Ferris State battled to beat the Michigan Tech Huskies 30-27 to finish off a short road stand and advance to 5-2 in the GLIAC.
The Bulldogs (5-3) traveled to Houghton, Mich. Saturday looking to get the bad taste out of their mouth following their loss at Hillsdale. They faced a Michigan Tech. (4-3) team that was riding a two game winning streak.
The Huskies got on the board first midway through the first quarter as Michigan Tech running back Charlie Leffingwell scored on an 18-yard sprint to open the scoring at 7-0. The touchdown would be the only points of the first quarter.
Michigan Tech. opened up the second quarter with a seven yard touchdown connection between Huskies quarterback Tyler Scarlett and receiver Jordan McConnell, putting Ferris in a 14-0 hole.
The Bulldogs quickly answered back quickly with a scoring pass from sophomore quarterback Jason Vander Laan to junior receiver Dontae Ingraham for a 27-yard touchdown. The score capped off a four-play 62-yard drive that took just a minute and 18 seconds.
On Ferris’ next possession, Bulldogs kicker Austin Kantola put a 35-yard kick between the uprights for a field goal, putting Ferris back within striking distance at 14-10.
The Huskies scored next, ending the first half with a two-yard touchdown run from the Huskies signal caller, Scarlett. The Bulldogs trailed 21-10 going into the locker room at halftime.
Michigan Tech was the first to score in the third quarter with another red-zone run from Scarlett, as the five-yard scamper put the Huskies in even better position. The score read 27-10 as Huskies kicker Garrett Mead missed the extra point.
Ferris State’s defense stepped up the rest of the contest, shutting down the Huskies attack and allowing Ferris’ offense to take over the game.
Vander Laan ran in for back-to-back scores on red-zone rushing touchdowns of 14 yards and 1 yard, respectively. These scores immensely shifted the momentum of the matchup, putting the Bulldogs closer with a score of 27-23 in favor of the Huskies as the third quarter ended.
The fourth quarter would feature Ferris’ last score of the game as Vander Laan completed another touchdown pass to Ingraham. The 15-yard mark put Ferris in the lead, 30-27, with over 11 minutes left in the game.
The Bulldogs defense buckled down, allowing only 17 yards to Michigan Tech. the rest of the matchup and sealing the comeback victory for Ferris.
The away win over the Huskies marks the first time Ferris State has won at Sherman Field in 15 years.
Ferris’ offense, which had 431 total yards, was once again led by an impressive rushing performance by Vander Laan, who compiled 218 yards on 31 carries, with two touchdowns. Vander Laan also scored twice through the air, both touchdown receptions to Ingraham, who had 80 yards receiving on the night. Junior fullback, Jamaal Jackson, and senior running back, Korey Ringer, also combined to tally 98 all-purpose yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were led by junior linebacker Terrell Porter, who led the team in tackles with nine, including two tackles for a loss. Junior defensive back A.J. McEwen nabbed an interception, bringing his season total to five, which is the most in the GLIAC.
The win pulls Ferris State into third place in the GLIAC with a conference record of 5-2. Even though the Bulldogs boast a respectable conference record, it would take breakdowns of Saginaw Valley State and Ohio Dominican, both of whom are undefeated in the GLIAC, for the Bulldogs to have a shot at the conference championship.
Ferris State next hosts Wayne State University (3-5) on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Top-Taggart Field with kickoff scheduled for noon.