BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The Ferris State University football team clinched a conference championship and claimed the inaugural Calder City Classic rivalry game with a come-from-behind win over Davenport University on Saturday.
But the 24-9 victory meant something a little more to Ferris State head coach Tony Annese.
“It’s been a rough fall,” Annese said in an emotional post-game talk with media. “I lost my mom on Aug. 15. It’s been three months and one day since I lost her. Everybody was there when she passed, except for me, because I’m a football coach and I had to come back for football practice. A lot of sacrifices have been made. When I left that night, I said I wanted to dedicate this season to my mom, and the regular season is over with. I hope she’s proud. I know she is. She loved Ferris State football. She loved every part of what we do here.”
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in the nation, have won 10 games in a row after dropping the season opener against Pittsburg State in Kansas. Davenport finishes the regular season 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Ferris State fell behind 9-7 at halftime but shut out the visiting Panthers in the second half to claim both the Calder City Classic Trophy and the outright league championship, which is the Bulldogs’ first since 2021.
With the win, Ferris State is expected to receive the program's 10th consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff berth and likely to be the top seed in Super Region Three and receive a first-round bye. The official NCAA D2 Selection Show takes place on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. at NCAA.com.
“Going into the game, we knew Davenport had a pretty sturdy and tough defense,” said quarterback Trinidad Chambliss of Grand Rapids. “We were able to find our groove in the second half, which was nice. This means a lot to me.”
Davenport start the scoring with Brandon Gielow kicking a 40-yard field goal. The Bulldogs followed with Chambliss connecting with Brady Rose for a 20-yard pass leading to a touchdown.
Gielow kicked two more field goals to take the Panthers ahead 9-7. The Ferris State defense would not let them score again, and the offense added two more touchdowns and one field goal to cement the 24-9 victory.
“We had a lot more three-and-outs in the second half and we weren’t stuck on the field as much in the second half as we were in the first half. Because of that, we got the ball in the hands of our offense,” said Konnor Near, a linebacker from St. Johns.
“Something I love to tell people: I don’t think I’ve ever walked on the field as a Ferris State Bulldog and thought we were going to lose or had a chance to lose. It’s just that grit we have and the confidence. We have that attitude that we earned being where we are, and we’re excited to go forward.”
Chambliss said he and the rest of the team rebounded after the 19-3 opening week loss, with a highlight of beating rival Grand Valley State University 34-7, after falling to the Lakers twice in 2023.
“I’m proud of our guys,” he said. “Our goal was to beat Grand Valley first, then end up winning the GLIAC. We’ve got bigger goals and aspirations of a national championship. We just have to take it day by day and game by game.”
The game was the first in a planned rivalry series with Davenport. The Calder City Classic which is supported by the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame, returns to Davenport in 2025 with the 2026 matchup slated to be played at a neutral site in the Grand Rapids area.
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