Click the AUDIO buttons to hear RRN's Casey Ford interview Steve Mariucci and to hear post-game comments from NMU Coach Shane Richardson. Also click the video links to see a replay of Noah Dobert's touchdown. Photos courtesy of NMU.
MARQUETTE---A week full of nostalgia and celebration wrapped up Saturday night at Northern Michigan University as the 1975 national championship football team was honored. The highlight was the retirement of Steve Mariucci's jersey, the Iron Mountain native who was the quarterback of that team and went on to play and coach in the NFL.
“When you look up at that jersey, I want you to think to yourself, that the jersey represents a team,” Mariucci told the crowd of 3,216 at halftime of the NMU game against Grand Valley State. “It represents a team that has accomplished something that nobody has ever accomplished in the history of the world.”
As his 1975 teammates stood with him on the Superior Dome carpet, Mariucci was referring to the fact that NMU lost every single football game in 1974, but turned the tables in 1975 to go undefeated, and win the NCAA national championship. That has never been done by another college or pro sports team in any sport.
“I am blessed to be here,” Mariucci said. “That you for remembering. In the era of football from the 70's, these guys are the best. We went from the bottom to the top, and every place in between together. We love each other. We all love this university. We love you guys. Go Wildcats!”
As for the game itself, the Wildcats, who have not won a game since 2022, played hard against the GVSU Lakers, ranked eighth in the country in the latest NCAA-II poll.
Noah Dobert's one-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter capped a 55-yard drive engineered by rookie quarterback Trevor Theurkauf, a Menominee nat. It was a 7-7 game at halftime, and the 'Cats were in position to break the program's 27-game losing streak.
Unfortunately, GVSU (4-1 overall, 2-0 GLIAC) caught fire with three touchdowns in the third quarter, and the 'Cats could not respond.
The Lakers didn't take long out of halftime to regain the lead, however, going 68 yards in five plays over 2:43, capped by a Zak Olejniczak to Lynn Wyche-El 24-yard touchdown pass. An interception set them up again, and they converted on a 14-yard rushing touchdown by Paschal Jolman to make it 21-7 with 6:28 left in the third.
A second NMU interception led to another GVSU score, this time a 7-yard touchdown run from Kenyon Owens.
The Lakers outgained NMU 173-3 in the third quarter, capitalizing on a trio of Wildcat turnovers, each of which gave them possession in Northern territory and resulted in a touchdown. They added the last of those scores on the opening play of the fourth, as Kenneth Jones found the end zone to cap the scoring at 35-7.
“The second half didn't feel as good as the first half, obviously, so that was disappointing,” NMU Coach Shane Richardson said. “I loved our energy. I loved our intensity. We approached it and attacked it with a lot of pride. We've got to be able to go out and play a four-quarter game. Our second half, it really does have to be your best half of football, and we've got to learn a valuable lesson for the second half.”
NMU fell to 0-6 on the season, and 0-3 in GLIAC play. The Wildcats travel to Chicago to face Roosevelt University next Saturday afternoon at 2:00. Listen on FM-100.3 The Point in Marquette, and FM-93.5/AM-600 in Escanaba.
