FSU Downs NMU Paris Holloman (32) stiffarms a Northern Michigan defender while running the option. Photo by Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

The Wildcats’ opening kickoff landed in the hands of senior Patrick Wells who charged downfield to the Wildcats’ 35 yard line.

After a few short run plays, senior C.J. Van Wieren completed a six yard pass to senior Robert Miller putting the ball on the 32 yard line where junior Jim Yates' attempted field goal landed just short.

The Wildcats took over and after an incomplete pass sophomore Mark Bossuah ran to the Bulldog’s 33 yard line. After a few short rush plays the Wildcats attempted a field goal but the ball sailed wide.

Ferris took over on the 33 yard line and junior Paris Holloman rushed for five yards and then for four to bring them to a third down. Van Wieren then rushed left to give the Bulldogs a first down but after a few short gains the Bulldogs were forced to punt.

Northern started their drive at the 37 and a few rushes by Bossuah brought them into Bulldog territory at the 27. The Bulldogs’ defense stood strong however, and after two incomplete passes and a short rush, the Wildcats were forced to settle for a field goal, making the game 3-0.

Ferris took over at its 40 yard line were Van Wieren rushed up the middle for an 11 yard gain. Miller then took off to the Wildcats 34 were Van Wieren completed a 24 yard pass to sophomore Chris Wilson.

A personal foul against the Wildcats brought the Bulldogs to the two yard line where Van Wieren charged into the end zone giving the Bulldogs the lead 7-3.

The Wildcats started the second quarter on their own 48 where the Bulldogs defense forced them to punt after three downs.

The Bulldogs took over on their own one yard line. Van Wieren rushed to the 10 where the ball was fumbled but recovered by senior Bill Bourdlais who charged on for another four yards.

Another long rush by Van Wieren brought the Bulldogs to the 31 but after an incomplete pass they were forced to punt the ball back to the Wildcats.

Ferris and Northern fought back and forth but both defenses stood strong until Northern managed a field goal late in the second quarter making the game 7-6.

The Bulldogs then took over at their own 34 were Van Wieren completed a deep pass to senior Nate Fricke for a 21 yard gain. Van Wieren connected with Fricke again the next play for another 18 yards which put them in a position for a field goal. Yates' kick was good, giving the Bulldogs the lead 10-6 heading into halftime.

The Wildcats received the 10 yards into the end zone making the score to 31 to 6.

The Wildcats scored one more field before the game ended and Ferris State triumphed over Northern Michigan 31-13.

“They were a beatable team.” Nate Frick said. “We just needed to be firing on all cylinders.”

Ferris State tacked another point in the win column bringing their record to 3-2 and ninth overall in the conference. Northern recorded another loss bringing their record to 0-4.

The Bulldogs will be away next week as they take on Michigan Tech who stands 3-2 and eighth in the conference.

Serving For An Ace Kristy Gilchrist (20) serves up a ball vs. MTU. Volleyball will be at home October 5th and 6th. Photo by Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

The Ashland Eagles didn’t play the role of gracious hosts on Friday night as they won the first two games and came back to take the fourth and final game over the Bulldogs.

The Eagles scored first, but the Bulldogs quickly caught up and grabbed the lead 3-1. The Eagles kept the score within three until they took a 17-16 lead. The Eagles were able to capitalize on the Bulldogs' miscues as they took the first game.

The Eagles built the lead in the second game quickly going up 10-5. The Bulldogs came within two (18-16) but the Eagles rallied back, going up 29-21.

The Bulldogs went on a run of their own scoring six unanswered points to bring the score to 29-27, but the Eagles wouldn’t allow the Bulldogs to keep the momentum as they scored game point on a kill from the Eagles’ Jeannette Blake.

The third game went to the Bulldogs as they led from the first serve to the last kill by sophomore outside hitter Katie Edwards.

In the fourth game the Eagles took back the control and only allowed the Bulldogs to tie the score after the 6-6 mark.

Senior outside hitter Lindsay Tye led the Bulldogs with a double-double, recording 20 kills and 15 digs.

Sophomore middle hitter Kristy Gilchrist recorded 15 kills, while junior setter Andrea Rich also registered a double-double with a match-leading 48 assists to go with 13 digs.

Senior libero Jamie Palazzolo recorded her 15th straight match of recording double-figure digs with a night-high 29. Senior outside hitter Lindsay Johnson recorded 11 digs.

The Bulldogs bounced back to defeat the Findlay Oilers on Saturday, 3-1, placing them third in the GLIAC north.

The Bulldogs were led by Gilchrist with 15 kills and a match-best six aces and five blocks. Edwards recorded 12 kills and freshman middle hitter Arielle Goodson recorded eight kills.

Rich recorded a match-high 46 assists, with three aces and nine digs while Palazzolo recorded her 16th straight match with double digit digs with 20.

Ferris is now 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the GLIAC and will be returning home this weekend to compete against Gannon on Friday at 7 p.m. and Mercyhurst at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Running In The Pack Freshman Megan Josey led the way for the Bulldogs in the Bulldog Invitational. Photo by Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

Ferris State men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the 35th annual Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational last Saturday in Chicago, Ill. where they were very successful.

The men’s squad competed against 25 teams and scored 55 points to win the Collegiate Maroon Division. Calvin College finished second with 76 points and William Woods finished third.

Junior Jared Kelsh completed the 8K in 25:41 for a Bulldog victory.

“Jared did a great job to win the meet. He just ran with the top group until about three miles and picked up the rhythm and left them behind. He won that pretty easily,” Kavalunas commented.

Senior Ray Rollet finished sixth out of 238 runners, freshman Mike Wheat clocked a 15th place finish and junior Curtis Begley finished almost directly behind him in 17th.

“Ray had a super race. He stayed with a great pack and did a good job,” Kavalunas said.

The women’s team finished the competition with 112 points and in third place overall. Missouri Southern State claimed the title with 32 points as Findlay took runner-up with 101 points.

Junior Mikinzie Stuart said last week that Loyola Lakefront Invitational would be her time to shine, and she was right.

Stuart paced the women’s team with a fifth place finish in the 5K with a time of 18:57.

“It was crazy for the first half mile. Everyone was pushing and shoving and just trying to get out there. I’ve always placed throughout the past two years but I never was in the top five. I was really happy and felt really strong,” Stuart said.

Freshman Megan Josey finished 12th, senior Margot McGlothlin was 18th, and freshman Paige Onweller was 35th out of 286 runners.

Kavalunas gave kudos to his entire team saying each person did very well.

“Our whole team had great performances this weekend. Almost everyone had a season best. It was pretty amazing, especially when our team is so young,” Stuart commented.

The Bulldogs will compete in the Michigan Intercollegiate Championships on Friday. Oakland University will host

the event in Rochester, Mich. at 4 p.m.

Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that while the main reason I attend sporting events is to support the team, I sometimes pay more attention to the mascot.

Take football for example. I know very little about it. I know that you’re supposed to run with the ball until you reach the end of the field and that about sums it up.  Well, people like me, (I’m referring to people who know little about the sporting event they choose to attend) have to find something else for entertainment.

My source of entertainment is usually the mascot. If I don’t know much about the game being played, then I simply turn to the mascot for my entertainment. I must admit that if the team I’m cheering for doesn’t have one then I’m usually highly disappointed.

Mascots are great. The majority of them help keep the crowd hyped. I’ve seen some mascots that are more active than the cheerleaders.  I’ve seen mascots that are more entertaining than the teams competing and mascots that have no school spirit at all. I’ve seen big ones, little ones, tall ones, and short ones.

Although mascots are supposed to be purely for fun, there has been major controversy surrounding them in recent years.

There’s all different types of mascots. Ferris is a Bulldog, Central Michigan's is referred to as the Chippewa, and Grand Valley's is the Lakers, just to name a few. In addition, some schools used to use Indians, Warriors, or Braves as their mascots, which some people of Native American heritage found highly offensive.

According to NCAA President Myles Brand, “The NCAA objects to institutions using racial/ethnic/national origin references in their intercollegiate athletics programs.” Beginning Aug. 1, 2008, all colleges will be banned from promoting offensive paraphernalia on all uniforms at the NCAA championships.

There has been some controversy over the ruling. According to About.com., some Native American tribes are in favor of the decision and some are not.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida supports the Florida State Seminoles and approves the use of the name. Florida is threatening to take legal action to keep their name.

“Personally, it doesn’t offend me. I haven’t really given much thought to it,” Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley commented.

The University of Illinois has already decided to remove their mascot, Chief Illiniwek. I’m sure the pressure to change mascots is no big deal. It has received negative press attention from activists for years because of its mascot.

The school felt even more pressure two years ago when the NCAA would not let the University host post season tournaments. Illiniwek had been a mascot since 1926. The NCAA considered it “a distasteful portrayal of Native American Indians.”

So what should happen now? Is NCAA right or wrong? Should action really be taken? Are such mascots offensive? Is being politically correct becoming a problem?

Although some people find the mascots offensive, it’s important to understand that the schools which use them mean no harm. Most of the schools are proud of their mascot and it’s apart of the school’s deeply rooted history.

I don’t know if it’s a question about right or wrong. I think all schools should ask the local Native American tribes if they find it offensive or not. It might even be a good idea to leave the decision up to each individual university and the tribe(s) surrounding it. NCAA does not need to make the final decision. Simply put, if it’s found offensive to any race, national origin, creed, etc., then get rid of it.

Passing To A Teammate Heather O'Keefe (12) looks to pass the ball to an open teammate. Photo by Ben Kramer, Photo Editor

Friday’s win marked the second straight year Ferris has defeated Ashland.

Sophomore defender Stevie Salow recorded her first goal of the season as she scored the first point for the Bulldogs. Her goal came as a header from senior forward Heather O’Keefe’s corner kick. Junior forward Tammy Unsworth scored her third goal of the season off of a pass from freshman midfielder/defender Kristen March.

Kelly Usher scored the only goal for Ashland. Her goal came at 64:47 from 10 yards out on a cross.

Ferris recorded a 13-11 shot advantage and a 6-4 corner kick advantage over Ashland. Bulldogs' sophomore goalkeeper Kari Alsager registered zero saves as Ashland’s goalkeeper Marie Supanich totaled six saves. The Bulldogs totaled four fouls while their opponent totaled 18.

During Sunday’s game, the Bulldogs recorded three shots on goal and Findlay totaled 13. Alsager had 10 saves and Findlay’s Ashley Wheaton had three. Ferris outnumbered Findlay 7-6 in corner kicks and 10-8 in fouls.

The Bulldogs will host Gannon at 4 p.m. this Friday at Ferris home soccer field in Big Rapids, Mich.

Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy went on a tirade saying Carlson kicked the kid when he was down. Gundy went on a redundant rant about how Carlson was mean for attacking a child.

He said if Carlson wanted to attack someone she should have attacked Gundy as “he’s a man.”

I find a couple things about this situation comical. I have a hard time trying to believe that Gundy, who has proved he likes to rant, shout, and scream, never said any of that to Reid. I also find it hard to believe Reid was never criticized before.

Reid is a high profile athlete at a high profile university in a high profile sport. The quarterback gets the credit for a win and the blame for a loss. If Reid didn’t want publicity, he should be in another position.

The thing that I enjoy the most is that Reid has said nothing about the whole situation. He is apparently kicked by Carlson and defended by his coach in one of the best rants of the year. Yet, we hear nothing from Reid.

Carlson said nothing in her column that I wouldn’t say based on the circumstances. Carlson said nothing that Michigan quarterback Chad Henne and former Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton haven’t heard.

In fact, Stanton said he thought about transferring. I’m sure a lot of athletes do. Gundy said he “confronted” Reid and Reid denied it. Of course he did. When anyone is confronted they do whatever they can to stay out of the hot seat.

The media makes it easy for people to make fun of it and to blame it for anything. It’s part of the job and I’m sure Carlson didn’t plan on causing Gundy to go insane in front of the entire nation.

I’m sure if Oklahoma State lost the game mentioned in Carlson’s column Gundy would be toasting her and asking for advice whether he should bench Reid or not. Instead, Oklahoma State won and Gundy defends his player.

While I give mad props to Gundy for standing up for one of his players, I’m thinking the execution could have been better. Keeping a calm voice has a stronger effect than screaming like a mad man.

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I’m getting screamed at, I have a hard time keeping a straight face. I also think if Gundy pulled Reid into his office and spoke with Reid about the column, not giving him "the talk" and not confronting him, but presented a calm front it would have blown over.

Carlson wrote an editorial column in the sports section. It contained quotes from Reid himself. It wasn’t a hard news story. It wasn’t front page coverage of the game. It was an editorial. It was one person’s opinion. Gundy is being over sensitive.

I didn’t even know what the column was about until I saw a video of it the other day, and I only saw the video because I was told about it in the news room. I don’t think anyone outside of the Daily Oklahoman subscribers would have seen it if it wasn’t for Gundy.

Is anyone else seeing a pattern? Gundy’s heart was in the right place to defend Reid. However, it would have been more effective if he didn’t make himself look ridiculous on national television.

It shall be interesting to see what happens the rest of the season as Reid is now under an even larger microscope. Good luck Reid, and Gundy it may be best if you practiced speeches in front of a mirror.

It seems that this was one of those games that fans have gotten used to from previous seasons. It’s the fourth quarter with the score at 14-3. The “here-we-go-again” mentality sets in and, as I’m driving back to school, I sit and wait for Jon Kitna to make the next mistake or for Kevin Jones to fumble. But then they score to cut the lead to three.

The mentality is still there.

I think, “Maybe we can get a defensive stop here.” Then, Keith Smith pulls a pick-six. I admit it; I screamed in jubilation in my car and pumped my fist.

The mentality is still there.

Devin Hester returns the kickoff; 20-17, Bears.

The mentality is still there and has strengthened.

The Lions score on two straight possessions. 30-20 Lions.

The mentality is still there but has weakened.

The Bears march down the field and score after costly Detroit penalties. 30-27 Lions.

The mentality is still there and I start wondering how we are going to lose this game.

The Bears attempt the onside kick and Casey Fitzsimmons returns it for a touchdown. By this time I’m at home, glued to my TV and I do a little happy dance.

The mentality has vanquished.

What was most bizarre is that all this took place in the fourth quarter of the game amid multiple challenges and official reviews which slowed the game’s pace and extended game time to almost five hours.

Detroit at Washington

After whooping the Bears at home last week, the Lions will travel to Washington to meet the Redskins for only the second time since 2001. Washington will be coming off a bye week.

I think what’s happening in Detroit is some of the magic the Tigers experienced last year has crossed the street and made its way to Ford Field. The offense has started clicking and the defense has stepped up.

My pick: Detroit.

Last week I went 7-8 which brings me to 29-21 for a season average of .58. My average has dropped four percentage points but I suffered some tough losses this week like San Diego and the NY Jets. See you next week, NFL fans.

Editor’s notes: results of the Monday game were unavailable at press time. ESPN.com was used as a resource.