Jukes Right Robert Miller busts a move on a kick return in the FSU defeat of Kentucky State. Photo By Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

Both the offense and defense put up big numbers in the 42-19 win. Senior quarterback, CJ Van Wieren led the offensive charge for the Bulldogs. With the help of his legs and arm, he racked up 294 passing yards going 7-8 and 124 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for three, he was named the most valuable player. “CJ was outstanding tonight with one incompletion, he was on fire with the big throws and ran the ball exceptionally well,” Ferris State Offensive Coordinator Matt McCarthy said.

The Bulldogs started the season opener by kicking off to the Thorobreds. Kentucky State would go on to score 12 points in the first quarter but because of a missed extra point, a missed field goal attempt and a failed two point conversion, Ferris was right in the game.

Ferris State’s second possession started off with Van Wieren rushing up the middle for 43 yards. The drive was capped off with a 21 yard touchdown run by junior tail back Paris Holloman. Junior kicker James Yates added the extra point and after the first quarter it was Thorobreds 12 Bulldogs 7.

The 25 yard kick return by senior Nate Fricke was a boost for the Bulldogs to start the second quarter. A personal foul penalty on Kentucky State kept the drive alive for Ferris on third down. Van Wieren made the best of the situation with a 55 yard pass to senior split end Mike Guevara.

Guevara was dragged down at the one yard line where two plays later Van Wieren punched it in with a draw play. The Bulldogs took the lead 14-12 and never looked back. Kentucky State took the kickoff and drove 11 plays down to the Ferris 22 yard line when their drive ended in another missed field goal attempt.

Ferris would follow suit and end their drive with a punt three plays later. Junior defensive tackle Jake Visser caused problems for Kentucky State the entire night with 11 tackles. The Thorobreds where forced to punt once again after quarterback Michael Woods was forced out of the pocket throwing a completion short of the first down marker.

With 1:10 left on the clock, Ferris State took the ball and aired it out. Running to the right out of the shotgun formation, Van Wieren found Fricke for a 49 yard completion. With the clock quickly running down, sophomore Chris Wilson found the ball heading over his shoulder and into his hands in the corner of the end zone. The 18 yard touchdown pass was the first for Van Wieren and Ferris State took a 21-12 lead into half time.

The third quarter opened up with Ferris State receiving the ball at the 35 yard line due to a kickoff out of bounds. On third and long, Van Wieren completed a pass to Rahseem Jones-Salaam for a 52 yard completion down to the Thorobred 17 yard line.

From there Jones-Salaam was on the receiving end of a 15 yard pass crossing the middle and ending up at the four yard line. Van Wieren then punched it in for his second rushing touchdown of the night. After a Yates extra point the Bulldogs lead 28-12.

With help from the linebackers Jeff Hollandsworth, Kevin Noe and Jordan Moore, the Bulldogs shut down Kentucky State’s offense and forced them into another punting situation.

Ferris State made quick work from their 21 yard line as Van Wieren found a wide open Guevara running down the middle. The 79 yard touchdown pass was the first for Guevara and the second thrown by Van Wieren.

“The offensive line played great tonight. With four new starters and one returning starter, they allowed us to pass and run the ball very well” Offensive Coordinator McCarthy said. Kentucky State came right back and put a touchdown drive of their own together. The Thorobreds drove 80 yards in 1:43 to try and makeup some ground.

With the help of Leonard Curry rushing the ball and Guevara receiving a pass across the middle, Van Wieren finished the drive from 6 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 42-19. The defense grew stronger throughout the whole game and shut the Thorobreds down. In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs stopped Kentucky State on fourth down twice, intercepted a pass, and forced and recovered a fumble.

“The defense came out slow at times but it was the first game of the 2007 season. KSU executed the ball very well and we gained rhythm in the second half after everyone got the first game jitters out” Ferris State Defensive Line Coach Jason Rebrovich said.

The Bulldogs closed the night out on a goal line stand ending with the Kentucky State fumble on the one yard line. With the win under their belt, Ferris State will head into this week’s practice with GLIAC opener Saturday against Mercyhurst on their minds. Top Taggart Field will start the night at 7 p.m. with the kickoff and fireworks to follow.

Glenville State Arielle Goodson(5) and Emily Nemmers(19) attempt to block a spike as Ferris State goes on to beat Glenville State University. Photo By Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

“We are excited to play this weekend. This will be a very competitive tournament. We are working to step up our play to meet the challenges,” head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm said.

The Bulldogs defeated Adams State 3-1 (30-32, 30-26, 32-30, and 30-22) in the opening game of the tournament on Friday.

Senior outside hitter, Lindsay Tye recorded a double-double with a match high 20 kills and 11 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter, Katie Edwards recorded 11 kills while sophomore middle hitter Kristy Gilchrist and freshman middle hitter Arielle Goodson both recorded 10 kills. The Bulldogs out killed the Adams State Grizzlies in a 67-54 advantage.

Junior setter, Candice Marut recorded 53 assists and 12 digs. Senior libero, Jamie Palazzolo led the team with 15 digs while senior outside hitter, Lindsay Johnson recorded 10 digs.

The Bulldogs recorded their second win of the tournament defeating the Western New Mexico Mustangs 3-0 (30-27, 30-26, and 30-27).

Tye recorded a match high 22 kills and Gilchrist recorded 13 kills. The Mustangs were led by Natali Murdock with 12 kills.

Mustang’s Jessica Lindgren recorded a match high 22 digs. The Bulldogs were led by Palazzolo’s 18 digs. Johnson and Marut both recorded 15 digs.

The Mustangs recorded nine team blocks compared to the Bulldog’s six team blocks.

Ferris fell 3-1 to Mesa State of Colorado (27-30, 29-31, 30-22, 22-30) on Saturday.

The Bulldogs were led by Tye’s match high 17 kills and 11 digs. Gilchrist recorded 15 kills while Edwards recorded 14 kills.

Senior libero, Jamie Palazzolo totaled a career and match-best 28 digs and Marut dished out 42 assists with nine digs. Goodson recorded seven total blocks, which included five block assists.

“We are always working to improve all aspects of our game. This week in practice we have spent a great deal of time on individual skills and applying them to our play,” Brandel-Wilhelm said.

The Bulldogs finished the tournament strong as they came back after their loss earlier in the day to win their final match of the tournament over Western State.

Tye and Gilchrist totaled 27 kills leading the Bulldogs to a 3-0 win (30-20, 30-23, 30-26) over Western State (Colo.) in the final game of the tournament.

Tye recorded a night high 14 kills while Gilchrist connected for 13 kills with no errors in 17 attack attempts

Palazzolo led the match with 19 digs while Marut had 39 assists and came up with eight digs.

For the second consecutive weekend, Tye recieved all-tournament team recognition as she was selected to the seven-member squad.

“This team is special for their incredible work ethic and their drive to be their best,” Brandel-Wilhelm said prior to the tournament.

The Bulldogs will travel to the Minnesota Duluth Classic Tournament in Duluth, Minn. this coming weekend to take on North Dakota at 2 p.m. and Minnesota Duluth at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Ferris will compete against West Texas A&M at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

The GLIAC season will begin on September 14 when the Bulldogs host the Lakers of Lake Superior State at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will take on the Michigan Tech Huskies at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and the Northern Michigan Wildcats at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Fighting Hard Kristie Smilanich (24) hustles after the ball with pursuit from teammate Megan Stec Photo By Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

Nearly 80 fans watched as the clock ticked and the Bulldogs fought to keep control during the non-conference season opener against the SIUE Cougars.

“It was a little slow to begin but we played to our strengths and overall that’s what we’ll see with this team coming up in other games,” junior defender Jackie Back said.

The Bulldogs scored two of their three goals during the first period with the third coming later in the second. Senior midfielder Kristie Smilanich assisted senior forward Heather O’Keefe with a pass up the middle of the field to score the first goal for the Bulldogs. Smilanich also had an unassisted goal with 22 minutes left in the first half.

Jennifer Kratzer then scored for the Cougars. A shot from the middle of the field and a goal off of a corner kick helped the Cougars pull away from the Bulldogs. The Cougars scored the three of the final four goals in the game.

Student coach and former player Carla Gilbertson believed fatigue was a factor at the end of both games.

“Our non-conference schedule is tough but hopefully it prepares us for the GLIAC,” Giberston said.

The Bulldogs outmatched the Cougars 3-2 in corner kicks. Each team had six fouls and saves. The Cougars recorded five more shot attempts than the Bulldogs.

Six Cougar shots were stopped by sophomore goalkeeper Kari Alsager.

Missouri-St.Louis Tritons scored three goals in the first half of Sunday’s game. After going scoreless in the first half, the Bulldogs opened the second half with lots of action. Smilancih scored the first goal for Ferris six minutes into the half. Senior forward Heather O’Keefe then took control and scored the next two goals for the Bulldogs to tie the game. Still, the Bulldogs were outscored 5-3 in the second half.

“Friday and the first half of today players were still getting a feel for each other. The second half is where we have to start from. Coming from behind and showing character was good, so we need to carry that on into other games,” Gilbertson said.

Head coach Neathan Gibson thought Sunday’s game was a little unorganized and discussed the weakness of the first half with his players during halftime. He stated that by “discussing the weaknesses of the first, the ladies were able to open their eyes and play the second.”

“The ladies have the ability to come back. Some people stepped up and a couple of mistakes cost us the game,” Gibson said. “I expect people to see the character and the work ethic in the ladies this season.”

The Tritions registered 16 fouls as the Bulldogs totaled eight. The Bulldogs also had five saves as the Tritions had four. The Bulldogs were outdone 4-2 in corner kicks and 16-12 in total shots on goal. Alsager had three saves for the Bulldogs as freshman Katie Downin had two.

“The girls looked like a new team in the second half and just need to remember what it felt like when we were completing passes,” Gilberston said.

The Bulldogs will play their next match at 12 noon against the University of Indianapolis on Sunday Sept. 9 at Ferris' home soccer field. They will then travel to Grand Rapids to play Calvin College before competing on their home field again.

“We’re coming together but everything takes time,” sophomore defender Stevie Salow said.

After lying about it for a couple of months, that’s exactly what he did. Michael Vick, former Atlanta Falcons football player, pleaded guilty to dog-fighting charges on Aug. 27.

Vick was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons during the first round in the 2001 draft. According to the Associated Press, Quanis Phillips, Tony Taylor, and Vick decided to sponsor dogfights later the same year. Punell Peace later joined them. In May of 2001 Taylor decided that a property in Virginia would be a good place to have dogfights and Vick purchased that property in June of 2002.

That same year “Bad Newz Kennels” was established and dogs were tested to see if they were good fighters. If they weren’t, then an individual involved in the operation killed them. Bad Newz Kennels started participating in dog fighting in 2001. The operation did not come to a cease until it was busted in 2007. Vick is now sorry for what he has done. I have to wonder, is he only sorry because he got caught?

Skipping what I consider minor details and fast-forwarding to the present. Vick’s Virginia home was raided in April where police found neglected dogs. Vick denies participating in this illegal activity, blames it on family and friends, and then changes his mind and pleads guilty in front U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson.

Although Hudson accepted Vick’s plea, he made it perfectly clear that he has the final decision. If Hudson decides to give Vick five years in jail, then Vick will receive five years in jail and will not be able to appeal the decision. Let me remind you that everyone involved took a plea deal to testify against Vick.

It’s no wonder he changed his story. It would have been his word against theirs and it was his house. Vick has now been suspended from playing and lost more than one endorsement. The Falcons are looking to regain $22 million that was paid to Vick. I guess that’s the consequence of his actions.

Not everyone agrees with the punishment that has been handed to Vick. Atlanta’s NAACP chapter president, R.L. White, believes after Vick serves his punishment he should be able to play in the NFL again. Furthermore, he told ESPN that the media is prematurely punishing Vick. “His crime is, it was a dog,” White said.

I must agree that Vick has taken plenty of bad press. However, he knew what he was doing was wrong and I’m sure he was well aware of what would happen if he ever got caught.

Still, I agree with White. He killed a couple of dogs. How different is this from hunting. America allows people to go out and freely kill animals for the fun of it, but when Vick kills a couple of dogs it’s considered inhumane and cruel.

The major difference between hunting and the disposal of the dogs is the dogs were killed in cold blood.

Every year I hear people talk about hunting for pure enjoyment purposes. While most hunters kill the animals for food, there may be hunters that abuse the sport.

If hunting can be a sport where innocent animals are killed, then why can’t dog-fighting be a sport also?

The dogs were killed because they were believed to be to weak to fight. They were kept in cages and were mistreated before they met an inhumane death.

Hunting is strictly regualted by the DNR on how many deer can be killed in a season. It is illegal to kill the animal outside of this couple-week season.

Dog fighting is never in season, there are no regulations on how many dogs can fight, or how they must be treated.

Dog fighting doesn't have these regulations because it is illegal. People have been hunting since the beginning of time. People have used dog fighting for monetary purposes.

There is a lot of gray area when it comes to comparing dog fighting to hunting. There are advocates on both sides saying whether it is wrong or it is right.

No animal should be treated like Vick and co. treated those dogs, and I am sure Bambi never wanted his mother killed by a hunter.

It’s the young Americans that worry me. These pro athletes are heroes to some of America’s youth. Kids who formerly wanted to be like Superman, and Batman, are now trading in their capes for jerseys.

Young males are notorious for giving themselves the names of their favorite pro athletes in pick up games. What parent is going to be proud of their child when he says he wants to be like Michael Vick?

Pro athletes may not be aware of children following their every stat, their every move, and wishing to be just like them. They want to be the homerun king of the world, just like their hero, Barry Bonds.

Whether Bonds is guilty of steroids or other performance enhancers is still up for debate, it does send a message to children, that if you want to be the best you should do whatever it takes.

O.J. Simpson was found not guilty, the fact that he was on trial makes people believe there was some involvement. According to CNN, 21 percent of professional players are in trouble with the law for offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to murder.

Professional athletes have posters of themselves in children’s rooms. They are the last thing young boys see before bed, and the first thing they see in the morning.

I’m going to go with the notion that at one time these athletes knew this, and as the hype surrounding them grew, their grasp on what is acceptable behavior got blurred with the "anything goes" mentality.

Children probably won't grow up wanting to run a dog-fighting ring to be like Vick. What about Bonds?

He has broken every batting record baseball offers. Children may see that and think if they could use performance enhancers how much better they will be.

Little league and other children's athletic programs are becoming more and more intense. The pressure to play one sport year round is felt by both parents and athletes.

The pressure on high school athletes to win is intense, mix that with the children’s dreams of being the next All-Star Professional Athlete. But there is another problem on our hands.

According to NewsWeek more than 300,000 students between the eighth and 12th grades used steroids in the United States, a third of them were girls.

It was also reported that the coaches were more concerned about their players using drugs and drinking then they were about using steroids. Major League Baseball is cracking down on illegal substances.

The Olympic Committee keeps adding substances to the Banned Substance List. The National Football League has suspended athletes for failing drug tests.

Would the problem still exist if all pro athletes were in bed by 10 p.m. every night? Never used drugs, never drank, and the poster children for sainthood would the problem still exist in our youth? Yes.

They would send a better message to our nation about how drugs and illegal activity is bad?

It’s time for professional athletes to step up, and behave in a way to make ten-year old boys really want to be like them.

Posters of Tech’s thanks to colleges across the country from inner state rival University of Virginia to team’s from across the country were displayed on College Game Day thanking schools for their support after the shooting.

Emotions ran high before the game during the video montage of Virginia Tech after the shooting. 32 orange balloons (one for each victim) were then released into the sky. The moment of silence observed for the victims didn’t leave a fan with a dry eye.

East Carolina officials presented a $100,000 check to Virginia Tech’s memorial fund during the pregame ceremony, creating one of the loudest cheers of the day.

The East Carolina Pirates and the Virginia Tech Hokies came onto the field together and when both teams passed at the fifty yard line, there was no taunting or trash talking.

East Carolina scored first which left people to wonder if the emotions of the day were distracting the Hokies from executing their plays.

The football team is no longer responsible for just touchdowns. The team is responsible for rallying a school trying to move on after the mass shooting that shocked campuses across the country.

Virginia Tech was far from perfect on the field and the offense managed only one touchdown in the fourth quarter.

After Virginia Tech defeated East Carolina 17-7 both teams met on the 50 yard line, knelt down and prayed. When the prayer was finished the celebrations didn’t begin. The Hokies turned towards the band and sang along to the school’s alma mater.

The Hokie rally cry: “We will prevail. We are Virginia Tech.”

This year I’ll be giving you my insights on the pros. I’ll highlight news and games for the upcoming week and give you my semi-expert picks. That being said, let’s get to this season.

With the kickoff of any NFL season, you’re going to have lots of off and on-field drama. So far, this off-season and preseason have been filled to the brim with ridiculous off-field drama.

Early last week, Michael Vick pleaded guilty to federal accusations of running a dogfighting ring out of his Atlanta residence. Originally, when meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell, Vick claimed to have no role in the scheme and claimed he didn’t even know it was going on. Weeks later when his boys started taking deals he knew that his time was up and pleaded guilty.

Without even going into the moral obligations his actions violate, I believe that Vick will never play football again in the NFL. After he gets out of prison, Goddell will suspend him just long enough so that he’s too old to play. I would look for Vick to show up in the Canadian Football League or Arena Football league.

Adam “Pacman” Jones was suspended for the entire season following his laundry list of arrests. His was also recently sued by a nurse in Las Vegas who claims he and his entourage started a scuffle in a strip club which led to shots being fired. She was shot in the head and a security guard was shot and paralyzed.

Fantasy owners, don’t pick up these guys! Enough with the obvious, let’s get to this week’s matchups.

New Orleans at Indianapolis (Thursday)

This is going to be a great game to watch. Two superstars, Reggie Bush and Peyton Manning will go head to head. These are two guys that I love to watch work on the field. These teams have only played each other twice since 2001 and have a split record. Both teams have been through a lot since then and will leave nothing in the locker room. Look for Bush to share time with Deuce McAllister. The pair of Saints’ RBs will run all over the poor Colts rushing defense. However, my #1 fantasy pick Peyton Manning has been stellar in the preseason and I expect his momentum to carry over into the regular season. This game will have lots of points on the board but the Colts will prevail.

My Pick: Indianpolis.

Detroit at Oakland

Two of the NFL’s worst teams will meet in Oakland in week one. I’m looking for this one to get sloppy early. Both teams are in a rebuilding phase and its been showing. The Lions are hoping to get RB Kevin Jones back for the regular season, but don’t expect him in this game. I expect QB John Kitna to start. Furthermore, I suspect that Kitna will be throwing the ball 30-40 times due to the lack of any respectable rushing game on the Lions’ bench. Hopefully rookie WR Calvin Johnson can snag a couple of those balls.

My Pick: Detroit.

New England at New York Jets

These teams have played 13 times since 2001 and the Pats have absolutely owned the Jets with a 10-3 record. What’s more stunning is that all six times the Pats have travelled to New York, they’ve won. The Jets like to give up a lot of yards on defense and the Pats like to get a lot of yards on offense. Tom Brady has a few new targets, including Randy Moss, at his disposal. Look for Brady to go to the air heavily and successfully.

My Pick: New England.

Philadelphia at Green Bay

The Eagles have beaten the Packers in their last five meetings and Brett Favre hasn’t gotten any younger. However, I may have jumped the gun a bit here. Donovan McNabb is trying to come back from an injury a bit too early I think. He could easily be this year’s Daunte Culpepper. He may excel for a few early games but I don’t think he is going to make it through the entire season. He was 5-5 in games he played last year and the Eagles were 5-1 in games he didn’t play. On the flipside, Favre is 37 years old and had an atrocious season last year. I think this was the only reason he came back this year. No one wants to end their career on such a poor season. Sorry, Brett. Should’ve retired then.

My Pick: Philadelphia.

Postseason

While its still ridiculously early to make this kind of pick, they do it on ESPN so I’m going to give it a shot.

I know I’m jumping on the bandwagon here, but I like the Patriots to come out of the AFC. They have made some key off-season pickups and I think they’ll have what it takes this year. However, they’ll have to get through the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

In the NFC, I like the Seahawks this year. I expect Deion Branch to have bigger role in the offense this year, if he stays healthy. The Bears will be there in the postseason, but may or may not make it to the NFC title game.

So in the big game, I have the Seahawks and the Patriots. The Pats’ dynasty has gone cold in recent years but its time for them to get back in the limelight.

My Pick: New England.

There you have it, my weekly picks. Do with them what you will. Check back next week to see how I fared and for more NFL Picks.