Ferris State Football Sweeps GLIAC Player Of The Week Awards After Anchor-Bone Win

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University Bulldogs made it a clean sweep this week of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football player of the week awards following a victory in the Anchor-Bone Classic on Saturday night.

FSU senior quarterback Jared Bernhardt (Longwood, Fla.) was tabbed as the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week with senior cornerback Alex Thomas (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) chosen as the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week. In addition, junior receiver and specialist Sy Barnett (Williamston) was picked as the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week following FSU's 35-28 win over rival Grand Valley State before a record crowd of 17,007 fans at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale.

Bernhardt returned to the Bulldog lineup in a big way, leading the second-ranked Bulldogs to a thrilling victory over the sixth-ranked Lakers. Bernhardt, who had not played since week two, completed 75% of his passes, going 12-of-16 on the night for 217 yards and two scores. He added a game-high 116 yards rushing on 23 carries. His play helped FSU build an early 28-7 lead in the third quarter and he directed the Bulldogs on a key drive late in the fourth quarter to stretch the advantage back to two scores. For the night, he averaged five yards per carry on the ground and nearly 14 yards per throw in the air.

Thomas played a big role in the Anchor-Bone Classic, including making one of the game's biggest plays with a 99-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery return late in the first half, giving FSU a 21-7 lead at the break when it appeared the Lakers were in position to tie the game. He also had a big interception early in the game and eventually helped seal the win by recovering GVSU's onside kick attempt in the closing minutes. Additionally, he ranked as one of the team's leading tacklers with six stops, including four solo hits, and had a pass breakup. Thomas' play helped the Bulldog defense force three turnovers on the night.

Finally, Barnett also played a key role for the Bulldogs. The veteran receiver and specialist, who missed the last three weeks due to injury, returned and saw special teams action in the rivalry game. He converted all five of his PAT tries on the night and had three punts for 115 yards, averaging 38.3 yards per punt, including a 56-yarder to flip the field in the first half. Additionally, he tossed an 18-yard completion on a fake field goal try in the fourth quarter down to the one-yard line, setting up FSU's final score that pushed the lead back to two scores.

The win was the 34th-straight regular season victory for the Bulldogs along with FSU's 27th consecutive GLIAC triumph and the program's 19th road win in a row. It also marked the ninth time the Bulldogs have beat the Lakers in the last 11 meetings, including the fifth-straight as FSU retained possession of the Anchor-Bone Trophy.

Ferris State will travel to Michigan Tech on Saturday (Oct. 23) to face the Huskies at Sherman Field in Houghton. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET).