Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE -- College football season has also officially begun at schools across the country and the Upper Peninsula is no different.

Monday outside the Superior Dome the 2009 edition of the Northern Michigan University football team met for the first practice of the year. The players were run through various skill drills wearing just helmets and shorts under sunny skies. The team is coming off a disappointing 2008 campaign that saw the Wildcats win two games and lose eight.

With last year in the past, the players like quarterback Carter Kopach say their off-season preparation has NMU ready for this fall, "I put a lot of time and effort in with the wide outs, tight ends and running backs and the defense was there too doing a lot of seven on seven sessions without the coaches. That means we're dedicated and committed which is a good thing, opening the season knowing you have guys there that are going to be there in the fall."

Senior linebacker Nathan Yelk isn't expecting this season to be a struggle, "We'll be successful. We looked at the film last year and time, and time again it was just execution. The players we have, have plenty of talent to make the plays we need and it's just executing the calls that are made and reduce errors."

Northern opens the season on the road September 5th at Northwood. The Michigan Tech, NMU game is set for September 19th in Houghton at 1 P.M. Eastern.