PREVIEW: Ferris State Closes Regular Season In The Motor City This Saturday
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This Week's Action
The defending NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris State University Bulldogs will wrap up the regular-season on the road at Wayne State this Saturday (Nov. 12) with kickoff set for 1:07 p.m. (ET) in the Motor City. FSU is 8-1 to date this year and posted a perfect 14-0 overall record a year ago while winning the school's first NCAA D2 Football National Championship.
The Bulldogs earned a 28-7 home win over then #13 Davenport in a showdown of top 15 ranked squads last week at Top Taggart Field. FSU is currently second overall in the Super Region Three Rankings with the playoff field set to be announced on Sunday evening.
The Matchup
Wayne State is currently 1-8 overall this year and 0-5 in GLIAC play heading into its season finale. The Warriors, who are guided by longtime head coach Paul Winters, fell to top-ranked Grand Valley State 42-14 last week in Allendale. WSU was 2-9 overall and 2-5 in league play a year ago.
Media Coverage
Saturday's game will not be available on FloSports, but will be available on a pay-per-view video basis on Wayne State's Warrior All-Access platform while also being aired locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with the veteran broadcast team of Rob Bentley (play-by-play) and Sandy Gholston (color) calling the action. Extended pregame coverage gets underway at 12 p.m. (ET). The contest will also be streamed with FREE live audio online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com for a complete listing of links.
Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased for the game in advance online via Wayne State's website at WSUAthletics.com.
Third-Straight GLIAC Title
Ferris State secured the program's 12th GLIAC Championship in 2021. The Bulldogs went unbeaten in conference action for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. The Bulldogs claimed the outright league championship by beating Grand Valley State in the regular-season finale in 2019. FSU had won its last 32 GLIAC games in a row dating back to 2017 prior to a home setback this year on Oct. 15.
Seventh-Straight Playoff Berth
The Bulldogs, who began their 113th season of varsity competition this fall, made their seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs last fall. FSU has now made five-straight NCAA Division II National Quarterfinal appearances and is currently one of only four teams in all of college football to win at least 11 games each of the previous seven years (not counting the 2020 COVID season). The Bulldogs along with Northwest Missouri State are the only programs in Division II football to make the playoffs each of the past seven seasons.
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 49-3 in the last four seasons on the field.
Memorable Bulldog Run
Over the last eight seasons, including this year, the Bulldogs have compiled a 94-10 overall record and claimed a national title, five conference championships, posted five unbeaten regular-seasons, captured four regional titles and reached the national quarterfinals five 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 16 postseason games in addition to an appearance in the 2018 and 2021 NCAA D2 National Championship Games.
National Power & State's Best
Now in the 10th season under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level. FSU has posted a 109-17 overall mark in his tenure and the Bulldogs have also posted the best winning percentage of all 21 collegiate programs in the state of Michigan along with the GLIAC since his arrival. Overall, Annese has won 84% of his games as a head coach on the collegiate and prep levels and owns 334 wins to date, which is the most of any current GLIAC member head coach at all levels.
Current National Rankings
Ferris State concluded the 2021 season ranked #1 nationally in the D2Football.com national poll along with #1 in the AFCA Coaches poll. FSU was also #1 in the NCAA.com D2 Power Rankings and was first in the CompughterRatings.com online poll. The Bulldogs were a consensus preseason #1 team in the nation heading into the 2022 season and are ranked fifth this week by D2Football.com along with sixth by the AFCA.
The Head Coaches
Ferris State – Tony Annese (Alma, 1983), 10th season, 109-17-0 (.865) – 7-0 vs WSU). Annese recorded a 195-41 (.826) mark as a head coach in four stops at the high school level before totaling a 30-4 (.882) record in three years as the head coach at Grand Rapids Community College. His overall career mark at all levels is 334-62 (.843) to date and includes three prep state championships and two national JUCO crowns along with a D2 National Championship. He claimed his 300th win in 2018 with a national semifinal win at Minnesota State. The Bulldogs are 56-10 at home and 53-7 on the road under Annese in his tenure.
Wayne State - Paul Winters (Akron, 1980), 19th season, 94-104 (.475) overall - (2-9-0 vs. Ferris State). Winters has led WSU to nine winning seasons in the last 14 years. He claimed AFCA National Coach of the Year laurels after guiding the winningest team in school history in 2011, which reached the national title game. A two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year, Winters played collegiately as a running back at Akron before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater. He moved onto Wisconsin as an assistant coach before returning to the Akron staff from 1995-2003 when he was named head coach at Wayne State.
Series History
Ferris State made its first trip to face Wayne State in Detroit since Tony Annese's initial Bulldog campaign back in 2012 three years ago, scoring an impressive 59-13 road win in the last matchup in Detroit (10/12/19). Ferris State leads the all-time series 31-22 to date and beat Wayne State 35-13 in 2021 in Big Rapids. Prior to the 2019 meeting, the two teams had met each of the previous three years in Big Rapids with the Bulldogs prevailing each time. In 2018, FSU scored a 38-28 win at Top Taggart Field (10/27/18), which followed wins of 59-17 (9/30/17) and 42-20 (10/29/16) home the previous two years. The 2016 meeting was the first since 2013 when FSU posted a 41-10 home win. The two teams have only met seven times since 2009. In Annese's initial Bulldog campaign in 2012, FSU rallied from a 21-point hole to win 35-24 in the Motor City.
Super Region Three Rankings
Ferris State climbed up to #2 in this week's NCAA Division II Super Region Three Rankings. The top seven teams in the region will advance to the NCAA Division II Playoffs at the conclusion of the regular season this week. The official NCAA D2 Playoff field will be unveiled in a live online selection show on Sunday at 5 p.m. (ET) at NCAA.com. The Bulldogs are second behind Grand Valley State with Pittsburg State (Kan.) third followed by Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) fourth and Davenport fifth.
GLIAC Player Of Week
FSU redshirt freshman defensive back Justin Payoute (Hialeah, Fla.) claimed the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week Award this week. Payoute made his first career start a memorable one for the Bulldogs on Saturday, helping lead FSU to a 28-7 win over #13 Davenport in a top 15 national showdown at Top Taggart Field. In the Bulldogs' regular-season home finale, Payoute picked off a first quarter pass and raced 43 yards to the end zone on the pick six for his first collegiate score, giving FSU the early momentum and a lead the Bulldogs would not relinquish. He finished the game as one of Ferris State's top tacklers with seven stops, including three solo hits, and also came up with a tackle for loss as the Bulldogs limited DU to less than 200 yards of total offense and only 24 rushing yards in the victory.
FSU News & Notes
Ferris State has won 25 consecutive road games going back to 2017 entering Saturday's game at Wayne State ... Redshirt freshman QB Carson Gulker presently is third in the country in rushing touchdowns with 19 this year along with third in scoring (12.7 ppg.) ... FSU's Caleb Murphy is first nationally in sacks (1.83 spg.) along with tackles for loss (2.8 pg.) ... Ferris State head coach Tony Annese improved to 20-0 in his head coaching career against Michigan's Upper Peninsula schools with this year's wins over Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech ... Davenport was the fourth unbeaten squad the Bulldogs had played at home this year as Central Washington, Waldorf and Grand Valley State were also unbeaten heading into their visit at Top Taggart Field ... The Bulldogs' Caleb Murphy is currently three sacks shy of the school record of 19.5 sacks owned by former FSU standout Zach Sieler along with four tackles for loss away from Sieler's school single-season best 29.5 stops for loss in 2016.
Impressive Streaks
FSU had won 43 regular-season matchups in a row, which is a school record, prior to its setback to rival Grand Valley State on Oct. 15. The Bulldogs had also won 32-straight GLIAC matchups. FSU officially topped the school mark for longest unbeaten regular-season stretch at 43 games. FSU had went 40-0-2 over a 42-game stretch from 1992-96. The Bulldogs had won 26 consecutive regular-season home games prior to the loss dating back to 2016. School Record Win Streak
Ferris State broke a school record for most consecutive wins overall with a road victory on Sept. 10 at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bulldogs went 14-0 last year and won their first five games this season to stretch their winning streak to 19-straight games overall prior to an Oct. 15 setback. The 19 consecutive wins topped the 15 in a row FSU reeled off in 2018 before falling in the national championship game.
GLIAC Defensive Player of Week
FSU's Caleb Murphy was tabbed as the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this year following the Bulldogs' win at Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 8. In the victory, Murphy netted three sacks for a loss of 23 yards and a game-high five tackles for loss resulting in minus 25 yards for the game. He also added six total tackles, including four solo hits, while helping the Bulldog defense limit SVSU to 247 yards of total offense and only 52 yards rushing on 41 tries. The Bulldogs held the Cardinals off the scoreboard for nearly the final 27 minutes in the comeback win and SVSU did not pick up a first down after its early second half score. Murphy currently leads the country in sacks and tackles for loss this year.
Record Book Performance
Ferris State reached several school milestones in a Sept. 24 homecoming win over Waldorf, including largest margin of victory at 66 points. The Bulldogs' 69 total points was the third-best scoring output in program history and was only six shy of the school-record 75 points recorded at McKendree in 2014. QB Carson Gulker tied both the school and stadium record with five rushing TD's held by Jason Vander Laan against Texas A&M Commerce in 2015 and Trevor Bermingham versus Midwestern State in 2016. In addition, FSU's 69 total points was a stadium record and the 35-points in the second quarter matched the Top Taggart Field mark previously set against Tiffin in 2014.
100th Win For Coach Annese At FSU
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese notched his 100th victory at the Bulldog helm with last year's 55-7 national semifinal win over Shepherd. Now in his 10th season with the Bulldogs, Annese owns a 109-17 (.865) record, making him the nation's winningest active NCAA coach regardless of level.
Preseason All-Americans
A pair of Bulldogs were named to the 2022 College Football America Division II Starting Lineup Preseason All-America team, including junior defensive end Caleb Murphy (Dowagiac) and senior punt returner Marcus Taylor (Orlando, Fla./Oak Ridge) as first-team preseason All-Americans. Lindy's Sports also tabbed a pair of Bulldogs as Preseason All-Americans, including junior defensive end Caleb Murphy as a first-team honoree and senior offensive guard Adam Sieler (Pinckney) as a second-team choice. In addition, Murphy was chosen to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List First Team with Sieler also an honorable mention choice.
Preseason Watch Lists
Bulldog junior defensive end Caleb Murphy was been named to several preseason watch lists. Murphy was tabbed to the College Gridiron Showcase watch list for the 2023 NFL Draft along with the Small College Showcase Watch List. In addition, he was tabbed to the 2023 Senior Bowl Watch List. Murphy led the Bulldogs a year ago with a nation-leading 14.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.
AFCA First Team All-American
Ferris State offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali, who concluded his collegiate career last fall, was named to the 2021 AFCA All-America First Team. It marked the seventh consecutive year the Bulldogs have had at least one AFCA All-America selection, which is the longest active streak in the country. A total of 20 Ferris State players have now been named to the AFCA All-America team a combined 24 times, which is tied for the third-most all-time in NCAA D2.
GLIAC Preseason Favorite
The Bulldogs were picked again to finish at the top of the league as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) unveiled its 2022 GLIAC Football Preseason Poll with the Bulldogs first overall. Ferris State picked up 35 total points and five of a possible seven first-place votes. Behind FSU was Grand Valley State in second place with 32 points and the other two first-place mentions.
Beating Returning Playoff Foes
Ferris State opened the 2022 season with back-to-back matchups against NCAA Division II Playoff teams from a year ago in Central Washington and Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) before beating another returning playoff team in Findlay. A total of four FSU opponents this fall reached the D2 Playoffs last year, including Grand Valley State.
GLIAC Players Of The Week
The Bulldogs have had five different student-athletes claim GLIAC Player of the Week honors a combined seven times to date this year. FSU junior quarterback Mylik Mitchell was tabbed as the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor after FSU's week one win over Central Washington and freshman kicker Eddie Jewett claimed the special teams award after a homecoming win over Waldorf. Junior defensive end Caleb Murphy has received the defensive honor three times to date this year with redshirt freshman QB Carson Gulker winning the offensive award after FSU's Oct. 22 win over Michigan Tech. Finally, Justin Payoute was recognized as the defensive recipient this week after the win over Davenport.
Fifth National Semifinal
Last year represented the Bulldogs' fifth all-time NCAA Division II National Semifinal appearance, including the program's third-straight and fourth in five seasons on the field (not counting the 2020 COVID cancelled season). FSU fell at North Alabama in the semis in 1995 and at Northwest Missouri State in 2016. The Bulldogs won their national semi on the road at Minnesota State in 2018 before falling to eventual national champion West Florida in the school's first home semifinal in '19. Last year marked the second-ever home semifinal played in Big Rapids.
Fifth Consecutive Quarterfinal
FSU continued two impressive streaks last season. The Bulldogs have now made the national quarterfinals five consecutive years, which is the longest such streak in Division II football, and the Bulldogs have now also won 11 games or more seven-straight years. FSU was one of only four teams in all of college football to accomplish the feat over the six-year stretch prior to the 2020 COVID season along with Ohio State, North Dakota State and Alabama.
Ferris State By The Numbers
19 - School Record Win Streak prior to Oct. 15
43 - Consecutive Regular-Season Wins prior to Oct. 15
32 - Consecutive GLIAC Wins prior to Oct. 15
25 - Consecutive Road Wins & Counting
49-3 - Record in last 52 games
44-4 - Last 48 games away from Top Taggart Field
84-4 - Last 88 regular-season games
94-10 - Last eight seasons (counting this year)
100-12 - Last nine seasons overall
109-17 - Under Coach Annese since 2012
7 - Straight trips to the NCAA D2 Playoffs
7 - Straight seasons with 11 or more wins
5 - Consecutive NCAA Quarterfinal appearances
4 - NCAA Semifinal berths in last 5 seasons
1 - National Championship in 2021
NCAA Super Region Three Champions
Ferris State claimed a third-straight NCAA Super Region Three Championship with last year's win over Northwest Missouri State (12/4). It was also FSU's fourth in the past five seasons of on the field action.
All-Region Honorees
Four Ferris State standouts were chosen to the 2021 Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region Three squad. The Bulldogs had three first-team All-Super Region Three honorees along with a second-team selection in voting by the region's sports information directors. Ferris State's first-team choices included offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali along with defensive end Caleb Murphy (Dowagiac) and safety Jamil Thomas (Tampa, Fla.). Additionally, FSU also had a second-team honoree in linebacker John Higgins. Both Murphy and Thomas return for the Bulldogs this fall.
Number One AFCA Ranking
Ferris State was #1 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II final poll a year ago after climbing to the top for the first time in program history following a regular-season win over Grand Valley State. Previously, FSU was ranked as high as 1st nationally in 2015 by D2Football.com along with the Division II Power Rankings, but had never been #1 in the current coaches poll until the recent stretch. Ferris State was ranked #1 for two weeks back in 1996 when the NCAA Football Committee produced the weekly rankings prior to the creation of the head coaches' poll thru the AFCA. The Bulldogs' previous best in the AFCA poll was #2 at various stages with the first coming late in the 2015 regular season. FSU was also second early in the 2017 campaign along with different points in both 2018 and 2019.
All-GLIAC Honorees
The Bulldogs claimed four of the league's seven major awards and had a total of 21 student-athletes earn all-conference recognition in voting by the league's member head coaches last year, including 12 first-team honorees on the All-GLIAC squad announced recently. FSU quarterback Jared Bernhardt was tabbed as the GLIAC's Player of the Year while offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali earned the GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. FSU also had the league's defensive lineman of the year in defensive end Caleb Murphy in addition to the Coach of the Year in FSU head coach Tony Annese.
School Record Streak
FSU had won 43 consecutive regular-season games, which is a school record, prior to Oct. 15. The Bulldogs had won 28-straight from 2013-16. Ferris State has also presently won 25 consecutive games played on the road and not at a neutral site. FSU's last true "road" & regular-season loss was a 20-3 setback at Ashland back in 2017 (9/23). The road stretch includes three road wins in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
School Record Performance
Ferris State quarterback Mylik Mitchell earned the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor last year after he threw for a school-record 508 passing yards and six touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 67-25 road win at Northwood (Oct. 2). He topped both FSU's all-time single game passing and total offense marks, completing 29-of-39 (74.4%) throws and added three yards on the ground. The FSU signal caller helped the Bulldogs generate 693 total yards in the game and became the eighth different starting QB under head coach Tony Annese to register five or more touchdowns in a single game. Both his passing yardage and total offense totals rank fourth all-time in GLIAC single game history.
Five Touchdowns Plus
Every starting quarterback under FSU head coach Tony Annese has accounted for five touchdowns or more in a single game after Carson Gulker did so recently versus Northern Michigan, becoming the ninth QB to accomplish the feat. Current FSU QB Mylik Mitchell did so last year at Northwood while current QB Evan Cummins earned the start against Saginaw Valley State a year ago in place of the injured Jared Bernhardt and accounted for six TD's in the win over SVSU. The now departed Bernhardt, who is with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, totaled seven TD's in last year's season-opening win over Findlay. Gulker ran for three scores and threw for two more while playing only the first half this year at NMU.
Road Win Streak
Ferris State is currently riding a school all-time best 25-game winning streak on the road dating back to its last true road loss at Ashland in September of 2017. FSU closed its 2017 campaign by winning its last four road tilts, including a playoff win at Fort Hays State, and won seven games on the road in 2018 along with five in 2019 and five last year. In 2018, FSU also posted a decisive neutral site win over Michigan Tech in the "Battle At The Ballpark" played at the home field of Minor League Baseball's West Michigan Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park. FSU's only setback away from home since 2017 came in the 2018 D2 National Championship game when the Bulldogs fell to Valdosta State in a neutral site tilt in McKinney, Texas.
Nation's Top Coach
Bulldog head coach Tony Annese is currently the winningest (.865) active coach among all FBS, FCS & D2 schools in the country, according to the NCAA based on a minimum of six years as a coach, topping names such as Dabo Swinney, Nick Saban & Jimbo Fisher. Overall, among all levels including NCAA Division III, he's listed fourth among active coaches at all NCAA levels in winning percentage (.865) for more than five years and second among those who have been a head coach for more than seven years. Those listed ahead of him are all D3 coaches.
The 100th Game Under Annese
FSU's Nov. 9, 2019, win over Grand Valley State represented the Bulldogs' 100th game under head coach Tony Annese dating back to his initial season in 2012. Prior to Annese's tenure, the Bulldogs had went 35-45 (.438 ) in their previous 80 contests, but they have now registered a 109-17 (.865) mark since his arrival. The Bulldogs had won 32-straight conference games and 43 consecutive regular-season games overall dating back to the 2017 campaign before Oct. 15. Overall, FSU is 58-4 (.935) in its last 62 outings to date counting playoff action.
Keeping The Streaks Alive
The Bulldogs' win over Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 8 was the 43rd-straight regular season victory. FSU had also won 32 consecutive GLIAC games. The Bulldogs were the nation's lone unbeaten team a year ago in NCAA football. The Bulldogs finished unbeaten in conference action for the fifth time in the last seven seasons last year.
Gene Upshaw Award Winner
The Bulldogs have had each of the past two winners of the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award. Last year, offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali was named the recipient of the 2021 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year honor presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club. The Upshaw Award is presented annually to the top NCAA D2 senior offensive or defensive lineman in the nation. Pasquali became the second consecutive winner of the award from Ferris State following Austin Edwards in 2019. FSU has also had three winners of the Harlon Hill Trophy as the nation's top performer since 2014 with QB Jason Vander Laan winning back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015 followed by QB Jayru Campbell in 2018.
Extended Pregame Coverage
The Bulldog Sports Network and local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM have extended Bulldog Football pregame coverage this fall. This season, the network will offer two hours of pregame coverage for all regular-season home matchups along with an hour pregame show for all road games. The "Bulldog Tailgate Show" airs from the Top Taggart Field parking lots two hours prior to each home game with the "Johnson Auto Pregame Show" an hour from kickoff inside the broadcast booth for both home and away games. All are carried live both on Sunny 97.3 FM and online across the Bulldog Sports Network at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. All home games this fall along with conference matchups will also be televised on a pay-per-view basis on FloSports.
National Player Of Week
All-America defensive end Caleb Murphy was honored as The College Football Network D2 National Defensive Player of the Week following FSU's week two victory. Murphy had a memorable day as the Bulldogs dominated 14th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bulldogs held the Bears to 94 yards of total offense and 16 rushing yards while forcing two third-quarter turnovers. Murphy paced the Bulldogs with a team-high 12 tackles and added six tackles for loss (-38 yards) and five quarterback sacks (-37 yards) in addition to forcing a fumble. His five sacks set a school single-game record and his play helped the FSU defense hold the Bears to a 1-16 showing on third down.
300 Plus Career Victories
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese notched his 300th career victory at all levels with FSU's 2018 NCAA Semifinal win over Minnesota State. Annese took over the Bulldog program following three impressive years as the head coach at Grand Rapids Community College, which came on the heels of a highly successful 25-season stint at the prep level. Annese has won championships at every level, including three high school state championships and two national titles on the junior college level. He is 334-62 (.843) at all levels in his head coaching career.
Great Road Record
In 10 seasons under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have been a dominant road team. Presently, the Bulldogs are 53-7 (.883) under his direction in games played away from Top Taggart Field over the course of his nine seasons at the helm. Ferris State's mark is even better outside of his first two seasons as the Bulldogs own a 44-4 mark since the start of the 2014 season away from Big Rapids.
Latest Home Game Ever
FSU's home game against West Florida in the 2019 NCAA Division II National Semifinals (12/14/19) represented the latest home game ever for the Bulldogs. FSU closed the 2017 season at home against Harding (Ark.) in the NCAA National Quarterfinals at Top Taggart Field, falling 16-14 on a game-ending field goal by the Bisons on Dec. 2, 2017. The game represented the first-ever home football playoff game in the month of December and the latest home game ever for FSU at the time. The Bulldogs also hosted quarterfinal-round playoff action in 1994, 1995 and 1996, but those games were played in late November. In 2018, the Bulldogs won their first two playoff games at home in November before winning two-straight on the road en route to the title game. FSU hosted a pair of December playoff games at home during the 2021 national championship season.
The Anchor-Bone Rivalry
The Anchor Bone Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the Ferris State-GVSU football game. The trophy debuted in 2002 and GVSU won the first nine matchups before FSU maintained possession of the trophy four consecutive years from 2012-15. The Lakers reclaimed the trophy in the regular-season in 2016, but the Bulldogs had won the last four regular-season matchups prior to this year's game. Head Coach Tony Annese is now 10-3 versus GVSU, including a pair of playoff wins, and is also 5-1 against the Lakers on the road at Lubbers Stadium.
Best In The Country
Since the start of the 2014 season, the Bulldogs have the most wins of any NCAA Division II team in the country. The Bulldogs recorded back-to-back 11-1 seasons in 2014 and 2015 before a 12-3 mark in 2016 followed by an 11-2 showing in 2017 and a 15-1 mark in 2018 along with a 12-1 record in 2019 and a 14-0 mark in 2021 for a cumulative 94-10 record counting this year. Under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have lost only four regular-season games over the past eight plus years dating back to mid-October of 2013. The Bulldogs now own a 84-4 (.955) regular-season mark since closing the 2013 season by winning their final four games. Only Team In The Nation The Bulldogs are the nation's only team to reach the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals each of the past five seasons. Ferris State claimed the Super Region Championship in 2016 with a decisive road win at rival Grand Valley State in the quarterfinals to reach the national semifinals for the second time in school history. In 2017, the Bulldogs also made it back to the national quarterfinals, but fell to Harding on a game-ending field goal at home in Big Rapids. FSU reached the national title game in 2018 and the national semifinals in 2019 before falling at home to eventual national champion West Florida.
Big Win Seasons
The 2021 season marked only the ninth time in school history in which the Bulldogs had won at least 11 games in a campaign, but also the seventh year in a row. In 2016, FSU matched the school-record of 12 wins set in 1995 (12-1) and the Bulldogs topped the feat in 2018 (15-1). The last seven years on the field marks the first time FSU has won 11 games in a row for seven-straight years.
Michigan's Best Team
Ferris State was chosen by SB Nation as the state of Michigan's best college football team each of the past three seasons, regardless of division. It came on the heels of a similar recognition in 2017 by Hero Sports as the state of Michigan's best college football team, regardless of division. Hero Sports unveiled its top team from every state, regardless of division, and the Bulldogs were chosen tops among the 21 collegiate programs in Michigan. The award is the result of an equation created to level the playing field across all divisions of college football using specialized criteria.
Big Home Stretch
The Bulldogs have won 54 of their last 61 home games overall at Top Taggart Field dating back to the 2013 season. In 2018, the Bulldogs went a perfect 7-0 at home in Big Rapids. In each of the previous five years, the Bulldogs lost a single game on their home field, posting records of 4-1 (2013), 5-1 (2014), 6-1 (2015), 7-1 (2016) and 6-1 (2017) including regular-season and playoff action. FSU finished 7-1 at home in 2019 and 8-0 in 2021.
Did You Know?
This year marks the sixth time in the past seven years (not counting 2020) the Bulldogs were tabbed as one of the country's top three teams in at least one preseason national ranking.
Did You Know?
Ferris State has been the last GLIAC school standing in the NCAA Division II Playoffs each of the past five seasons. The Bulldogs reached the national semifinals in 2016 and the quarterfinals in 2017. In 2018, FSU avenged a setback to Harding in the 2017 Super Region Three Championship Game by beating the Bisons 21-19 at home in round one of the postseason on Nov. 17. FSU eventually went on to reach the national championship game for the first time in school history. The Bulldogs were the lone GLIAC school to make the field in 2019 and beat rival GVSU in the 2021 playoffs in the second round.
Memorable FSU Run In '18
With a national semifinal win at Minnesota State in 2018, FSU tied the school-record of 15 consecutive victories, which was also recorded in 2013 and 2014. The Bulldogs won their final four games in 2013 under head coach Tony Annese before reeling off a perfect 11-0 regular-season in 2014 prior to a playoff setback. FSU's 15-game streak in 2018 represented the longest streak inside of a single-season in school history. The Bulldogs had a 28-game regular-season winning streak from 2013-16 and owned a 42-game regular-season unbeaten (40-0-2) streak from 1992-96 prior to the recent regular-season unbeaten stretch.
Former Bulldogs In The NFL
The Bulldogs had six former student-athletes taking part in NFL training camps this summer, including defensive back Tavierre Thomas (Houston), defensive lineman Zach Sieler (Miami), wide receiver Malik Taylor (Green Bay), defensive lineman Austin Edwards (Kansas City), offensive lineman Zein Obeid (Detroit) and slot receiver Jared Bernhardt (Atlanta).
The Bulldogs have had a total of 14 different alumni earn rookie camp or training camp invites over the past five years, which is the most of any D2 school in the country. Four Bulldog alums made NFL 53-man opening day rosters a year ago, tops among D2 schools. Eight of the alums have played in at least one NFL regular-season game since 2016 and three former Bulldogs were part of team's that made the NFL Conference Championship Games in 2020.
This year, three former Bulldogs were chosen to NFL opening day rosters, including Bernhardt, Sieler and Thomas heading into the season openers. Zimmer was recently resigned by the Buffalo Bills.
Nation's Winningest Active Coach
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese currently ranks as NCAA Division II's winningest active head coach, based on a minimum of four seasons, with a 109-17 (.865) overall record in eight plus years. His current mark tops Lenoir-Rhyne's Mike Jacobs, who is in second according to the NCAA
Consensus Preseason Top Team In the Country
Ferris State was a consensus number one team in the country in every Division II preseason poll, including being picked first by College Football America, Lindy's Sports, D2football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) among others.
Awesome Run
Under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have lost only three regular-season games over the past eight years on the field dating back to mid-October of 2013. Two of the setbacks came in 2016 when the Bulldogs eventually made their deepest postseason run at the time with a trip to the NCAA-II National Semifinals. Since the middle part of the 2013 season, FSU has only lost twice to Grand Valley State and twice to Ashland in regular-season action. The Bulldogs own a 84-4 (.955) regular-season mark since closing the 2013 season by winning their final four games.
Best Stretch In School History
Ferris State's 93 wins in the last eight plus years (2014-22) marks the Bulldogs' best stretch in school history. In addition, the 99 wins in the past nine plus seasons (99-11) from 2013-22 tops the 1991-97 era for the most wins over the span in program history. FSU went 52-8-2 while capturing five-straight Michigan Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC) crowns from '92-96.
The 113th Season
The 2022 campaign represents the Bulldogs' 113th season of varsity competition. The program actually began in 1900, but no football was played in 1908-09, 1917-18, 1932 and from 1942-45 for various reasons in addition to 2020. Additionally, no scores are available from either the 1912 or 1916 seasons. Ferris has an all-time mark of 487-446-40.
GLIAC Players Of The Week
The Bulldogs had nine players combine to win a GLIAC Player of the Week Award a total of 13 times in the 2021 campaign. FSU's list of honorees included a five-time winner in quarterback Jared Bernhardt in addition to cornerback Sidney McCloud, nickel back Cyntell Williams, QB Mylik Mitchell, cornerback Alex Thomas, wide receiver/specialist Sy Barnett, slot receiver Marcus Taylor, and linebacker Liam Daly. Bernhardt, who sparkled in his collegiate football debut in week one, was the NCAA Division I National Lacrosse Player of the Year at Maryland in the spring of 2021 before joining the program. He accounted for seven touchdowns in his first college football game and also won the D2Football National Offensive Player of the Week honor.
NCAA Playoff Berth
Last season marked Ferris State's 12th all-time NCAA Division II Playoff appearance and the school's seventh in a row after previously not making the field since 1996 prior to the 2014 season. Overall, FSU has compiled a 21-11 all-time playoff record with five consecutive national quarterfinal or better finishes. In 2016, the Bulldogs made their second-ever trip to the national semifinals and matched the 1995 squad, which fell on the road at North Alabama, for the highest finish in school history before reaching the national title game for the first time in 2018. Along with making the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015, the Bulldogs also captured back-to-back GLIAC Championships and completed the feat again in 2018 and 2019. Before the recent stretch, FSU had not won a league title since 1999. The 2014 outright title was the school's first since 1996. Overall, the 2021 season represented the 12th conference title in Bulldog football history and fifth in seven years.
Follow On Twitter
In addition to radio and internet coverage, Bulldog fans can also follow Saturday's contest with live scoring updates on several official social media platforms. Visit www.twitter.com/FerrisFootball to follow the tweet-by-tweet coverage with periodic scoring updates or visit www.facebook.com/FerrisFootball.