Football Falls In NCAA Championship Opening Round At No. 1 Ferris State 65-14

OVERVIEW – #1 FERRIS STATE

SCORE: No. 1 Ferris State Bulldogs 65, Northwood Timberwolves 14
RECORDS: Northwood 9-3 | Ferris State 12-0
LOCATION: Top Taggart Field – Big Rapids, Mich.
RECAP: Northwood football sees its 2025 season come to an end with a 65-14 loss at No. 1 Ferris State Saturday afternoon (November 22).

INSIDE THE GAME

• Ferris State scored two quick touchdowns to open the game to take a 14-0 lead at the 6:32 mark of the opening quarter.
• Northwood responded with their first points of the day less than two minutes later, as the Timberwolves went 55 yards in five plays. The drive was capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Hamby to Gerry Hanson to make the score 14-7.
• FSU scored one more touchdown before the end of the quarter for a 21-7 lead after one.
• A key play in the contest came early in the second, as the Bulldogs returned a Northwood interception 15 yards for a touchdown to make the score 27-7.
• Ferris State kept the momentum going, scoring two more touchdown to go up 41-7 with 2:09 remaining in the opening half.
• Northwood got one back with a quick drive in the final minute of the half, as Pauly Seeley found Hudson Gerstacker for a 25-yard touchdown pass.
• FSU rounded out the scoring with a field goal as the half expired to send the game to the break with Ferris State up 44-14.
• The Bulldogs controlled the second half, scoring three touchdowns while holding the Timberwolves off the board.

GAME STATS

• FIRST DOWNS: Northwood 14, Ferris State 27
• RUSHES-YARDS: Northwood 42-130, Ferris State 58-432
• PASSING YARDS: Northwood 131 (9-23, 2 TDs, INT), Ferris State 156 (12-22, 0 TDs, INT)
• TOTAL OFFENSE, PLAYS-YARDS: Northwood 65-261, Ferris State 80-588
• TIME OF POSSESSION: Northwood 25:44, Ferris State 34:16

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

• Trent Hill: 13 carries, 56 yards
• Devin Brown: 14 carries, 54 yards
• Gerstacker: 48 yards receiving, TD
• Hanson: 31 yards receiving, TD
• Cole Simpson: 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
• Joe Lathers/Jack Murray: Nine tackles each

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• This was Northwood's first appearance in the NCAA Playoffs since 2006.
• Hamby's interception in the second quarter was the first he has thrown this season.  He entered play today having thrown 22 touchdowns and zero interceptions on 289 passes this season.
• Northwood finished the season with a total of eight turnovers. Seven of the eight came in two games – NU's loss to Findlay (three) and today against Ferris State (four).