Tag: Wildcats

NMU football coach Kyle Nystrom press conference August 28

Northern Michigan University head football coach Kyle Nystrom broke down the team’s depth chart heading into the season opener and talked about some of the biggest challenges freshmen face in adjusting to the college game.

Charles Belt on NMU men’s basketball playing Michigan State

Northern Michigan University men’s basketball assistant coach Charles Belt joined the SportsPen with Blake Froling and Jake Durant to talk about the Wildcats’ upcoming exhibition game with Michigan State on Tuesday, October 30.

NMU men’s basketball to face Michigan State in exhibition

MARQUETTE, Mich. — Northern Michigan Men’s Basketball will tip-off the 2018-19 season by visiting Michigan State University in an exhibition game Tuesday, October 30.

“We are extremely excited and thankful to be to playing Michigan State this season,” Head Coach Bill Sall sald. “Coach Izzo has been very supportive of the NMU Basketball program and I can’t thank him enough for giving our team this awesome opportunity. It is my hope that we will be able to attract a large group of alumni and NMU fans to meet us at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.”

This will be the sixth matchup between the Wildcats and Spartans, and just the second meeting since the 1975-76 season. NMU visited Michigan State to begin the 2015-16 season.

NMU enters this year coming off a season that saw the team post a winning record plus a return to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. The Wildcats return a majority of their 2017-18 squad, including two First Team All-GLIAC selections, seniors Naba Echols (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) and Isaiah Johnson (Whitefish Bay, Wis.), and All-Defense Team honorees in juniors Myles Howard (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Sam Taylor (Chicago, Ill./Thornton).

Ticket information and game time will be provided at a later date.

Courtesy of Northern Michigan University athletics

Wildcats, Huskies voted near bottom of GLIAC football coaches poll

By Blake Froling

Football season is almost upon us, which means it’s officially preseason polls season. Northern Michigan University and Michigan Tech might not like what they see from the GLIAC coaches poll released today.

The Wildcats were picked to finish seventh in the conference after a disappointing 1-9 campaign in 2017. They return GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year Jake Mayon, who rushed for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Quarterback Ryan Johnson also returns after starting as a freshman, he threw for 1,581 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions..

The defense is what will ultimately decide if the Wildcats can rise above seventh in the conference. The unit finished seventh in the conference in points allowed, last in yards allowed and tied for seventh in sacks.

Michigan Tech was picked to finish eighth in the conference after going 3-6 in 2017. The offense was anemic at times as the Huskies finished ninth in scoring.

The GLIAC will have just nine football teams this season after Tiffin University moved to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Photo: @GLIACsports Twitter