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Grand Valley State University Athletics

42
Ashland AU 6-3 , 6-2
48
Winner Grand Valley State GV 8-0 , 8-0
Ashland AU
6-3 , 6-2
42
Final
48
Grand Valley State GV
8-0 , 8-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
AU Ashland 14 9 13 6 42
GV Grand Valley State 14 7 13 14 48

Game Recap: Football |

#1 Grand Valley State Wins 48-42 Instant Classic Versus #23 Ashland

Oct. 26, 2008

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

Allendale, Mich. - #1-ranked Grand Valley State used an impressive third quarter comeback to claim a 48-42 victory over #23 Ashland Saturday night before 10,132 fans in Lubbers Stadium. Grand Valley State claims at least a share of its fourth straight GLIAC title with victory. GVSU (8-0) will hit the road for a GLIAC tilt at Northern Michigan next Saturday (Nov. 1).

It looked like a shootout as both teams scored on each of its first three possessions. Grand Valley State took the opening kickoff an moved 92 yards in seven plays for a score. Junior QB Brad Iciek hit James Berezik with a 22-yard scoring pass over the middle for the first of 90 combined points on the evening at the 11:54 mark. PK Todd Carter added the PAT for a 7-0 Laker lead. Ashland answered and tied the score in just 3:34 with a Bill Cundiff 24-yard pass to Joe Horn. RB/WR Blake Smolen returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the 50 and it took just seven plays for the Lakers to drive 50 yards as Berezik scored on a fourth and one from the two. The Eagles answered again as D'Marris McCoy scored on a five-yard run.

The second quarter started like the first quarter ended as Berezik scored on a 34-yard shovel pass from Iciek on the first play. From that point on Ashland held the ball for nearly the entire quarter as the Lakers lost a fumble on a kickoff and Ashland recorded a safety. The Eagles tied the game at 21-21 and then took a 23-21 lead when Iciek tripped and touched his knee in the endzone with 7:42 left in the second quarter. Ashland held possession of the ball for 13:22 of the second quarter, but managed just nine points. The Eagles kept the pressure on the Laker defense in the third quarter, scoring on their first two possessions to take a 36-21 lead with 6:37 left in the third quarter. The third quarter lead for Ashland marked the first time since Oct. 23rd 2004 versus Northwood that an opponent held a lead in the third quarter in a regular season game.

"It certainly didn't look good at that point, but the kids never blinked and stayed the coures," said fifth-year head coach Chuck Martin. "We had no room for error and both the offense and defense made plays when we needed them," added Martin.

Iciek started the comeback when he found Smolen streaking down the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. The Lakers attempted an onside kick, but Ashland's Alan Dunson made a one-handed grab and gave the Eagles a golden opportunity to answer. However, a blitz put pressure on Cundiff and his errant pass was picked off safety Jacob McGucking to give the Lakers life. Iciek drove GVSU 85 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 38-yard pass to Greg Gay. Iciek hit TE Jonn Mathews with a two-yard TD pass, but the two-point conversion run failed and the Lakers trailed 36-34 with 1:54 left in the third. The Laker defense continued to stand tall and forced a three-and-out. AU's Derek Riedel uncorked an 18-yard punt to set up the Laker offense on the Ashland 39-yard line. It took GVSU just four plays as Smolen scored on an incredible 20-yard run to give the Lakers their first lead in nearly two quarters. Iciek hit Gay with a two-point play pass to give GVSU a 42-36 lead. The GVSU defense held Ashland for its third straight possession as Cundiff's fourth-down pass on the Laker 29-yard line was incomplete. Iciek directed a 15-play, 71-yard drive that consumed 8:20 off the clock and ended with his one-yard TD run to give GVSU a 48-36 lead. GVSU converted a key third-and-24 play when Iciek hit Berezik with a shovel pass that he took to the AU five. Ashland scored a TD with 11 seconds left in the game on fourth-and-14 pass to pull within six (48-42). However, the Eagles were unable to come up with the onside kick as it didn't travel 10 yards and went out of bounds.

"I am so proud of how the kids competed for 60 minutes," said Martin. "That was a complete team win, players and coaches included. The defense got stops when we needed them the most, the offense scored quickly when we needed points and then came up with a time consuming drive when we had the lead, but needed more points. Our special teams play came through with touchbacks, a punt inside the 20 and two blocked PATs."

Iciek completed 16-of-25 passes for 319 yards and four TDs, while Berezik tallied his second straight game with over 100 yards rushing and receiving. Berezik rushed for 106 yards and one TD on 20 carries and caught six passes for 101 yards and two TDs. Smolen tallied 239 all-purpose yards. Tight end Scott Blasko caught a career-high five passes for a career-high 67 yards. Four of Blasko's five catches resulted in first downs. Brad Howard and Gary Anderson each collected 10 tackles, while Danny Richard added seven tackles, two QB sacks and two TFL. Safety Jacob McGuckin added seven tackles and an interception.

Notes...Grand Valley State is featuring a balanced offense in 2008, rushing for 1,773 yards and passing for 1,735 yards. In addition, the Lakers have 20 rushing TDs and 26 passing TDs...GVSU set a host of GLIAC regular season attendance records in 2008. The Lakers set a GLIAC record for single-season attendance with 64,511 fans in five home dates. The Lakers also set a GLIAC record with an average of 12,902 fans per game and a single-game record with 14,612 versus Ferris State. Previous marks were 59,037 in 2006; 11,807 for an average in 2006 and 14,557 versus Ferris State in 2005...James Berezik is 14th in career rushing yards with 1,966 in 21 career games. Berezik is averaging 7.4 yards per carry...Blake Smolen has rushed for 1,463 yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry...Smolen moved into eighth in career all-purpose yards with 3,422...Berezik moved into 16th in all-time, all-purpose yards with 2,850...Brad Iciek is seventh in career total offense with 4,779 yards...DL Dan Skuta moved to within .5 sacks (30.5) of GVSU career Mike McFadden (31). McFadden is fifth all-time in DII, while Skuta is sixth.

GVSU is 94-6 in its last 100 games with four National Championships (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006). The Lakers are 105-10 since the start 2000 and 104-6 in its alst 110 games...The 2008 GVSU senior class is 48-1 with two National Championships and three GLIAC titles. In addition, the 2008 senior class has never lost a regular season game (40-0) and is undefeated (38-0) in GLIAC action...GVSU claimed at least a share of the 2008 GLIAC title, marking the first time in GVSU history the Lakers have won four straight GLIAC titles. Prior to 2007 Grand Valley State had never won more than two straight GLIAC titles.

Grand Valley State has won 40 consecutive regular season games. The Lakers' last regular season loss was 10/23/04 to Northwood (35-14)...Since 2001, the Lakers are 57-3 at home, 40-3 in their last 43 road games and 44-4 in all games away from Lubbers Stadium in their last 48.

Grand Valley State has now played a regular-season record four ranked opponents in 2008. Ashland (#23) was the fourth ranked opponent for GVSU. Earlier this season GVSU played three straight ranked opponents (#25 SVSU, #24 Ferris State and #23 Michigan Tech).

Grand Valley State is 71-3 in its last 73 GLIAC games. The Lakers have won a GLIAC record record 38 straight GLIAC games dating back to the 2004 season. GVSU also held the previous record of 29 from 2001 - 2003. The Lakers' last GLIAC loss was a 35-14 decision to Northwood on 10/23/04 at Lubbers Stadium.

Grand Valley State has been ranked number one in the country in 70-of-the-last-92 polls since the opening game of the 2002 season...GVSU has finished the year ranked in the top 10 (2001-2, 2002-1, 2003-1, 2004-9, 2005 -1, 2006-1) in seven straight postseason polls.

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