Oct. 29, 2011
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Post Game Press Conference | Rubick'sView | Game Highlights
Allendale, Mich. -
Grand Valley State claimed 24-20 comeback victory over Michigan Tech on Saturday (Oct. 29) night at Lubbers Stadium before a crowd of 9,199. GVSU improves to 6-3 overall and 5-3 in GLIAC action, while Michigan Tech falls to 5-4 overall and 4-4 in GLIAC action. The Lakers will be at Northwood next Saturday (Nov. 5) for a 12 noon tilt.
The game hardly started the way head coach Matt Mitchell envisioned. The Lakers won the toss and elected to take the ball. However, Michigan Tech recorded two QB sacks and held the Lakers to minus eight yards on the possession and forced a punt. The Michigan Tech ball control offense promptly used 7:41 off the clock, driving 65 yards in 15 plays for a score. QB Tyler Scarlett hit WR Steve Worthy with an 8 yard pass and the PAT gave the Huskies a 7-0 lead.
GVSU turned in a 15-play drive of its own on its next possession. The drive stalled at the MTU 25 yard line, but sophomore PK Ryan Stokes kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal. The Huskies didn't need a ball control offense on its ensuing possession as Scarlett hit Worthy again, this TD covering 42 yards to complete a 4-play, 74-yard drive. However, GVSU senior DT Andre Thomas blocked the PAT in what would prove to be very meaningful at the end of the game.
The Laker offense answered with an impressive 7-play, 74-yard drive that finished with a 1-yard TD run by sophomore RB Hersey Jackson. Sophomore QB Heath Parling completed an 18-yard pass to junior WR Charles Johnson, followed by a 23-yard run by Jackson. Parling then hit senior WR Jovonne Augustus with a 21-yard pass and catch to the MTU 1-yard line before the jackson scored.
The Laker defense held Michigan Tech out of the endzone when the Huskies had a first-and-goal, but MTU forced a punt and drove 40 yards in 5 plays as Scarlett hit Worthy for the third time in the first half to up its lead to 20-10 at the half.
The Laker defense forced an MTU punt on its opening possession of the second half and GVSU drove inside the MTU 10 yard line. The Lakers appeared to have scored a TD on third down as Jackson crossed the goal line, but officials ruled he was down and MTU held on fourth down to thwart the drive. GVSU's defense forced a punt and Parling hit Johnson with back-to-back passes, the second of which covered 35 yards for a TD and the PAT cut the MTU lead to three (20-17).
The Lakers moved inside Husky territory, but could not get close enough for a field goal. However, a Ryan Stokes punt pinned MTU inside its own 20-yard line and GVSU sophomore CB Reggie Williams picked off Scarlett on MTU's first play and returned it to the 21-yard line to set up the Laker offense. Parling gave the Lakers their first lead of the night as he hit Augustus with a 17-yard TD pass on third down and Stokes' PAT upped the GVSU lead to 24-20.
The GVSU defense continued to play well in the second half and kept Michigan Tech out of the endzone on its final drive to preserve the win. The Huskies needed a TD on its final possession because of the blocked PAT earlier in the game, but Scarlett was tackled short of a first down on a fourth down scramble to conclude the game.
Michigan Tech rolled up 225 yards and 20 points in the first half, but the Laker defense limited the Huskies to 114 total yards and no points in the second half. On the flip side, MTU managed just 149 yards in the first half, but notched 213 yards and 14 points in the second half.
Parling completed 16-of-25 passes for 232 yards and two TDs, while Johnson hauled in six passes for 117 yards and one TD. Brandan Green caught a career-high four passes for 30 yards, while Augustus pulled down three catches for 53 yards. Jackson rushed for 97 tough yards on 21 carries to lead the GVSU ground game that churned out 130 yards. Senior safety Zach Breen led the GVSU defense with 10 tackles, a QB sack and a a tackle for loss, while senior LB Brad Howard chipped in nine tackles, 1.5 QB sacks and 2.0 TFL. Sophomore LB Zach Galloway added nine stops, a QB sack and a TFL. GVSU tallied four QB sacks and eight TFL.
