Cards fumble win away

Bulldogs' running game, halftime deficit too much for Cardinals as Ferris State pulls off early season upset

by Andy Hoag
Vanguard Sports Editor

September 18, 2006 —

The fireworks were in the sky Saturday night in Big Rapids. The SVSU football team left its fireworks on the field.

Down 26-23 and faced with a fourth-and-goal on Ferris State's one-yard line with 23 seconds left in the game, coach Randy Awrey had two choices: go for the touchdown - and the win - or attempt a field goal and take the game to overtime.

Awrey took option number one, and it simply did not pay off.

Junior quarterback Chris Dougherty took the snap on the play but could not cleanly hand the ball off to redshirt freshman Toby Goetz, and the Bulldogs' Jake Visser recovered the fumble, ending the game for the Cardinals.

"Go for the win," Awrey said of his mindset before the play. "We had the momentum, we were driving. I believed we could score, and if we hadn't fumbled, I think we would have."

The play was the culmination of an eight-play, 36-yard drive for the Cardinals.

"I wasn't surprised," Bulldogs coach Jeff Pierce said. "I kind of expected them to do that."

It was also the end of a second half which the Cardinals dominated, coming back from a 26-8 halftime deficit. SVSU gained 191 yards of offense in the half and limited the Bulldogs to just 82 yards.

"They played a great game in the second half," Awrey said of his players. "They came out with a lot of intensity. They played their hearts out, but they just felt short."

Awrey added that he and the coaches said "nothing different" than they normally would in the locker room at half.

"(Ferris) did everything right (in the first half)," he said. "They just played better."

Senior safety Jeff Mackey had a different view at the half.

"We got a stern talking to from the coaches in the locker room," Mackey said. "And from me. I'm not a captain, but I'm a leader as a senior."

The Cardinals controlled the ball for just over 12 minutes in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 28-25. SVSU marched 69 yards in 13 plays to open the quarter, a drive that ended in a seven-yard strike from junior Chris Dougherty to junior Ric Cottengim. Dougherty converted the ensuing two-point conversion attempt by running in on a draw.

After a Ferris State three-and-out, the Cardinals responded with a 10-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by a one-yard run by Goetz. Senior Bobby Belmonte connected on the point-after to bring SVSU within three.

The Cardinals defense kept the team in the game after that, as junior Josh Miller and redshirt freshman John Jacobs combined to sack junior quarterback C.J. Van Wieren on a third-and-long with just more than 12 minutes left in the game. On the Bulldogs' next possession, Mackey came up with his third interception of the game, returning the pick to midfield.

"I just tried to make plays," he said. "The offense needed our help. Coach told us to get three-and-outs, and I helped get some one-and-outs."

SVSU had a bit of luck on its side for a short while after that. On their next drive, the Cardinals went three-and-out, leaving freshman punter Kurtis Fournier the job of pinning the Bulldogs deep in their own territory with just over four minutes left. The snap went high over Fournier's head, but he was able to recover it and, with a Ferris State defender in his face, kick the ball with a sideways motion down to the Bulldogs' 14-yard line.

SVSU got the three-and-out it needed and got the ball back with 1:44 left on the clock at the Bulldogs' 38, but could not complete the comeback.

The Cardinals were unable to stop the Bulldogs in the first half, as Ferris racked up 259 yards of offense, 170 on the ground.

Ferris used a two-headed monster at quarterback in the half, as senior Ryan Kaul and Van Wieren combined to rush 11 times for 82 yards. Junior wide receiver Robert Miller totaled 42 yards on 10 sweep-style rushes, and senior running back John Vandenberg ran eight times for 35 yards in place of starter Paris Holloman, who was injured in the second quarter.

"We thought they would air it out the entire time," Mackey said. "We had to make our adjustments at halftime."

Miller opened the scoring for Ferris just two minutes into the game on a 25-yard run. The run capped a six-play, 80-yard drive for the Bulldogs, who rushed five times for 60 yards on the drive.

The Cardinals responded by driving to the Bulldogs' 30, but they were stalled, as Belmonte missed a 47-yard field goal.

Ferris took advantage of the miss, using just four plays to march 70 yards to take a 14-0 lead just eight and a half minutes into the game. Kaul connected for 63 yards to junior Mike Guevara on the second play of the drive and rushed three yards into the end zone two plays later.

Junior Carlos Swoope muffed the ensuing kickoff, leaving the Cardinals at their own three-yard line. SVSU was unable to muster any offense on the drive, which left Fournier in the back of the end zone. The freshman was able to gather yet another low snap but booted the ball right into the back of a Cardinals blocker and was forced to punch it out of the back of the end zone for a Bulldogs safety.

Ferris could have put the game out of reach for SVSU, but Kaul was intercepted by Mackey on the third play of the subsequent drive. The Cardinals were unable to capitalize, though, as Belmonte missed again, this time from 37 yards out.

The Bulldogs could not take advantage, either, as Mackey intercepted Kaul again.

SVSU finally got on the board on the next drive, as senior quarterback Vinnie Miroth connected on a 58-yard bomb to Cottengim for the score. Down by 16 points, the Cardinals went for the two-point conversion, which Miroth converted on a pass to junior Joe Dougherty.

The Bulldogs responded well, though, as they used a 14-play, 70-yard drive capped by a two-yard run by Van Wieren to go up 23-8 on SVSU. Ferris called just one pass play on the drive, and, without anyone to throw to, Kaul scrambled 18 yards for a key first down near midfield. The senior broke his collarbone on the play, though, and Holloman broke his ankle one play later. Ferris did not miss a beat, though, as Van Wieren and Vandenberg finished off the drive by running nine times for 39 yards.

After the Bulldogs' Chad Wilson intercepted Miroth, Ferris kicked a 32-yard field goal to take a 26-8 lead.

SVSU was able to amass 174 yards in the half, but that was no match for the Bulldogs' explosion.

Dougherty finished the game 18-for-31 for 189 yards and a score, while Miroth was 2-for-4 for 76 yards with the long touchdown pass and the interception. Senior Bob Awrey had seven catches for 75 yards and Cottengim finished with six catches for 113 yards and two scores to lead the way for the receivers.

SVSU could not get much going on the ground, as they rushed 34 times for a total of 100 yards, a 2.9-yard average. Sophomore Brandon Emeott had most of the carries, running 18 times for 59 yards.

Senior linebacker Brent Rogers led all Cardinals defenders with 11 tackles, while Miller and senior safety Lenny Dantinne finished with 10 a piece. Jacobs continued his strong play, making nine tackles, two for loss.

The Cardinals return home next week to face Northern Michigan, which comes into the game 2-0 and with two weeks of rest.

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