Oct. 19, 2013
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
Postgame Press Conference |
Game Highlights
ALLENDALE, Mich. - It was an interesting homecoming game day for the Grand Valley State football team, as it claimed a 48-17 victory over Northern Michigan in a weather-shortened contest on Saturday (Oct. 19) evening in front of 13,391 fans at Lubbers Stadium.
The victory moves the Lakers to 5-2 overall with a 3-2 record in the GLIAC. Northern Michigan falls to 1-5 both overall and in the conference. GVSU will hit the road next Saturday (Oct. 26) to take on Northwood in Midland, Mich. at 12 p.m.
The game was called with 12:55 to play in the fourth quarter due to heavy lightning in the area and then the remainder of the contest was cancelled shortly after due to the weather forecast for the rest of the night. After consultation with the executive board of the GLIAC, the contest was considered final due to the score and time remaining at the point of cancellation.
In only three quarters of play, the Lakers still managed to put up big numbers, rolling up 549 yards of total offense, including 309 yards on the ground with a 9.1 yards per carry average on 34 carries.
GVSU scored on its first five possessions of the game to take charge early and never looked back. After forcing a three-and-out on NMU's opening drive, the Lakers started their march. Keyed by a 37-yard run by senior Brandan Green, the Lakers convered a 4th-and-goal from the Wildcat one yard line with a touchdown pass from Isiah Grimes to Joe Warner with 9:28 to play in the first quarter.
The Wildcats were able to answer with a 28-yard field goal at the 6:25 mark to make it a 7-3 game, but the Lakers did the same with a 34-yard field goal from freshman Joel Schipper that made it 10-3 with 1:43 to play in the opening quarter.
After NMU punted to begin the second quarter, the Lakers promptly went back down the field with entirely run plays, getting 72 yards on six plays, capped by a 20-yard touchdown scamper from Chris Robinson to make it a 17-3 Laker lead.
On the next GVSU drive, the Lakers got a pair of 28-yard runs, one from Michael Ratay and one from Hersey Jackson, to key another scoring drive. Ratay capped the drive off with an 11-yard run to put GVSU up 24-3 with 5:14 to play in the half.
The Wildcats responded with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing drive to make it 24-10, but left 56 seconds on the clock for GVSU to operate. After a 13-yard pass to Ratay and a 38-yard pass to Green, the Lakers got within field goal range and Schipper ended the half with a 22-yard field goal to send the teams in to the locker room with GVSU up 27-10.
On NMU's first drive of the second half, it only took two plays for the Lakers to take control of the ball again, as Erik Thompsin picked off a deep pass and returned it 27 yards back in to Wildcat territory. A 31-yard pass from Grimes to Jamie Potts put the Lakers on the one yard line a couple plays later, then Ratay punched the ball in to make it 34-10 with 10:24 to play in the third.
The Wildcats got a blocked punt in the endzone with 7:02 to play in the third quarter to make it 34-17, but again GVSU responded. A 32-yard run by Ratay set up the Lakers in NMU territory, and Ben Hutchins finished the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run to put GVSU up 41-17 with 3:11 to play in the third quarter.
After a Reggie Williams interception along the sideline on the ensuing Wildcat drive, Grimes found Green for a 42-yard gain on the first play of the Laker drive and a 15-yard pass to Joe Wirth turned in to another GVSU touchdown to make it a 48-17 game one play in to the fourth quarter.
NMU took the kickoff and moved in to Laker territory, but with 12:55 to play in the game and at 9:24 p.m., lightning struck in the area and the game was suspended. After a nearly 30-minute delay, the remainder of the game was cancelled after consulting the weather radar for the remainder of the evening.
GVSU finished with 549 yards of total offense compared to only 235 for Northern Michigan. The offensive attack for the Lakers was led by Ratay, who had 143 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries to go with four catches and 46 yards. Robinson had 61 yards and a touchdown on the ground in eight carries, while Hutchins finished with 34 yards and a touchdown on four carries. Jackson's lone carry of 28 yards put him over the 1,000 rushing yard mark for his GVSU career, the 33rd Laker to eclipse that mark.
Grimes finished the game 13-for-22 for 240 yards and two touchdowns, 109 of those yards going to Green on four catches. Wirth caught two passes for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Lakers were led by Matt Mosley, who had six tackles, including a sack of 11 yards. Charles Hill had four tackles, including a half-tackle for loss and two pass break-ups. Thompson and Williams each had three tackles to go with their interceptions.
