The No. 1-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs got their get back against the No. 9-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas by a score of 34-17 during the home opener at Top Taggart Field.
The Bulldogs got their revenge on the Gorillas, as they gave Ferris their only loss of their 2024 championship season. Pittsburg State took down the Bulldogs last season by a score of 19-3 during their first game.
Ferris started hot, with a nine-play 56-yard drive that was capped off by an eight-yard rushing touchdown by redshirt freshman quarterback Wyatt Bowers. Bowers, who wasn’t told he was the starter until 10 minutes before the game, was in charge the whole time, going 11-18 for 112 passing yards and a touchdown, while running 25 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Head coach Tony Annese sang Bowers’ praises, believing that this game was just scratching the surface for what Bowers is capable of.
“Wyatt’s a really good player,” Annese said. “We said it all spring, when Trinidad [Chambliss] was here in the spring, him and Carson [Gulker] were both wowing at Wyatt, they were both saying how Wyatt is so much better than we were when we were his age.”
The defense stifled the Gorillas all of the first half, only allowing 68 total yards until late in the second quarter. Where Gorillas senior quarterback Jackson Berry threw a 60-yard touchdown, making the score 20-10 going into halftime.
The star on defense for the Bulldogs was senior defensive back Jalen Jones, who had two tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups, and an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the game for Ferris.
Jones believed that the Bulldogs executed their game plan perfectly, and it was what led to their three score victory
“I think the coaches put us in position to win this game today,” Jones said. “I think they had a great game plan coming into the game, and so all we have to do is execute their plan, and we did it for the most part. Other than a couple missed missed queues, but overall I think we did really good.”
Pittsburg State brought it within two scores in the third quarter with a rushing touchdown to bring the score to 27-17 Ferris. That was the last time the Gorillas would put points on the board, as the Bulldogs defense only allowed 97 yards in the fourth quarter in-route to the 34-17 Bulldogs win.
The Bulldogs will next face off against the Lake Erie Storm on Sept 6 in Painesville, Ohio, who Ferris beat last season by a score of 56-3.