Ferris State at Saginaw Valley State September 11, 1999

The Game: The Ferris State University football team opens Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action this Saturday (Sept. 11) as the Bulldogs take on the nationally-ranked Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals at University Center, Mich.

Kickoff/Stadium: 1:30 p.m. (EDT)/Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium (4,028).

Radio Coverage: This Saturday's game at Saginaw Valley State can be heard live on WBRN-AM (1460) -- Big Rapids. John Smith will call the play-by-play with Jason Edwards providing color commentary. The pregame show begins at 1 p.m. (EDT) with a scheduled 1:30 p.m. (EDT) opening kickoff.

The Records: Ferris State is 0-1 overall and 0-0 in the GLIAC after suffering a 55-35 season-opening loss to nationally-ranked North Dakota State last Thursday (Sept. 2) in non-league play at NDSU's Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. Last season, Ferris posted a 5-6 overall record and finished tied for sixth place in the GLIAC standings with a 5-5 mark. The Bulldogs were 3-7 both overall and in the conference in 1997. Prior to two seasons ago, FSU had won an unprecedented five consecutive GLIAC titles (1992-96).

The Coaches: Ferris State -- Jeff Pierce (Ferris State, 1979), 5th season, 30-17-0 (.638) -- (3-1-0 vs. Saginaw Valley State); Saginaw Valley State -- Randy Awrey (Northern Michigan, 1978), 1st season, 0-1-0 (.000); Career--11th season, 48-42-1 (.533) -- (0-0-0 vs. Ferris State).

The Series: Ferris State has a 13-10-1 advantage over Saginaw Valley State in a series which commenced during the 1975 season (10/4) with a 31-28 SVSU victory at Big Rapids. The Bulldogs had their seven-game series winning streak snapped last season (9/12) with a 34-20 home loss to the Cardinals. Ferris posted a 24-23 home win in 1997 (11/1) and a 26-17 road victory in 1996 (11/2). FSU is 7-4-1 on the road and 6-6-0 at home versus SVSU. The winning team has come-from-behind eight of the last nine seasons.

Last Meeting -- 1998: FSU dropped a 34-20 home league decision to Saginaw Valley State in front of Top Taggart Field crowd of 8,600. SVSU tallied the contest's final 17 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 20-17 deficit as the Cardinals' Brian Dolph scored twice in the quarter -- a 77-yard TD pass reception and an 86-yard TD punt return. Ferris led 17-10 at the half as split end Clarence Coleman hauled in a 77-yard TD pass from quarterback Matt McCarthy with 1:15 left to go before halftime. SVSU knotted the game at 17-apiece with the third quarter's lone score before FSU regained the lead on kicker Doc Proctor's second field goal (41-yarder). Ferris, which compiled 325 yards to the Cardinals' 518-yard total, was paced by split end Brian Busen's six catches for 158 yards while Coleman had four for 100 yards. McCarthy completed 17-of-36 passes for 292 yards. Outside linebackers Charles Anderson and Rob Ridling had 19 and 16 tackles, respectively.

FSU's Last Game: North Dakota State utilized six Ferris State turnovers en route to a 55-35 non-league triumph over the Bulldogs last Thursday night in the season opener for both teams before a Fargodome crowd of 11,805. The host Bison jumped out to a 21-7 lead after the opening quarter as senior tailback Mo Harris' (Tampa, Fla./Hillsborough) 48-yard run with 10:47 remaining in the quarter accounted for FSU's lone score. Ferris narrowed the gap to 21-14 at 11:04 into the second quarter as senior quarterback Matt McCarthy (Alma) hooked up with senior flanker Neal Mozdzierz (Royal Oak/Kimball) on the first of three TD's for the pair. However, the hosts rallied as sophomore tailback Lamar Gordon scored his second of four TD's in the contest to give NDSU a 28-14 halftime advantage. The Bison began the second half with 10 unanswered points to go up 38-14 before sophomore split end Clarence Coleman (Miami, Fla./Miramar) returned a NDSU kickoff 94 yards to paydirt as FSU sliced the deficit to 38-21 with 9:18 remaining in the quarter. But on the ensuing kickoff, the Bison countered with a 92-yard TD kickoff return by senior split end Tim Strehlow. Ferris countered three minutes later as McCarthy threw an eight-yard TD toss to Mozdzierz at the 5:53 mark to get within 45-27 before Gordon closed out the 37-point third-quarter scoring on a five-yard jaunt with 1:17 on the clock. A 31-yard TD pass from McCarthy to Mozdzierz proceeded by a two-point pass conversion with 4:48 left to be play concluded the Bulldogs' points for the contest. Offensively, Harris rushed for 134 yards on 20 carries while McCarthy was 21-of-39 in passing for 224 yards and three TD's as FSU rolled up 437 yards in total offense to the Bison's 405-yard total. Coleman had a team-best nine catches for 99 yards while Mozdzierz had 100 receiving yards on seven receptions. Junior outside linebacker Rob Ridling (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) garnered a team-high 17 tackles (12 solos) while junior defensive tackle Ryan Morris (South Lyon) and sophomore cornerback Devin Hutchings (Inkster/Dearborn Robichaud) compiled 13 and 10 tackles, respectively.

FSU in This Week's GLIAC Team Statistical Rankings

FSU in This Week's GLIAC Individual Statistical Rankings

Bulldog Bites: Ferris State is 8-15-2 in conference openers since 1974, which includes a 4-8-2 mark in away outings . . . .Neal Mozdzierz is only seven catches shy of tying Cedric Gordon (1985-87) as FSU's all-time receiving leader. Mozdzierz has 144 career receptions for 1,721 yards and 11 TD's while Gordon compiled 151 career catches for 2,576 yards and 26 TD's . . . Senior kicker Doc Proctor (Big Rapids) is five points away from moving into a third-place tie with Chris Pulliams (1993-96) on the school's career scoring list. Proctor has totalled 199 career points while Pulliams had a 204-point total.

FSU Players Gain Preseason Honors: Six FSU players, including five on offense, have been named to the 1999 Detroit Free Press' All-Michigan Small-College Team. Representing the Bulldogs offensively are senior tackles Dennis Strey and Jonathon Griffin, tailback Mo Harris, flanker Neal Mozdzierz, and kicker Doc Proctor. Senior end Jeff Puffer is the lone FSU defensive player selected to the preseason squad.

Bulldogs On The Road: Ferris is presently 34-17-1 in road contests this decade and the Bulldogs are 34-15-0 in regular-season away outings. Since 1993, FSU is 24-10-1 in overall road encounters and 24-8-1 in regular-season away games only. Ferris registered a 2-4 road record a season ago.

FSU On The Internet: Ferris State University Athletics' world wide web home page can be accessed through the University's home page address at http://www.ferris.edu.The football section features a wide variety of Bulldog gridiron information.