In their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 7, the No. 9 Ferris State Bulldogs steamrolled the Lake Erie College Storm 56-3.
After losing their season opener, the Bulldogs (1-1) rebounded impressively, racking up over 650 yards of offense.
Ferris got off to a fast start, taking a commanding 35-3 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss started again and performed exceptionally well, completing 72% of his passes (16-22) for 246 yards and five total touchdowns, four of which came in the first quarter. He did not play in the second half.
Chambliss expressed gratitude for his coaching staff after the win. “The offensive scheme was fantastic; after the loss, we really focused,” he said. “The play calling was outstanding today.”
Despite the Bulldogs’ victory, they lost another quarterback in the first quarter. Junior Carson Gulker suffered a broken leg after a 64-yard run and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher, undergoing surgery at the hospital. It’s expected that Gulker will miss the remainder of the 2024-2025 season, with no set timeline for his recovery.
Gulker has been a key player for Ferris, being a three-year starter, a two-time national champion, and the 2022 GLIAC Freshman of the Year. In 2022, he led Division II in rushing touchdowns with 31.
Under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have utilized a dual quarterback system where both QBs share snaps equally. With Gulker injured, Chambliss will likely assume the role of full-time quarterback, a departure from the norm for Ferris football.
Currently, the backup quarterback situation is uncertain, according to Annese. “We need to work on finding a backup,” he stated.
With a substantial lead in the second half, the Bulldogs rotated through four different quarterbacks, with redshirt freshman Chase Carter taking most of the snaps. He completed 50% of his passes (2-4) for 58 yards, with an interception and a fumble.
Ferris outperformed Lake Erie with 654 total yards to the Storm’s 144. Junior running back Kannon Katzer was instrumental, leading the Bulldogs with 118 all-purpose yards and contributing two touchdowns.
Defensively, Ferris limited Lake Erie to only 2.5 yards per play and held them to a 20% third-down conversion rate (3-15).
Senior defensive tackle Victor Nelson was pleased to return to winning ways after a tough loss in week one. “We were disappointed in ourselves after last week, which is a positive sign,” he said. “We pushed ourselves hard in practice to avoid a repeat of last week, and it showed tonight.”
Next up for the Bulldogs is a home game against Ashland (0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. Last season, Ferris edged out Ashland with a 38-28 victory, their narrowest win margin.
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