3 GLIAC Football Takeaways From Week 4
3 GLIAC Football Takeaways From Week 4
Here are three takeaways from week 4 of GLIAC play as GVSU remains the lone unbeaten team before conference games begin in early October.
After four weeks of football, Grand Valley State remains the lone unbeaten team in the GLIAC as they gear up to enter conference play starting on Oct. 5. On the other side of the win/loss records, Northern Michigan Wildcats are off to a worrisome start with a record of 0-4.
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Perhaps this is a good time to reflect on the season so far before the teams head into the GLIAC gauntlet as they push to define the current version of their team with success and overcome their early weaknesses. While the preseason rankings have been shaken up through the first few weeks of play, it's given chances to unranked teams to make a move and ranked teams to prove their gumption.
We read between the lines and came up with a few takeaways from week 4 of the 2024 season.
Unranked Davenport Held Their Own Against No. 11 Central Missouri
Although Davenport has received votes each week, they remained unranked heading into their match-up against the near-top-ten-ranked Central Missouri. In the home opener in Grand Rapids, MI, Mike O'Horo put up 21 completions for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Preston Smith and Myren Harris were two of O'Horo's favorite options as they completed a game with the 4th-most passing yards of GLIAC football this season.
Highlights: Central Missouri vs Davenport
As the lead went back and forth all game between the Mules and Panthers, Harris split the defense impressively along the sideline to bring in two well-earned touchdowns. He caught six passes and earned a career-high 128 yards on Saturday.
The game came down to Davenport with the ball on their own 41 with 57 seconds left. On the second to last play, O'Horo threw it to an open receiver who dropped it. On the final play, O'Horo threw a long ball down the center of the field into heavy coverage. UCM's Noah Blair made the catch and slid to his knees, ending the game.
Grand Valley State Turnovers Kept Wisconsin-La Crosse Within Reach
The score, 17-10, between the #2 ranked Division II Grand Valley State Lakers and #5 ranked Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse game would lead someone to believe the game was closer than it was. The Lakers offense continues to be a force to be reckoned with under the leadership of junior quarterback Ike Udengwu.
In the first three games of the season, they've put up a GLIAC-leading 948 rushing and 521 passing yards, averaging 490 per game. On Saturday in Lubbers Stadium, the Lakers controlled the ball for 33:00 to the Eagles' 27:00. Where they made up the difference was third-down conversions—the Lakers earned 12 on 18 attempts while the Eagles only earned 3 for 10. In total, Udengwu led the offense to 153 on the ground and 245 in the air.
Highlights: Grand Valley State vs Wisconsin-La Crosse
At the top of the third quarter, Vincenzo Meschi took over the Lakers offense and after a 10-play drive that took them to the UWL12, on 1st and 12, he threw his first of two interceptions. On their last possession of the third quarter, 1st and 10 on the UWL 23, Meschi would throw yet another interception just yards away from a scoring opportunity for the Lakers.
Michigan Tech Looks Primed For Conference Play
Despite their 5-5 (1-5) record last year, Michigan Tech Huskies are looking good in their first 3 games of the season. They return to Kearly Stadium for another home match-up on October 5 against Wayne State—kicking off conference play in 2024. So far, they've reeled in 3 wins and 1 loss—the result of a 13-19 overtime score at No. 25 Bemidji State in Minnesota.
Highlights: Michigan Tech vs Hillsdale, Sept 14
In their latest win, they held it to the UW-Oshkosh Titans despite having possession of the ball for 10 fewer minutes (25:53)—handing the Titans their first loss of the season.
"It was great to get the win against a good football team. This was the first time all fall that I felt we had the advantage up front on both sides of the football," Tech head coach Dan Mettlach said. "I thought our guys played Michigan Tech football today and I'm proud of that."
Quarterback Alex Bueno made his first appearance for the Huskies, rushing for 46 yards and throwing for 75, including his first career touchdown. Alex Fries eventually came in to earn three touchdowns and throw 9-17 completions.
The Huskies will look to ride this early season success into their first GLIAC conference game against Wayne State on Saturday, Oct. 5. Watch live and on-demand exclusively on FloFootball.
GLIAC Football Scores In Week 4
- Central Missouri 32, Davenport 31
- Alma 44, Northern Michigan 27
- Michigan Tech 44, Wisconsin-Oshkosh 7
- Saginaw Valley State 37, Truman State University 14
- Valparaiso 31, Roosevelt 23
- Indianapolis 30, Wayne State 6
- Grand Valley State 20, Wisconsin-La Crosse 13
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