Box Score

Grand Valley State claimed a 65-23 victory Saturday afternoon at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. GVSU improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in GLIAC action with the win. GVSU will host Hillsdale College next Saturday at Lubbers Stadium. Kickoff for this Family Day affair is set for 7 p.m.

The Laker defense yielded a couple of first downs, but forced a Lake Erie punt on its first defensive possession. After a short run on first down sophomore QB Bart Williams hit WR Brandon Bean with a deep post that Bean took 72 yards for a TD. Junior PK Joel Schipper hit the PAT for a 7-0 Laker lead. Following a 40-yard punt return by sophomore WR Matt Williams, GVSU drove 42 yards in five plays for a score. Senior RB Kirk Spencer hit paydirt with a six-yard run and Schipper added his second PAT for a 14-0 GVSU lead. 

Lake Erie answered with a scoring drive of its own, but the GVSU defense thwarted a 2-point attempt and held a 14-6 lead. 

On the Lakers' ensuing drive Spencer took a third down handoff and went 68 yards for his second TD of the day. Schipper pushed the PAT wide right and the Lakers led 20-6. 

The Storm answered with a 57-yard TD pass and a field goal to pull within four (20-16), but the GVSU offense answered as Williams directed a 7-play, 67-yard scoring drive that concluded with a 32 yard touchdown pass to junior WR Matt Williams. RB Marty Carter picked up a key first down with a 15 yard run to keep the drive alive. 

After forcing another punt, the Lakers drove 99 yards in seven plays, highlighted by the running of Spencer (54 yards) and Carter (45 yards) to take a 34-16 lead. Spencer finished the drive with a 10 yard TD run.

Lake Erie added a touchdown in the closing minutes of the first half, but GVSU led 34-23 after 30 minutes. 

Grand Valley State took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 75 yards in five plays for a TD. Spencer ripped off runs of six and 12 yards, followed by a 13 yard completion to TE Brian Moran and a 38 yard completion to Jamie Potts. Spencer took it the final six yards for his fourth rushing TD of the day to build the lead to 41-23.

Following another stop on fourth down by the Laker defense, the Lakers drove 76 yards in eight plays as Spencer hit WR Jamie Potts with a 29 yard halfback pass for a touchdown an a 48-23 lead. Junior LB Marquez Gollman picked off a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown as the defense joined the scoring barrage. Schipper converted a 28 yard field goal and sophomore QB Ollie Ajami concluded the scoring with a 58 yard touchdown run for the final margin of 65-23. 

Grand Valley State rushed for 387 yards and five touchdowns en route to 678 yards of total offense. Spencer led the ground game with 164 yards and four TDs on 19 carries, while Carter added 93 yards on 11 carries and Ajami 90 yards and a TD on four carries. Williams completed 12-of-17 passes for 262 yards and two TDs. Potts hauled in four catches for 102 yards, while Matt Williams added four catches for 80 yards. 

The Laker defense tallied 12 tackles for loss by nine different players and forced three second half turnovers. Garrett Pougnet led the defense with 13 tackles and Brad Horling chipped in 10. Kyle Short added eight and Gollman seven. In addition, the GVSU defense did not allow a point in the final 32 minutes of play.