No. 2 Lakers face struggling Northern Michigan

With the midway point of the 2024 season approaching, Grand Valley and its high-powered offense meet a Northern Michigan team that's been struggling to find its first win.

The No. 2 Lakers and Wildcats kick off at 7 p.m. on October 12 at Lubbers Stadium.

Grand Valley (5-0) is one of the most well-balanced teams in the nation, ranking nationally in the top-10 in total offense (475.5 yards per game) and total defense (224.5 yards per game).

Northern Michigan (0-5) ranks 154th out of the 159 teams in Division II in total defense, allowing an average of 468.4 yards per game. The Wildcats have struggled on offense as well, tied for 139th at 252.4 yards per game.

Grand Valley enters Saturday's game following a 24-7 win last weekend over crosstown rival Davenport - the seventh in a row for the Lakers over the Panthers.

"A win on the road in the GLIAC, especially against a really good team like Davenport, is awesome," said head coach Scott Wooster. "Creating that offensive balance is huge for us. We've established that we can run the football, but let's be an offense that's very tough to defend."