#3 Ferris State Rolls Over Findlay In Decisive Season-Opening Victory

Postgame Press Conference - Players
Postgame Press Conference - Coach Annese
Game Highlights
Photos Coming Soon!

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University Bulldogs opened the 2021 campaign in a big way as FSU toppled the Findlay Oilers 54-14 on Thursday (Sept. 2) night in the season opener at Top Taggart Field.

The Bulldogs returned to game action for the first time since 2019 and rolled past the Oilers, generating 625 yards of total offense in the triumph.

Newcomer Jared Bernhardt, who was the NCAA Division I National Lacrosse Player of the Year for Maryland this past spring, earned the starting nod at quarterback and accounted for seven touchdowns in his Bulldog debut. He ran for a game-high 120 yards and four scores on 12 carries while completing 12-of-14 throws for 218 yards and three TD's in his first collegiate gridiron contest.

The Oilers struck first, driving 78 yards in six plays on the first drive of the contest, and took an early 7-0 lead on Matt Winzeler's 47-yard scoring throw to Jake Brown.

However, the Bulldogs responded quickly as Bernhardt engineered a nine-play, 76-yard march and scored from five yards away to cut the margin to 7-6 midway thru the first period.

Bernhardt scored his second touchdown with 6:05 left in the period on a 35-yard touchdown run, capping a four-play, 48-yard drive for the Bulldogs.

Later in the first period, Bernhardt found pay dirt for the third time with a 10-yard scoring run to finish a five-play drive covering 70 yards in the final two minutes of the quarter.

The lead grew to 27-7 early in the second as Bernhardt tossed his first collegiate scoring throw with a 30-yard completion for a TD to junior slot receiver Marcus Taylor. 

Findlay cut the margin back to 27-14 with a four-play, 73-yard drive in the second quarter, which concluded with Winzeler's 32-yard throw to Mike Rigerman. 

Again, though, the Bulldogs answered as Bernhardt scored on a 28-yard keeper with 6:58 left in the half. He later added a four-yard scoring throw to H-Back Mason Pline with 25 seconds to go in the second period, making it 40-14 at halftime.

The Bulldogs picked right back up in the third quarter as Bernhardt connected with wide receiver Sy Barnett only 12 seconds into the half on a 65-yard scoring throw. 

The final Bulldog touchdown came with 1:50 left in the third when junior QB Evan Cummins led a seven-play, 66-yard drive and found Xavier Wade on a two-yard scoring connection to account for the final margin.

The Bulldogs ran for 278 total yards on the ground and picked up another 347 in the air while Findlay finished with 138 rushing yards and 267 passing yards for 405 total yards.

The Bulldogs will hit the road next Saturday, Sept. 11, to face the Ashland Eagles at 7 p.m. (ET) in Ashland, Ohio.