No. 1 Ferris State football clinch at least a share of the GLIAC championship while they extend their win streak to nine.
In a game with major GLIAC and playoff implications, the Bulldogs narrowly took down the No. 24 ranked Saginaw Valley State Cardinals 27-24.
If Ferris can pick up a win next week, they will stand alone at the top of the GLIAC and lock up their sixth GLIAC regular season championship in the last 10 seasons.
In addition to the conference championship, the Bulldogs will have a shot to lock down the No. 1 seed in the Midwest regional, which would secure them home-field advantage and a bye in the first round of the NCAA DII playoffs.
The first half was rougher than usual for the Bulldogs, with penalties and self-inflicted mistakes holding them back.
Ferris returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but a holding penalty would bring it back. On the first drive for the Cardinals, they connected on a long pass to take a 7-0 lead. The seven-point deficit was the first time the Bulldogs have trailed in a game since week one against Pitt State.
That deficit would not last very long, as Ferris went on to tie it up on the next possession with some trickery. A 56-yard pass from junior wide receiver Brady Rose to junior wide receiver Cam Underwood returned the contest to a deadlock.
However, Saginaw Valley did not go away, as they traded scores back-and-forth with the Bulldogs during the rest of the first half. Ferris took a 20-17 lead going into the half after a late touchdown run by junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
The second half was hard-fought, similar to the first half, with only 14 points between the two teams and a scoreless fourth quarter.
Turnovers hurt the Bulldogs’ chances of putting the game away after a fumble and a late interception from Chambliss.
Ferris was able to overcome the neck-and-neck game after the Cardinals missed a game-tying field goal with five minutes left, which allowed the Bulldogs to drain the clock.
Even with Ferris’ offense putting the defense in less-than-ideal positions with turnovers, senior defensive tackle Victor Nelson knew that they still had a job to do.
“We knew coming in they were a great team,” Nelson said, “We had to make a decision as a group. It was do or die. We wanted to do.”
After chunk plays and large gains helped the Cardinals out in the first half, head coach Tony Annese wanted his guys to settle in at the break.
“We were a little panicky in the first half,” Annese said “We needed to execute and settle down and that is what we did.”
Next week, the Bulldogs will remain at home with a conference championship and home-field advantage during the playoffs on the line versus Davenport. The outing marks the first annual Calder City Classic on Saturday, November 15.