Football Wins Back Axe - Defeats Saginaw Valley 10-7

OVERVIEW – SAGINAW VALLEY

SCORE: Northwood Timberwolves 10, Saginaw Valley State Cardinals 7
RECORDS: Northwood 2-0, Saginaw Valley 1-1
LOCATION: Hantz Stadium – Midland, Mich.
RECAP: Northwood football earns back the Axe, defeating rival Saginaw Valley 10-7 in the Axe Bowl game Saturday (September 14).

INSIDE THE GAME

• After four three-and-outs to start the game for both teams, Saginaw Valley put together the first scoring drive of the game at the 9:31 mark. The Cardinals went 88 yards in five plays, capped by a 37-yard touchdown pass to put SVSU on top 7-0.
• Northwood used a big play on defense to set up their first points of the day. Joe Lathers intercepted a pass at the Northwood 45-yard line and returned it 27 yards to set the offense up at the SVSU 28.
• Jacob Barlage then found Jake Townsend for a four-yard touchdown pass to level the score at 7-7.
• Northwood went 38 yards on their following drive but stalled out at the SVSU 43 to give the ball back to the Cardinals.
• NU had great chance to expand the lead later in the second, as a mishandled snap on a Saginaw Valley punt gave Northwood the ball at the SV 24. But Northwood went backwards eight yards and missed a 50-yard field goal to keep the score tied 7-7.
• On their final drive of the first half, Saginaw Valley moved all the way to the Northwood 23 but missed a 41-yard field goal attempt to send the game to the locker room tied 7-7.
• Northwood put together their best drive of the day to open the second half. NU went 71-yards in 12-plays to get to the SVSU 14. Max Gonos connected on a 32-yard field goal to put the Timberwolves on top for the first time at 10-7.
• Both teams had the ball in their opponent's territory multiple times the rest of the way but were unable to score any more points.
• SVSU missed a pair of field goals in the final 19:54 of the game.
• During their final chance of the game, Saginaw Valley got the ball to the Northwood 32 with just over a minute to go. On third and nine, Northwood seniors Brock Cook and Mbaimba Tunkara teamed up for a sack that made it fourth and 21.
• Northwood earned an incomplete pass on the following play, clinching the victory for the Timberwolves.

GAME STATS

• FIRST DOWNS: Northwood 12, Saginaw Valley 15
• RUSHES-YARDS: Northwood 32- (-7), Saginaw Valley 27-41
• PASSING YARDS: Northwood 176 (21-32, TD, INT), Saginaw Valley 228 (22-41, TD, INT)
• TOTAL OFFENSE, PLAYS-YARDS: Northwood 54-190, Saginaw Valley 79-348
• TIME OF POSSESSION: Northwood 32:51, Saginaw Valley 27:09

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

• Barlage: 21-32, 176 yards, TD, INT
• Brendan Teal:  Six catches, 83 yards
• Townsend: Receiving TD
• Cook: Nine tackles, sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, QB hurry
• Cole Simpson: Eight tackles, tackle for loss, fumble recovery, pass breakup, QB hurry
• Tunkara: Seven tackles, 0.5 sack, 3.5 tackles for loss
• Daniel Wynn: Five tackles, sack, 1.5 tackles for loss
• Lathers: Interception

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Northwood snapped Saginaw Valley's five-game winning streak in the series. NU's last win against the Cardinals came in 2017 (35-21).
• The Timberwolves are 2-0 for the first time since 2017. That was the last time Northwood finished a season with a winning record, ending the year 7-4.

UP NEXT

• The Timberwolves travel to Tiffin Saturday (September 21). Game time is set for 4 p.m.