BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team dropped a heartbreaker to Ferris State University this evening (Sept. 11), 21-17 in their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference opener.

Ferris State would find the endzone first, late in the first quarter, however the Cardinals would respond as quarterback Chuck Dowdell (Ft. Wayne, Ind. / Northrup HS) connected with Andrew Beaver (Dearborn Heights, Mich. / Dearborn HS) on a seven-yard strike to bring Saginaw Valley even with the Bulldogs at 7-7.   Beaver would end the night with ten catches for 132 yards and a touchdown to be selected the Meijer "Player of the Game."

With 9:28 left in the second quarter, Cardinal running back Brandon Hayes (Saginaw, Mich. / Swan Valley HS) found pay dirt on a four-yard run to put Saginaw Valley up, 14-7.  The Bulldogs would knot the score at 14-14 and would eventually take the lead, 21-14 on an interception return for a touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the first half.

The Cardinals began to chip away at the Bulldog advantage early in the second half as junior kicker Austin Borchard (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.  / San Clemente HS) successfully connected on a field goal to make the score 21-17.   The Cardinals would continue to move the ball throughout the second half as runningbck Ronnie Lark (Flint, Mich. / Powers Catholic HS) started to find some lanes to run.  He would end the night with 54 yards on 13 carries to lead the Cardinals in rushing.

The Cardinals would get a final chance to go for the win from the Ferris State 36 yard line after a shanked punt, but the Cardinals would watch their chances for victory slip away as Dowdell was intercepted on SVSU's first play.

Leading the Cardinal defense was defensive back Rick Evans (Jacksonville, Fla. / Sandalwood HS) with eight tackles.  Ja'Vae Ingraham (Lakeland, Fla. / Lake Gibson HS), Grant Caserta (Holland, Mich. / West Ottawa HS) and Brandon Williams (Flint, Mich. / Kearsey HS) all added five tackles each.

With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 0-2 overall on the season and 0-1 in the GLIAC while Ferris State moves to 1-1 overall on the season and 1-0 in the GLIAC.  Saginaw Valley will return to action next weekend (Sept. 18) as they host Lake Erie in a GLIAC contest scheduled at noon.  The Cardinals will also honor their hall-of-fame class at halftime.