FOOTBALL: Wayne State University 45, Ferris State University 7

DETROIT – Clearly, it was a tough day for Ferris State University on the football field as its inability to stop the run again returned to haunt the Bulldogs – this time against a solid Wayne State University squad.

Ferris pretty much had no answers for the standout rusher Joique Bell as the senior native of Benton Harbor enjoyed a big-time performance. Bell, making a serious bid to win the coveted Harlon Hill Trophy, carried the ball 34 times for 263 yards and six touchdowns as Wayne rolled to a 45-7 win over the Bulldogs. As a team, the Warriors rushed for 398 yards, controlled the clock and dominated Saturday’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game from start to finish.

It was a disappointing outcome, as part of what has been a particularly painful football season, for the Bulldogs. With the loss, Ferris drops to 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the GLIAC while Wayne improves to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the league standings as it still holds out hope for earning a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

For the Bulldogs, the running game was stuffed as sacks and the inability to beat the Wayne State defensive line spelled doom for Ferris. The Bulldogs rushed for negative 45 rushing yards on 28 carries. Of course, sacks factor in a major way into the equation as Wayne had a bunch.

Ferris had 60 yards on nine carries from running back Tyler Thomas while quarterback Kyle Parrish, the starting quarterback, completed 7-of-12 passes for 85 yards in the game.

As a team, the Bulldogs mustered just 100 yards of total offense while Wayne had 510 (thanks in no small part to the rushing attack sparked by Bell).

The Warriors earned 10 sacks for 95 yards as they pressured Parrish from start to finish and never gave him an opportunity to get going.

The game was bolstered by good displays of sportsmanship from by head coach Jeff Pierce, of Ferris, and Paul Winters, of Wayne. The game was marred by injuries to Wayne State’s Jeremy Jones (in the second quarter) and Ferris’ D.J. Freeman (in the fourth quarter) that required attention from medical personnel as both had to be strapped down and taken away by ambulance in separate incidents.

The Bulldogs are in Midland to take on Northwood next weekend with kickoff scheduled for noon from Hantz Stadium.

Additional blogs will be posted later this evening.