Saturday’s 23-7 win over Michigan Tech brings the Cardinals to 3-0 this season.
The first quarter began when the Michigan Tech Huskies got its only touchdown in the first quarter.
Soon after that, SVSU sophomore kicker Connor Luksic brought the score up to 6 for the Cardinals.
Luksic made two field goals in the first and second quarter.
After a quiet third quarter, SVSU pulled ahead to a 20-7 score after making two touchdowns, one by senior quarterback Ryan Conklin, and the second from junior running back Nate McCrary.
The touchdowns were followed by two good kicks by Luksic.
At the end of the first quarter, Luksic made the final field goal of the game, bringing the score in as 23-7.
McCrary said he was happy with the team’s performance during the game.
“I’m extremely proud of the team in the way we finished,” McCrary said. “During the first half, we were slow. We just didn’t have that energy that we should have had. But, you know, the way we finished, staying together, building up each other, encouraging – that’s really what helped motivate us. This is our game. This is what we do, so I’m extremely proud of that.”
McCrary said he believes communication helped the team the most throughout the game.
“(My team) just kept letting me know that it was there, just be patient,” he said. “I feel like I knew that. I was really down in the first half, maybe in the first three series because it wasn’t going my way, but I appreciate my offensive line and even just staying with it. Keep pressing it, and you’ll break it, you’ll break a couple. Just keep playing, keep doing you, do what you do, and that’s just what really helped me.”
Conklin said the coach reviews past game day footage with them during practices.
“(We prepare) for the game the same way we do every week,” Conklin said. “We watch the film on opposition, we listen to our coaches, let them do the game planning, listen to them and trust whatever they have to say and we trust whatever position they put us in.”
Head coach Ryan Brady said the defense played well against a tough opponent.
“We were prepared for a fight; we got one,” Brady said. “We knew (Tech) was going to play really good. They came out really good early on. … They’re smart, disciplined and just a really good football team. Our defense was outstanding, even on the first series of the game. … I thought our defense really hung in there.”
According to Brady, the dismissal of junior defensive back Marvin White didn’t discourage the team.
“White got the targeting penalty, so (he was) dismissed from the second half,” Brady said. “That really energized our sideline, and it was really the next man up mentality. It was a turning point. I thought it was a good, clean play on both sides of the football, and it was a hard-fought win.”
SVSU plays its next game at Wayne State Saturday, Sept. 28.
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