BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University football team carried a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter but No. 3 Ferris State was able to score three times in the final frame to take away a 35-17 win in Great lakes Intercollegiate football action Saturday.

The Wildcats fell to 2-8 overall with a 1-8 league mark while Ferris State remained undefeated improving to 10-0 overall with a 9-0 GLIAC record.

NMU racked up 278 yards of total offense in the contest including 208 yards through the air.

He split the bulk of the yardage between senior wide out Kelvin Smarwt and junior wide receiver Marcus Tucker. Junior running back Terrance Dye led the squad on the ground picking up 90 yards on 16 carries.

The Wildcats and Bulldogs traded punches in the opening quarter. Ferris State picked up a touchdown when quarterback Jason Vander Laan ran the ball in from five yards out with 6:59 left in the first.

Dye then broke for a 17-yard touchdown run just under two minutes later to even the score at 7-7.

NMU took a 14-7 lead with 28-seconds left in the half when Brown hooked up with Tucker for a four-yard touchdown pass.

Freshman Kicker Ryan LaBerge gave the Wildcats a 17-7 lead with 13:48 left in the third quarter when he split the uprights with a 27-yard field goal.

Ferris then scored four-straight touchdowns over the remainder of the contest to pick up the win.

Vander Laan connected with Kenny Feyh on a 17-yard pass in the third then ran in a pair of touchdowns in the fourth. Jamaal Jackson capped the scoring for the Bulldogs when he took in a seven-yard run with 1:19 left in the game.

Sophomore Linebacker Dalton Stenberg led the Wildcats with 19 tackles including six solo hits. Senior Nick Krause had 17 tackles, including four tackles for 10 total yards in losses. Junior defensive back LaQuan Middleton picked off Vander Laan and returned the pick for 16-yards for NMU.

The Wildcats will wrap up their regular season hosting Findlay next Saturday (Nov. 15) at the Superior Dome. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.