No. 7 Grand Valley, No. 1 Ferris State square off in Anchor-Bone Classic

One of the fiercest football rivalries in NCAA Division II, featuring two of the nation’s top teams, unfolds on Saturday at Lubbers Stadium.

Grand Valley, ranked No. 7 in this week’s American Football Coaches Association poll, hosts No. 1-ranked and two-time defending national champion Ferris State at 3 p.m. on October 14 in the annual Anchor-Bone Classic. 

Ferris State (4-1, 2-0 in GLIAC) has held the No. 1 spot in several national polls this season, while Grand Valley (4-1, 1-0 in GLIAC) has reeled off four straight wins since its season-opening loss. 

GVSU maintains a 30-23-1 margin against the Bulldogs in the rivalry’s history, but Ferris State has won seven of the last eight meetings.

Last season, Grand Valley ended its six-game losing streak to Ferris State, stunning the Bulldogs with a 22-21 win at Top Taggart Field. Inevitably, the two teams met again later in the 2022 season with the Bulldogs edging the Lakers, 24-21, in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs. 

Just how competitive has the rivalry been recently? Six of their last seven meetings have been decided by seven points or less and come down to the final drive of the game.

The teams possess two of the most high-powered offenses in the nation. Ferris State ranks fourth in Division II, averaging 507.8 yards per game, while GVSU is fifth at 492.2 yards per game. 

Fans can watch the game either online at FloSports or locally, over-the-air on WXSP-TV (Channel 15). The game will also be broadcast on the radio at WLAV-FM 96.9 (wlav.com), WJRW-FM 106.1/WJRW-AM 1340 and WLCS-FM 98.3. 

Spanish-speaking fans can listen to games on La Poderosa 93.3 FM and 810 AM in Grand Rapids and 103.1 FM and 1080 AM in the Midland and Lansing areas.