October 31st, 2026 5:00pm
Big Rapids, Mich. - The nation's top-ranked Ferris State University football squad pulled out a hard-fought 23-14 win over #9 Davenport on Saturday (Oct. 31) at Top Taggart Field to hold onto possession of the Calder City Classic Trophy.
The Bulldogs won their nation-leading 39th-straight game dating back to 2024 and moved within a game of matching the all-time NCAA Division II record for longest winning streak with the triumph. In addition, FSU took over sole possession of first place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings, improving to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in league play.
"We got the 'W,' and that's all I care about," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "I talked to the guys about the fact that this team, Davenport, was going to come and play really hard. You can talk all you want, but 8-0 is 8-0. Having the mindset that you're a winning team is a hard thing to fight off.
"I've said it all along: Everybody's Super Bowl is Ferris State. That's just how we've got to live.," he added. "I told our guys last weekend, standing right out there, that if we could get one more W — one more W against this team — I'd be as happy as I would be if we won a national championship. I'm serious about that. I'm not lying when I say I knew this was going to be a war."
The Bulldogs scored in every quarter and held Davenport scoreless in the first and fourth while intercepting two passes. The Bulldogs rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns, added a passing touchdown and made a 40-yard field goal in the win.
Ferris State scored the only points of the first quarter on a 70-yard drive capped by Jake Price's 10-yard touchdown run, and Jay Cady's PAT made it 7-0. Davenport held the ball for 9:59 and rushed 16 times for 58 yards, but went 0-for-1 passing, punted twice and committed three penalties for 30 yards; the Bulldogs finished the quarter with 55 rushing yards and four first downs.