BIG RAPIDS, Mich -- It will be another top-15 match up on Saturday when Ferris State (4-1) travels to Grand Valley State (5-0). The last few years this has been a very competitive rivalry between the two, Ferris beating Grand Valley the last couple years for the GLIAC championship, but the Lakers beating the Bulldogs in the playoffs last season.'
"Right now two really good programs based upon the success of the two programs. The course of the time that I`ve been here both teams have been highly successful. You know, they`ve obviously been able to do some great things, we were able to win two championships" Ferris State head coach Tony Annese said.
"If we weren't playing Ferris, it this was just team X, it would still be a massive game, because they`re 4-1, we`re 5-0, huge implications for the GLIAC conference. As we move forward we start to get into the meat of the schedule, so you take all that then you compound it with the fact that this is a fierce rivalry from an institutional stand point, an athletic department standpoint and obviously, football it`s been very heated" GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell said.
"There might be a little extra emotion, you know, just from what happened last season, but in the end it`s just another game in 2016 that we gotta prepare for. You know, I think we`ll do a good job and it will be a good test for us" GVSU sophomore quarterback Bart Williams said.
"We want to get the win so that we can get the chance to winning this game and being GLIAC champions and winning a national championship, so my focus is the game not the trophy" Ferris State senior wide receiver said.
While Grand Valley State did beat Ferris State the last time they played, that game was in the playoffs and not a trophy game, so the Bulldogs still own the Anchor-Bone trophy. That will be on the line at Lubbers Stadium.