I mentioned being uneasy about the Wayne pick at Northern, and apparently I had a right to be as the Warriors nearly fell victim to the "SuperiorDome Swoon". I also pitched the Hillsdale at Saginaw Valley game as the weekend's most exciting, and while I didn't call the victor correctly that game did wind up providing a highlight finish to Saturday's GLIAC action.

Michigan Tech 35, Ohio Dominican 13

While the U.P. teams often look a bit off once they cross the bridge, there was no such struggle for Michigan Tech in this one. Akeem Cason went over 100 yards on the ground, while Tyler Scarlett was once again efficient with his passes as the Husky offense used a balanced attack to control the game's pace. In addition to being efficient, the Tech offense was also grinding as it crafted four touchdown-scoring drives of 70 yards or more. Toss in a defense that held ODU RB Mike Noffsinger in check and started the scoring with a Jesse Vandenberg interception return for a TD, and the Huskies were dominant on both sides of the ball.

Ashland 6, Northwood 3

We seem to have at least one "paint-drying" affair per season in the league, and an early front-runner for that honor was submitted from Hantz Stadium. In a game that saw no scoring for the first 49 minutes and was wrapped in about two-and-a-half hours (thank heavens), Ashland managed to sneak out of Northwood with the win. Northwood was hampered by not having Aaron Shavers at QB due to injury, and Ashland continues to struggle with a recieiving corps that lacks the explosiveness we have seen from past Eagle offenses. Good thing for the Eagles that true freshman Jordan McCune continues to impress...he notched 135 yards on 26 carries to lead Ashland.

Wayne State 30, Northern Michigan 28

Despite building a 24-0 second quarter lead, the visiting Warriors had to hang on for dear life late. Northern didn't get discouraged by the early disadvantage and used five Warrior turnovers to chip away at WSU's lead, drawing to within a deuce with less than a minute to go. After a successful on-side kick, however, the Wildcat magic ran out and Wayne was able to close the deal. Toney Davis led the Warrior ground game with 146 yards and a score, while Troy Burrell continues to be difficult to contain as he latched on to eight grabs for 169 yards via the air. Despite a valiant effort by Northern QB Carter Kopach to lead his team back, the senior signal-caller's four touchdown passes were overshadowed by his three picks and a 'Cat ground game that only mustered eight net yards on the day.

Indianapolis 45, Findlay 28

We were looking for a bounce-back performance from Chris Mills in the passing game, and we sure got it as the Greyhound QB hit on 30 or 38 for 323 yards and four TD's. Mar'Quone Edmonds once again proved to be Mills' favorite target, catching ten passes for 84 yards and three TD's. Monterae Williams scored three times and ran for more 100 yards for Findlay in the losing effort.

Ferris State 38, Lake Erie 14

Ferris raced out to a 24-0 advantage in the second quarter, and unlike Wayne State the Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas and cruised to the easy win. Skyler Stoker ran for 132 yards and Tom Schneider tossed three TD passes (and ran for another) as the FSU held the ball for more than 35 minutes and never let the LEC offense get anything going.

Grand Valley 70, Tiffin 7

After three straight losses, the Lakers bounced back...and frankly looked a bit more like most would expect in a drubbing of the visiting Dragons. Grand Valley QB Heath Parling completed his night less than two minutes into the third quarter, but he took advantage of his brief appearance by throwing five touchdown passes and running for a sixth. Charles Johnson continues his stellar play at wide-out for the Lakers, hauling in eight passes for 158 yards and a pair of scores. The GV offense finally had some rhythm, racking up 629 total yards and scoring all ten of the Laker touchdowns.

Hillsdale 38, Saginaw Valley 35

The nearly 7,000 that braved the early fall chill in Saginaw were handsomely rewarded by a classic, seesaw battle that wasn't decided until the final 30 seconds. Both clubs moved the ball well, but in the end Hillsdale found a way to get one more scoring drive out of their "pound-it-and-and-manage-it" system. Per usual, quarterback Anthony Mifsud did well with the "manage-it" part, and running back Joe Glendening took care of the "pound-it" by racking up 244 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries. While Mifsud and Glendening did the work throughout, perhaps the most electric of the game's plays was the one-hander snared by Nick Hixson with little more than a minute to go that provided the game-winning points. Five different Cardinals scored TD's in the loss, including quarterback Jonathon Jennings who also threw for a pair of scores.