After winning their 26th consecutive game, the Ferris State Bulldogs move on to the second round of the DII playoffs to take on another former GLIAC foe in the Ashland Eagles.
The Bulldogs (12-0, 7-0 in GLIAC) will welcome the Eagles (10-2, 8-1 in G-MAC) to Top Taggart Field for the 27th matchup between the two programs.
Ferris State is coming off a commanding 65-14 victory over the Northwood Wolves in the first round of the playoffs. This game saw sophomore quarterback Chase Carter take the start over struggling redshirt freshman quarterback Wyatt Bower. Carter went 11-21 passing with 131 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while adding 15 rushes for 152 yards and two more touchdowns.
Head coach Tony Annese gave his thoughts on the victory.
“Super excited that we were able to come out and perform today,” Annese said. “I don’t know what it is about the playoffs, but we definitely seem to be uplifted when the playoffs start. So I am very pleased about that, and I would be remiss if I didn’t say that Northwoods had an unbelievable year.”
Ashland is coming off their own dominant victory over Minnesota-Duluth in the first round, beating the Bulldogs 32-7. The Eagles rely heavily on their running game, with their lead running back, freshman Chris Maloney, who has 621 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
The Eagles still have a good passing game, led by their redshirt senior quarterback Cameron Blair. Blair has 1,987 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air, while adding 492 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Ashland does not just have a high-powered offense; they have one of the best defenses in the nation. Allowing 244.8 yards per game, which is second in the nation, while allowing 14.17 points per game, which is good for fourth in the nation.
That defense is led by two of the best edge rushers in the nation, the best of the two being senior Michael Shimek. Shimek has 17.5 sacks, which leads all of DII, three forced fumbles and 55 total tackles. The second of the two is redshirt sophomore Elisha Baldridge, who has 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 84 total tackles on the season.
One of the leaders on the Bulldogs’ defense is senior defensive lineman Kailib Davis, who has a team-leading six sacks, with 26 total tackles, and eight tackles for loss on the season.
Ferris and Ashland have a long history spanning all the way back to their first matchup in 1974, where the Eagles won 28-10, and won the four matchups as well. The Bulldogs do have a losing record against the Eagles, having an all-time record of 12-14 against Ashland, but have won their last five matchups.
Junior H-back Carson Gulker loves that his team is able to play these playoff games in front of the Bulldogs’ faithful community.
“Playing at home is huge for us,” Gulker said. “We get to stick to our regular routine and sleep in our own beds and all of that before the game. It’s good for us to keep consistency in our schedules, and it’s always good to play in front of the Bulldog faithful.”
The Ferris State Bulldogs will take on the Ashland Eagles for the second round of the NCAA DII Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. at Top Taggart Field.