PREVIEW: Ferris State Heads North For "Showdown At Sherman Field" Against Michigan Tech

This Week: The unbeaten and nationally-ranked Ferris State University football squad is back on the road again for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tilt against the unbeaten Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday (Oct. 25). The "Showdown at Sherman Field" in Houghton begins at 1 p.m. (ET).

Presently, the two squads are the only remaining unbeaten teams in both the GLIAC and in all levels of college football in the state of Michigan. Both teams are also found among the national leaders in every Division II poll.

Key Note: This year's 7-0 start for Ferris State represents the program's best season-opening victory total in 19 years since winning its first 12 games en route to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in 1995, which is the highest finish in Bulldog history.

Ticket Info: Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased on gameday at Sherman Field or visit www.buyhuskiestickets.com. For additional information, please contact the Michigan Tech Ticket Office at 906-487-2073.

Media Coverage: Saturday's game will be carried live 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. The broadcast begins with the Meijer Pregame Show at 12:30 p.m. (ET) from Houghton. The contest will also be streamed with a free live audio feed online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. MTU will provide free live internet statistics along with a pay-per-view video webcast. All links will be made available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

Follow On Twitter: In addition to radio and internet coverage, Bulldog fans can also follow Saturday's contest and all other FSU games this year 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.

The Records: Ferris State improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the GLIAC with an impressive 34-19 league road win over defending GLIAC Champion Ohio Dominican this past Saturday (Oct. 18) in Columbus, Ohio. Last year, FSU posted an 8-3 overall record in 2013 and placed second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division standings with a 8-2 conference mark. FSU, which won seven games in head coach Tony Annese's debut season in 2012, closed the 2013 season riding a four-game winning streak and narrowly missed receiving the school's first NCAA playoff bid in 17 years.

Michigan Tech is off to a 6-0 start both overall and in the GLIAC. The Huskies posted an impressive win of their own with a decisive 35-14 victory over Grand Valley State last Saturday (Oct. 18) in Houghton. MTU finished with a 6-4 overall and league record in 2013 while placing fourth overall in the GLIAC North Division standings.

Fourth-Best Active Streak: Ferris State's current 11-game winning streak dating back to last year is presently tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the country at all levels of NCAA football. The list is topped by defending FCS National Champion North Dakota State, whom FSU faced a year ago. The Bison are followed by D3 power Wisconsin-Whitewater and defending FBS National Champion Florida State in the top three overall. FSU is tied with Mississippi State and Colorado Mines for the fourth-best active streak in the nation.

Impressive Road Win: Nationally-ranked Ferris State pulled out a key league win in its biggest test of the year to date last Saturday as the Bulldogs recorded a 34-19 conference triumph at seventh-ranked Ohio Dominican, snapping ODU's 21-game regular-season winning streak. The Panthers forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, but the FSU defense limited ODU to a field goal before the offense answered by scoring on its first possession. The Bulldogs scored a key touchdown with a 50-plus yard drive to end the half, giving FSU a 21-13 edge at the break they would not relinquish. The FSU defense forced three interceptions on the day while the offense compiled 459 total yards against one of the nation's top defenses. Bulldog junior quarterback Jason Vander Laan threw for two scores and had a TD on the ground while also engineering two second-half drives that resulted in field goals. Junior back Jahaan Brown paced FSU on the ground with 124 rushing yards and a score.

The Coaches: Ferris State – Tony Annese (Alma, 1983), 3rd season, 22-7-0 (.759) – (2-0-0 vs. MTU).  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 247-52 (.826) to date and includes three prep state championships and two national JUCO crowns.

Michigan Tech – Tom Kearly (Winona State, 1980), 9th season - (6-2-0 vs. Ferris State).  Kearly spent six seasons at MTU as associate head coach and offensive coordinator prior to becoming head coach.  He previously spent 19 years at Central Michigan, including the last six as associate head coach and the final nine as offensive coordinator.  Kearly is the son of former MTU football coach and athletics director Ted Kearly (1969-72).

The National Rankings: Ferris State is presently ranked first in the country in three Division II online computer scientific polls, including the CompughterRatings.com, Atomic Football and Beyond Sports Network Division II Power Rankings. FSU is also ranked second in the Massey Ratings, fifth this week in the D2Football.com National Rankings along with sixth in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches poll, which is considered the primary Division II ratings poll in the country. The number one ranking this week in the three online scientific rankings is the Bulldogs' best in any type of ranking since being tabbed first in the country for two weeks back in 1996, which happens to be the most recent time in which FSU has advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Meanwhile, Michigan Tech is also ranked nationally in every poll, including 13th in the AFCA listing. The Huskies are listed as high as third in the CompughterRatings.com rankings.

One Win From Matching Mark: The Bulldogs are only a single win away from matching the school-record of 12-straight wins set back in 1995. FSU won its opening 12 games that campaign before falling in the Division II National Semifinals, which was the Bulldogs' best finish in school history.

Year Three Under Annese: A proven winner at all of his previous coaching stops and highly-regarded across the country, Tony Annese will direct the Bulldogs for the third time this fall. He came to FSU 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.  He owns an overall career head coaching record of 247-52 (.826) and was 30-4 (.882) as a junior college head coach at GRCC.

Bulldog Outlook: Expectations have been high at Ferris State in year three under head coach Tony Annese.  The Bulldogs posted a 7-4 overall mark in his debut season (2012) prior to last year's 8-3 mark (2013) and FSU has ranked among the nation's top 10 teams in both rushing offense and total offense each of the last three years.

The Bulldogs, who were picked second in the 2014 GLIAC North Division poll, returned nearly 50 letterwinners and at least 14 starters from a year ago when they narrowly missed receiving the school's first playoff bid in 17 years. Among the returnees for the Bulldogs this campaign were seven preseason NCAA Division II All-Americans.

The Bulldogs' eight-win campaign last fall was the school's first since 2006 and only the second in the program's last 16 seasons. Additionally, Ferris State's eight league wins in 2013 were also its most since 1996 and the Bulldogs beat rival Grand Valley State for the second consecutive year to hold onto possession of the Anchor-Bone Trophy.

FSU also inked a highly-regarded 35-member recruiting class on National Signing Day in February. The talented class of 33 prepsters and two Division I transfers came on the heels of a stellar class a year ago that was labeled as the best in the nation.

Dogs vs. Dogs Weekend: This week's matchup with Michigan Tech is part of a "Dogs vs. Dogs" Weekend as a total of four Bulldog squads will battle the Huskies either in Big Rapids or Houghton on Friday and Saturday. Along with the football game, the Bulldog soccer team travels to the Upper Peninsula to face MTU on Friday night. Meanwhile, nationally-ranked Ferris State Hockey entertains the Huskies on Friday and Saturday at the Ewigleben Ice Arena with the Bulldog volleyball team hosting Michigan Tech in a special match on Friday at noon.

National Award Winners: A pair of Ferris State standouts have received national acclaim after leading the unbeaten Bulldogs to the win at Ohio Domincian last week. Junior All-America quarterback Jason Vander Laan (Frankfort, Ill./Chicago Christian) was tabbed as the GLIAC's Offensive Player of the Week and he was also chosen as one of three Division II National Quarterbacks of the Week by the Beyond Sports Network. Along with Vander Laan receiving conference and national praise, Bulldog redshirt freshman safety KC Zenner (Rockford) was tabbed by BSN as one of two Division II National Defensive Backs of the Week. Vander Laan completed 18-of-26 passes for 207 yards and two scores versus ODU while also running for 63 yards on 17 carries and a TD. Meanwhile, Zenner was all over the field as FSU snapped Ohio Dominican's 21-game regular-season unbeaten streak. In the win over the Panthers, Zenner had a personal career and game-high 13 total tackles to lead the Bulldogs, including six solo efforts and a tackle for loss. His performance helped the FSU defense limit ODU's offense to only 376 total yards and the Bulldogs also forced three interceptions on the defensive side.  

National Level Honors: This week represents the fourth-straight week in which at least one FSU standout has been chosen as one of the BSN National Athletes of the Week. Junior QB Jason Vander Laan previously earned the distinction after FSU's road victory at Saginaw Valley State (Sept. 27) while redshirt freshman back Jahaan Brown (East Grand Rapids) was a recipient following wins over Findlay (Oct. 4) and Tiffin (Oct. 11) prior to both of this week's honorees. Overall, Ferris State has currently had at least one National Player of the Week or honorable mention selection from BSN or USA College Football in all seven weeks of the 2014 campaign to date.

One Win Away: A Ferris State victory on Saturday would also give the Bulldogs their eighth win of the year. FSU had not won eight games in a single season since 2006 prior to last year's 8-3 finish. Overall, the Bulldogs have achieved eight wins in a single-season only twice (2006  & 2013) in the last 17 seasons dating back to the school's last playoff appearance in 1996.

Among Total Offense Leaders: Ferris State currently ranks third in the nation in total offense heading into week eight with a 543.7 yards per game average. FSU led the country in total offense prior to last week's win at Ohio Dominican in which Ferris State totaled 459 yards. The Bulldogs are also ranked fourth in rushing offense (334.9 ypg.) and third in scoring offense (48.9 ppg.) heading into Saturday's contest. FSU is also first in third-down conversion percentage in the country (59.1%) along with second in team passing efficiency (179.60).

Tops In The Country: Bulldog junior quarterback Jason Vander Laan ranks first nationally this week in passing efficiency (184.1) along with second in the country in points responsible for this year (174). He's also third nationally in points responsible for per game (24.9 ppg.) and third in completion percentage (.700).  Overall, he also leads the GLIAC and is ninth in passing touchdowns (20) in the nation.  

Big Numbers Nationally: Ferris State currently holds two of the top three single-game total offense totals in the nation this season with 767 yards against Tiffin and 761 yards versus McKendree. FSU's 556 rushing yards against Tiffin two weeks ago also represent the most rushing yards on the ground in a single game in the country this year with the 75 total points at McKendree is fifth-best nationally.

Series Information: MTU leads Ferris in the all-time series' between the two teams by a 34-25-4 count. The Huskies owned a nine-game series' winning streak prior to back-to-back FSU wins the last two years in 2012 and 2013.  Prior to the last two years, Ferris State had not beat Michigan Tech since a 21-14 overtime home win in 2002 (10/12) at Top Taggart Field.

Snapping The Skid: The Bulldogs beat Michigan Tech in 2012 for the first time in 10 years with a thrilling 56-49 triumph (10/20/12) in a high-scoring contest at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs claimed their first win over MTU since 2002 while snapping a nine-game series' losing streak with an explosive offense that rolled up 601 total yards and scored eight touchdowns.  It came in the "Dog Day" matchup presented by Huntington in the battled between the Bulldogs and Huskies.

Fifteen-Year Streak: Ferris State had not beat Michigan Tech in Houghton in 15 years prior to last year's close 30-27 Bulldog win at Sherman Field.  Before last year, FSU's most recent victory at Sherman Field had been a 67-46 triumph in 1998 (10/24). FSU had dropped six-straight meetings in the Upper Peninsula before last year.  Overall, Michigan Tech holds a 19-11-1 edge in 31 previous matchups played in Houghton.  Prior to the stretch before last year, the Bulldogs had won seven-straight matchups at Sherman Field from 1985-98.

Back To Houghton: The Bulldogs made their first trip to MTU's Sherman Field since 2008 in 2011, but were handed a 41-14 defeat (11/5/11).  This year will mark FSU's third trip to face Michigan Tech across the bridge in four years, including the second-straight visit. Ferris State also made the trip to Houghton three times from 2005 to 2008 before hosting the Huskies in the 2009 "Battle At The Ballpark", which was played at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park.  The 2012 matchup in Big Rapids was only the second since 2006 at Top Taggart Field.

Three Common Foes: Ferris and MTU have played three common opponents to date this season. Both teams have captured wins over Saginaw Valley State, Northwood and Grand Valley State. The Bulldogs topped SVSU and NU on the road while beating rival GVSU at home in three consecutive weeks during the month of September. Meanwhile, the Huskies topped Saginaw Valley State at home in week three before winning at Northwood two weeks ago and then topping GVSU at home last week.

Final Five-Game Stretch: Last Saturday's contest began the final five-game stretch of the regular-season for the Bulldogs. Ferris has registered a 71-49-1 record in its final five regular-season contests per season since 1990. In 2012, the Bulldogs went 3-2 over the final five-game stretch. FSU was 4-1 last year, winning the last four games.

NCAA-II Active Career Leaders: Ferris State's Jason Vander Laan currently ranks third on the school's all-time career rushing chart and also presently has the fifth-most career rushing yards (3,664) of any active Division II player in the country. His 126.3 yards per game average is one of the top five career figures for any rusher currently still competing while his 9.5 points per game ranks as the second-best career figure among active players.

Nearing The Top: FSU's Jason Vander Laan currently ranks second and needs only 86 yards to move into first place on the school's career total offense chart. Former quarterback Matt McCarthy (1996-99) holds the all-time record with 8,396 yards of total offense. Vander Laan has 8,310 yards to date and moved past former great Bill Love (1991-95) for third place in the win over SVSU. Love eventually became a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist as a senior.

More National Statistics: Heading into week seven, Ferris State is also ranked high nationally in several other statistical categories, including fourth in net punting (39.59) along with fifth in fewest penalty yards (240), fifth in first downs (185), fifth in completion percentage (.684), eighth in sacks allowed (.43), 21st in red zone defense (.667) and 32nd in total defense (320.0 ypg).

Seven League Wins: FSU can record its seventh GLIAC win with a victory Saturday. Last year marked the first time the Bulldogs had posted seven wins in GLIAC play since 2006 and only the fourth time in the last 17 years dating back to the 1990's. FSU also won seven games in the conference in 1999, 2001 and 2006 along with last year, but had not claimed eight league victories prior to last season's 8-2 GLIAC finish since winning nine conference games en route to the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference title in 1996.

Ranking Notes: This week's #6 ranking in the AFCA poll represents the Bulldogs' highest ranking ever in the poll conducted by Division II coaches, which began in 2000. Earlier this year, FSU entered the Anchor-Bone Classic ranked higher than rival Grand Valley State for the first time since the poll began. A total of four teams from the GLIAC can currently be found in this week's AFCA poll as FSU and MTU are joined by Ohio Dominican (#16) and Ashland (#24). The CompughterRatings.com poll has the GLIAC holding down the nation's top three spots in top-ranked Ferris State, number two Ohio Dominican and Michigan Tech, which is listed third overall.

A Winning Note: The Bulldogs have officially clinched their ninth winning season in the last 12 years. FSU has finished with a winning season 17 times in the last 25 campaigns, including 12 times in the last 19 years. The Bulldogs won five consecutive conference championship titles from 1992-96 and were last league co-champions in 1999.

Facing Ohio Teams: Last Saturday's game at Ohio Dominican represented the Bulldogs' last of three consecutive matchups resulting in wins against teams from the state of Ohio this season. FSU will also visit another Ohio school in Walsh for the regular-season finale (Nov. 15). Ferris State wrapped up its GLIAC South Division stretch a year ago with a perfect 3-0 mark against Ohio schools.  FSU previously swept four Ohio teams in 2010 and beat three of four in the 2011 campaign before topping two of three in 2012  Since 2010, the Bulldogs are now 15-2 versus teams from the Buckeye state.  

Beating The Buckeye State: Ferris improved to 44-45 (.495) all-time against teams from the state of Ohio in school history with last week's win. The Bulldogs have played 13 schools from the Buckeye state and have fared the best against those teams now competing in the GLIAC.  FSU holds a 12-11 mark versus Findlay and is 10-14 overall against Ashland.  The Bulldogs also own five wins over Tiffin (5-0) along with four wins over Ohio Northern (4-6) and Lake Erie (4-0) while posting multiple wins versus Cedarville (2-0), Ohio Dominican (3-0) and Walsh (2-0). FSU has topped Wilmington and Defiance once each in the program's history.  Ferris' worst mark is against Central State, which owns a 7-0 record against the Bulldogs although the two teams have not met '86.

Four-Game Finish: Prior to last year, FSU had not closed a regular-season by winning four games in a row since 2001. Ferris State closed 2013 with wins over Michigan Tech, Wayne State, Northwood and Northern Michigan with both two coming at home and two on the road.

FSU Keeps The Trophy: With a strong showing of support from the Bulldog Nation behind its back, the nationally-ranked Ferris State football team held onto possession of the Anchor-Bone Trophy for the third-straight year with a 42-17 triumph over rival Grand Valley State in its home opener on Sept. 20 to remain unbeaten in 2014. A crowd of nearly 6,000 fans at FSU's Top Taggart Field watched the Bulldogs bolt out to a 21-10 halftime lead and score a pair of early third-quarter touchdowns en route to the victory in the school's home opener.

Decisive Margin: Ferris State's 25-point win over rival Grand Valley State this year tied for the third-most decisive win ever over the Lakers. FSU beat the Lakers by scores of 57-0 and 42-0 in the first two meetings ever played between the two schools in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Ironically, FSU also beat GVSU by the same margin of 25 points in 1999 (48-23) when the Bulldogs last claimed a GLIAC Championship.

Preseason All-Americans: Among the returnees for the Bulldogs this campaign are seven preseason NCAA Division II All-Americans, including four from the defensive unit in junior end Justin Zimmer (Greenville), senior defensive tackle Corey Stone (Sterling Heights/Stevenson), senior linebacker Darnell Morris (Detroit/Inkster) and senior defensive back A.J. McEwen (East Grand Rapids). The offensive unit is represented by Preseason All-America quarterback and returning Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Jason Vander Laan (Frankfort, Ill./Chicago Christian) along with junior lineman Adam Bennett (Romeo) and senior receiver Jake Lampman (East Lansing/Haslett).

Preseason Recognition: FSU junior quarterback and Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Jason Vander Laan received numerous preseason national honors, including being chosen as one of the country's top 10 players to watch for 2014 by the Beyond Sports Network (BSN). He also received national acclaim this summer by being chosen to the 2014 BSN Preseason All-America First Team and was listed as a USA Football Preseason All-American in addition to being named among the national nominees for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Finally, he was also chosen as the MES-TV Preseason GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year.

NCAA Record Holder: A Beyond Sports Network Division II All-American last fall and Harlon Hill Trophy regional finalist, Jason Vander Laan officially broke an NCAA Division II all-time single season record in the Bulldogs' season-ending 35-22 win over Northern Michigan last season (Nov. 16) at Top Taggart Field and also claimed All-GLIAC Second Team laurels on the gridiron for FSU. The Bulldog sophomore signal caller closed the season with 1,607 yards on the ground, which far surpassed the previous national record established by Wofford's Shawn Graves in 1989. Last season, Vander Laan ranked as the nation's top running quarterback with more rushing yards on the ground than any other signal caller in the country, regardless of level. His 1,607 total yards rushing finished tops among all quarterbacks in the regular-season at the NCAA Division I, II or III level, including both the FBS and FCS levels of competition.

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