Grand Valley vs. Ferris State: Preview, prediction and how to watch
The Anchor-Bone Classic is one of DII football’s finest rivalries, especially in recent years. The annual battle of the GLIAC superpowers takes on greater prominence in the 2022 edition. The defending DII football champion — and No. 1 — Ferris State Bulldogs hosts No. 2 Grand Valley State.
On the game? Obviously, the team that walks away on the losing side has an uphill battle for the GLIAC title. It could also have seeding implications for the treacherous Super Region Three in the coming tournament season. The winner is the clear No. 1 in the country (although, to be honest, the losing team is still No. 2). And, you could also argue, the title of “Best College Football Team In Michigan” is on the table.
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Welcome to DII Soccer 2022, ladies and gentlemen.
The Anchor-Bone Classic 2022: How to Watch
It’s Ferris State’s turn to host the Anchor-Bone Classic. Grand Valley State will make the (roughly) hour-long hike to Top Taggert Field in Big Rapids, MI for a 1 p.m. ET opener Saturday. The game will be streamed live on FloSports. You can see the game by clicking here. Please note that this is a paid site.
Ferris State vs. Grand Valley State: History on Tape
No love is lost between these two rivals and DII football fans across the country have something to look forward to this Saturday. Both teams are incredibly deep, have muscles in the trenches and have two of the most impressive defenses in the nation.
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It’s the 14th time in series history that both teams have finished in the top 25, but it’s the first time it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2. Grand Valley State has previously tied No. 1 vs. No. Played 2, won both (the 2002 and 2006 DII Championship games). The Lakers actually do very well against the top 5 teams and have won 11-6 since the run began in 2002.
Grand Valley State has a 29-22-1 advantage in the series, but Ferris State has had the advantage in recent years, winning eight of the last nine meetings. That included a thrilling 35-28 win at last year’s Anchor-Bone Classic and a 54-20 win over the Lakers in the second round of the DII football championship tournament. Prior to the Tony Annese era of Ferris State Football, that series was Grand Valley State exclusively. The Lakers had won 12 straight as one of the country’s dominant powerhouses.
How They Fit Together (Spoilers: It’s Incredibly Close, Folks)
| Stat | Ferris State | Grand Valley State |
|---|---|---|
| recording | 5-0 | 6-0 |
| Total yards/game | 442.0 | 482.8 |
| points per game | 40.6 | 41.3 |
| Yards Allowed/Game | 187.4 | 292.5 |
| Points Allowed/ Game | 12.6 | 10.1 |
| bags | 22 | 18 |
| time of possession | 31:10 | 33:11 |
Things to know about Ferris State: The Bulldogs are on a 43-game winning streak in the regular season and have won 19 in a row. They absolutely dominated the GLIAC and won their last 32 conference games. Annese has made Ferris State “quarterback U” with a variety of options to confound the defense over the years. Mylik Mitchell opened the season as the starting quarterback, but an injury has handed duties to Evan Cummins and Carson Gulker, who went 4-0 in his place. Cummins has the ability to pass and run, while Gulker bullies opponents, leads the team in rushing and has hit the ground in the end zone 12 times this season. Defensively, defensive end Caleb Murphy was an absolute beast, leading the nation with 12.5 sacks. Fun Fact: Murphy started his college football career in none other than Grand Valley State.
Caleb Murphy causes a fumble inside the five and QB Carson Gulker hits the next play with his third TD of the day. Murphy has 5 sacks today. #d2fb @FerrisSoccer pic.twitter.com/QBjkMEqqgr
— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2) 09/10/2022
Leading Ferris State Statistics
| player | position | statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Evan Cummins | QB | 636 pass, 173 rush, 8 total TD, 3 int |
| Carson Gulker | QB | 299 rush, 12 TD, 64 passes |
| Tyrese Hunt-Thompson | WR | 231 reception, 2 TD |
| Brandon Childress | WR | 217 reception, 1 TD |
| Caleb Murphy | EN | 39 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles |
Things to know about the state of Grand Valley: If you’re new to DII football, you might think GLIAC is all about Ferris State. But Grand Valley State made a name for itself in the early 2000s as arguably the nation’s premier program. The Lakers won the DII football championship four times between 2002 and 2006, and current head coach Matt Mitchell had a lot of experience with those teams as an assistant. Current Ferris State Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank also coached these teams.
This rivalry runs deep.
It’s the Lakers fourth Matchup against a national rankings in 2022…obviously we know how the previous three fared.
Like Ferris State, the Lakers come at you with a combination of quarterbacks, each with their own set of skills. Cade Peterson leads the attack, and while his passing numbers speak for themselves, he’s smart and doesn’t turn the ball around. Tariq Reid can take control in the backfield, but he’s by no means alone. As discussed many times in the DII Soccer Power 10 rankings, Abe Swanson leads one of the best front seven in all of DII and won’t make things easy for the Ferris quarterbacks on Saturday.
Grand Valley State Statistics Guide
| player | position | statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Cade Peterson | QB | 1,117 pass, 190 rush, 12 total TD, 1 int |
| Tarik Reid | RB | 540 rush, 70 reception, 10 TD |
| Jahdae Walker | WR | 388 reception, 4 TD |
| Abe Swanson | LB | 46 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 int, 1 forced fumble |
Who is number 1? Forecast for Saturday
If you follow my work on NCAA.com, you know I’ve never shied away from making predictions. And I’m usually pretty good. This is perhaps the hardest thing so far.
Here we go.
We saw Ferris State battle in their GLIAC opener against a Saginaw Valley State team that beat Grand Valley State at 19 the week before. This is certainly worth mentioning. Defensively, Murphy may be the best defender in the country, wreaking even more havoc than those sack counts indicate, but Swanson leads a stacked defense of big hitters and smart players. When two defenders cause chaos, one mistake can decide the outcome of the game. That’s your margin of error in this game: one mistake.
The result of this game will be won in the trenches, similar to last year’s battles. The final four regular-season matchups were decided on the final drives, as Ferris State won in 2021 by one touchdown, 2019 by five points, 2018 by four points, and 2017 by one point. That’s 17 in total, and that’s not a lot. Defense plays a big role in this game and it’s pretty balanced there.
It really comes down to health. If Cade Peterson and Tariq Reid are healthy, they are not only talented but also very experienced. Both played significant minutes in both matchups last year, and not many members of Ferris State’s offense can say the same. That could help Grand Valley State close the streak in another classic installment of this rivalry.
I’m going to do something I haven’t done much, if at all, in the last five seasons… and I’m voting against Ferris State.
Bottom line: Grand Valley State 28, Ferris State 24