November 3, 2025
Ferris State football team extends win streak to 23 games with win over Northern Michigan
Ferris State University football player Carson Gulker has an answer for when people ask which position he plays: “I just say football.”
The top-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday leaned on their versatile junior from Zeeland in a 70-35 win over Northern Michigan University at Top Taggart Field, extending a school record win streak to 23 games.
The 1-8 Wildcats stayed close to the defending national champions, finishing the first quarter tied at 14. The Bulldogs pulled away, but the 35 points is the most scored on Ferris State all season.
“They kept our defense off the balance a little bit,” head coach Tony Annese said after the game. “You know, they are the 10th rushing offense in the nation, so they run it well. Coach (Shane) Richardson does an amazing job of just building that program. “It’s a unique system, and it's challenging. It was hard on our guys, just trying to try to keep up.”
The Bulldogs scored three straight touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the second quarter to make the score 35-14 and remained in control.
The team widened its lead in the third quarter with a dominant offensive performance, outscoring Northern Michigan 14-0. Quarterback Wyatt Bower connected with Tae Boyd on a 38-yard pass to set up a four-yard touchdown run by Brady Rose, while quarterback Chase Carter later added a one-yard rushing score.
The home team amassed 118 passing yards and 63 rushing yards during the period, maintaining possession for nearly 10 minutes and converting two fourth-down attempts. At the end of the third, the Bulldogs led 49-21.
Bower completed 10 of 14 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown, while adding 41 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground. Quarterback Chase Carter contributed three rushing touchdowns on 62 yards from seven carries, complementing his 95 passing yards. Boyd made an impact with three receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown while Gulker, a Business Administration major, ran six times for 44 yards and a score in addition to making two catches for 51 yards and another touchdown.
Nine games into the season, Annese said injuries are starting to pile up. He appreciates Gulker’s ability to fill a variety of roles.
“Our quarterback/running back/tight end/H back/pretty boy -- he did a miraculous job,” Annese joked at the press conference, sitting next to Gulker.
“There's so many things that come into play with injuries, and, man, it's just a long season. We’ve got to have good fortune with injuries. We've lost a lot of good players, and we just have to keep on fighting and putting people in great places. That's why he's playing in all the places he's playing. We’ve lost some people in different spots. You need him to step up, and he's done awesome.”
Gulker said he’s enjoying being able to step in and be effective wherever he’s needed.
“I'm having a lot of fun with it,” he said. “When people ask me what I play, I just say, ‘football.’”
Ferris State’s defense settled down after the first quarter, limiting the damage to seven points in the second quarter and 14 in the final quarter when the Bulldogs had the game in hand.
Markee Jones, a defensive lineman from Detroit, was part of nine tackles. He said players were able to regroup.
“Let's go back to what we know, man. Play our ball,” he said after the game. “That's when we’re at our best, when we play our ball.”
The win improves Ferris State’s record to 9-0. Ther team hasn’t lost since the 2024 season opener at Pittsburg State in Kansas, and hasn’t lost at home since 2022.
The win was the last home game of the regular season, with the Bulldogs heading on the road to face Saginaw Valley State University on Nov. 8 and then Davenport University on Nov. 15 for the second Calder City Classic rivalry game.