Unbeaten West Michigan Rivals Collide In Anchor-Bone Classic Showdown Saturday Night
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football team will visit archrival Grand Valley State for the Anchor-Bone Classic this Saturday (Oct. 13) night and a large crowd is once again expected as the two West Michigan rivals collide at GVSU's Lubbers Stadium.
The annual showdown between the two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) rivals is set for a 7 p.m. (ET) kickoff in Allendale.
FSU fans still needing tickets to the game should call the GVSU Athletic Ticket Office at (616) 331-3200 to purchase tickets in the designated FSU seating sections at Lubbers Stadium.
The Bulldogs' designated seating sections at Lubbers Stadium are in sections 119 and 219 of the visitors side. Tickets are $20 and can only be purchased by calling the ticket office directly.
Both teams head into Saturday night's contest ranked among the top three teams in the nation and it will represent the 10th time in series' history in which both squads have been ranked in the major D2 national poll at kickoff. GVSU was listed second last week with FSU third in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Rankings. Both teams are ranked among the country's top 10 in virtually every D2 poll.
Saturday's game will mark the fourth-straight year in which both teams have been ranked among the top 15 nationally at kickoff time and the sixth consecutive time, including postseason games in both 2015 and 2016. Three years ago, when the Bulldogs notched a decisive 61-24 regular-season victory in 2015 in Allendale, it represented the first time both teams had been in the top 15 in 20 years since a 30-21 FSU victory over the Lakers on Sept. 30, 1995, in Big Rapids.
Overall, the two squads have both been found in the national rankings at kickoff time in the regular-season in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2017 along with postseason matchups in both 2015 and 2016. FSU owns a 4-3-1 mark all-time against the Lakers when both squads are nationally-ranked.
The Bulldogs head into Saturday's tilt with a 6-0 overall record and a 4-0 league slate after a 42-24 triumph over Michigan Tech in the "Battle At The Ballpark" played at Fifth Third Ballpark on Saturday (Oct. 6) in Comstock Park. Meanwhile, the Lakers are presently also 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the GLIAC after a non-league home win over Dixie State.
Ferris State has captured five of the last six regular-season matchups between the two West Michigan rivals. The two teams have both also squared off in the NCAA Division II Playoffs twice in the last three years with GVSU winning in 2015 in Big Rapids before FSU returned the favor with a 47-32 triumph over the Lakers in 2016 in Allendale in the Super Region Four Championship game. Bulldog head coach Tony Annese owns an overall 6-2 mark against GVSU in his career.
The Anchor Bone Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the Ferris State-Grand Valley State 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 before the Bulldogs won a thrilling 28-27 decision at Top Taggart Field last year in the NCAA Division II National Game of the Week. GVSU holds a 29-18-1 all-time series' advantage entering Saturday's showdown between the two schools.
Saturday's contest will be carried live by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley providing the play-by-play action and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The broadcast begins with an extended Johnson Automotive Pregame Show at 6 p.m. (ET) leading up to kickoff and can be accessed online at www.FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
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