The Saginaw Valley State University Football team opens the 2024 season with a non-conference showdown against Winona State University. This is the second meeting between the two programs as the Cardinals began 2023 against the Warriors at home for the annual Red  Feather Game, winning 34-24 in the first-ever meeting.

 

SVSU finished 2023 with a 6-5 record and a two-game winning streak after victories over Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opponents Northern Michigan (W, 62-17) and Michigan Tech (W, 38-21). 

 

WSU completed 2023 with a 5-6 mark, ending the year with a 13-7 win over conference foe Minot State.

 

The Cardinals return several key pieces on the offensive side of the ball, including GLIAC Freshman of the Year Terrance Brown Jr. Brown compiled 733 rushing yards with six touchdowns in 2023. He will be joined by Arron Foulkes at wideout, who had the team's second-highest reception amount with 25 grabs for 287 yards and two scores.

 

The Saginaw Valley defense will be led by senior linebacker and 2023 All-America selection Micah Cretsinger. Cretsinger highlighted the year for Saginaw Valley after tying the NCAA Division II record with four interceptions returned for a touchdown. He was the first player in the GLIAC to achieve that feat, and only the fifth player in DII history to meet that mark (the last occurrence came in 2011). He led the team in tackles with 100 and had 3.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and four pass breakups. His eight interceptions were tied for the most in the GLIAC and ranked second in all of NCAA DII, half his picks came against Northern Michigan in the home finale where he broke a 17-year-old school record for interceptions in a single game.