The Basics
#18 Ferris State 51, Saginaw Valley State 17
FSU (9-2, 9-2 GLIAC) | SVSU (5-5, 5-5 GLIAC)
Top Taggart Field - Big Rapids, Mich.
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University football team fell on the road against the No.18-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs on Saturday. The Bulldogs would come out ahead in the end by a 51-17 count.
The Bulldogs would take an 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game. Saginaw Valley would start their first possession of the game and respond to the early score with a 10-yard touchdown run from Tommy Scott, Jr. The score would be tied at seven folowing an Alex Kenrick PAT.
Ferris State then rallied with two rushing touchdowns on consecutive drives to close-out the first quarter with a 21-7 lead over the Cardinals.
Saginaw Valley stopped the Ferris State offensive attack early in the second quarter, as Brad Meredith recovered a fumble forced by Marvin White at the Cardinal 36-yard line.
Ferris State forced the Cardinals offense to a three-and-out following the turnover and made quick work of the blemish with a six-yard touchdown pass that pushed their lead to 35-7 late in the second quarter. The Bulldogs would tack on another score and carry a 41-7 lead into halftime.
The Cardinals finished the third quarter by driving down the field and looking to get back into the contest.
Ryan Conklin then connected with Will Farr for 22 yards to start the fourth quarter and completed an 18-yard strike to Damaris Woods two plays later. Alex Kenrick finished the drive off with a 33-yard field goal that split the uprights and made the score 51-10.
Saginaw Valley's defense forced the Bulldogs to punt on their next two possessions, which gave the offense the ball at Ferris State's 49-yard line.
Conklin would utilitze the field position to throw a 29-yard pass to Max Cocoran. That set up David Nay for a 19-yard rush, bringing SVSU to the one yard line. Nay would find the end zone on the next play as the Cardinals made the score 51-17 with 6:06 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs ran down the clock on a 10-play, 5:44 minute drive and sealed the victory over the Cardinals.
Inside the Boxscore
- SVSU had 420 yards of total offense and FSU had 593 yards.
- The Cardinals recovered a fumble in the contest. That was the 13th fumble recovery for the Saginaw Valley defense this season, most in the GLIAC.
- Conklin was 18-of-35 for 165 yards and two interceptions. He made several key throws late in the game that resulted in points for SVSU.
- Scott Jr. found the end zone for the third straight week with his 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He toted the ball 24 times for 89 yards and a score.
- Nay also chipped-in with 46 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- Will Farr had six receptions for 65 yards in the contest. He caught a 22-yard pass from Conklin that set up the Kenrick field goal late in the fourth quarter.
- Tyler Marcus had eight punts for an average of 34.0 yards.
- Bryan Jones led the Cardinals defense with 15 tackles (one for loss).
- Dillon Dixon added eight stops and forced a fumble in the contest.
The 2016 finishes for the Cardinals, who graduate 10 seniors from this year's class who all made great contributions to the program.
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