Michigan Tech linebacker Owen Watson prepares for a play during a game against Grand Valley State Saturday at Kearly Stadium in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

UNIVERSITY CENTER — With one game left on their schedule, the Michigan Tech Huskies football team hits the road this weekend for a tough matchup against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. The Huskies are 6-4 overall and 3-3 in GLIAC play.

The Huskies come into Saturday’s game having dropped a 20-0 decision last weekend to the No.5 Grand Valley State Lakers.

“I think that, watching it back, (we had) a lot of the same feeling we had right after the game,” said Huskies coach Dan Mettlach. “Kids played their butts off. We were physical, played fast. It just was, if you’re going to win in this league against the top teams, offense, defense, special teams, all have to show up at the same time, and we just didn’t do it.”

Mettlach said after the game against the Lakers last Saturday that he was disappointed with the fact that the offense could never really establish itself throughout the contest.

“Offense was not anywhere near consistent enough,” he said. “Early downs hurt us a ton, so whether we were trying to get three or four on the ground, or some quick gain just didn’t click, and that’s the end of the story.”

Mettlach could not say enough about how well the Huskies played defensively, holding the Lakers to just 20 points. However, they just could not quite take advantage of aspects of the game that could have made life a little easier.

“I thought defensively we played really well,” he said, “and then you give up the fake punt. Special teams-wise, we had a chance to cover a muff punt, didn’t do it. We’re close to blocking a punt, get a little bit of a piece of it, but we just didn’t make enough plays as a team to win that football game. The effort, the toughness, the way that our guys approached it was all incredible.

“So, there’s stuff that we can learn and take from the game, obviously, in a positive way. Our guys in our locker room, our coaches, we all know, if you’re going to win games like that, everybody’s got to show up at the same time. It just didn’t happen.”

The Huskies have had their share of tough moments throughout 2024, but none was bigger than the loss of senior linebacker Marc Sippel just two games into the season. That loss made the effort against the Lakers even more impressive. Add to that the loss of senior wide receiver Ethan Champney in a win over Northern Michigan, and the Huskies are missing some key components late in the season.

“I think I said this after Marc got hurt the first time, I felt like we had some depth, some guys that we could count on,” Mettlach said. “Those guys have stepped in and played well since he’s been out. Obviously, it’s no different, him, starting center, whatever it is, when you lose guys that you’re counting on and that are in those roles for a reason, it’s not ever easy to move on past that. The guys that have replaced all those players are doing a great job.

“Again, they’re starters for a reason, especially Champney and Sippel. The amount of football that those guys have played, and being in their senior years, you rely on that experience in games like that. Of course it hurts, but I thought our guys have all played in those spots, have done a nice job filling into.”

Despite the offensive struggles, Mettlach likes where the Huskies are in terms of accountability.

“Our guys are in a really good spot about it right now,” he said. “There’s nobody pointing fingers or blame game, or anything like that. It’s just we need to execute better. If that means as a staff, we have to get things simplified, or people in different positions, to be able to make those plays, that’s on us to do that. We have to make sure that our guys are confident to the point where we trust the protection, or we trust that this formation is going to get it done in the run game, so on, so forth, so they can just keep going, playing fast and we’ll get there.”

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS

The Saginaw Valley State Cardinals come into Saturday’s game looking for a chance to earn a playoff spot. They are 7-3 overall and 4-2 in GLIAC play after losing to No. 1 Ferris State last weekend, 27-24.

The Cardinals rely on freshman quarterback Mason McKenzie to drive their offense. He is 131-of-237 through the air for 1786 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has also driven the running game with 110 rushes for 654 yards and six touchdowns. He has thrown four picks.

Sophomore running back Terrance Brown has been the featured back, rushing a team-high 116 times for 511 yards and six touchdowns.

Freshman wide receiver Joseph Walker has 28 receptions for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Eric Craft has 25 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

GAME TIME

The Huskies and Cardinals are set for an opening kickoff of 1 p.m. Saturday at University Center.