Ferris State wins its first DII football national championship

Ferris State Athletics

The pace has slowed a bit in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs haven't. Jared Bernhardt returned from the sidelines, his ankle seemingly better, and led 10 play, 44-yard drive, ending with his third touchdown of the day. The drive started on a Ferris State deflection turned interception.

Bernhardt has 130 yards rushing and Bulldogs' running back Jeremy Burrell has added 95 more. They've attempted one pass.

Ferris State 27, Valdosta State 17

Valdosta State Athletics

As we said in our preview below, you should expect some fireworks in this one, as Valdosta State and Ferris State were the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses in DII, respectively. Ivory Durham leads a 75-yard drive, taking 5:11 off the clock, mixing the rush game in with the pass game and connecting with running back Seth McGill down the seam for an 18-yard touchdown pass. 

Valdosta State 7, Ferris State 6

Valdosta State Athletics

Valdosta State and Ferris State battle tonight in McKinney, Texas in a rematch of the 2018 national championship game. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.  or follow here for live updates as they happen. 

The weather is cold... and only getting colder. This certainly favors Ferris State after the playoff games it has played the past few weeks. The wind may also play a factor as it was a 12-mph gust that seems to be picking up as we near kickoff.

Wayne Cavadi | krikya18.com

Here's everything you need to know for the matchup. 

Ferris State vs. Valdosta State: Tale of the tape

Much like 2018, these two teams are evenly matched and have been arguably the best two teams in DII football from start to finish. Last time we saw these two play, they went down to the final seconds of the game, rewriting the DII football championship record book along the way.

11 CRAZY NUMBERS: Take a look at the record-setting 2018 championship game

So, how do the two matchup in 2021?

Both teams have respectable defenses, but they are both more about making the big play. This will be an offensive heavyweight slugfest, and fans should be in for a treat. Valdosta State in No. 1 in DII in total offense while Ferris State is No. 2. The Bulldogs lead DII in scoring offense, while the Blazers are fifth overall. While it may seem like Valdosta State has a slight edge in the passing game yards-wise, it is important to note that Ferris State is the third-most efficient team passing, making the most of every time it throws the ball. 

Players to watch

There are plenty of players to watch. The 2021 Gene Upshaw Award winner, Dylan Pasquali, anchors one of the best — and largest — offensive lines in the nation, which is pivotal for that rush attack. Brian Saunds and Lio'undre Gallimore are savvy wide receivers, Saunds being an excellent, speedy route runner and Gallimore with game-breaking ability to take the top off a defense. Gallimore had 111 yards and two scores in the 2018 game while Saunds reeled in 75 yards, so they can shine on the big stage.

Defensively, Ferris State boasts the GLIAC defensive player of the year in Caleb Murphy who had 13.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. It will be interesting to see if he can get to Ivory Durham, who was sacked a mere two times thanks to a bulky offensive line and gifted athleticism. Mondrell Jefferson is one to watch in the secondary, leading DII in fumble recoveries, two of which were scores.

But of course, this game features two of the best quarterbacks DII football has to offer. Jared Bernhardt has made the remarkable transition from Tewaaraton Award winning DI lacrosse player to GLIAC offensive player of the year. Last week in the semifinals, he ran for more than 200 yards with five touchdowns in another tremendous game.

"His capacity to make people miss is special. I knew he'd be special: He was in LAX season, texting me questions about a spring ball install. But no way do you think he has the capacity to make people miss like that." Coach Tony Annese on Jared Bernhardt (201 rush, 5 TD in semis)

— Wayne Cavadi (@UofDWayne)

For Valdosta State, Durham has transitioned well himself. A backup quarterback and jack-of-all-trades prior to 2021, Durham was used as more of a change-of-pace running back since 2018, throwing a touchdown in the 2018 game on a trick play to fellow quarterback Rogan Wells. Now, Durham has taken over, still using his elusive speed but developing into a precise passer seemingly improving every week.

"[Durham]'s a football junkie. He's a dynamic player — a true-pocket passer first. A lot of people don't realize that because he's so athletic and fast. In my opinion, he is the Harlon Hill winner."

- Blazers' coach Gary Goff on Ivory Durham (4,234 total yards, 44 total TD)

— Wayne Cavadi (@UofDWayne)

Ferris State vs. Valdosta State: Coaching greats

What Tony Annese has done at Ferris State is simply remarkable. This season was the Bulldogs fifth straight trip to the quarterfinals and fourth trip to the semifinals during that span. Last week's win over Shepherd was No. 100 in his amazing career. Another fun fact: Under Annese, eight different Ferris State quarterbacks have registered five or more touchdowns in a game. Three of them — Jared Bernhardt, Evan Cummins and Mylik Mitchell — came this season.

Gary Goff is the fourth head coach to lead the Blazers to a national championship game. He rebuilt a Tiffin program seemingly overnight before returning to Valdosta State for the 2019 season. Before he was a coach, he was a player for the mid-90s Blazers team that turned the program from Valdosta State to Title Town. Goff was on the first team to win a GSC crown as well as a member of the first two DII football playoff teams from VSU. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ferris State vs. Valdosta State: How to win

For Valdosta State, the recipe is simple. Score first and score often. The Blazers are 10-0 when scoring first this year, and they are a team that lays it on early. That helped last week when the Colorado School of Mines came storming back in the fourth quarter but simply ran out of time trying to catch the Blazers' already large lead.

For Ferris State, it's simply play Ferris football. That means letting Bernhardt establish the flow early and pick and choose his holes and throw when he needs to. It appears close to impossible to rattle Durham and get him out of sync, so it may be on the Ferris State secondary to disrupt his receivers off the line and try to get Durham's timing off. 

The weather is currently looking to be an un-Texas-like high-30 degrees come kickoff, which certainly favors Ferris State this postseason. But the weather won't matter with this much talent on the field. Whoever has the ball last will likely come home national champion.

krikya18.com

And then there were two. The semifinals wrapped up Saturday, Dec. 11 and Valdosta State and Ferris State move on to their second championship game appearance since 2018. You can follow how both games unraveled in the update thread below.

Real-time updates and scores from the DII football semifinals

Ferris State 55, Shepherd 7 | Final

Key stats

6:24 p.m.: Ferris State 55, Shepherd 7 — Evan Cummins rushes it in and now all three Ferris State quarterbacks have found the end zone. This offense is impressive. Halfway through the fourth quarter and it's all Ferris State. 

6:11 p.m.: Ferris State 48, Shepherd 7 — We enter the fourth quarter and Shepherd has a mountain to climb. The Bulldogs added another score from sometimes-starter, sometimes-backup quarterback Mylik Mitchell. Mitchell connected with Hunt-Thompson for his second score of the half. 

5:54 p.m.: Ferris State 41, Shepherd 7 — It's been a quiet second half between DII's most explosive offenses thus far. Ferris State is the first to break through, and it wasn't on a Bernhardt touchdown. Tyrese Hunt-Thompson runs it in from 16 yards out to put the Bulldogs up by five scores. 

Halftime: Ferris State 35, Shepherd 7 — Simply a remarkable first half from the Ferris State quarterback. Bernhardt now has five touchdowns. He has 163 yards rushing, while his counterpart, Tyson Bagent has thrown for 147 yards and a touchdown. The Rams have been the comeback kids all season. Ferris State is best off not taking the pedal off the metal, because this one isn't over yet.

4:33 p.m.: Ferris State 28, Shepherd 7 — The Jared Bernhardt Show is in full effect. The Bulldogs' quarterback now has 128 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Plenty of time for Bagent and company to get back in this. 

4:13 p.m.: Ferris State 21, Shepherd 7 — The snow is falling harder and it may have led to the botched punt from Shepherd. Ferris State recovered deep in Shepherd's territory and Jared Bernhardt punches it in once again for a 21-7 lead. It is his third touchdown of the first quarter. Tyson Bagent will have a tall order to lead an aerial attack in this weather. 

4:02 p.m.: Ferris State 14, Shepherd 7 — This award-winning offensive line is showing why they are so tough. Anchored by Gene Upshaw winner Dylan Pasquali, they continue to open holes for Bernhardt. He rushes it in from one yard out to put Ferris State back on top. Still five minutes to go in the first quarter. 

3:56 p.m.: Ferris State 7, Shepherd 7 — For Shepherd to have a chance, the Rams will need to win the turnover battle. They took the first steps to doing so by forcing a Tyler Minor fumble and turning it into a touchdown drive. Bagent hooked up with one of his favorite targets Josh Gontarek twice, once for 29 yards and then for a one-yard score to tie it up. 

3:39 p.m.: Ferris State 7, Shepherd 0 — Welcome back, Jared Bernhardt. After missing last week with an injury, the Ferris State quarterback shows why he is so dangerous. The Bulldogs have a two-play drive highlighted by a Bernhardt 61-yard run to the five followed by the Harlon Hill nominee punching it in from five yards out. Still plenty of time with 13:17 on the clock. Get ready for fireworks, this should be a good one. 

3:00 p.m. — Get ready for football, Ferris State style. The weather in Big Rapids, Michigan is a frigid 33 degrees with snow in the forecast. 

Valdosta State 34, Colorado School of Mines 31 | Final

Give credit to the Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers never went away with a 14-0 fourth quarter, but it was just too late. Valdosta State moves on to the finals looking for its fifth DII football national championship. Scroll down to relive how the first semifinal game played out.

Key stats:

3:23 p.m.  —  Blazers 34, Orediggers 31: Matocha finds Josh Johnston to get the Orediggers down by three. The onside kick is... recovered by the Blazers. That should do it. Brian Saunds, the Blazers' top receiver who didn't play until just now, recovers. 

3:06 p.m.  —  Blazers 34, Orediggers 24: We're not done just yet. A big fourth down conversion and a nice crossing pattern from Matocha to Max McLeod from 17 yards out get the Orediggers to a 10-point deficit. Mines was close to recovering the ensuing onside on a perfect kick, but it bounces into the Blazers hands. Just 3:35 to go.

2:42p.m.  —  Blazers 34, Orediggers 17: Great play by the Valdosta defense. With fourth and a yard to go inside the 10, the Mines' offense attempted some tomfoolery with a reverse. The Blazers weren't fooled, held their lanes and stuffed the ball. Valdosta now has forced a fumble, interception and turnover on downs on big drives in the second half. 

2:24p.m.  —  Blazers 34, Orediggers 17: Another quick drive highlighted by big plays from Durham. He hooked up with Gallimore for 31 yards on a huge third-down conversion and used his feet again, scrambling for a 38-yard score. He's so explosive when he sees the hole, but don't be fooled — Durham is very much a pass-first QB. There's 3:44 left in the third. 

2:15 p.m.  —  Blazers 27, Orediggers 17: It's a turnover party in Valdosta State. Matocha had a path to the end zone and fumbled out of bounce at the one-yard line. However, the Blazers' followed with a fumble of their own when Jamar Thompkins coughed it up after breaking a huge 40-yard run. Wild few series. Mines needs to take advantage with just five minute remaining in the third. 

2:03 p.m.  —  Blazers 27, Orediggers 17:  Blazers come out with a couple big plays, but the Mines clamp down and hold them out of the red zone. Valdosta State has to settle for a field goal but does jump out to a two-score lead early in the third.

Halftime  —  Blazers 24, Orediggers 17: 
Blazers stats:

• Durham: 156 pass, 91 receiving, 3 TD
• Gallimore (60), Roberts (37), Talley (20) with TD catches

Mines stats:

• Matocha: 107 pass, 24 rush, 2 TD
• Zeman: 52 rush (3.71 ypc), 3 receiving

There has been a combined 481 yards of offense and 41 points. Are you not entertained? Stay tuned. Second half coming up. 

1:08 p.m. —  Blazers 17, Orediggers 17: Blazers' quarterback Ivory Durham threw his second touchdown on the last drive and Orediggers' quarterback countered with his second rushing touchdown of the day to tie it up. This drive saw a lot more Michael Zeman and the Mines' ground-and-pound offense that creates more passes for Matocha. Grab the popcorn, we have a good one. Still 6:30 left in the first half. 

12:56 p.m. —  Blazers 17, Orediggers 10: And that's the difficulty in planning against this Valdosta State offense. Quarterback Ivory Durham is so dynamic, the Blazers can move quickly. A 22-yard run by Durham sets up a huge 37-yard touchdown pass to Travon Roberts. Durham no has two touchdown passes. Still 10:54 to go in the first half. 

12:48 p.m. —  Blazers 10, Orediggers 10: Blazers' head coach Gary Goff makes a bold call to go for it on fourth down in their own territory and the Mines' defense stuffs Valdosta State. John Matocha and crew capitalize —  Harlon Hill candidate Michael Zeman picked up a big fourth down and Matocha took it into the end zone on a well-designed RPO call inside the 10. We have a tie ballgame in the second quarter.

12:25 p.m. — Blazers 10, Orediggers 0: Valdosta State hits a field goal to increase its lead. The Blazers are controlling all aspects of the game. Ivory Durham is executing seemingly at will on the ground and through the air. He has a few missed throws, but otherwise the Mines have had no answer. That was a big third-down stop for the Orediggers to hold the Blazers to three, so let's see how the offense responds.

Thus far, the Orediggers quarterback John Matocha — one of the most accurate and efficient in DII football two years running — has been held in check. He is 1-for-4 on the first two drives, so the Blazers are certainly keying in on the Mines' All-Conference quarterback, disrupting his timing by doing a good job of jumping routes. 

12:09 p.m. —

WOW! Two playoff veterans right there. Ivory Durham bombs it to Lio'undre Gallimore for a 60-yard touchdown on the first passing play of the day. Valdosta State up 7-0 quickly in the first semifinal of the day.

— Wayne Cavadi (@UofDWayne)

DII football semifinals facts and figures

• The top three total offenses in DII football play Saturday. Valdosta State is No. 1 at 526.3 yards per game, Shepherd is No. 2 with 517.2 and Ferris State follows at No. 3 with 501.7 yards per game.
• Conversely, Ferris State is the highest-ranked defense remaining in the tournament, allowing 276.2 yards per game, 15th-best in DII. However, Colorado School of Mines allows just 13.8 points per game, which is sixth-best in DII. 
• Shepherd quarterback Tyson Bagent leads DII football with 4,751 yards passing and 339.4 passing yards per game. His 52 touchdown passes are also tops in the division.
• Speaking of Bagent, he is one of two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists still playing. Colorado School of Mines running back Michael Zeman is the other. His 21 rushing touchdowns are fourth in DII. 
• Valdosta State and Ferris State met in the 2018 national championship game. Several records were broken in that memorable 49-47 finale to the 2018 season. 
• Ferris State is the only undefeated team remaining in DII football. It is the third tournament in a row that the Bulldogs enter the semifinals undefeated. 
• Colorado School of Mines is in unchartered territory. The Orediggers are the only team in the final four making their semifinals debut.