In a historic rivalry matchup, the Michigan Tech Huskies took on the Northern Michigan Wildcats last Saturday. Michigan Tech, with 41 wins in the last 58 games, extended their win streak to 14 with a 39-9 win.
Before the game, junior defensive lineman Connor Hindenach shared, “The Miner’s Cup isn’t just a game, it’s a fight for bragging rights. I’ve never been a part of such a strong culture, and it really shows on the field against Northern.”
The game opened with Northern receiving the kick, only to be shut down by the Huskies’ defense. Senior linebacker Owen Watson sacked the Wildcats’ quarterback on third down. Michigan Tech took over, and running back Jake Rueff broke through for a 25-yard run, setting up a 41-yard field goal by freshman kicker Avery Kucharsk, putting the Huskies up 3 to 0.
The Wildcats responded with a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter to tie the score 3-3, but the Huskies’ answered quickly. Wide receiver Darius Willis returned a kickoff for 35-yards, setting up a 39-yard pass. Senior quarterback Alex Fries then found wide receiver Brandon Michalak for a 30-yard touchdown, making it 10-3. Watson continued to dominate, forcing Northern to punt. Freshman Jaxon Libbert returned the punt resulting in a 78-yard return for his first career touchdown, extending the lead to 17-3.
Kucharski added a 39-yard field goal, and Fries connected with Michalak on a 58-yard touchdown pass. Senior linebacker Josh Cribben recorded a critical sack to halt Northern’s attempt to rally.
In the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Alex Bueno rushed for 25 yards, then a 33-yard touchdown. Bueno closed out with a touchdown pass to freshman Ethan Hull. Northern managed a final 35-yard touchdown, but it was too late to pose a threat, ending with Michigan Tech’s 39-9 victory.
Senior linebacker Josh Cribben shared after, “It is such a blessing to be part of a team with a winning culture and to go to work each day with my boys, knowing that beating Northern is a tradition bigger than any one of us.”
Michigan Tech continues to honor its legacy, fueling one of Division II’s most passionate rivalries. Next, the Huskies will face the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s new team, Roosevelt University, on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. Their next home game is Nov. 9 against Grand Valley State University at Sherman Field.
