Posted: Dec 17, 2024
PREVIEW: Ferris State Aims For Third National Championship On Saturday Against Valdosta State
The Ferris State University Bulldogs will take on the Valdosta State (Ga.) Blazers in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game this Saturday, Dec. 21, at the McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas. The Bulldogs will be seeking their third national championship in the last four seasons and will face Valdosta State in the title game for the third time since 2018. This year marks FSU's fourth national championship game appearance in the last six seasons.
The Bulldogs have made a nation-leading 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, including back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.
The Matchup
Valdosta State enters the tilt with a 13-0 mark and is seeking its fifth national championship in its seventh national title game appearance. Overall, VSU is midst its 20th all-time postseason playoff showing and previously faced FSU in both the 2018 and 2021 national title games. The Blazers won the Gulf South Conference (GSC) championship this year.
FSU Playoff Notebook
Ferris State captured the Super Region Three Championship for the sixth time in the past eight seasons with a win over defending national champion Harding on Dec. 14. FSU made its sixth national semifinal appearance last week and topped Slippery Rock 48-38 to reach the title game for the fourth time since 2018.
Media Coverage
Saturday's game will be televised by ESPN2 and will also be 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. Radio pregame coverage gets underway at 1 p.m. (ET). The contest will also be streamed with FREE live audio online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com for all links.
Nine-Straight Playoff Berths
Nine-Straight Playoff Berths
The Bulldogs, who are midst their 115th season of varsity competition this fall, have now made a nation-leading 10 consecutive trips 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 76-7 in the last six seasons on the field including this year.
Memorable Bulldog Run
Over the last decade, the Bulldogs have compiled a 121-14 overall record and claimed two national titles, six conference championships, posted five unbeaten regular-seasons, captured six 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 23 postseason games in addition to an appearance in the 2018, 2021 and 2022 NCAA D2 National Championship Games.
National Power & State's Best
Now in the 12th season under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level. FSU has posted a 136-21 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 86% of his games as a head coach on the collegiate and prep levels and owns 361 wins to date, which is the most of any current GLIAC member head coach at all levels.
Team #115 For FSU
This year represents the Bulldogs' 115th season of varsity football on the Ferris State campus. FSU owns a 514-450-40 all-time mark and notched the program's 500th victory a year ago.
Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist
FSU junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been chosen as a national finalist for the 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the top NCAA Division II player in the country. Chambliss is one of eight student-athletes from across the country still in contention for the honor and one of two from finalists from Super Region Three.
D2 National Player Of The Week
FSU quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was chosen as the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week after a win over Michigan Tech this fall. Chambliss threw a school-record tying six touchdown passes on Oct. 19 as FSU beat Michigan Tech decisively by a 51-13 score at Top Taggart Field. He went 18-of-30 passing for 383 yards and six scores while adding a game-high 90 rushing yards.
The Head Coaches
Ferris State – Tony Annese (Alma, 1983), 12th season, 136-21-0 (.866) – 1-1 vs Valdosta State). 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 361-66 (.845) to date and includes three prep state championships and two national JUCO crowns along with two D2 National Championships. He claimed his 300th win in 2018 with a national semifinal win at Minnesota State. The Bulldogs are 70-10 at home and 62-10 on the road under Annese in his tenure.
Valdosta State - Tremaine Jackson (Houston, 2006), 3rd season, 40-11 (.784), (0-0 vs. FSU). Jackson was chosen as the AFCA National Coach of the Year this season and is midst his third season at the VSU helm. Before taking over in Valdosta, Jackson spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons leading the Colorado Mesa Mavericks. During his tenure in Grand Junction, Jackson went 10-3 in his two seasons, including an 8-2 mark in 2021. He previously spent time on the staffs at Texas State, Abilene Christian, Sioux Falls, Evangel University, Texas Southern, Trinity Valley Community College and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Third-Ever Matchup
Saturday's game will represent the third-ever series' meeting against Valdosta State and it is also only the third matchup for FSU versus a team from Georgia. Both previous meetings have come in the D2 National Championship game. The Bulldogs had never played a current Gulf South Conference member prior to a memorable 49-47 national title game setback to VSU in 2018, but did face a former league institution and current NCAA Division I member North Alabama in the 1995 NCAA Division II National Semifinals. FSU topped Valdosta State 58-17 in the 2021 title game en route to the Bulldogs' first national championship in 2021.
1,000 Yard Tailback
Junior tailback Kannon Katzer, who is in his first season with the Bulldogs, has rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season, becoming the first FSU tailback in 20 years to achieve the feat. The Bulldogs have had several 1,000-yard rushers during the Tony Annese era, but all have been quarterbacks and no running back has ran for more than 1,000 yards at Ferris State since Andrew Terry achieved the feat in 2004.
Rushing Success
The last 81 times the Bulldogs have rushed for more than 130 yards in a contest as a team, FSU has compiled a 79-2 overall record. The lone setbacks in that mark were in the 2019 national semifinals versus West Florida along with the 2018 national championship game against Valdosta State.
D2CCA All-Region Picks
The Bulldogs recently had four individuals named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region Team. FSU offensive tackle Bryce George was a first-team region pick while junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, junior offensive guard Lawrence Hattar and junior linebacker Sefa Saipaia were all second-team honorees. Ferris State's four total selections were third-most in the region.
Gene Upshaw Award Nominee
Ferris State University senior defensive tackle Victor Nelson was a nominee for the 2024 Gene Upshaw Award, which is presented to the nation's top senior offensive or defensive lineman. FSU had three consecutive winners of the award from 2019-22 in defensive end Austin Edwards, offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali and defensive end Caleb Murphy.
Alumni In The NFL
Ferris State has had a total of 13 different players in a NFL Preseason Camp over the past four summers, which is the most of any D2 school in the country. A total of 10 of the alums have played in at least one NFL regular-season game since 2016, including current NFL players Zach Sieler (Miami), Caleb Murphy (Tennessee), Malik Taylor (NY Jets) and Tavierre Thomas (Tampa Bay), who all remain with pro organizations. Former tight end Mason Pline, who was a two-time national champion for the Bulldogs before playing his final season as a graduate transfer on the FCS level at Furman University last season, is on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad this fall. Sieler was chosen last week as the AFC National Defensive Player of the Week and is a Pro Bowl candidate.
Playoff Stretch Under Annese
Ferris State has currently won its last 12 NCAA Division II Playoff games in a row with head coach Tony Annese on the sideline and has not dropped a postseason contest with him at the helm on gameday since 2019. A five-time GLIAC Coach of the Year, Annese was not present for last season's playoff road loss at Grand Valley State.
National Title Game Appearances
This year marks the Bulldogs' fourth title game appearance in the past six seasons of on the field action. FSU fell to Valdosta State (Ga.) 47-45 in 2018, but came back to beat the Blazers in the title game 58-17 in 2021 before topping the Colorado School of Mines 41-14 in the title game in 2022. All three previous national championship game appearances have been at the McKinney ISD Stadium.
Outscoring The Opposition
The Bulldogs are riding a 13-game winning streak and have outscored the opposition 623-164 since a season-opening setback at Pittsburg State.
Bulldog Championship Notebook
Saturday's national championship game will be televised at 13 different Buffalo Wild Wings locations across the state of Michigan .... Ferris State head coach Tony Annese currently ranks as the nation's winningest active D2 head coach, based on a minimum of four seasons, with a 136-21 (.866) overall record in his 12 seasons. He's also presently third in all of NCAA college football regardless of level, trailing only Kalen DeBoer (Alabama, .884) and Ryan Day (Ohio State, .868).
All-GLIAC Honorees
A total of 20 Ferris State University football standouts earned All-GLIAC honors for the 2024 campaign and the Bulldogs landed two major awards as the league unveiled its all-conference squads. Ferris State head coach Tony Annese was chosen as the GLIAC Coach of the Year for 2024 and junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was tabbed as the GLIAC Player of the Year in balloting by the conference's member head coaches. Additionally, FSU eight All-GLIAC First Team honorees along with seven second-team picks and five honorable mention choices. Ferris State's first-team All-GLIAC selections included Chambliss along with tailback Kannon Katzer and three offensive linemen in Bryce George, Lawrence Hattar and Jarvis Windom on the offensive side. FSU also had three earn all-conference first team accolades on the defensive side in defensive tackle Victor Nelson, linebacker Iosefa Saipaia and defensive back Lento Smith.
Awesome Run
Under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have lost only six regular-season games over the past 10 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 three times to Grand Valley State and twice to Ashland in regular-season action along with a close setback last season at FCS member Montana and this year's game at Pitt State. The Bulldogs own a 103-7 (.936) regular-season mark since closing the 2013 season by winning their final four games.
Among Nation's Top Units
Ferris State is currently ranked among the nation's top teams in both total offense and total defense this year. The Bulldogs are third offensively at 493.0 yards per game and 13th defensively, giving up only 267.0 yards a contest. FSU is also second in scoring offense (44.7 ppg.) and seventh in scoring defense (13.1 ppg.) this year.
Two Number One Teams
Along with Bulldog Football being ranked first in the D2Football.com poll, the FSU volleyball squad was also first nationally in the AVCA Division II National Rankings this season and captured the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship. The Bulldogs concluded the year with a 34-1 overall record with the lone loss coming last week in the D2 National Quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Four-Straight Final Four's
Prior to last season, the Bulldogs made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals and advanced to the final four five times in six seasons overall. FSU became the first program in GLIAC history to advance to four-straight semifinals, the fourth program ever and the first since Northwest Missouri State (2005-10) to accomplish the feat. The Bulldogs also advanced to three national championship games in four seasons of action on the field from 2018-22. This year marked FSU's sixth national semifinal berth in the last eight years.
Record-Setting Notes
Ferris State put up a school record 84 points in its 84-7 road win at American International this year. In addition, the Bulldogs' 744 total yards were the third-most in program history as was the 486 rushing yards. The defense also gave up -18 yards rushing in the triumph. Junior kicker Mitch Middleton broke his own school mark by going 12-of-12 on PAT's ..... Ferris State's 84 points at AIC topped the school single-game record of 78 points set in last year's homecoming win over Northern Michigan, which had bettered the previous mark of 75 set in a season-opening victory at McKendree in 2014. The Bulldogs also ran for 497 yards on homecoming last year vs NMU, which was the second-highest figure in school history following a 556-yard performance versus Tiffin in 2014 ... FSU scored a school playoff record 78 points in the win over Central Oklahoma three weeks ago.
All-Time Winningest Coach
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese became the Bulldogs' all-time winningest coach in 2022, surpassing former FSU head coaches such as Jeff Pierce and Keith Otterbein. Annese has posted a 136-21 (.865) mark in his Bulldog tenure to date, moving past Pierce (102-85) atop the all-time chart. Otterbein, who just retired as the head coach at Hillsdale, is third on the list with a 60-39 record during his Ferris State coaching career.
D2 Elite 100 Preseason All-Americans
Three Ferris State University football standouts garnered preseason All-America mention as D2Football.com unveiled its 2024 Elite 100 Watch List. The D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List was selected by the staff of D2Football.com with the input of small college draft expert Josh Buchanan. The Bulldogs had a first-team honoree in junior offensive tackle Bryce George along with a pair of honorable mention choices in junior quarterback Carson Gulker and senior receiver Tyrese Hunt-Thompson.
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 121-14 record counting this season.
Only Team In The Nation
The Bulldogs were the nation's only team to reach the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals six-straight seasons from 2016-22. 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 prior to back-to-back national title campaigns in 2021 and 2022.
Last GLIAC Team Standing
Ferris State finished as the last GLIAC school standing in the NCAA Division II Playoffs six consecutive years prior to last season. 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 followed by a quarterfinal win over the Lakers in 2022.
Playoff Record Under Annese
The Bulldogs have posted a record of 24-7 in the NCAA Division II Playoffs under head coach Tony Annese, which includes a 5-0 mark in 2022 en route to the school's second consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship. The Bulldogs had not had a season end prior to the national quarterfinals since 2015 before the 2023 season. FSU advanced to at least the D2 National Semifinals five times in a six-year period from 2016 to 2022 under Annese.
Another 11-Win Season
This year marks the 11th time in school history in which the Bulldogs have won at least 11 games in a campaign, but also the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. FSU's current 13 wins are fourth in program history, trailing only 2018 (15-1), 2021 (14-0) and 2022 (14-1).
D2 Playoff History
Ferris State's berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs this year represents the 15th appearance in school history with the other five berths prior to the last 10 years all coming during a memorable five-year stretch from 1992-96. Overall, the Bulldogs hold an all-time NCAA Playoff mark of 29-12 to date and made their deepest run in 2021 and 2022 by claiming the school's first two NCAA Division II National Championships. In 2018, FSU also reached the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. Ferris State has reached the national quarterfinals or beyond now seven times since 2016 with now six national semifinal berths and four title game appearances in the stretch. The Bulldogs had won nine-straight NCAA D2 Playoff games prior to last year's opening-round setback at Grand Valley State. Last week marked FSU's seventh national semifinal game with the first coming back in 1995.
Welcome Back
This season, Ferris State welcomed back two-time national champion linebacker Konnor Near as part of its incoming transfer class. Near was a key member of the Bulldog defense on both the 2021 and 2022 national championship teams before departing and spending the 2023 campaign at the University of Oklahoma. He played in 12 games last fall for the Sooners before returing to Big Rapids and the FSU program in the offseason. Near returned to the lineup last year and helps lead a talented group of linebackers, which also includes a pair of returning starters in senior Jason Williams and junior Sefa Saipaia.
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 2024 GLIAC Football Preseason Poll with the Bulldogs first overall. Ferris State received four of a possible eight first-place votes and totaled 46 points in being chosen as the favorite among the league's eight conference football institutions.
Extended Pregame Coverage
The Bulldog Sports Network and local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM will once again 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.
Bulldog Blitz Football Radio Show
This season, the Bulldog Sports Network debuted a new "Bulldog Blitz" Football Radio Show, which is presented by Two Hats Ranch, on Sunny 97.3 FM and FerrisStateBulldogs.com. The show airs each Wednesday during the fall from 6-7 p.m. (ET) and also be available in podcast format via Spotify, YouTube and other social media platforms.
Ticket & Game Information
For complete game and ticket information, along with more details on the fan experience, please visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Texas.