Oct. 27, 2024

Ferris State linebacker Jason Williams savors football team’s performance on defense in decisive win over top-ranked GVSU

Senior linebacker Jason Williams couldn't hide his smile – not that he tried – after a dominating 34-7 Anchor-Bone Classic road win for nationally third-ranked Ferris State University football team over top-ranked Grand Valley State University.

"It's amazing coming back here and getting them back," Williams said as he, teammates, coaches and fans captured photos with the Anchor-Bone Trophy before returning with the hardware to Big Rapids. "There's nothing like it. It was a great win for the team."

Grand Valley State entered the game with an offense fueled by a potent rushing attack the Bulldogs prepared for all week. That preparation and focus paid off. Defensively, the Bulldogs' front seven held the host Lakers to 155 rushing yards on 34 carries.

"I give it up to our coaches," said Williams, of a defensive staff that includes defensive coordinator Ryan Hodges, co-defensive coordinator Tony Annese, line coach Tesfa Smith and his position coach, Grant Caserta, among others. "The coaches put us in great positions to make plays, and we made them. We came in knowing we win the game if we stop the run. We emphasized that all week: We stop the run, we win the game."

Ferris State's suffocating run defense tells a portion of the story. The Lakers completed 6-of-19 passes for 74 yards as all three defensive levels played key roles in the win. Ferris State also secured two interceptions, forced a fumble and registered a sack.

A native of West Bloomfield, Williams had four total tackles, but it was never about individual stats. Like his teammates, his focus was on winning with less-than-fond memories of their two losses to the Lakers in 2023 at Lubbers Stadium – one in the regular season and a second in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

"Oh man, those last two times we played here .... We felt like we had something for them," Williams said. "We knew we had to leave it all on the field. We did that and got the win."

The Bulldogs could rise in the two national polls as they entered the week ranked third by the American Football Coaches Association and fourth by D2Football.com.

Ferris State next travels to Marquette on Saturday, Nov. 2, for a 1 p.m. battle in the Superior Dome against a Northern Michigan University team still seeking its first win of the 2024 season.

The work is still ahead for these Bulldogs, who at 7-1 overall and now 4-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, shift their focus to NMU.

"We're looking forward to next week, and we plan to continue to go week-by-week," said Williams, who has 22 tackles this season and one sack.