Dragons fall to Ferris State in opener 14-12
Tiffin University opened its 2008 season with a narrow 14-12 loss to visiting Ferris State, a game that boasted strong defense from both sides and came down to the closing minutes to reach a decision.
Tiffin opened scoring on their first possession, driving 74 yards on 8 plays in 3:45 as quarterback Matt Root hit receiver Greg Raspberry on a 27 yard pass to take a quick 6-0 lead. TU's kick was blocked, starting a recurring theme as the Dragons kicking game struggled all day.
The Bulldogs answered at 4:48 of the first quarter, as Tom Schneider ran for 4 of his team high 91 yards, capping a 10-play, 65 yard drive and giving FSU a 7-6 lead. Ferris State scored again at the 13:52 mark of the second quarter as Seth Hubbard caught a 14 yard pass from Tom Schneider after a 9-play, 64 yard drive that made the score 14-6. Tiffin missed a golden opportunity just before halftime to get closer when, after Matt Root engineered a drive all the way to the Ferris State 2-yard line, a fumbled snap turned the ball over and cost the Dragons a potential touchdown. The score remained 14-6 at the half.
After that both team's defenses took over. The Dragons defense registered 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception, while the Bulldogs had 2 sacks, an interception, and forced 5 fumbles with 2 recoveries. Tiffin could not get its rushing game going, as the strong defensive line of the Bulldogs held TU to -3 yards on the ground.
With TU concentrating on its passing attack, the Bulldogs focused on the ground, gaining 164 of its 246 total yards via the rush. Schneider ran for 91 yards while passing for 73 more, and Tom Hogue had 54 yards rushing. Tiffin's Matt Root, meanwhile, connected on 28 of 51 passes for 260 of TU's 257 total offensive yards.
Tiffin opened the fourth quarter in strong fashion, driving 78 yards on 10 plays and scoring on Root's 31 yard pass on fourth down to Raspberry to bring the score to 14-12. Root's attempted two-point conversion pass did not get into the end zone and the Dragons were left with just over 12 minutes to take the lead.
The Dragons defense continued to play well, holding FSU to 102 yards of offense after halftime. Parris Burt led the way with 17 total tackles. Joe Crawford had 11 tackles with a sack, Steve Yarbough had 10 tackles with a sack and 3 tackles for loss, and Drew Douthit had 10 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss.
Tiffin had its shot to win the game, starting a drive with 9:25 left in the game at its own 20 yard line. The Dragons drove down the field, converting numerous third-and-longs to reach the Ferris 10 yard line. With 2:39 remaining, the Dragons lined up to attempt a 31 yard field goal to take the lead, but the snap was bounced to holder Mike Lento, who then took off around end, coming up short of the first down and ending the Dragons best shot at taking the lead.
Raspberry led the Dragons offense with 108 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns, while Dyshaun Edwards also had 54 yards receiving. The Dragons now take to the road at Findlay next week for their first GLIAC contest of the year.