December 6th, 2025 3:15pm
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The Ferris State University Bulldogs captured their seventh Super Region Three Championship in the past nine seasons, defeating Minnesota State U52-29 on Saturday at Top Taggart Field in the NCAA D2 National Quarterfinals.
With the win, the Bulldogs advanced to the D2 National Semifinals for the eighth time in school history. The official semifinal matchups and locations will be announced on Saturday evening by the NCAA.
"Obviously, it's a huge win against a really good program," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "I'm really pleased by that. We made our mistakes today, but all in all, we were just gritty, we kept on fighting, kept on trying to execute and make plays.
"We've got a lot of playmakers, got good offensive and defensive lines," he added. "I thought our secondary played really well and were well prepared. All in all, it's a huge win."
The Bulldogs (7-0) dominated with a strong rushing attack, accumulating 307 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The home team capitalized on the Mavericks' turnovers, converting two interceptions into 14 points. MSU managed to score 29 points, highlighted by a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown, but it was not enough to overcome Ferris's offensive output.
Ferris opened the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Eddie Jewett at 11:18, capitalizing on a drive bolstered by Chase Carter's effective rushing, including gains of 16, 18, and 19 yards. However, penalties hindered progress, nullifying a potential touchdown. Minnesota State responded with a 75-yard drive, highlighted by Sam Backer's 45-yard rush, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Mitchell Thompson at 5:23. The quarter ended with the Mavericks leading 7-3.
FSU capitalized on a robust ground attack in the second quarter, adding two rushing touchdowns to their lead. Carter's 15-yard touchdown run at 8:18 capped a drive aided by a Minnesota State penalty, pushing the advantage to 17-7. Justin Payoute's interception at 1:02 halted the Mavericks' scoring threat, while Carter's 30-yard rush at 6:03 extended Ferris's lead to 24-7 before Minnesota State closed the quarter with a touchdown, making it 24-14.
The Bulldogs maintained a narrow advantage in the third quarter, driven by a series of effective drives and a key 7-yard rushing touchdown by Carson Gulker at 2:37. The Bulldogs converted four of five third-down attempts to sustain momentum, despite an interception by Minnesota State's Amaun Williams, who returned it 96 yards for a score at 6:33. The period concluded with Ferris leading 31-21.
Ferris State solidified its lead in the fourth quarter with a decisive offensive display, starting with Brady Rose's 41-yard touchdown reception at 12:25. The team capitalized on a turnover on downs, as Carson Gulker rushed for a 10-yard touchdown, extending the lead. Jake Price added another score with a one-yard rushing touchdown with 35 seconds remaining, capping a dominant period. The Bulldogs ended the game with a 52-29 victory, demonstrating control with 84 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the final quarter.
Overall, Ferris State totaled 482 yards on the day with 307 on the ground and 175 in the air. FSU limited MSU to 283 total yards with 118 yards rushing.
"Part of the deal going into the game was can they keep the ball, churn the game out, keep the time of possession," Annese said. "We held them to 118 yards rushing. So, it's a good sign for us because everybody was questioning our capacity to stop the run in recent weeks. We were once one of the top rushing defenses in the nation. So, hopefully that shows up again.
"I'm very pleased that we were able to do a really nice job containing a really good offensive rushing team," he added.
Carter delivered an impressive performance with 149 rushing yards on 22 carries, finding the end zone twice, and added 175 passing yards with two touchdowns on 15-of-24 attempts. Payoute stood out defensively, intercepting two passes and returning them for a total of 12 yards. On special teams, Jewett converted all seven extra-point attempts and added a field goal from 23 yards. Rose contributed offensively with five receptions for 85 yards, including a touchdown.
"Coach has put us in a really good spot to succeed," said Rose. "I feel like we had a really good game plan on punt return. They're more of a shield block team. So, we knew if we could double the gunners and we would have some room to run, and we did. We got good field position there, and the coaches just do such a great job of putting us in a position to be successful.
"I feel like we have so many people that can make plays on our team," he added. "Our O-line is great. We can go from empty to running back, back to empty. It's hard to stop."
The Bulldogs improved to 14-0 overall with the victory and stretched their winning streak to 28 consecutive games going back to last season. FSU has also won 28 games in a row at home going back to 2002.
"So, last week we didn't really come out and perform the way that we wanted," Payoute said. "We were just trying to get back to our regular defense and just play that gritty football that coach was just talking about from us. And I feel like we did that at a high clip."
The D2 semifinals will take place on Dec. 13 at two campus sites with the national title game set for Dec. 20 in McKinney, Texas.
Stay tuned to FerrisStateBulldogs.com for additional information regarding the NCAA Division II National Semifinals next week as it becomes available.