FOOTBALL: Who Will Stop The Running Attack In This Game?

BIG RAPIDS - The Battle at the Ballpark literally is hours away from beginning down at Fifth Third Park in Comstock Park.

When Ferris State University and Michigan Tech University hit the field at Fifth Third Park it appears one question will be on the minds of a lot of people - which team will do the better job at something neither has been very good at so far this year: stopping the run.

From a rushing defense standpoint, Ferris ranks 11th out of 12 teams surrendering an even 248 yards per contest. Only Tiffin has more generous against the run giving up 281 a contest. Today's opponent, Michigan Tech, ranks 10th in the GLIAC in rushing defense giving up 215 per outing this fall.

As both teams clearly have had their struggles in 2009 today's game could come down to which team proves to be tougher against the run in a baseball stadium that is being converted into a football stadium for this contest. Ferris will surely rely on the big guys along that front line like Kory Deering, Jacob Moreno, Jordan Morgan and a linebacker group that includes the likes of Nick Butler, Matt Ryan and others.

Rob Bentley, the associate director of Athletics Communications, and I hosted the Bulldog Blitz online chat Wednesday as this topic came up. Rob and I were joined by, among other people, Wes Frahm, the sports information director at Michigan Tech.

The consensus, during that chat, was that whoever stops the run is likely to be the team that will emerge with a win (the first of the season for the Huskies or the second of the year and first in the GLIAC for the Bulldogs).

(Photo taken by Ed Hyde)