In their GLIAC opener and homecoming game, the No. 5 ranked Ferris State football team (4-1, 1-0 in the GLIAC) took down conference newcomer Roosevelt (0-4, 0-1 in the GLIAC) on Saturday, Oct. 5 by a score of 55-16.
Going into the game, Ferris had won each of their last six homecoming games and now has an all-time 43-38-2 record.
Head coach Tony Annese gave much credit to the defense and big playmaking for the homecoming win.
“Once our defense settled in we made some really good plays,” Annese said. “We got to clean up that touchdown we gave them on offense but all in all there’s a lot of different concepts we had working for us and I can’t wait to come back to the field with these guys next week.”
It was a slower-than-usual start for the Bulldogs as they scored just seven points in the first quarter after scoring 35 the week prior.
The game was tied 0-0 for most of the first quarter. That was until junior running back Kannon Katzer hauled in a 65-yard receiving touchdown from junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Katzer led the Bulldogs in rushing and receiving, going for 69 yards on the ground and 83 through the air.
Chambliss led the Bulldogs in passing, completing 60% of his passes (18-30) for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Chambliss also had 43 yards and a touchdown on the ground after his 43-yard scramble in the second quarter.
Ten different Bulldogs caught a pass versus Roosevelt, which showcases the all-around offense that Ferris has made happen five games into the season. Ferris totaled 448 yards of offense and allowed 265.
Katzer believes that the Bulldogs’ versatility is what makes them so dangerous.
“We have a lot of threats on the outside,” Katzer said. “It makes us really hard for any team to go against because they have so much to prepare for.”
After the slow first quarter, the Bulldogs scored 21 points in the second and took a comfortable 28-10 lead going into the half.
Roosevelt’s lone touchdown came on a fumble recovery during the middle of the second quarter.
Ferris reached the endzone four more times in the second half and held the Lakers to three second-half points.
The Ferris defense added to the scoreboard late in the second quarter as junior cornerback Gyasi Mattison returned a Laker interception 49 yards for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs’ No. 4 ranked rushing defense in the nation was on display again as they held Roosevelt to just 79 yards on 28 rushing attempts. This is the fourth time this season that Ferris has held their opponent to less than 100 rushing yards.
Junior linebacker Sefa Saipaia credits the success on defense to their cohesiveness and talent.
“We are deep in every position, we have a lot of real good guys everywhere,” Saipaia said. “Ultimately it’s a team game, we are just a unit and that is the mentality that we have.”
Despite the Bulldog win, the Lakers dominated the time of possession, holding on to the ball for 35 minutes compared to Ferris’ 24 minutes of possession.
Annese gave Roosevelt credit for keeping the ball away from the Bulldogs.
“They kept such a slow pace while we are trying to keep a fast pace,” Annese said. “It was really a tale of two different styles.”
After the homecoming victory, the Bulldogs will hit the road for an interconference matchup with the Wayne State Warriors this Saturday, Oct. 12. Ferris won this matchup handily last season with a 63-19 takedown.