This story is courtesy of NMU Sports Information
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The first game for the Northern Michigan football team under interim head coach Billy Lindquist was one for the ages, as the Wildcats outlasted Davenport in a four-overtime classic, 47-45.
The marathon affair tied the longest game in program history, matching a 34-28 four-overtime defeat against Tiffin in 2008.
Redshirt freshman Noah Dobert once again stole the show. For the second time this season, he rushed for a remarkable 243 yards, finding the end zone four times, and delivering the walk-off two-point conversion in the fourth overtime to seal the win.
The GLIAC's leading rusher is now making national waves. Dobert ranks among the nation's top five in total rushing yards (1,250) and rushing yards per game (125.0). His two 243-yard outings both sit inside the NCAA's top 15 this year. With 11 touchdowns, he's also found the endzone on the ground the most times in the program since Jake Mayon's 14 in 2018.
As a team, NMU's ground game was again relentless, piling up 344 rushing yards to Davenport's 161. The Panthers edged Northern through the air (185 to 32), but the Wildcats attempted only five passes all day. Trevor Theuerkauf and Noah Hofmann each added rushing scores alongside Dobert's four.
Northern led 21-14 at halftime and pushed ahead 28-14 in the third quarter, but Davenport stormed back with 14 unanswered points in the fourth to tie it 28-28. The teams traded blows through the first three overtime periods, matching touchdowns and two-point conversions each time, before the Wildcats finally broke through.
The Panthers fumbled into the end zone to start the fourth OT, setting the stage for Dobert's game-clinching plunge, a poetic finish to a game that will be remembered for years in Marquette.
"I am really proud of the team," Lindquist said after the game. "Everyone played their roles and we stayed together. I couldn't be more proud of their resiliency. It was a great team win!"
Lindquist was promptly greeted with a Gatorade bath as his Wildcats snapped a six-game skid against Davenport. The win marked NMU's first over the Panthers since 2021, improving the Wildcats to 2-8 overall while dropping DU to 5-4.
