn’t just the offense, it wasn’t just the last drive because without the defense we wouldn’t have even been in the game. The credit really goes to everyone on the team, they just played phenomenal today…. We just had to have the confidence that we could play this way.… We came out today with a fire and with a passion and just a confidence that we knew we could score points and it showed today,” Cowie remarked on the game. Cowie completed 21 of 30 passes for three touchdowns and 241 yards.
Fischer boasted 116 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. Walter boasted seven receptions for a team high including one touchdown. Total yardage for the Huskies added up to 378 yards, with 241 in the air and 137 on the ground. Wright and senior linebacker Ben Tauchen led the defense with 13 tackles each. Defensive back Glacier Wallington boasted 11 tackles and two pass breakups for the game, a season high. Tidwell added six tackles to his two interceptions.
A Michigan Tech football alum was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend. Bill Hauswirth, a wide receiver serving the Huskies football team from 1982-1985 was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend. Hauswirth was a three time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wide receiver and earned first team All GLIAC honors in 1983. He holds the school record for career receiving touchdowns with 24 and is ranked third in receptions at Tech with 141 career receptions for 2,229 receiving yards. Hauswirth also earned two letters in track and field. “We know that the Northern game is going to be tough, it always is. It’s the Miner’s Cup there must be some kind of magic about it…. We’re going to take this and try to ride this confidence into next week’s practice and get ready and get prepared for Northern,” Cowie looks ahead to next week. The Huskies take on the Northern Michigan University Wildcats in the annual Miner’s Cup game in Marquette. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 5.
