The chase for the 2024 GLIAC football crown officially begins on Saturday with four conference matchups on the schedule.
Unbeaten Grand Valley State (4-0), ranked No. 2 nationally, opens GLIAC play on the road at Davenport (3-1). The Lakers and the Panthers will kick off at noon at Farmers Insurance Athletic Sports Complex in Caledonia.
Fifth-ranked Ferris State (3-1), which has scored a combined 183 points over its last three games, is set to host GLIAC newcomer Roosevelt (0-3) in Big Rapids. The Lakers inaugural GLIAC game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at the home of the Bulldogs, Top Taggart Field.
Saginaw Valley State (3-1), fresh off a road upset of No. 15 UIndy, is back on the road, visiting Northern Michigan (0-4).
Winners of three straight, Michigan Tech (3-1) welcomes Wayne State (0-4) to Kearly Stadium for a noon contest in Houghton.
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
Grand Valley State vs Davenport
SERIES HISTORY AND NOTES
● Like most teams, the Panthers are trying to solve a way to get into the win column against GVSU. The Lakers lead 6-0 in the all-time series and have outscored the Panthers 223-28 in those contests. This will be the third matchup in Caledonia with the other games coming in 2022 (49-7) and 2018 (19-14). That 2018 meeting was the best chance at a win for Davenport as they led 14-13 before the Lakers scored on a 53-yard touchdown pass with 1:36 to play. The Panthers played without injured starting quarterback Jason Whittaker in the regular season finale last season and Grant Thwaites was thrust into the starting role. He completed 12-of-22 passes for 94 yards and an interception. DU finished with 187 total yards compared to 357 for GVSU. The Laker rushing numbers were 238 yards and five touchdowns. Tariq Reid led with the team with 120 yards and two scores.
Grand Valley State Notes
• #2 Grand Valley State will hit the road for the 2024 GLIAC opener at Davenport (3-1) Saturday. The Lakers are coming off a 31-7 victory over #20 West Florida, while Davenport claimed a 17-7 victory at William Jewell. • Grand Valley State is 36-14 all-time in GLIAC openers, including a 17-6 record on the road and a 19-8 mark in GLIAC openers at home. • Last Week – #2 GVSU scored 24 unanswered points and claimed a 31-7 victory over #20 West Florida. The Lakers closed the first half with a touchdown in the final minute and scored 17 third-quarter points. The GVSU defense dominated, limiting the Argonauts to 121 yards of total offense (19 rush/102 pass), while recording eight QB sacks and 15 TFL. Niles King led the defense with six tackles, 2.5 TFL and one QB sack, while LB Jimmy Downs added six tackles, 2.0 QB sacks and 3.5 TFL. RB Khalil Eichelberger was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 129 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. QB Avery Moore completed 6-of-13 passes for 103 yards, while rushing for 84 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. WR Kyle Nott caught three passes for 75 yards. PK Mathew Bacik hit a career-long 53-yard field goal. • In the last three meetings GVSU has outscored Davenport 129-7, dominating in all facets. The GVSU defense has limited the Panthers to 598 yards of total offense (247 rushing/351 passing), while also holding DU to 8-43 (.186) on third down. • GVSU is 36-19 versus ranked teams since 2009 and 225-38 versus all teams as a ranked team since 2001. • Grand Valley State is 22-2 in regular season non-conference games since 2016. • Run Offense – Run Defense…The Laker rush offense ranks third in the country, rushing for 1,260 yards (312.5 ypg) and 15 TDs in four games. The GVSU rush defense ranks second nationally and has limited four opponents to 183 yards and no rushing TDs on 106 carries (45.8 ypg/1.7 ypc). • The Money Down – The GVSU offense ranks eighth nationally in third down conversions (27-for-52/55.8%). The Lakers are 8-for-11 in the first quarter, 6-for-15 in the second quarter, 9-for-15 in the third and 4-for-11 in the fourth.
LAKER FOOTBALL GAME NOTES
• The GVSU defense ranks seventh nationally in third down conversions, holding opponents to a combined 11-for-48 (22.9%) in four games, including an 0-20 mark in the second and third quarters. • The GVSU defense ranks 8th nationally in scoring defense (10.3 ppg), while the Laker offense is 31st in scoring offense (33.3 ppg). • The Lakers have won 16 consecutive GLIAC games. The two-time defending GLIAC champions’ last GLIAC loss was 10-16-21 at Ferris State. • The Lakers are seventh nationally in total offense, averaging 475.5 yards per game (315.7 rushing – 161.2 passing). GVSU is eighth in total defense, yielding 224.5 yards per game. • Taking What The Defense Gives – Game 1 – 546 rush/121 pass Game 2 – 249 rush/155 pass Game 3 – 153 rush/245 pass Game 4 – 312 rush/124 pass • The Lakers are averaging 33:49 in time of possession, while opponents are 26:11. • The Lakers have 22 plays of 20 yards or more, four of which have gone for touchdowns. Kyle Nott leads the way with six plays of 20 yards or more, followed by Khalil Eichelberger (4), Darrell Johnson (3), Derrick Woods (2), Paschal Jolman (2), Kellen Reed and Avery Moore. • GVSU has 44 tackles for loss (-166) and 18 QB sacks (-112). In addition, the Lakers have 31 QB hurries and eight pass break ups. • The Laker run defense has held the first four opponents to 183 rushing yards (60, 69, 35, 19) and 0 rushing TDs. • GVSU is 14-for-18 in redzone scores (77.8%), scoring 12 TDs and kicking two field goals. Laker opponents are 5-for-9 (55.6%). • GVSU ranks second nationally in QB sacks (18) and fourth in tackles for loss (44). • The Lakers rank in the top 10 of both total offense (7/475.5) and total defense (224.5). • GVSU ranks 12th nationally in time of possession (33:50). • Grand Valley State has won 10 or more games 19 times in the 52-year history of the program, including 17 times since 2001. • GVSU has won a total of four national championships (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) in program history. • The Lakers have made six NCAA championship appearances (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009) in program history. • The GVSU defense recorded eight QB sacks (-43) and 15 tackles for loss (-55) vs. West Florida. The eight QB sacks ranks third in a single game. • The 58 points scored tied the program record for points scored in a seasonopening game (58-16 at St. Joseph’s College in 1990) and the 58-point margin broke the previous record of 56 (56-0 vs. Minnesota Crookston in 2001) for margin of victory in a season-opening game. • Grand Valley State shutout Central State in the season-opening game (58-0), marking the first time in Laker football history that GVSU has shutout opponents in back-to-back games regular season games at Lubbers Stadium (Davenport 30- 0, 2023). • GVSU rushed for 546 yards in the seasonopening game, three yards shy of the single-game, school record (549/1974 Findlay). • The Lakers rushed for seven touchdowns vs. Central State, the most since rushing for seven vs. Notre Dame College in 2012. • Three running backs eclipsed the 100- yard rushing mark in the same game (Central State) for the first time in school history. The previous record was two that reached the 100-yard rushing mark in 2014 (Chris Robinson 126/Terrel Dorsey 109) vs. Tiffin. Khalil Eichelberger – 18-119, 2 TD Kenneth Jones – 11-116, 1 TD Derrick Woods – 4 – 108, 2 TD • GVSU was 9-14 for 121 yards passing vs. Central State. Nine different receivers caught a pass in the game. • GVSU tallied 667 yards of total offense (546 rushing-121 passing) vs. Central State, the eighth-best, single-game total all-time. The Lakers notched 668 yards of total offense in 2023 vs. Kentucky State. • The Laker defense limited Central State to 60 rushing yards, 35 passing yards, 95 total yards and six first downs. • GVSU recorded 12 TFL and two QB sacks vs. Central State.
Davenport Notes
DU FACES ANOTHER NATIONALLY-RANKED TEAM AT HOME
● Davenport played their hard-nosed brand of football last Saturday as they improved to 3-0 on the road this season with a 17-7 win at previously unbeaten William Jewell. The scoring for DU occurred in the first half with a Brandon Gielow 33-yard field goal in the first quarter and touchdowns by Myren Harris (27 yards) and D’Wan Mathis (one yard) on the ground in the second quarter. Harris ran for 102 yards on 20 carries and caught six passes for 61 yards. The Panthers limited the Cardinals to 302 total yards and sacked Tucker Griffin six times. Each team committed three turnovers in the contest. ● This week’s contest against No. 2 Grand Valley State will ultimately come down to who wins the battle in the trenches. Davenport is yielding just 93.5 rushing yards per game which ranks 32nd nationally and fourth in the GLIAC. The Lakers identity is their physical play on the ground ranking third nationally and first in the conference averaging 312.5 yards per game. Both teams have been very stingy in the red zone this season as Davenport ranks fourth nationally (50 percent) and the Lakers rank eighth (55.6 percent). ● The Panther offense is still a work in progress as conference play opens on Saturday. The first half has yielded 688 total yards compared to 514 in the second half. The scoring breakdown is 62 points in the first half compared to 27 in the second half. After 221 yards in the second half against Central Missouri, DU had just 10 second-half yards at William Jewell. ● Grand Valley State has won the last two GLIAC championships and enter the contest having won 16 straight conference games. They get it done on both sides of the ball ranking sixth nationally in total offense (475.5) and ninth in total defense (224.5). The rushing attack is very balanced which doesn’t allow the opposing defense to key on just one player. Khalil Eichelberger leads the team with 383 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Kenneth Jones has carried 37 times for 209 yards and three scores. Quarterback Avery Moore has 204 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while passing for 370 yards and two touchdowns. This season, GVSU has a total of 15 rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns.
INSIDE THE HUDDLE
● Davenport has been a quick start team through the first four games outscoring their opponents 62-19 in the first half. In addition, they have a 27-3 edge in the first quarter. If you go back to last year, over the last 14 games, Davenport has allowed just 13 points in the first quarter which has been a recipe for success. On the flip side, they will need to make adjustments in the second half as they have been outscored 51-27 this season. ● The Davenport defense has been a swarm to the ball unit and that is evidenced by 10 players recording double-digit tackles already this season. The ability to produce negative yardage plays has been a key component to allowing just 17.5 points per game. DU is sixth nationally in sacks per game (3.5) and 11th in tackles for loss per game (9.3).
Wayne State vs Michigan Tech
Wayne State Notes
Michigan Tech Notes
THE GOAL LINE
● It’s the 102nd year of Michigan Tech Football ● Dan Mettlach returns for his second season at the helm of the Huskies ● All home and conference games will be broadcast on Flofootball. ● The Huskies were tabbed to finish fifth in the GLIAC Coaches’ Poll. ● It’s the 50th year reunion of the undefeated 1974 team. ● Michigan Tech welcome backs Jace Daniels as the Tight Ends coach. ● Head coach Dan Mettlach has named Alex Fries, Hunter Buechel, Marc Sippel and Brandon DeVries as the captains for the 2024 season ● The Huskies All-time reception leader Darius Willis returns for his final season after breaking Brian Janeshek’s record of 154 receptions in three seasons. ● Quarterback Alex Fries broke the school record for single game passing yards (471) and five touchdowns in the 4OT 52- 50 win vs. South Dakota Mines on Thursday Night. He was also named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. ● Ethan Champney is atop the conference in receiving touchdowns (4) and receiving yards (378), ranking him third nationally. ● Senior quarterback Alex Fries sits atop the league in passing touchdowns (11), passing yards (1,019) and passing yards per game (254.8). He earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 1 ● Senior defensive back Hunter Buechel earned his first GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. He recorded seven total tackles, two for loss (12 yards) a sack (nine yards) and a forced fumble on the three-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Wayne State travels to the U.P. without a win yet this season, most recently wrapping up the non-conference slate falling at Truman State 31-17. It’s been tough sledding for the Warriors with the first four games showcasing three top-30 teams in the opening three games of the season, certainly playing a factor in the slow start to the year. Wayne State has seen multiple quarterbacks running the offense this season with Edwards Champion throwing for 390 yards and three touchdowns on 41-for-69 and three interceptions. He’s also used his legs for good with 57.8 rushing yards per game and a touchdown. Myles McKatherine has been the Warriors top receiver averaging 25.8 receiving yards a game and has scored two touchdowns. Defensively, Brayden Vredveld has a team-high 30 total tackles with Carl Ware and Kaleb Coleman each adding 28 total tackles. Ware and Coleman have also combined for three quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. Kicker Griffin Milovanski has been productive for Wayne State going five-for-five on field goal attempts for 22 points this season, with his longest being 46 yards.
Saginaw Valley State vs Northern Michigan
The Series
This is the 44th meeting between SVSU and Northern Michigan. The series is tied at 20 wins each, with three wins vacated by the Cardinals. SVSU has a six-game winning streak against the Wildcats with the last loss coming in 2015 in Marquette
Saginaw Valley State Notes
Kick-Off
The Saginaw Valley State University Football team opens the GLIAC season with a road game against Northern Michigan. The Cardinals (3-1) scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to climb back from a 17-7 halftime deficit to defeat 15th-ranked Indianapolis 28-24 last Saturday. The Wildcats (0-4) are coming off a bye week last week. Their last time out they fell to NCAA Division III Alma 44-27.
1ST-AND-10
• The Cardinals currently sit in a four-way tie for second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings with Davenport, Ferris State, and Michigan Tech, who all have an overall record of 3-1. • This is the middle of a three-game road trip with games at UIndy (9/28, W – 28-24), Northern Michigan (10/5), and Roosevelt (10/12). The Cardinals are 2-1 on the road this year with four more away contests for the season. • Senior All-American linebacker Micah Cretsinger was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 and the D2 Elite 100 watch lists. Junior linebacker Brandon Rawls joined Cretsinger on the D2 Elite 100 list. • Saginaw Valley faces three ranked opponents this season: at (#15) Indianapolis (W, 28-24), (#2) Grand Valley State on October 19, and at (#5) Ferris State on November 9. • Freshman quarterback Mason McKenzie leads the Cardinal offense with 737 yards through the air on 56- for-100 (56.0%) passing and five touchdowns. McKenzie also leads the team in rushing with 37 carries for 285 yards and two scores. He currently ranks third in the GLIAC in rushing and passing yards. • Junior receiver Eric Craft leads the team in receptions with 12 for 205 yards and a score. Sophomore back Terrance Brown Jr. has eight catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Back Michael Jamerson III totals seven receptions for 31 yards through the first four games. • Eli Gordon leads the team in tackles (28), interceptions (3), and pass breakups (3). The junior from Midland, Michigan earned GLIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week for the third-straight game after a team-high nine tackles and a 70-yard pick-six that put the Cardinals ahead 21-17 early in the fourth quarter. Gordon is the only GLIAC player to score a touchdown on an interception. • Leonard Henry IV leads NCAA Division II in sacks with eight (2.0 per game) and has the second most tackles on the Cardinal defense with 27. Henry IV is a menace in the opponent’s backfield, as he adds 10.5 tackles for loss to his totals (his 2.6 TFL per game ranks 2nd in the nation). • The linebacker trio of Alfred Dailey Jr. Brandon Rawls, and Micah Cretsingers have 24, 24, and 22 tackles respectively. Dailey Jr., and Rawls rank third-best on the team, while Cretsinger joins corner Jasper Beeler with 22 stops for fifth-best.
Northern Michigan Notes
After a bye week, the Northern Michigan Football team returns to action this weekend in the first conference game of the season. The Wildcats will host the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on Saturday, October 5, at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats (0-4) will look to get on track to start league play while the Cardinals (3-1) enter the weekend winner’s of its last two.
Last Time Out
Two weeks ago, the team fell to Alma College on Homecoming, 44-27.
Trailing 30-10 at halftime, the ‘Cats battled back to two separate 10-point deficits in the second half, but a fumble recovered by Alma for a TD early in the final quarter made it a three-score game that the Green and Gold couldn’t overcome.
Nico Lukkarinen found the endzone twice on the ground for the Wildcats and Michael Love broke the century mark receiving for the first time in his career, going for 107 yards and a touchdown.
The Wildcats were outgained 469-340 on the afternoon.
Wildcats to Watch
Junior linebacker Mitch Larkin guides the defense after leading the conference last season in total tackles with 118. That marked a near 100 tackle increase from his freshman campaign where he recorded 22. He finished tied for third in Division II in total tackles (118) and fifth in tackles/game (10.7). He currently sits second on the GLIAC tackled leaderboard this year with 32.
Also in the linebacker room, sophomore Jax Hertel will look to take a leap in his second year after recording 65 tackles and a pair of interceptions as a true freshman. Both Larkin and Hertel earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention last season.
After being forced into action as a true freshman following an injury to starter Mariano Valenti, quarterback Aidan Hoard appeared in eight games, throwing for 1,059 yards and five TD’s. The 6’4″ Frankenmuth native completed 101 of 196 (51.5%) of his passing attempts. Wideouts Michael Love and Sam Peiffer will look to play roles as top targets through the air, as they combined for 680 receiving yards and 5 TD’s last season.
Cat Nips
- The Green and Gold field one of the youngest teams in the nation, with 42 of 96 (43.8%) of the roster consisting of first-year players. Underclassmen makeup 68 of the 96 (70.8%) roster spots.
- Freshman Jahi Wood (287) is second in the conference in rushing while Elizin Rouse (156) and Nico Lukkarinen (125) are also inside the top-20. Lukkarinen’s 3 TD runs rank tied for third in the conference. The Wildcats have the 4th best rushing attack in the league at 156.0 yards/game.
- Mitch Larkin is currently second in the GLIAC with 32 tackles. Larkin paced the conference last season with 118.
- Michael Love is tied for the conference lead with 4 TD catches this season. His two touchdown catches against UW-La Crosse marked the first time a Wildcat receiver found the endzone twice in a game since September 24, 2022 when Wyatt Davis went for two scores on Homecoming in a 42-14 win over Post. He is fourth in the GLIAC with 238 receiving yards.
- NMU’s 269 yards on the ground at UW-La Crosse earlier this year marked its best ground effort since the 2018 season.
- Michael Karlen is 4-4 on FG’s and 8-8 on PAT’s so far this season.
Notes on Saginaw Valley State
The Cardinals are 3-1 on the season, winning its last two including a 28-24 victory at No. 15 Indianapolis on Sept. 28. SVSU is averaging 27.5 points/game, led by QB Mason McKenzie who has thrown for five scores and ran in two more.
Senior defensive lineman Leonard Henry has already recorded 8 sacks this season, leading Division II. As a team the Cardinals have 14 sacks, the second-best mark in the conference. In the secondary, Elijah Gordon’s 3 interceptions pace the GLIAC and is tied for the 2nd best in the country.
Roosevelt vs Ferris State
Series History
Saturday will mark the first-ever series matchup between Ferris State and Roosevelt. The game will pit two teams on opposite sides of the GLIAC as FSU will be playing its 400th all-time league game on Saturday and the Lakers will be taking the field as a conference member for the first time … Ferris State is 42-38-2 (.523) on Homecoming dating back to 1931 and has won 23 of its last 33 such encounters. The Bulldogs beat Northern Michigan by a 78-3 score a year ago in the homecoming contest. FSU has won each of its last six homecoming games to date.
Roosevelt Notes
SETTING THE SCENE:
Roosevelt is coming off a rainy defeat at Campbellsville to fall to 0-3 on the season. The Lakers have outgained all three of their opponents this season, but head into their first GLIAC contest in program history searching for a first NCAA Division II victory. It will certainly be a challenge at No. 5 Ferris State on Saturday, but Roosevelt has been super competitive in all three games so far this season. Already this year, the Lakers have come within a score of beating Division III power UW Whitewater to open the season and took FCS Valparaiso to overtime in Week 2.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
After losing its opener at Pittsburg State, Ferris State went on a tear during the month of September, outscoring opponents 183-13 over three victories. The Bulldogs have been especially potent in the first half, scoring 141 of those points in the first or second quarters. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been a key difference maker on offense for Ferris State, throwing seven touchdowns and rushing for five others over the last three games. Chambliss is completing nearly 69 percent of his passes this season and has spread the ball well around the offense. The Bulldogs have seven players with at least seven catches this season and seven players have caught a touchdown pass this year. Emari O’Brien leads the Bulldogs with 203 yards, but he’s one of three receivers along with James Gilbert and Brady Rose tied for the lead with 10 receptions. In the running game, a trio of running backs lead the way for Ferris State and all three average at least six yards per carry. James Coby leads the team with 168 yards, but Markel King’s 27 carries are the most and he’s rushed for 161 yards. Kannon Katzer is the third head of the trio with 131 yards on 21 rushes. On defense, Justin Payoute leads the Bulldogs with 20 tackles as a defensive back. Nine different players have secured a takeaway, inlcuding five interceptions and four fumble recoveries, and the Bulldogs also have accumulated nine sacks. The last team not named Grand Valley State to score a first-quarter touchdown on Ferris State was Ashland more than a year ago.
BIG PLAY NIXON:
Keonta Nixon has rewritten the Roosevelt record book during his short time with the Lakers. He broke the single-game receiving record in last season’s finale, then re-broke it two weeks ago against Valparaiso. The junior caught eight passes for 209 yards against the Beacons, including a record-breaking 97-yard touchdown. Nixon was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Valpo.
Nixon has caught eight touchdown passes in 12 games for Roosevelt, but he’s been an exceptional deep-play threat. Three of his last four touchdowns were at least 75 yards in length, including both of his scores this season. He had an 84-yard touchdown against UW Whitewater before scoring on the 97-yard play against Valparaiso.
ALL IS ZUELL:
Cyrus Zuell has settled into being the bellcow of the Lakers rushing attack this season, including scoring his first touchdown last week against Campbellsville. The senior transfer from Southeastern Louisiana is averaging nearly four yards per carry over the past two weeks and has also caught four passes for 43 yards in that span.
SECOND LEVEL SUCCESS:
The Roosevelt linebackers have easily proven to be the strength of the Lakers defense so far this season. Three of Roosevelt’s four sacks this season have come from linebackers and the three starters have combined for 11.5 tackles for loss thorugh three games. Deven Jarvis has an interception to his credit while Jaylen Olokun leads the team with 25 total tackles. Jacob Bellizzi ranks third on the Lakers with 20 tackles and has a pass breakup to his name.
BIG LEG:
Mauricio Escudero has been a gamechanger for the Lakers in the kicking game this season. Against Valparaiso, the transfer from Mesa College was the first kicker since the program took on the Roosevelt name to make multiple field goals in a game and fell just one field goal shy of the program record for makes in a game. Escudero’s 44-yarder in overtime was also the first time a Roosevelt kicker has made a field goal from beyond 40 yards in three years. for his efforts, he was named GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week, the first specialist to earn that honor for the Lakers since 2019 when Omar Beltran was a weekly away winner at Robert Morris (Ill.).
STARTED FROM SCRATCH:
Jared Williamson is the only head coach Roosevelt’s football program has ever known. The former Mayville State quarterback was hired by Robert Morris University (Ill.) to start a football program in 2010 with the first season of competition coming in 2011. In the summer of 2020, Roosevelt University and Robert Morris University officially merged, bringing football to Roosevelt’s campus for the first time. All of the program’s career records include the nine seasons under the Robert Morris moniker, while the single-game records reflect those performances since the merger.
Ferris State Notes
This Week’s Action
The Ferris State University Bulldogs host the Roosevelt Lakers for the first time ever this Saturday, Oct. 5, at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff for FSU’s homecoming game is set for 2 p.m. (ET) with a large crowd expected. The Bulldogs are coming off a record-setting 84-7 road win at American International this past week in Springfield, Mass. The Bulldogs have made a nation-leading nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Playoffs entering the year, including back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.
The Matchup
Roosevelt will be making its GLIAC debut against the Bulldogs and holds a 0-3 overall record to date following a 24-8 road loss to NAIA member Campbellsville (Ky.) last Saturday (Sept. 28). The Lakers finished the 2023 season with a 6-4 mark while playing a combination of NCAA and NAIA schools. Roosevelt University, which is located in the Chicago area, dropped close games to open the year versus NCAA D3 power Wisconsin-Whitewater and NCAA D1 Valparaiso.
National Rankings
Ferris State was a consensus #3 team nationally in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D2Football.com preseason national polls. This week, the Bulldogs currently sit fifth in the AFCA D2 poll along with sixth in the D2Football.com national rankings.
Nine-Straight Playoff Berths
The Bulldogs, who began their 115th season of varsity competition this fall, have made a nation-leading nine consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. FSU made six-straight NCAA Division II National Quarterfinal appearances from 2016-22 and was one of only four teams in all of college football to win at least 11 games for eight-straight years prior to last season.
Great Bulldog Stretch
The Bulldogs reached the NCAA DII National Championship game for the first time in school history in 2018, matching an all-time NCAA record with 15 victories (15-1). Over the two seasons of action in 2018 and 2019, not counting 2020 in which FSU did not play due to COVID-19, the Bulldogs were a combined 27-2 overall. FSU is now 66-7 in the last five plus seasons on the field including this year.
Memorable Bulldog Run
Over the last nine plus seasons, the Bulldogs have compiled a 111- 14 overall record and claimed two national titles, five conference championships, posted five unbeaten regular-seasons, captured five regional titles and reached the national quarterfinals six times. Ferris State has also accumulated three Harlon Hill National Player of the Year trophies, twice had a student-athlete tabbed as the nation’s National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and won 20 postseason games in addition to an appearance in the 2018, 2021 and 2022 NCAA D2 National Championship Games.
