BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — No. 2 ranked Ferris State found themselves in a dog fight on Saturday night in the GLIAC opener against Saginaw Valley State.
The Bulldogs were without starting quarterback Jared Bernhardt as Tony Annese's group started junior Evan Cummins while also playing sophomore Mylik Mitchell for two drives in the first half.
Ferris State would lead 20-15 at the half behind two rushing touchdowns from Cummins and a passing score to Xavier Wade from five yards out.
In the second half, the Bulldogs would take a 32-18 lead on another touchdown pass from Cummins to Wade, this time from 17 yards to extend the margin.
However, Saginaw Valley State, led by former Ferris State assistant coach Ryan Brady, would fight back to tie the game with 13:09 left on a Tommy Scott touchdown run.
Evan Cummins would score another one-yard touchdown run with just 45 seconds left in regulation to give the Bulldogs a 39-32 lead at Top Taggart Field.
Incredibly, the Cardinals would march nearly the length of the field and would score on a ten yard touchdown pass as time expired to send the game to overtime, tied at 39.
In that overtime, Marvin Campbell would score from a yard out and Keidren Davis would catch the two-point conversion from Cummins to take a 47-39 lead and apply pressure.
On the ensuing possession, the Cardinals would have a fourth and goal from the ten-yard line and would score on another touchdown pass.
Saginaw Valley would need a two-point conversion to send the game to a second overtime but the Ferris State defense would force a stop to seal the 47-45 victory.
The Bulldogs improve to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in GLIAC play and will host Davenport next week.
