BLOG 72: Painful loss to Hillsdale ends Ferris’ playoff hopes

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State quarterback Tom Schneider unloads a pass during Saturday afternoon's road football game at Hillsdale College (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

HILLSDALE – Ferris’ promising start to the 2008 season has run into disappointment as the campaign nears a conclusion.

The Bulldogs’ latest bitter pill came Saturday afternoon in Hillsdale College’s Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium – a place that has been a bit of a house of horrors for Ferris in recent years. The Bulldogs valiantly battled back from a stunning 17-0 deficit to make the score 17-14 at halftime. The second half, however, was dominated by Hillsdale as the Chargers scored 17 consecutive points to secure a 34-14 league win over the visiting Bulldogs.

Ferris had its chances throughout the contest, but an inability to sustain drives kept the defense on the field for long stretches – particularly in the first half. Ferris’ defense did not help itself at times as it struggled to contain (or slow down) the Chargers’ diversified offense that balanced the run and pass effectively. Ferris head coach Jeff Pierce lamented his team’s inability to sustain and finish enough drives to take some pressure off the defense.

“It comes down to the fact you have to be able to execute, offensively,” Pierce said as his team falls to 6-4 overall and 5-4 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings as it looks ahead to the regular-season finale on Saturday at Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids against Saginaw Valley State. “In this league, the teams are too good and if you can’t keep drives going and make teams pay (by finishing drives with touchdowns) you’re going to have a tough time.”

Ferris entered the game ranked 10th in “Super Regional 3” and in need of wins in the final two games (along with some losses for teams ahead of them) to have even a chance at earning its first playoff berth since 1996. The Bulldogs, who twice were nationally ranked twice this season, now are fighting to finish 7-4 in a season that began with a lot of promise.

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