HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech football team wraps up the home slate for the 2024 campaign on Saturday, welcoming No. 5 nationally-ranked Grand Valley State to Kearly Stadium for Senior Day, slated for a noon kickoff.
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Senior Day
Before the start of the game on Saturday, Michigan Tech will be recognizing its 29 seniors for Senior Day.
The Series
The Lakers have controlled the series with a 32-4 overall record, with the first meeting coming in the 1976 season. Michigan Tech has a 3-16 record in Houghton, with the last win over Grand Valley State coming on Oct. 18, 2014, when the No. 20 ranked Huskies beat the Lakers 35-14.
About the Lakers
Grand Valley State travels to the U.P. with an overall record of 8-1 and a 4-1 standing in league play. The Lakers are ranked No. 5 nationally and No. 2 in Super Region 3, following last week's Homecoming victory, 51-28 over Wayne State.
Sophomore quarterback Vincenzo Meschi has stepped in to lead the Lakers' offense, tossing for 287 yards, completing 12-of-27 passes with two interceptions and two touchdowns in five games played. Second-year quarterback Alex Thole also contributed to Saturday's win with a 19-yard touchdown pass, completing one of four passes while throwing a pick.
Meschi earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors following his first career start in the win over Wayne State.
Sophomore running back Khalil Eichelberger paces the run game for GVSU with a team-leading six touchdowns and 629 rushing yards on 109 carries. Kenneth Jones (338 rushing yards) and Derrick Woods (243 rushing yards) have added five touchdowns for the Lakers. Wide receiver Kyle Nott has 390 receiving yards and one touchdown as the team's top receiver.
The Lakers are atop the GLIAC, averaging 250 rushing yards per outing, which ranks sixth nationally.
Defensively, senior defensive backs Ian Kennelly and Terez Reid have recorded a team-leading three interceptions apiece. Kennelly has also recorded 50 total tackles, with Kobe Hayward amassing a team-high 53 tackles, five breakups and an interception.
The Lakers are holding opponents to 15.1 points and under 260 total yards of offense. GVSU ranks eighth nationally and second in the league with 136.4 passing yards allowed per game.
About the HuskiesÂ
Michigan Tech returns to Kearly Stadium for the final time in the 2024 campaign fresh off a 20-7 victory in Chicagoland, besting GLIAC newcomer Roosevelt to earn their sixth win of the season with an overall standing of 6-3 and 3-2 in the loop.
The Huskies' defense was on full display, forcing two fumbles in the first half and two interceptions in the fourth quarter by Sam Ahern and Jared Tarrance. The duo now leads the Black & Gold with two interceptions this season. Dante Basanese has recorded 67 total tackles, ranking second in the league with 4.9 solo tackles. Veterans Owen Watson and Hunter Buechel have amassed 57 and 53 total tackles, respectively.Â
Senior quarterback Alex Fries continues to lead the GLIAC in passing touchdowns (19), passing yards (1,976) and passing yards per game (219.6). Veteran Wide receiver Darius Willis recorded his eighth touchdown reception to pace the GLIAC and rank 20th in the country. Willis also leads the league with 673 receiving yards this season. True freshman wide receiver Bryce Kurncz recorded his first career touchdown for the Black & Gold on Saturday.
Sophomore running back Jake Rueff has rushed for 452 yards, averaging 50.2 per game with two touchdowns.Â
Punter Brenden Lach has punted 52 times for 2,424 yards, (46.6 average) with a long of 67 yards and 20 punters over 50 yards to rank second in the land in punting average. First-year kicker Avery Kucharski has made nine field goals, with his season-long being from 42 yards.Â
One Last Thing
Lach, a 2023 Don Hansen Division II Honorable Mention All-American, recorded six punts for 273 yards on Saturday, surpassing the program record for punting yards for a season, surpassing the record of 2,277 punting yards set by Tony Bourdow in 1979.
