Strong Third Quarter Lifts White Past Red In High-Scoring 2019 Ferris State Football Spring Game
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Big Rapids, Mich. - A big defensive effort in the third quarter and a final stop at the end thwarted any chances of a comeback as the White squad held on for a 49-41 win over the Red team in the annual Crimson and Gold Spring Game for Ferris State Football on Saturday (April 27) at Top Taggart Field.
A big crowd turned out to watch the reigning NCAA Division II national finalists battle in their final action of the spring in a contest that featured a modified scoring system and a running clock utilized at the discretion of FSU head coach Tony Annese. The game wrapped up spring drills that began in mid-March for the Bulldogs.
While several key standouts and returning squad members from last fall's historic campaign were held out of the game, the spring contest did provide an opportunity for a large group of young players to showcase their skills in front of the fans.
The White team got off to an early start by picking up four first downs in the opening quarter and they built a slim 14-9 edge at halftime behind the play of quarterback Evan Cummins. The first-half action included a 47-yard field goal from kicker Jackson Dieterle.
Although neither team found the endzone in the first half, things changed in the second half thanks in part of a strong defensive effort on the part of the White squad that broke the game open. An interception midway thru the third quarter by newcomer Ochuko Duke eventually led to a 43-yard touchdown toss from Cummins to tailback Jeremy Burrell, giving the White a 30-14 advantage.
The lead grew soon after as linebacker John Higgins scored on a 29-yard pick six at the end of the third to make it a 41-14 difference.
In the fourth quarter, however, the Red team rallied behind the play of senior quarterback Travis Russell. The Grand Rapids native led a furious comeback as he hooked up three different times on first down throws to slot receiver Marcus Taylor in addition to catches from Xavier Wade and Lindrell Mitchell. The Red eventually cut the margin down to 47-36 with 3:10 to play on Josh Walker's nine-yard scoring run.
In the closing minutes, after the White had pushed the lead to 49-37 on a first-down throw from Cummins, the Red team got the ball back and Russell found Taylor again to trim the lead down to 10 points. He later hooked up with Wade with 30 seconds to play, but the White team eventually held on downs to preserve the win as a last-chance throw to the endzone from Russell to Wade fell incomplete.
The spring game featured a modified scoring format with the defense earning opportunities to score points on takeaways, three-and-outs along with forcing a punt. In addition to traditional scoring methods, the offense could also pick up extra points with a first down or a big play of 10 yards or more. Special teams action was not live and the contest featured four running clock quarters.
The Bulldogs, who return a big nucleus from their national finalist team for the 2019 campaign, will begin their 111th season of varsity competition this coming fall with their sights set on making a sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Along with reaching the national title game, the Bulldogs captured the GLIAC Championship in 2018 and won the Super Region Three title by winning their first four NCAA Playoff games en route to a historic run. The four playoff wins included FSU's first-ever National Semifinal victory at Minnesota State. Recently, SB Nation labeled FSU as Michigan's best football team of 2018 regardless of division.
Over the last five seasons at Ferris State, the Bulldogs have compiled a 60-8 overall record and claimed three conference championships, posted three unbeaten regular-seasons, captured two regional titles and reached the national quarterfinals three 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 10 postseason games.
The Bulldogs hold the nation's best record over the past five seasons and are one of only four teams in all of college football at any NCAA level to win 11 games each of the last five years along with Alabama, Ohio State and North Dakota State. FSU is also the only D2 team in the country to reach the national quarterfinals for three consecutive years and the Bulldogs' five-straight playoff appearances is the second-longest longest streak in the nation.
FSU's 15 wins this past year were the most in school history and the Bulldogs' 15-straight wins overall also set a new school record. Ferris State's 60 wins in the last five years (2014-18) marks the Bulldogs' best five-year stretch in school history.
In the seven seasons under Annese, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level. FSU has posted a 75-15 overall mark in the last seven years and the Bulldogs have also posted the best winning percentage of all 21 collegiate programs in the state of Michigan along with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) since his arrival. Twice he's been tabbed as the Super Region Coach of the Year at Ferris State and this past season was named both the GLIAC Coach of the Year and the Hero Sports National Coach of the Year.
Overall, Annese has won 85% of his games as a head coach on the collegiate and prep levels and owns 300 wins to date, which is the most of any current GLIAC member head coach at all levels.
FSU opens the 2019 season at home under the lights against the Findlay Oilers in non-conference action on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. (ET) in Big Rapids.
SCORING SUMMARY:
1st Quarter
White - First Down
Red - Interception by Kahaml March
Red - First Down
White - Forced 3 and out
White - First Down
White - First Down
White - First Down (Evan Cummins to C.J. Jefferson)
2nd Quarter
White - First Down (Cummins to Caleb Walker)
White - Jackson Dieterle 47-yard field goal
Red - First Down (Dezmin Lyburtus to Xavier Wade)
White - First Down (Cummins to Jefferson)
3rd Quarter
Red - First Down
Red - First Down (Lyburtus run)
Red - First Down (Lyburtus to Deante Higgens)
White - Interception by Ochuko Duke
White - First Down (Cummins to Darius Pruitt)
White - Touchdown (Cummins 43 yards to Jeremy Burrell, Tyler Burch PAT)
White - Touchdown (John Higgens 29-yard pick six, Dieterle PAT)
4th Quarter
Red - First Down (Travis Russell to Marcus Taylor)
Red - First Down (Russell to Taylor)
White - Interception by Mohamad Amen
Red - Force 3 and out
Red - First Down (Russell to Taylor)
Red - First Down (Russell to Wade)
Red - First Down (Marcus Matiere-Bey run)
Red - First Down (Russell to Lindrell Mitchell)
Red - Touchdown (Josh Walker 9-yard run, Birch PAT)
White - First Down (Cummins to Justin Allie)
Red - First Down (Russell to Taylor)
Red - First Down (Russell to Wade)