Chase Carter threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, leading Ferris State to a 65-14 home win over Northwood University in the first round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs. Carter ran 15 times for 152 yards, including TD runs of 53 and 40 yards, as Ferris State built a 44-14 halftime lead. Carter also completed 11 of 21 passes for 133 yards, including a 7-yard TD pass to Carson Gulker and a 23-yard TD pass to Taariik Brett. Northwood, which finishes the season at 9-3, made its first playoff appearance in 19 years. After Ferris scored the first two touchdowns, Northwood answered with a 31-yard TD pass from Ethan Hamby to Gerry Hanson, a freshman from Anchor Bay. Ferris answered with a touchdown before Jalen Jones, a senior from Mattawan, intercepted a Hamby pass and returned it 15 yards for a score and a 27-7 lead. It was Hamby’s first interception of the season. The sopho The Timberwolves scored their final touchdown in the second quarter, making it 41-14, when Pauly Seeley, a junior from Alma High School, threw a 25-yard TD pass to Hudson Gerstacker, a sopho Hamby completed 4 of 10 passes for 56 yards, with Seeley completing 5 of 13 for 75 yards. Lake Boos caught three passes for 27 yards, and Gerstacker finished with two catches for 48 yards to lead Northwood. Trent Hill, a junior from Chelsea, led the Northwood ground game with 56 yards on 13 carries, with Devin Brown adding 14 carries for 54 yards. Cole Simpson, a junior from Jackson Lumen Christi, keyed the Northwood defense with 13 tackles, while Joe Lathers, a junior from Lumen Christi, and Jack Murray, a senior from Macomb Dakota, added nine tackles each. Alfred Lorenz, a sopho Ferris, the defending NCAA Division II national champion, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country. The Bulldogs totaled 588 yards of total offense against Northwood, including 432 yards rushing. Gulker, a junior from Zeeland West, ran 15 times for 100 yards and caught three passes for 38 yards. Brett finished with three catches for 40 yards. Eric Jackson, Isaiah Byars and Stanley Lambert made five tackles each for the Ferris defense. Ferris heads to the second round to take on Ashland (Ohio), a 32-7 winner over Minnesota-Duluth. Ashland (10-2), beat Northwood during the regular season, 21-13.
https://www.mlive.com/sports/2025/11/ferris-state-roughs-up-northwood-in-first-step-in-title-defense.html
Ferris State roughs up Northwood in first step in title defense
