October 16th, 2026 6:00am
By Chuck Bitner, D2Football.com
This Saturday, top-ranked Ferris State hosts rival Grand Valley State in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic, aiming to extend their program-record winning streak to 22 games. Funny enough, that’s exactly how last year’s intro began. Twelve months later, the streak is still intact — now at 36 straight wins. The Bulldogs haven’t lost in more than two full calendar years, dating back to August 2024.
Ferris State, the defending national champion, has been dominant again this season. They lead the nation in scoring defense and rank fifth in scoring offense. Their closest game was a 14-point win at Central Washington (currently No. 7 in the D2Football.com Top 25). That came in Week Two, following a Week Zero 42–14 win at Pitt State and a 38–3 home-opening victory over Bentley. Since the trip to Ellensburg on Sept. 12, Ferris State has allowed just six total points — all in a 73–6 rout of Kentucky Christian. GLIAC play opened with back-to-back shutouts of Northern Michigan (42–0) and Saginaw Valley State (55–0).
Once again, the Bulldogs are powered by one of the most explosive offenses in college football, averaging 301 rushing yards and 252 passing yards per game. As usual, it’s a deep cast of contributors. The two-quarterback system of Wyatt Bower and Chase Carter continues, though Bower handles most of the snaps. He’s completed 65% of his passes for 1,086 yards and seven touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing yards (371) and rushing touchdowns (8). Carter, Zak Ahern, and Jake Price add to the ground game. Through the air, Kevin Simes, Tae Boyd, and Jaylin Townsend headline the playmakers. Tarick Bower’s return from a preseason injury adds another wrinkle not yet fully seen on film.
Ferris State’s defense has been equally overwhelming. They’ve allowed more than seven offensive points only once and have surrendered just four offensive touchdowns all season — one of which came when Kentucky Christian trailed 73–0.
Grand Valley’s season followed a similar script early on. The Lakers dominated their first five games, with the only real challenge coming in Week Two at Ashland. Even then, they won by double digits despite scoring a season-low 20 points. They opened the year with a 38–10 road win at Charleston, followed by a 56–14 blowout of West Texas A&M. Judson (96–0) and Wayne State (69–3) offered little resistance.
Defensively, the Lakers looked every bit as imposing as Ferris State — until last week. Michigan Tech didn’t post eye-popping numbers, but they made timely plays in both the run and pass game. The Laker defense struggled to get off the field in key moments and couldn’t bail out the offense or special teams after mistakes. The Huskies’ 41–35 overtime upset wasn’t shocking — they were ranked entering the matchup — but it does add pressure for GVSU heading into this week. They’ll need to recapture their early-season form to pull off the win.
Offensively, Grand Valley brings more firepower than anyone Ferris State has faced this year. Central Washington has become explosive, but the Wildcats were still figuring things out in Week Two. The Lakers boast the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense at 52.3 points per game — nearly a touchdown more than Ferris State. Six players have rushed for over 100 yards, led by Kellen Russell-Dixon’s 437 and four touchdowns. Kenneth Jones averages 13.3 yards per carry on just 18 touches. Situational quarterback Zak Olejniczak adds another dimension, averaging 11 yards per carry with three scores.
Every-down quarterback Andrew Schuster isn’t a runner, but he doesn’t need to be. He’s one of the nation’s most efficient passers, posting a 200.79 rating (third nationally). He’s completed 70% of his throws for 20 touchdowns with just one interception. His top target, Kellen Reed, is one of D2's elite players. Reed has 44 receptions for 835 yards, leading the nation in receiving yards per game (139) and receiving touchdowns (15). He accounts for half of Grand Valley’s passing production, making him the central threat in this matchup. If Ferris State can limit him, the Lakers will need bigger contributions from Evan Furtney and Jake Vermas.
This year’s Anchor-Bone Classic kicks off at 3:00 p.m. Eastern at Grand Valley State’s Lubbers Stadium. Tickets have been sold out since Wednesday. The broadcast will air on FloCollege and will also stream on Amazon Prime as part of Flo’s weekly featured game partnership. The crew from D1 Rejects will be onsite for a live broadcast of their Small School Saturday pregame show. If you will be in attendance, be sure to check out their stage set up near the Ravine Center and support the show. They will be live from 10am-12pm.
Earlier this week, Tony Nicolette and Matt Witwicki did a deep-dive on the matchup in GLIAC Weekly.
Here are some additional resources to get you ready for game day.