HOUGHTON, Mich. – Coming off its first ranked win since the 2019 season, the Michigan Tech football team is heading to the Mount Rushmore State for a Thursday night matchup against South Dakota Mines, slated for a 8 p.m. (EST) kickoff.
A live stream ($) of the game live stats can be found at Michigantechhuskies.com/live. Â
The Series
The two technological schools met for the first time a season ago with the Huskies pulling off a thrilling quadruple overtime win in Michigan Tech's home opener (52-50), where quarterback Alex Fries broke the single-game passing school record, tossing for 471 yards and five touchdowns.
About the Hardrockers
The Hardrockers faced a stout opponent in their season opener, traveling to No. 6 nationally-ranked CSU Pueblo, where the Thunderwolves rattled off 43 points while holding South Dakota Mines scoreless.
Despite the offensive woes, the Hardrockers' defense forced a fumble in the first half by Aiden Werlinger, who had 1.5 sacks for 10 yards on the day. Linebacker Evan Hatton led the way with nine total tackles.
The offense had a tough day as both quarterbacks threw interceptions and recorded a combined seven sacks. Gage Baker threw for 123 yards in 25 attempts as Ashur Carraha tossed for 51 yards in 20 attempts. Jacoby Ogbonna was the top receiver for the Hardrockers with seven grabs for 93 yards.?
The offense went just five-for-18 on third down conversions and went zero-for-two on field goal attempts, missing from 40 yards and getting blocked on a 35-yard try.
About the Huskies
Michigan Tech enjoyed a successful opening week victory over then-no. 16 nationally-ranked Bemidji State, shutting out the Beavers in the second half to cruise to a 37-17 victory for the first ranked win since September 7, 2019. The Black & Gold are receiving votes in the AFCA Top-25 poll following the ranked win.
It was a full team effort; however, the rest of Division II got a formal introduction to the Huskies' new starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Alex Bueno, who went for 207 yards through the air (16-for-25) and two passing touchdowns while rushing for a game-leading 102 yards and a score. The efforts of the Rochester Hills, Michigan, product earned him GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first career start.
Nic Nora had a team-leading two touchdowns, with one on the ground and one through the air, as wide receiver Ethan Champney and running back Jake Rueff also had scores in the 20-point victory. Rueff led the way with five receptions for 70 yards, also pounding the ground with 17 carries for 49 yards.
On the defensive end, linebacker Joe Marano was a focal point for the Black & Gold, leading the Huskies with two sacks for four yards as part of his seven total tackles, while Porter Zeeman finished with a team-high eight total tackles.
One Last Thing
The first ranked win in the Dan Mettlach era was the largest win over a ranked opponent in program history since October, 16, 2004, when then-No. 13 Michigan Tech bested then-No. 7 Northwood 54-7, a game where Mettlach was the starting quarterback, rushing for 36 yards in three carries and a touchdown while throwing for 62 yards—Michigan Tech Hall of Famer Lee Marana rushed for 269 yards on 44 carries and an astonishing six touchdowns.
