Bulldogs reaching the endzone became a familiar sight at Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium, as Ferris trampled Saginaw Valley State 47-13. Despite the point total, the Bulldog offense was not the only unit that impressed.
This game was a showcase of what both the FSU offense and defense can do. The offense, led by junior quarterback Jason Vander Laan, ran for 109 yards and completed 20-27 passes totaling 257 yards. Vander Laan tallied six total touchdowns, running for two and passing for four.
Playing without one of his leading receiver Jake Lampman, Vander Laan was able to forge a dependable connection with Kenny Feyh. The 6’6” junior wide receiver proved to be an asset in the red zone as he reeled in two touchdown receptions. Shakur Sanders and Jajuan Pollock also put up big numbers, tallying 115 and 71 yards respectively with one touchdown a piece.
As if the offense wasn’t scoring enough, sophomore linebacker Anthony Darkangelo intercepted a pass from SVSU’s Keith Moore and ran it back 30 yards into the endzone early in the second quarter. The defense also held the Cardinals to just 13 yards as they squeaked out a miserable .86 YPC on the ground in the first half.
Although Ferris State fared well, Head Coach Tony Annese was noticeably unsatisfied when his team was forced to burn a timeout during a pivotal fourth down conversion attempt. Annese raised his hands and fell to the ground as his disorderly team trotted to the sideline. The ensuing play ended up with a Bulldogs first down, so perhaps the Annese flop will become a superstitious mainstay.
Going into this game, #14 Ferris State football was 3-0.
After this convincing conference victory, the Bulldog’s stock is likely to rise as they head back home to Top Taggart Field next week to take on Findlay.
Ferris State will next play Findlay next Saturday, Oct. 4th, with kickoff slated for 2 pm. The game also serves as the Universities homecoming game alongside of the Bulldog’s hockey matchup against Michigan later that evening.