Oct. 23, 2011

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 Post Game Press Conference |  Rubick's View |  Game Highlights

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State scored TDs on its first four possessions and built a 38-7 halftime lead en route to a 57-10 victory over Ferris State Saturday (Oct. 22) night before a crowd of 9,197. GVSU has won four straight games and improves to 5-3 overall and 4-3 in GLIAC action, while Ferris State falls to 5-3 and 4-3. GVSU will host Michigan Tech next Saturday (Oct. 29) in its annual homecoming tilt at 7 p.m.

The Laker offense left little to chance by scoring early and often. Sophomore running back Hersey Jackson ripped off a 17-yard run on the first play of the game, followed by a swing pass from sophomore QB Heath Parling to freshman running back Michael Raty that covered 23 yards. Parling finished the drive with an 11-yard TD pass to junior WR Charles Johnson and sophomore PK Ryan Stokes added the PAT for a 7-0 GVSU lead just 2:54 into the game. Ferris State moved the ball effectively on its first drive, but the Laker defense held and forced a 29-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide right.

The Laker offense continued to rip off huge chunks with five of seven plays covering 13 yards or more on the 80 yard scoring drive. Parling hit Johnson again, this one covering the final 19 yards and Stokes added the PAT for a 14-0 lead at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter. GVSU sophomore DB Charles Hill recovered an errant shotgun snap at the FSU 32 yard line on the Bulldogs second play from scrimmage to set up another Laker scoring drive. The Lakers needed just three plays to drive 32 yards as Jackson scored on a two yard run and Stokes' PAT upped the GVSU lead to 21-0 with 1:57 left in the first quarter.

The GVSU defense forced a three-and-out and FSU punter Shawn Snoor shanked a 9-yard punt out of bounds to give the Lakers possession at the FSU 32 yard line with 1:02 remaining in the first quarter. Grand Valley State moved 32 yards in five plays as Parling hit senior WR Jovonne Augustus with a 9-yard TD pass on the second play of the second quarter to up the GVSU lead to 28-0.

The Laker defense forced FSU into a pair of three-and-out drives and GVSU upped its lead to 31-0 after a 5-play, 40-yard drive that resulted in a career-long field goal of 35 yards from Stokes. Parling hit Johnson with a 39 yard pass to set up the field goal.

Ferris State WR Mike Ryan hit QB Tom Schneider with a 15-yard throwback pass that resulted in a TD and concluded an 8-play, 71-yard drive. However, GVSU needed just 59 seconds and five plays to go 53 yards for an answer. Parling completed passes of 18 and 22 yards to Johnson, followed by an 18-yard TD pass to senior WR Greg Gay and after Stoke hit his fifth PAT of the night GVSU led 38-7.

The GVSU offense rolled up 344 yards in the first half, including a 15-for-21 performance with four TDs from Parling. Jackson rushed 11 times for 104 yards in the opening two quarters.

The Laker offense took over in the second half after the Laker defense forced another three-and-out. Parling completed passes of 20 yards to Augustus and 30 yards to Ratay. Parling finished the 7-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard TD pass to Greg Gay to give the Lakers a 44-7 lead.

The Bulldogs drove inside the Laker five yard line, but the GVSU defense held and forced an incompletion on fourth down to thwart the red zone opportunity. GVSU drove 96 yards in six plays for yet another touchdown. Freshman Chris Robinson, seeing his first action as a Laker, ripped off an 18 yard run on first down and caught a 25 yard swing pass from Parling on a second down play. Parling hit Johnson with a 35 yard completion followed by a 9-yard scoring pass to WR Israel Woolfork

Ferris State kicked a 30 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers' second offensive unit drove 78 yards in seven plays for the final TD. Freshman running back Ben Hutchins tallied 41 rushing yards on five carries and Isiah Grimes hit WR Darryl Pitts with a 37 yard completion. Hutchins finished the drive with a 1-yard TD run and Stokes booted the PAT for the final margin of 57-10.

The GVSU offense rolled up 631 total yards, including 399 through the air and 232 via the ground. The Lakers averaged 9.7 yards per play and scored eight TDs. The GVSU defense limited the GLIAC total offense leader, Ferris State, to just 369 yards, including the starting defense yielding just 193 yards.

Parling completed 21-of-28 passes for a career-high 336 yards and six TDs. The 336 passing yards equalled Brad Iciek's mark of 336 passing yards vs. Saginaw Valley State in 2009 as the 10th best single-game mark at Lubbers Stadium. In addition, his six TD passes equalled Curt Anes' mark of six he tossed three times in his career. Jackson rushed for 106 yards and one TD on 12 carries, while Robinson added 65 yards on nine carries in his first collegiate game. Hutchins added 41 yards on five carries.

WR Charles Johnson caught six passes for 144 yards and two TDs, while Ratay hauled in five passes for 70 yards. Augustus pulled down five receptions for 54 yards, followed by Gay hauling in three passes for 34 yards and two TDs.

Senior LB Brad Howard tallied a team-high nine tackles and a QB sack, while DB Charles Hill recorded nine stops and recovered a fumble. Safety Jarrod Cox added seven tackles. The Laker defense tallied four QB sacks and six tackles for loss (-28).

GVSU has won 10 straight games in the series with FSU and the 57 points scored by the Lakers is the most since the 2002 Laker squad scored 63 points in Big Rapids.

Notes...The Lakers are averaging 57.5 points in its last four games, while giving up just 13.7 points...Parling has tossed five TD passes in a game twice and became the first Laker since Cullen Finnerty vs. Delta State in the 2006 playoffs to throw six TDs in a game...Parling's 27 TD passes ranks seventh on the single-season list...