December 12th, 2024 7:00am
Slippery Rock will travel to Ferris State this Saturday afternoon to meet the Bulldogs in the national semifinals. The winner will advance to Division II national championship game held in McKinney, Texas next Saturday. The game will kickoff at 3:30, eastern and will air live on ESPN+.
THE GAME
No. 11 Slippery Rock heads north to No. 2 Ferris State for a first-ever meeting with the powerhouse Bulldogs with a spot in the national championship game on the line.
SRU AGAINST THE GLIAC
This will mark the first-ever meeting between Slippery Rock and Ferris State in the sport of football. The Rock have met two other teams from the current GLIAC, but have never played Ferris. SRU is 6-2 all-time against the current teams from the GLIAC with the most recent games being four straight wins against Wayne State from 2019-23. SRU is 1-0 against the GLIAC in the NCAA Playoffs, but has not played a GLIAC school in the playoffs since 1998 when The Rock defeated Brian Kelly's Grand Valley State squad, 37-14, in the quarterfinals. SRU is 1-0 against GVSU and 5-2 against Wayne State and has won its last five games against GLIAC opponents.
COACHING MATCHUP
Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz is in his 29th overall year at The Rock and his ninth year (eighth season) as head coach, where he owns an 82-20 record with five PSAC West titles and six trips to the NCAA playoffs. Lutz was the PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2023 and was the Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year in 2019. The 82 wins are the most among all PSAC head coaches since the 2016 season. Lutz was an assistant at SRU for 20 years before taking over the program in 2016. He has been a member of the coaching staff for 13 of SRU's 20 PSAC West titles. Lutz played tight end at West Virginia University, graduating in 1996, and earned a master's degree in sport management from SRU in 2003.
Tony Annese is in his 12th season as the head coach at Ferris State, where he led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. Annese owns a record of 135-21 during his tenure at Ferris and is the program's all-time wins leader. He has led the program to 10 straight NCAA Playoff berths for the longest active streak in the country. That includes six trips to the national semifinals in the last eight seasons and six straight trips to the quarterfinals from 2016-22.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Slippery Rock closed the regular season ranked No. 11 in the AFCA Division II national rankings and No. 12 in the D2football.com media poll. Ferris State was No. 2 in the final AFCA poll and No. 1 in the D2football.com poll. Both national polls are available on page nine.
FERRIS STATE QUICK HITS
• Ferris State is 12-1 and is making its sixth trip to the national semifinals in the last eight seasons. The Bulldogs are on a 12-game winning streak after losing their opener to Pittsburg State back in August.
• The Bulldogs took down defending national champion Harding 41-7 in the quarterfinals last week to win Super Region Three.
• Ferris has scored 119 points in two playoff games this year and averages 44.5 points per game to rank second in Division II. FSU ranks third in the nation in total offense averaging 491.5 yards per game with 262.6 rushing yards and 228.8 passing yards per game.
• Opponents score just 11.2 points per game as FSU ranks third in the nation in scoring defense. They allow 245.9 total yards of offense per game with 143.2 passing yards and 102.7 rushing yards allowed per game.
• QB Trinidad Chambliss is one of the eight finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy and may be the most dynamic playmaker in the country. He has thrown for 2,551 yards with 22 TD and five INT while also rushing for 817 yards and a team-high 20 touchdowns.
• RB Kannon Katzer leads the ground game with 866 yards and 10 TD on just 101 carries, averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
• FSU spreads the ball out on offense with six players having at least 20 catches. Emari O'Brien leads the team with 40 catches for 565 yards and four TD. Seven different players have at least two TD catches.
• The FSU defense is led by Iosefa Saipaia with 73 tackles and Jalen Jones with 50 tackles and a team-high 8.0 TFL. Former IUP defensive end Tyrone Fowler has 7.5 TFL and 3.0 sacks for the Bulldogs this year.
• Kicker Mitchell Middleton is 7-of-8 on FG attempts with a long of 45 yards and is 73-of-80 on PAT kicks this year. Ferris has punted only 32 times all year and averages 43.5 yards per punt.
BACK IN THE SEMIFINALS
Slippery Rock returns to the national semifinals for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2019. The Rock also played in the Division III semifinals in 1974 and have now won three regional titles – 1998, 2019 and 2024. SRU has never advanced past the national semifinals, losing to Ithaca in 1974 (27-14), Carson-Newman in 1998 (47-27) and Minnesota State in 2019 (58-15).
REVENGE TOUR
Slippery Rock's run through the playoffs this year included road wins in the last two rounds over the only two teams that have beaten SRU in the last two years. The Rock lost twice to Kutztown in 2023 – once in the PSAC title game and again in the NCAA Quarterfinals – and lost their only regular season game since 2022 earlier this fall against California (28-7). SRU went on the road to a heavily-favored Kutztown team and knocked off the No.1 seeded Golden Bears in round two and then dismantled No. 3 seed California (Pa.) 31-13 last week.
ONLY SEEDED WIN IN QUARTERFINALS
Slippery Rock is the only team in the semifinals to win their quarterfinal last week against a seeded team. All of the other super region finals included at least one unseeded team.
The Matchup
Slippery Rock also enters the game with a 12-1 overall mark and is in the national semifinals for the fourth time in program history, but first time since 2019. Slippery Rock's run through the playoffs this year included road wins in the last two rounds over the only two teams that have beaten SRU in the last two years. The Rock have won at least 12 games for the second year in a row and the fifth time in program history.
Super Region Three Champions
Ferris State captured the Super Region Three Championship for the sixth time in the past eight seasons with last week's win over defending national champion Harding. FSU will also be making its sixth national semifinal appearance this week since 2016. The winner advances to the national title game set for Dec. 21 in McKinney, Texas.
Media Coverage
Saturday's game will be streamed live as part of the NCAA Playoff Package on ESPN+ and will also be aired locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with the veteran broadcast team of Rob Bentley (play-by-play) and Sandy Gholston (color) calling the action. Radio pregame coverage gets underway at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The contest will also be streamed with FREE live audio online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com for all links.
Nine-Straight Playoff Berths
The Bulldogs, who are midst their 115th season of varsity competition this fall, have now made a nation-leading 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. FSU made six-straight NCAA Division II National Quarterfinal appearances from 2016-22 and was one of only four teams in all of college football to win at least 11 games for eight-straight years prior to last season.
Great Bulldog Stretch
The Bulldogs reached the NCAA DII National Championship game for the first time in school history in 2018, matching an all-time NCAA record with 15 victories (15-1). Over the two seasons of action in 2018 and 2019, not counting 2020 in which FSU did not play due to COVID-19, the Bulldogs were a combined 27-2 overall. FSU is now 75-7 in the last six seasons on the field including this year.
Memorable Bulldog Run
Over the last decade, the Bulldogs have compiled a 120-14 overall record and claimed two national titles, six conference championships, posted five unbeaten regular-seasons, captured six regional titles and reached the national quarterfinals six times. Ferris State has also accumulated three Harlon Hill National Player of the Year trophies, twice had a student-athlete tabbed as the nation's National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and won 22 postseason games in addition to an appearance in the 2018, 2021 and 2022 NCAA D2 National Championship Games.
National Power & State's Best
Now in the 12th season under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have become a national power on the Division II level. FSU has posted a 135-21 overall mark in his tenure and the Bulldogs have also posted the best winning percentage of all 21 collegiate programs in the state of Michigan along with the GLIAC since his arrival. Overall, Annese has won 86% of his games as a head coach on the collegiate and prep levels and owns 360 wins to date, which is the most of any current GLIAC member head coach at all levels.
Team #115 For FSU
This year represents the Bulldogs' 115th season of varsity football on the Ferris State campus. FSU owns a 513-450-40 all-time mark and notched the program's 500th victory a year ago.
Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist
FSU junior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been chosen as a national finalist for the 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the top NCAA Division II player in the country. Chambliss is one of eight student-athletes from across the country still in contention for the honor and one of two from finalists from Super Region Three.
D2 National Player Of The Week
FSU quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was chosen as the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week after a win over Michigan Tech this fall. Chambliss threw a school-record tying six touchdown passes on Oct. 19 as FSU beat Michigan Tech decisively by a 51-13 score at Top Taggart Field. He went 18-of-30 passing for 383 yards and six scores while adding a game-high 90 rushing yards.
The Head Coaches
Ferris State – Tony Annese (Alma, 1983), 12th season, 135-21-0 (.865) – 0-0 vs Slippery Rock). Annese recorded a 195-41 (.826) mark as a head coach in four stops at the high school level before totaling a 30-4 (.882) record in three years as the head coach at Grand Rapids Community College.  His overall career mark at all levels is 360-66 (.845) to date and includes three prep state championships and two national JUCO crowns along with two D2 National Championships. He claimed his 300th win in 2018 with a national semifinal win at Minnesota State. The Bulldogs are 69-10 at home and 62-10 on the road under Annese in his tenure.
Slippery Rock - Shawn Lutz (West Virginia, 1996), 8th season, 82-20 (.804), (0-0 vs. FSU). Lutz is midst his eighth season as the head coach at Slippery Rock following 20 seasons as an assistant coach in the program. Lutz is a three-time PSAC West Coach of the Year and was named the 2019 Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II National Coach of the Year after leading The Rock to the NCAA Division II semifinals and posting the best record in program history at 13-1.
Saturday's Matchup
Saturday will mark the first-ever matchup between the Bulldogs and Slippery Rock. The Bulldogs hold an all-time mark of 16-11 against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) schools, which includes a season-opening 54-12 home win over Mercyhurst in 2023. FSU is 3-0 versus PSAC schools under head coach Tony Annese, which includes a decisive 55-7 national semifinal win over Shepherd (W.Va.) in 2021 during the Bulldogs' first run to a national championship.
Awesome Run
Under head coach Tony Annese, the Bulldogs have lost only six regular-season games over the past 10 years on the field dating back to mid-October of 2013. Two of the setbacks came in 2016 when the Bulldogs eventually made their deepest postseason run at the time with a trip to the NCAA-II National Semifinals. Since the middle part of the 2013 season, FSU has only lost three times to Grand Valley State and twice to Ashland in regular-season action along with a close setback last season at FCS member Montana and this year's game at Pitt State. The Bulldogs own a 103-7 (.936) regular-season mark since closing the 2013 season by winning their final four games.
Among Nation's Top Units
Ferris State is currently ranked among the nation's top six teams in both total offense and total defense this year. The Bulldogs are third offensively at 491.5 yards per game and seventh defensively, giving up only 245.9 yards a contest. FSU is also third in scoring defense (11.1 ppg.) and second in scoring offense (44.5 ppg.) this year.
Four-Straight Final Four's
Prior to last season, the Bulldogs made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals and advanced to the final four five times in six seasons overall. FSU became the first program in GLIAC history to advance to four-straight semifinals, the fourth program ever and the first since Northwest Missouri State (2005-10) to accomplish the feat. The Bulldogs also advanced to three national championship games in four seasons of action on the field from 2018-22. This year marks FSU's sixth national semifinal berth in the last eight years.
Record-Setting Notes
Ferris State put up a school record 84 points in its 84-7 road win at American International this year. In addition, the Bulldogs' 744 total yards were the third-most in program history as was the 486 rushing yards. The defense also gave up -18 yards rushing in the triumph. Junior kicker Mitch Middleton broke his own school mark by going 12-of-12 on PAT's ..... Ferris State's 84 points at AIC topped the school single-game record of 78 points set in last year's homecoming win over Northern Michigan, which had bettered the previous mark of 75 set in a season-opening victory at McKendree in 2014. The Bulldogs also ran for 497 yards on homecoming last year vs NMU, which was the second-highest figure in school history following a 556-yard performance versus Tiffin in 2014 ... FSU scored a school playoff record 78 points in the win over Central Oklahoma two weeks ago.
All-Time Winningest Coach
Ferris State head coach Tony Annese became the Bulldogs' all-time winningest coach in 2022, surpassing former FSU head coaches such as Jeff Pierce and Keith Otterbein. Annese has posted a 135-21 (.865) mark in his Bulldog tenure to date, moving past Pierce (102-85) atop the all-time chart. Otterbein, who just retired as the head coach at Hillsdale, is third on the list with a 60-39 record during his Ferris State coaching career.
D2 Elite 100 Preseason All-Americans
Three Ferris State University football standouts garnered preseason All-America mention as D2Football.com unveiled its 2024 Elite 100 Watch List. The D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List was selected by the staff of D2Football.com with the input of small college draft expert Josh Buchanan. The Bulldogs had a first-team honoree in junior offensive tackle Bryce George along with a pair of honorable mention choices in junior quarterback Carson Gulker and senior receiver Tyrese Hunt-Thompson.
Best In The Country
Since the start of the 2014 season, the Bulldogs have the most wins of any NCAA Division II team in the country. The Bulldogs recorded back-to-back 11-1 seasons in 2014 and 2015 before a 12-3 mark in 2016 followed by an 11-2 showing in 2017 and a 15-1 mark in 2018 along with a 12-1 record in 2019 and a 14-0 mark in 2021 for a cumulative 120-14 record counting this season.
Only Team In The Nation
The Bulldogs were the nation's only team to reach the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals six-straight seasons from 2016-22. Ferris State claimed the Super Region Championship in 2016 with a decisive road win at rival Grand Valley State in the quarterfinals to reach the national semifinals for the second time in school history. In 2017, the Bulldogs also made it back to the national quarterfinals, but fell to Harding on a game-ending field goal at home in Big Rapids. FSU reached the national title game in 2018 and the national semifinals in 2019 before falling at home to eventual national champion West Florida prior to back-to-back national title campaigns in 2021 and 2022.