BLOG 24: Weather no problem for increasingly-confident Bulldogs

By Sandy Gholston

FSU senior defensive end Kyle Walker and his Bulldog teammates pitched a shutout in the win over Findlay (FSU Photographic Services)

BIG RAPIDS – Weather conditions in the city of Big Rapids, and many other places around Michigan turned into a rainy mess.

Those less-than-favorable weather conditions prompted Ferris State University’s football team to tweak its game plan a touch. That tweak might prove beneficial down the line. What head coach Jeff Pierce’s Bulldogs came to discover was it can run the ball and run it effectively – even against a solid defensive team like Findlay. Ferris netted 292 rushing yards en route to a decisive 14-0 win over the visiting Oilers at Top Taggart Field to remain undefeated overall (3-0) and in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Schneider rushed the ball 26 times for 119 yards and both of the team’s touchdowns – a 10-yard run in the first quarter and a 3-yard rush in the second. Tim Hogue had a monster game on the ground as well as he rushed 18 times for 117 yards against Findlay’s defense.

“It felt pretty good running the ball like we did and it all started with the great blocking that we got up front,” Hogue said after the Bulldogs earned their first shutout win since a 35-0 triumph over Michigan Tech in 2001. “We’ve got the running game going and now we need to keep working hard to get our passing game going with the run.”

It was nice to see the Bulldogs gain some much-needed confidence in their ability to run the ball and run it right at the heart of an opposing team’s defense.

“Our offensive line has the capability of dominating the line of scrimmage and I thought that was what they came out and did in this football game,” Pierce said. “We’ve got some pretty young guys on that offensive line, but they really showed what they are capable of doing out there against a good Findlay football team.”

Schneider has proven that he has the ability to pass the football, and do so efficiently, but Ferris needs to get back to running the football with power – right at the heart of a defense. That was precisely what Ferris did and the continued strength of the running attack should bode well for the balance of the season.

“The whole thing is confidence for us right now,” said Schneider, who has helped Ferris off to only its second 3-0 start since the 1996 season – the last year the Bulldogs earned a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs. “We’re getting some good experience, our line is blocking well and guys are just going out there and playing with a lot of confidence. But, it’s definitely nice and it definitely helps when you can come out and run the ball the way we did.”

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com