After putting up 625 yards of offense against the Lake Erie Storm on Saturday, Sept. 6, the No.1-ranked Bulldogs look to keep the momentum rolling this week against the Tiffin Dragons.
The Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 in GLIAC) return to Top Taggart Field to face off against the Dragons (1-0, 0-0 in G-MAC) after taking down Lake Erie by a score of 63-6.
There are plenty of storylines heading into this game, and here are just a few of the important ones.
Wyatt Bower looks to be locking down the starting job
Before the season started, junior Carson Gulker was thought to be retaking the starting quarterback job after suffering a season-ending injury in week one of the 2024 season. Then, during week zero against Pittsburg State, redshirt freshman Wyatt Bower took almost all of the reps at quarterback.
During week one against the Storm, Bower showed off his arm, completing many tough passes, which included two touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Tae Boyd. Bower went 11-20 with 220 yards and three touchdowns while running 12 times for 107 yards. Even with Bower taking over the starting job, this does not mean Gulker is not a crucial part of the offense, as he caught a 63-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
Can the Bulldogs take down a strengthening opponent?
The Tiffin Dragons have become a rising program in Division II, and while the Bulldogs are 6-0 all-time against the Dragons, this is not the same program from when Ferris last faced them in 2017. In the six matchups that the Bulldogs faced the Dragons from 2009-2011, 2014-2015 and once again in 2017, Tiffin had a combined record of 17-49.
During those matchups, the Bulldogs outscored the Dragons 271 to 99, but Ferris has not faced Tiffin since their last matchup in 2017, where the Bulldogs won 13-3. In 2018, the Dragons hired Cris Reisert, who turned the program around, since 2018 the Dragons have a 57-17 record with three G-MAC championships and two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Sophomore quarterback Chase Carter knows Tiffin is a tough opponent, but he believes they will be able to take down this tough opponent.
“We’ll all get together and watch the film,” Carter said. “Both on our game as to make some corrections from last game and on Tiffin to see what we like. As usual though we will need to dominate physically, play fast, and execute. We know if we play to the best of our ability, then the sky is the limit for this offense.”
Filling in the gaps
With all of the losses from the transfer portal during the off-season, one question heading into the preseason was whether head coach Tony Annese could fill those gaps in the roster. With running back Kannon Katzer departing to West Virginia, junior Zak Ahern has taken the starting job at running back. So far in the season, he has run 13 times for 63 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
At linebacker, the Bulldogs lost All-American Sefa Saipaia to Western Michigan, and so far senior Isaiah Byars has taken that role. So far this season, Byars has 10 total tackles, including a tackle for loss.
At defensive back, the Bulldogs lost cornerback Jacarvis Alexandre to Jacksonville State, and sophomore Ahlston Ware has stepped up into his role. Ware has eight tackles on the season, including a 35-yard interception in week one against Lake Erie.
The Bulldogs take on the Tiffin Dragons at Top Taggart Field on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.