Ferris State Football has won 35 straight games. Saginaw Valley has lost 11 straight against the Bulldogs.
Sounds like it won't be close, right? Well, history suggests otherwise.
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The No. 1 Bulldogs welcome the Cardinals to Top Taggart Field on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. ET, looking to extend their remarkable winning streak to 36 games. But Saginaw Valley State has a history of giving Ferris State fits, including a double-overtime thriller last season that nearly ended the Bulldogs' championship run.
Here are five things to know before the GLIAC rivals meet again, live on FloCollege.
1. The Cardinals Keep Coming Within Striking Distance
Ferris State has won 35 consecutive games, 31 straight at home and 18 consecutive GLIAC contests.
The Bulldogs haven't lost since their 2024 season opener against Pittsburg State.
And yet, Saginaw Valley has repeatedly come within inches of ending their dominance.
Ferris State leads the all-time series 30-19-1 and has won 11 straight meetings, but four of the last five have been decided by one possession.
- 2025: Ferris State 51, SVSU 45 (2OT)
- 2024: Ferris State 27, SVSU 24
- 2022: Ferris State 33, SVSU 28
- 2021: Ferris State 47, SVSU 45
Here's the kicker: All four close games came during Ferris State national championship seasons.
The Bulldogs might own the rivalry, but the Cardinals have been so close.
2. Six Turnovers, Two Overtimes And One Wild Finish
Last year's meeting had just about everything except a Saginaw Valley victory.
The Cardinals forced six Ferris State turnovers, turned them into 24 points and built a 24-7 lead in the third quarter.
Then Chase Carter happened.
The Ferris quarterback helped engineer the comeback, finishing with 208 passing yards, four touchdown passes and 67 rushing yards.
The game eventually reached overtime tied at 38.
Ferris State opened the extra period with a trick play, as Carter pitched to Brady Rose, who found Tae Boyd for a 25-yard touchdown.
Saginaw answered to force another overtime, but the Cardinals failed to score on their next possession.
Taariik Brett ended the madness with a 12-yard touchdown run, giving Ferris State a 51-45 victory.
The Bulldogs escaped. Barely.
3. The GLIAC's Best Passing Attack Meets A Defensive Juggernaut
Saginaw Valley State leads the GLIAC in passing offense, averaging nearly 300 yards per game.
Receiver JT Webber has 467 receiving yards and averages 27.47 yards per catch, fourth nationally. Braden Hill has five receiving touchdowns and a punt-return score.
But throwing against Ferris State is another story.
The Bulldogs have surrendered just 37 points through five games, an average of 7.4 per contest.
Last week, Ferris State shut out Northern Michigan 42-0, allowing just 20 yards and one first down in the opening half.
The Cardinals have the weapons to challenge that defense. Whether they can actually move the ball against it is another question entirely.
4. Michael Engle Knows How To Build An Offense. Can He Beat Ferris State?
Saginaw Valley's new head coach has quite the offensive résumé.
Michael Engle arrived in January after four seasons at Indianapolis, where he helped the Greyhounds compile a 39-8 record, win four consecutive GLVC championships and reach four straight NCAA Division II playoffs.
His 2025 offense averaged 46 points and 500.3 yards per game, both second nationally.
Engle also coached quarterback Gavin Sukup, the runner-up for the 2025 Harlon Hill Trophy.
Now comes a different challenge.
The Cardinals are 2-3 and have lost three straight games, although those defeats have come by an average of just seven points.
Engle's first opportunity to end SVSU's rivalry drought comes against a program that hasn't lost this matchup since 2013.
Nobody said the new job would be easy.
5. Remember Chase Carter? Saginaw Valley State Certainly Does.
The quarterback who helped rescue Ferris State against the Cardinals last season is still very much in the picture. Ferris State has proven throughout the season they are committed to their dual-quarterback system.
Wyatt Bower remains the Bulldogs' primary quarterback, completing nearly 65% of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He's also rushed for 302 yards and five scores.
But Carter continues to make his presence felt.
Against Northern Michigan last week, Carter completed all six of his passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score.
Bower contributed a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown of his own.
Ferris State has two quarterbacks capable of hurting opponents in different ways, and Carter already has a history of delivering against SVSU.
The Cardinals know firsthand what happens when he gets going.
How To Watch Saginaw Valley State vs. Ferris State
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
- Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Top Taggart Field, Big Rapids, Michigan
- Competition: GLIAC football
- Streaming: Watch Saginaw Valley State vs. Ferris State on FloCollege
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