Box Score Post-Game Press Conference

The #2-ranked Grand Valley State Laker football team claimed an impressive 41-3 non-conference victory over Truman State Saturday afternoon at Lubbers Stadium before an overflow crowd of 13,635. GVSU improves to 7-0 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 5-2. Grand Valley State will hit the road next week with a 2:30 p.m. GLIAC tilt at Hillsdale. 

The Lakers wasted little time in determaining the outcome to the Homecoming crowd. Truman State picked up a quick first down, but on third down senior DE Alton Voss tipped a pass that senior DT Mark Rosenquist picked off and returned six yards to the TSU 49 yard line. Sophomore QB Bart Williams hit senior WR Matt Williams with a 19 yard pass, followed by a 10 yard run by senior RB Terrell Dorsey. Sophomore RB Marty Carter then raced in with a nifty 20 yard TD run and senior PK Joel Schipper added the PAT for a 7-0 lead. 

The Laker defense forced another turnover on the second play from scrimmage as senior LB Joe Moran made a one-handed interception at the Bulldog 38 yard line. Following an incomplete pass, Carter scampered 38 yards for another touchdown, just 55 seconds after the first TD, to up the GVSU lead to 14-0. Truman State was forced to punt on its third possession, but redshirt freshman LB Isaiah Nkansah blocked the punt and sophomore WR Jalen Bryant picked it up and scored from six yards out and GVSU had a 21-0 lead with 9:44 left in the first quarter. 

"I thought we had a great approach all week at practice, but you are always worried about an emotional letdown when you have a win over a rival so it was nice to get off to a fast start," said seventh-year head coach Matt Mitchell. 

Williams drove the Lakers 31 yards in eight plays, but the drive stalled at the Truman State 34 yard line. Schipper trotted out on the field and drilled a 51 yard field goal that would have been good from 65 yards to give GVSU a 24-0 lead. Schipper's field goal was the first made field goal over 50 yards since Doug Kochanski hit a 52 yard field goal in 1997. In addition, it was the third longest field goal in Laker football history.  

Schipper added another field goal, this one covering 34 yards to conclude a 9-play, 69-yard drive that took 2:51 off the clock to up the Laker lead to 27-0 with 14:11 left in the second quarter. The GVSU offense continued to dominate, driving 76 yards in six plays as B. Williams hit sophomore WR Nick Dodson with a 30-yard TD pass. Schipper added the PAT for a 34-0 halftime lead. 

Truman State did manage to block a GVSU punt and took over on the Laker 36 yard line. The Bulldogs picked up one first down, but GVSU forced a field goal attempt from 45 yards out that Danny Spencer converted for the only points of the game. 

Grand Valley State concluded its scoring midway through the third quarter as B. Williams hit Dodson with a screen pass that he took 59 yards for a touchdown. Schipper converted his fifth PAT of the game and the Lakers led 41-3.

"This is a nice non-conference win over an in-region opponent that came in leading the GLVC," said Mitchell. "Our kids did a great job preparing for this game and it showed with the outcome," added Mitchell. 

The GVSU defense limited Truman State to 127 yards of total offense, including just 27 rushing yards on 30 attempts. GVSU recorded seven tackles for loss (-29) and three QB sacks (-17). Junior LB Collin Schlosser led the defense with 10 tackles, while sophomore DE Dylan Carroll recorded three tackles, 2.5 TFL (-13) and 1.5 QB sacks (-9). Redshirt freshman LB Isaiah Nkansah tallied five tackles to go along with his blocked punt. 

Carter led the ground game with 107 yards and two TDs on 13 carries, followed by redshirt freshman Bryce Young-Walls' 52 yards on six carries. Senior Terrell Dorsey added 43 yards on 11 carries. Williams completed 14-of-24 passes for 279 yards and two TDs, while Dodson hauled in five passes for a career-high 120 yards and two TDs. M. Williams caught four passes for 77 yards. 

Notes...The GVSU defense has not allowed a first half TD in 2016 (7 games) and the Lakers have outscored its opponents 196-9 in the first half this season...Matt Williams has 110 receptions for 1,998 yards and 24 TDs...Sophomore RB Marty Carter now has 1,799 career rushing yards, including 910 in 2016...Joel Schipper has converted 42-of-52 career field goals and 214-of-221 career PATs...Schipper is third all-time in points with 340...GVSU has held four opponents this season to a TD or less. The last time a Laker defense accomplished that feat was in 2010.