Football in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has been dominated by Ferris State and Grand Valley State, with up-and-coming Davenport trying to enter the conversation, so it makes sense that those are the teams in the spotlight each week.

Their performances raise all the logical questions and keep interests peaked from week to week, as the GLIAC title and playoff scenarios always seem to come down to the final week or two.

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For sure after Week 1, fans were wondering if the Ferris State dynasty was done. After Week 3, are there questions about GVSU and its defensive weaknesses? Are the Davenport Panthers the same squad that has been bullied by the aforementioned teams, or is this the year they get it done?

We tackle these questions and share some of the GLIAC takeaways heading into Week 4 (and Week 5 for Ferris State) of the 2024 college football season:  

Don’t Mess With The Ferris State Bulldogs

The American International College Yellow Jackets are in an unenviable position, and their fate for the next game of their 2024 college football season looks pretty grim.

The good news is, they have another week to prepare, since they don't host Ferris State until Sept. 28. That also might give the Bulldogs a chance to cool off. Maybe.

AIC is preparing to host the Bulldogs, who are on a tear after a couple of disappointing results, and the Yellow Jackets are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

That said, there hasn’t been a right time to face Ferris State over the last few seasons, unless you’re the Grand Valley State University Lakers.

GVSU handed the Bulldogs their only loss in 2022, and while Ferris State went on to claim a second consecutive national championship, the win determined the year’s GLIAC winner for the year and was a warning from the Lakers.

In case the Bulldogs didn’t hear it in 2022, GVSU said it again in 2023 and louder for the people in the back. 

The Lakers crushed Ferris State in their regular-season meeting (49-28), won the GLIAC title again and then ended the Bulldogs’ bid for a third consecutive national championship by defeating them in the first round of the Division II playoffs (21-14).

The Ferris State spiral continued into the opening week of the 2024 season, where the Bulldogs failed to score a touchdown in an uncharacteristic 19-3 loss to Pittsburg State. Sure, Pittsburg State made it to the second round of the playoffs last year, where the Gorillas lost to GVSU, but it’s almost unheard of for Ferris State not to find the end zone.

Case in point, during their 2023 campaign, which was disappointing by their standards but would be a great season for most teams, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 442-197. Take out Grand Valley State, and it’s 400-127.

Something was sparked during the offensively paralyzed season-opening performance against Pittsburg State, and the Bulldogs have been ferocious since, taking down Lake Erie 56-3 and Ashland 43-3.

Ferris State rolled up 530 yards of offense against Ashland on Saturday, while keeping the visitors to just 130 total yards, which included only 21 on the ground. 

The Bulldogs were stung in their season opener, but they haven’t been the same team since. However, everything they’re doing now is just preparation for their chance at redemption against GVSU in the 2024 edition of the Anchor-Bone Classic on Oct. 26.

Oh, and Ferris State defeated AIC in 2023 by a score of 56-0.

Is Grand Valley State Still The Real Deal?

Since the COVID-crushed 2020 college football season, Grand Valley State has been on another level, and the Lakers have gone from to perennial runner-up behind Ferris State to having the Bulldogs’ number.

Yes, the GLIAC includes eight teams, but minus the occasional upset, the trend has been for the regular-season meeting between GVSU and Ferris State to be the deciding factor for the conference crown.

In 2022, the Lakers handed the Bulldogs the only loss of their season and took the title. In 2023, GVSU did the same, and one better, also eliminating Ferris State from the Division II playoffs.

Early in the 2024 campaign, and with the start of conference play still a few weeks away, things seem to be on track for GVSU and Ferris State, though there have been some hiccups – maybe even telling deficiencies. 

The first was discussed above – Ferris State’s pummeling by Pittsburg State, in which the offensively strong Bulldogs were kept at bay. Was it an indication of weakness or just a delay in shaking off the rust of the longest offseason they’ve experienced in a few years?

Grand Valley State was dominant in its season-opening win at home over Central State (58-0), but last week’s visit to Colorado State-Pueblo nearly ended in disaster after a 17-0 halftime lead for the Lakers.

CSU-Pueblo dominated the second half, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and nearly pulled off the comeback. The Lakers were able to hold on for the 24-21 victory, but did it expose weaknesses in the GVSU defense? Did the Lakers wear themselves out in the first half?

The Lakers outgained CSU-Pueblo in the win 401-383, but that number is telling. The ThunderWolves only managed 68 rushing yards on 26 attempts, which means the damage was done through the air to the tune of 315 yards on a 25-for-43 performance from CSU-Pueblo quarterback Devin Larsen. 

Did the ThunderWolves discover something the Lakers will need to address before conference play begins Oct. 5, or is the CSU-Pueblo passing game just that good? If it’s the latter, where were they in the first half?

Either way, things look pretty normal in the GLIAC – Grand Valley State and Ferris State both have momentum now, but a couple other teams are lurking. Too much attention on the GVSU-Ferris State matchup could leave the teams open to a talented dark horse sneaking in and stealing the GLIAC title. 

Don’t Sleep On Davenport Football

Davenport is a talented team stuck in the shadow of two powerhouse squads, but the Panthers are primed to pounce.

The up-and-coming Panthers cruised to an 8-0 start last season, including a 4-0 mark in GLIAC play, before running into Ferris State and Grand Valley State, which have become the overpowering big brothers of the GLIAC in recent years.

Davenport had control of its own fate but lost both games and missed the playoffs. 

While a similar scenario in 2022 turned out OK for the Panthers, who received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Playoffs – the first in program history – that was not the case in 2023.

In reality, the Panthers have made incredible progress in one of the nation’s toughest conferences. The program has only been around since 2016, after all.

Their last two campaigns began perfectly – 8-0 – before running into the Bulldogs and Lakers, but being 16-5 and only losing to two teams has to be good for Davenport’s confidence. Ish.

The Panthers have to know they’re close to something. On paper, if they can figure out one, or both, pieces of their GLIAC conundrum, who knows where it could lead them. 

It’s probably not likely that Grand Valley State and/or Ferris State will leave the GLIAC to open the door for Davenport, so the Panthers will need to get it done on the field.

The Panthers have gone with a different scheduling strategy in 2024, so maybe that will shake things up. Instead of ending the season with their two biggest challenges, they’ll be opening GLIAC play with the Lakers on Oct. 5 and finishing the year with Ferris State on Nov. 16.

Winning the first could add a lot of pressure within the conference and potentially make the season finale a life-changing opportunity for Davenport.

So far in 2024, Davenport is 2-0 in with wins over Thomas More (24-17) and Bowie State (17-14).

Again, things are as they have been within the GLIAC. But is this the year where it changes?

How Did The GLIAC Football Teams Perform In Week 3?

*GLIAC teams in bold

• Michigan Tech 21, Hillsdale 6
• Davenport 17, Bowie State 14
• Northwood 10, Saginaw Valley 7
• Findlay 42, Wayne State 30
• UW-Whitewater 24, Roosevelt 14
• UW-La Crosse 35, Northern Michigan 21
• Ferris State 43, Ashland 3
• Grand Valley State 24, Colorado State-Pueblo 21

What's Ahead For GLIAC Teams In Week 4?

Sept. 21 (All times Eastern)

Central Missouri at Davenport, noon

Alma at Northern Michigan, 1 p.m.

Michigan Tech at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1 p.m.

Truman State at Saginaw Valley State, 2 p.m.

Roosevelt at Valparaiso, 2 p.m.

Indianapolis at Wayne State, 6 p.m.

Wisconsin-La Crosse at Grand Valley State, 7 p.m.

*Ferris State has this week off and will visit AIC on Sept. 28.

D2Football.com Top 25 – Sept 15, 2024

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