Dec. 21, 2024
Champions! Ferris State football team dominates Valdosta State to claim third national title in four years
The Ferris State University Bulldogs football team captured its third NCAA Division II National Championship in the last four years with a dominating 49-14 win over Valdosta State University in the title game on Saturday.
The Bulldogs built a 14-0 first-quarter lead and led 28-7 at halftime enroute to the triumph, closing the year with 14 consecutive wins and a 14-1 overall record.
The title came in the Bulldogs' fourth NCAA DII National Championship game appearance in the last six years and was the program's third following back-to-back crowns in 2021 and 2022.
"Wow, what an amazing feeling and accomplishment for our guys," said Ferris State SU head coach Tony Annese. "These guys mean so much to me and it's awesome to see the jubilation they have following an outcome like this. We're so appreciative of all the support we have received from our administration to our alumni and our fans. It was an awesome year."
Annese said he takes pride in having a positive impact on his students.
“I’ve coached long enough. I think it’s my 37th year as a coach,” he said. “I can put it in perspective knowing that you’re going to have heartbreak in your career and you’re going to have elation in your career. I’ve had the good fortune to have this kind of elation. My coaching staff and players have worked so hard. What a blessing to coach great young men. It’s just very emotional.”
Ferris State rolled up 465 yards of total offense in the win, including 251 on the ground and 214 in the air.
The Bulldogs jumped in front first as the offensive unit took its opening possession and moved 81 yards in nine plays before junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Business Administration major from Grand Rapids, found the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run.
Ferris State then came back and moved 76 yards in only three plays with junior slot receiver Brady Rose, a Construction Management major, hooking up with wideout Cam Underwood, a Social Work major from Dearborn Heights, on a 61-yard scoring throw to make it 14-0 with 3:51 left in the opening stanza.
The Bulldogs pushed the margin to 21-0 on tailback Kannon Katzer's 30-yard scoring reception from Chambliss to start the second frame. His score came on a drive that covered 67 yards in only four plays. Katzer is an Integrative Studies major.
Valdosta State got on the board with 1:49 left in the half on a 38-yard TD throw from quarterback Sammy Edwards, but Ferris State responded with an 11-play, 72-yard drive to answer with a 32-yard scoring throw from Chambliss to senior slot receiver Emari O'Brien with only 10 seconds left in the half.
In the third quarter, Ferris State took the second half kickoff and moved 63 yards in eight plays to increase the lead to 35-7 on a five-yard touchdown run from Chambliss.
After VSU trimmed the lead to 35-14 midway thru the third period, the Bulldog defense came up with a score as defensive end Tyrone Fowler, an Integrative Studies major, raced 16 yards to the endzone on a scoop and score, giving Ferris State a 42-14 edge at the end of three periods.
The Bulldogs later added a nine-yard scoring throw from Chambliss to Underwood with 13:41 to go in the game to cap the scoring. That last FSU scoring drive covered 65 yards in eight plays.
Chambliss led the Bulldog attack with 11-of-20 passing for 153 yards and three scores. Rose completed two-of-two passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Katzer ran for 97 yards on 14 carries while Chambliss rushed for 78 yards and two scores on 13 attempts. Underwood led Ferris State in the receiving game with three catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns while O'Brien hauled in two passes for 48 yards and a score.
The Bulldog defense limited Valdosta State to 311 total yards, including 121 on the ground and 190 in the air. Junior linebacker Sefa Saipaia, a Data Science and Analytics major, paced the team with eight tackles while Business Administration major Gyasi Mattison finished with seven stops.
Valdosta State closed the year with a 13-1 overall record following their only setback of the season in the title game, which was the third national championship matchup between the two programs since 2018.
The Bulldogs finished the 2024 season as the GLIAC Champions, Super Region Three Champions and the NCAA Division II National Champions.
Annese spoke about the only loss of the season, opening game defeat at the hands of Pittsburg State in Kansas, and how that changed the season.
“We were in Pittsburg Kansas, and that team was so much better than us on that day. So much better. They dominated us,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘Get us out of Pittsburg, Kansas, and we can regroup.’ That’s what we did. People talk about Trinidad a lot, and he was a big part of that growth. Everybody grew.”