The Ferris State football team clinched the GLIAC championship and a win in the inaugural Calder City Classic.
The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs (10-1, 7-0 in GLIAC) claimed their 13th-ever GLIAC championship and their first since the 2021 season with a win over the Davenport Panthers (7-4, 4-3 in GLIAC) on Saturday, Nov. 16 by the score of 24-9.
The matchup against Davenport was the first-ever Calder City Classic rivalry game. The Calder City Classic was created this season and was the first game of a three-year series between the two teams.
Ferris was down 9-7 after the half, but a defensive shutout in the second half pushed them to victory.
This was head coach Tony Annese’s seventh conference championship at Ferris. Annese dedicates this season to his mother, who passed away just a few weeks before the season started.
“I said that I wanted to dedicate this season to my mom,” Annese said. “I hope she is really proud, I know she is. She loved Ferris State football and loved every part of what we do here, so it was dedicated to her.”
With the win over Davenport, Ferris has secured the No. 1 seed in Super Region Three for the national playoffs.
Ferris only outgained the Panthers 362 yards to 307 but were able to come up with defensive stops and scores when needed.
The Panthers struck first to take a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, but a pass from junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to junior receiver Brady Rose gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead in the second.
That lead would not last as Davenport marched down the field to kick another field goal and take a 9-7 lead into halftime. Ferris’ two-point deficit at half is just the second time the team had trailed at half throughout the season, the first being week zero against Pittsburg State, which resulted in their lone loss of the year.
Even being in unfamiliar territory, Chambliss and the team stayed calm.
“That was kind of something we weren’t used to,” Chambliss said. “We knew we got the ball at half, and we needed to put together a drive and get some points to take the pressure off the defense.”
The defense was able to seal it for the Bulldogs. After holding Davenport to three field goals in the first half, the Panthers could not score in the second half due to the Ferris defense.
Senior linebacker Konnor Near was excited by how his defense played.
“We weren’t stuck on the field like in the first half,” Near said. “We forced a lot more three-and-outs, it was nice to get off the field and let the offense do their thing.”
Seventeen unanswered second-half points and a late interception were enough for the Bulldogs to put the game on ice.
Chambliss led Ferris in passing, completing 65% (13-20) of his passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Junior running back Kannon Katzer rushed for 88 yards on ten carries, and Rose led all receivers by hauling in four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.
With this win, Ferris will also clinch their 10th straight postseason berth. This is the longest active playoff streak in DII football.
Near, who was a part of both of the Bulldog national championships, was confident with his team going into the playoffs.
“I have never stepped foot on the field as a Ferris State Bulldog and thought we were going to lose,” Near said. “We have to take it day by day and have that confidence that we belong where we are.”
Since the Bulldogs are the top seed, they will receive a first-round bye and the home-field advantage for the second round. They also have the home-field advantage in the quarterfinals, if they advance.
The Bulldogs will be matched against fourth-seeded Central Oklahoma or fifth-seeded Ouachita Baptist. The second-round matchup will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30 at home for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.