Oct. 8, 2011

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 Rubick's View |  Postgame Press Conference

Marquette, Mich. - Grand Valley State claimed a 42-7 GLIAC road win Saturday afternoon at Northern Michigan before a crowd of 3,817 at the Superior Dome. Grand Valley State improves to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in GLIAC action, while Northern Michigan falls to 3-3 overall and 2-3 in league action. Grand Valley State will stay on the road next Saturday (Oct. 15) at Lake Erie College. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Laker offense started fast, scoring touchdowns on three-of-its-first-four offensive drives to take a 21-0 lead. The GVSU defense forced a Northern Michigan punt on its first drive of the game and the Laker offense drove 71 yards in eight plays for a TD. Sophomore QB Heath Parling hit senior senior WR Jovonne Augustus with 4-yard TD pass and sophomore PK Ryan Stokes added the PAT for a 7-0 GVSU. The scoring drive took 3:45 off the clock. The Lakers used a balanced attach with 38 rushing yards and 43 passing yards on the drive.

The Grand Valley State defense forced another punt and Parling drove the Lakers 89 yards in six plays for another first quarter touchdown. Shuford scampered 31 yards on one run and Parling hit junior WR Israel Woolford with a 27 yard completion. Parling then hit Augustus with an 18-yard TD pass between two Northern Michigan defenders. Stokes added the PAT for a 14-0 laker lead. The drive took just 2:48 off the clock.

GVSU safety Charles Hill recovered a Northern Michigan fumbled punt on the Wildcat 31 yard line to set up another GVSU score. The Lakers drove 31 yards in four plays as Parling hit senior WR Greg Gay with a 9-yard TD pass on the first play of the second quarter to up the Laker lead to 21-0. The TD reception was the first of the year for Gay.

Northern Michigan's first and only score came after Grand Valley State blocked a Northern Michigan field goal attempt. Following the block a Wildcat offensive lineman picked up the ball behind the line of scrimmage and ran nine yards for a first down. RB Prince Young scored on a one yard TD run and Rockne Belmonte added the PAT to pull the Wildcats with 14 (21-7) at the half.

Midway through the third quarter Parling hit Augustus for the third time in the game, this one covering 42 yards and culminating a 5-play, 80-yard drive. Parling hit Shuford with a key third down pass that covered 18 yards before finding Augustus all alone behind the NMU defenders for a TD. Stokes added the PAT for a 28-7 GVSU lead.

Junior Safety Erik Thompson picked off a Carter Kopach pass and returned it 95 yards for a TD early in the fourth quarter. The interception return for a TD was GVSU's first since Jacob McGuckin returned an interception for a score versus Carson-Newman in the 2009 NCAA playoffs. In addition, the return was the fifth longest in Laker football history.

Thompson set up the Lakers' final score with the second of his two interceptions, returning this pick 38 yards to the NMU 22 yard line. Parling his Shuford with a 17 yard swing pass and then connected with Augustus for a 5-yard TD pass and catch. Augustus beccame the first Laker to catch four TDs in a game since David Kircus accomplished the feat in 2002 (C.W. Post).

The Laker defense picked off four passes and recovered a fumble, while the GVSU offense did not turn the ball over. In addition to Thompson, junior CB Kenny Veal picked off a pass late in the first half to thwart a scoring opportunity for NMU and Reggie Williams picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards. GVSU notched 167 interception return yards in the game.

Senior safety Zach Breen led the defense with nine solo tackles, while Williams added nine stops in addition to his pick. Junior DE Brandon Allen recorded eight stops and QB sack, followed by sophomore Hunter Chaneski's four tackles, a QB sack (-5) and three tackles for loss (-11). The Laker defense held NMU to 123 rushing yards and 382 yards of total offense. Kopach completed 25-of-45 passes for 259 yards, but was picked off four times. Kopach also rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries.

A balanced GVSU offensive attack produced 201 rushing yards and 217 passing yards for 418 yards of total offens. Parling completed 11-of-15 passes for 171 yards and five TD passes. Parling has thrown five TD passes in each of the last two games. Shuford toted the ball 11 times for 88 yards, while Ratay added 68 yards on 13 carries.

Augustus caught four passes for 68 yards and four TDs to lead the receiving unit. Shuford added two catches for 35 yards and Charles Johnson caught two passes for 17 yards.