Sept. 28, 2024

Ferris State football team breaks school scoring record In decisive road win over American International

Ferris State football victory over American International — Ferris State quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (4) hands the ball off to running back Zak Ahern (7) on Saturday, Sept. 28 as the nationally-ranked Bulldogs earned a road victory over American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. —

The nation's fifth-ranked Ferris State University football team broke a school scoring record and rolled to an 84-7 non-league win over American International College on Saturday at Abdow Field in Springfield, Mass.

In Ferris State’s first trip to AIC, the Bulldogs compiled 744 yards of total offense and jumped out to an early 35-0 lead while cruising to the victory. Ferris State improved to 3-1 overall this year.

The Bulldogs' Trinidad Chambliss completed 14-of-24 passes for 166 yards and two scores in leading the Ferris State attack. Five Bulldog players attempted passes while 11 had at least one carry and 13 were on the receiving end of a pass.

"Going on the road, obviously, you're always nervous about it," head coach Tony Annese said. "We did have a fast start to this game, and we made a lot of plays out there. All in all, it was a great team victory. I thought our lines were really dominant today, and that is the strength of our team on both sides of the ball. Our backs also ran really hard."

Overall, Ferris State ran for 486 yards on 50 carries and threw for 258 yards on 34 attempts.

Defensively, Ferris State allowed only 110 total yards to the Yellow Jackets and held AIC to -18 yards rushing on 29 attempts.

The Bulldogs started the scoring on their first offensive drive as they moved 65 yards in three plays with slot receiver Brady Rose throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to senior slot Emari O'Brien only 1:11 into the game.

Ferris State tacked on another score shortly after with a seven-yard scoring throw from Chambliss to receiver Cam Underwood, making it 14-0 less than three minutes into the game.

"Coming off the bye week, it was nice to have been able to rest our bodies,” said Bryce George, a junior offensive lineman from Detroit. I was glad we came out and did our jobs and dominated the game from start to finish."

The Bulldogs added three more first-quarter scores as Kannon Katzer finished off an eight-play, 52-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard TD run before Chambliss found paydirt from six-yards out. Tailback Zak Ahern capped the first-quarter scoring by rambling in from a yard out, making it 35-0 after the opening 15 minutes.

In the second period, Katzer had his second touchdown run with a 28-yard carry to finish a 48-yard drive that took only five plays. The Bulldogs then scored again with 12:22 to go in the half as quarterback Chase Carter hooked up with Jeremiah Lee on an 11-yard scoring throw to push the advantage to 49-0.

The Bulldogs' final first-half score came on Chambliss' one-yard TD throw to Ben Przytula to 4:54 remaining in the half.

Ferris State had a quick start to the second half as the Bulldogs needed only two plays and 21 yards to push the margin to 63-0 on Markel King's 19-yard scoring run.

AIC finally got on the board midway thru the third period as Lukas Kasko found Brian Lafrance for a 13-yard connection to put the Yellow Jackets in the scoring column.

However, Ferris State answered again less than two minutes player as LeeShaun Mumpfield engineered a four-play, 59-yard drive that resulted in his own 17-yard TD run, giving FSU a 70-7 advantage thru the third quarter.

Ferris State then struck on the first play of the final period when Mumpfield found the end zone again on a one-yard run. Finally, the Bulldogs added their final score with only 7:02 remaining on James Coby's 18-yard scoring carry.

The Bulldog defense forced a pair of turnovers in the game in addition to holding AIC to 0-of-13 on third down. The Bulldog offense also went 10-of-13 in the red zone.

"We all want to get out there and play,” said Tim Allen, sophomore defensive lineman from Coopersville. “We've got dawgs out there. Since our roster is so deep, we know we can mix guys in. I knew if I got my shot today that I had to ball out."

Ferris State will host league newcomer Roosevelt in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener on homecoming next Saturday, Oct. 5, at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.