T-Wolves finish 5-0 at home
MIDLAND -- The Northwood University football team moved its record to 5-3 on the season with a 33-7 victory over Ferris State Saturday afternoon (October 24).
The Timberwolves are also 5-3 in GLIAC play. The Bulldogs are now 1-8 overall, 0-8 in the GLIAC.
NU finishes the regular season with a perfect 5-0 record at home. It is the first time since 2004 that Northwood has gone unbeaten at home in the regular season.
Northwood took advantage of an early Ferris State turnover to take an early lead. FSU lost a fumble on their first offensive possession of the game, giving the Timberwolves the ball on the Bulldog 25 yard line. Five plays later, Anthony Brandon (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) found the endzone from one-yard out to give NU a 7-0 lead.
The game would remain 7-0 until late in the first half, when the Bulldogs took advantage of a short field and tied the game with 2:01 remaining. That would remain the score until halftime. Neither offense got much going in the opening 30 minutes, as the two teams combined for just 221 yards of offense (FS – 127, NU – 94).
The Timberwolves dominated play after the break, outscoring Ferris State 26-0. They took the lead again with 8:26 remaining in the third quarter on a Dmitri Banks (Detroit, Mich./Murray Wright) 12-yard run. Banks then scored again with 4:53 remaining in the third on a 40-yard pass from Spencer Klukowski (Rockford, Mich.). NU then registered its first safety since November 11, 2006 when Ryan Whittum (Livonia, Mich./Churchill) dropped the FSU running back in the endzone, making the score 23-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 24-yard Pat Sijan (Novi, Mich.) field goal with 12:30 remaining in the game made the score 26-7. The final score of the day came on a Joe Bitterman (Chesaning, Mich.) two-yard run with 2:06 remaining.
For the game, Northwood finished with a 281-193 advantage in total yards, which included a 187-66 edge in the second half. The Timberwolves defense held FSU to 52 yards rushing on 31 carries (1.7 yards per carry).
Banks finished the day with 165 all purpose yards (17 rushing, 61 receiving and 87 kick returns. Brandon led the Timberwolves with 54 yards rushing, while Klukowski added 50 yards rushing and 108 yards passing.
Andrew DeWeerd (Hudsonville, Mich.) led the defensive effort, finishing with nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble.
Northwood travels to Wayne State Saturday (October 31) for a Noon kickoff.
