WE'RE IN KANSAS
• No. 20 Michigan Tech travels to No. 24 Emporia State for a top-25 showdown.
• Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Eastern at Francis G. Welch Stadium.
• 2026 marks the 104th season of Michigan Tech football.
• Both teams are 2-0.
 
ON THE RADIO
• Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ broadcasts all Michigan Tech football games.
• Fans can listen live on the radio at Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ, online at mix93.fm or Pasty.com, or by using your favorite radio streaming app.
• Josh Ylitalo will call all the action.
 
WATCH THE GAME
• Saturday's game will be streamed on the MIAA Network, powered by hudlTV.
• The MIAA Network offers monthly or annual subscriptions.
 
HUSKIES RANKED
• Michigan Tech is ranked No. 20 in this week's AFCA Coaches' Poll.
• It's the first time since Sept. 15, 2025 the Huskies are in the poll.
• Tech is also ranked No. 23 in the D2 Football.com poll.
• Emporia State checks in at No. 24 in the AFCA poll and No. 22 in the D2 Football.com poll.
 
GLIAC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior kicker Avery Kucharski hit a pair of field goals in the win over Midwestern State.
• He tied a school record with a 51-yard field goal as the first-half clock expired and also hit one from 28 yards out in the third quarter. Kucharski added four extra points and three punts for a 40-yard average, with a long of 42. In kickoff duties, Kucharski averaged 60.9 yards on seven kicks.
• Kucharski is 3-for-4 on field goal attempts this season and is averaging 62.3 yards on kickoffs and 40 yards in punting with 2-of-5 punts inside the 20. He has scored 15 points for the Huskies this season with three field goals and six extra points.
 
GLIAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Senior linebacker Chase Koch led the Huskies' defense with 10 tackles, including two for loss with a sack, and two interceptions in the win over MSU.
• He ended the Mustangs' second drive of the game in the first quarter and then picked them off again in the second quarter and returned it 34 yards to position the Huskies for their second touchdown of the game.
• Koch leads the Huskies with 21 tackles this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Tech improved to 2-0 after a 48-27 victory over Midwestern State on Saturday at Kearly Stadium.
• It was the sixth straight home-opening victory for the Huskies, who forced five turnovers in the game.
• Jake Rueff and Elliott Larner each had a pair of touchdown runs. Bryce Kurncz and Abram Larner had touchdown receptions, and Avery Kucharski hit a pair of field goals, including tying a school record with a 51-yarder.
• Chase Koch led the Huskies' defense with 10 tackles, including two for loss with a sack, and two interceptions.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
• Emporia State is 2-0 with a pair of road wins at Minot State (36-30) and No. 10 Pittsburg State (21-10).
• Quarterback Ben Harris is averaging 270 yards passing with a 64 percent passing percentage. He has thrown three touchdowns and three interceptions. Trenden Collins is receiving 66 yards per game with a pair of touchdowns. Camden Crooks is averaging 76.5 yards on the ground and has scored two touchdowns.
• Landon Boss leads the team with 24 tackles, while Gabe Booker has 1.5 sacks.
• The offense averages 422.5 yards per game, and the defense is giving up 393 yards per game.
• The Hornets are 47 percent on third down and 1-for-2 on the fourth down.
• This season, Emporia State was picked to finish sixth in the MIAA in the preseason poll by both the coaches and the media.
• ESU went 5-6 overall in 2025 with a 4-5 conference mark.
• Former Hornet Garin Higgins is in his 20th year as the Hornets head coach in 2026. He is the all-time winningest coach in Emporia State history.
 
LATEST HOME OPENERS
• Tech has won its last six home openers at Kearly Stadium.
• Tech has recorded a 63-36-4 (.635 winning percentage) in home-opening contests.
• 2026 – Tech overwhelmed Midwestern State 48-27.
• 2025 – Tech defeated No. 16 Bemidji State 37-17.
• 2024 – Tech defeated South Dakota Mines 52-50 in four overtimes.
• 2023 – The Huskies were victorious over Hillsdale 45-20.
• 2022 – The Black and Gold defeated UW-Platteville 23-13.
• 2021 – Tech beat Hillsdale 14-10.
• 2019 – Tech fell 21-16 to No. 9 Grand Valley State.
 
ELITE 100 WATCH LIST
• Senior left tackle Brandon DeVries was named to the offensive squad as part of the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List.
• DeVries, a two-time captain for the Huskies has played in 32 games for his career in Black & Gold and was a First Team All-GLIAC selection last season and a Second Team All-GLIAC honoree in 2024 and 2023.
 
RETURNERS WITH 2025 HONORS
• Linebacker Chase Koch was named to the 2025 D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Second Team. Koch paced the Huskies with 105 total tackles, two interceptions, four breakups and two quarterback hurries.
• All-GLIAC First Team: offensive lineman Brandon DeVries, wide receiver Nic Nora, defensive tackle Pierce Miller, and linebacker Chase Koch.
• All-GLIAC Honorable Mention: offensive lineman Matthew Daanen, offensive lineman Rowland Ball, kicker Avery Kucharski and running back Jake Rueff.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
• Non-conference play wraps up on Homecoming against Upper Iowa on Sept. 19.
• The GLIAC schedule opens at Roosevelt on Oct. 3.
• The conference home opener is against Grand Valley State on Oct. 10.
 
COACH METTLACH
• Dan Mettlach begins his fourth season as head coach of the football Huskies in 2026.
• Mettlach was named the 2025 GLIAC Coach of the Year.
• He holds a 21-13 overall record.
• Mettlach was named the 17th leader of the Huskies on November 29, 2022.
• As quarterback for the Huskies from 2001-04, he was named an All-American, the 2004 GLIAC Player of the Year, and a two-time All-GLIAC selection.
 
HALL OF FAMERS
• Former football players Andy Bonk, Mike Horan, and Scott Keiser will be inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in October.
• Andy Bonk was a defensive back for the football team from 2001-04. He was a three-time All-GLIAC First Team selection and ranks 11th all-time with 268 tackles.
• Mike Horan was a four-year letterwinner on the football team from 1971-74, playing running back and defensive back. He earned All-NIC Honorable Mention honors in 1974 when the team went undefeated at 9-0 and won an NIC Championship.
• Scott Kieser was a two-sport athlete at Michigan Tech, playing quarterback for the Huskies from 1991-95 and as a guard on the men's basketball team from 1993-96. In his career, he threw for 23 touchdowns and 2,800 yards. As a senior, he had 13 touchdowns and 1,605 yards passing.
 
PRESEASON GLIAC POLL
1. Ferris State, 49 (7)
2. Grand Valley State, 43 (1)
3. Michigan Tech, 34
4. Davenport, 31
5. Saginaw Valley State, 28
6. Northern Michigan, 18
7. Roosevelt, 11
8. Wayne State, 10