GVSU Postgame Interviews

The #2-ranked Grand Valley State football completed the eighth undefeated regular season in program history Saturday afternoon with a 24-21 victory at Wayne State before a crowd of 4,449. The Lakers finish the 2016 regular season with an 11-0 record overall and a 10-0 GLIAC mark. GVSU, the top seed in the most recent NCAA DII Super Region Four rankings, will now await the NCAA DII Football playoff selection show that is set for 5 p.m. Sunday. 

"I am extremely proud of this football team," said seventh-year head coach Matt Mitchell. "Winning 11 regular season games and going undefeated in the GLIAC is not easy and this group stayed together for 11 consecutive weeks, just trying to go 1-0 every week."

Grand Valley State struck on its second possession of the game as sophomore RB Marty Carter took a handoff from QB Bart Williams and raced 60 yards for a touchdown. Senior PK Joel Schipper added the PAT for a 7-0 Laker lead. The Laker defense forced a three and out to set the offense up in good field position on its next possession. Senior RB Terrell Dorsey rambled 16 yards on first down and Wayne State was called for pass interference on the second play. Williams then hit junior WR Urston Smith with a 13 yard completion and opened the second quarter with a 24-yard TD pass to Nick Dodson to complete a 4-play, 69-yard scoring drive. Schipper added the PAT for a 14-0 GVSU lead. 

Wayne State answered with a 4-play, 68-yard drive of its own that concluded with a 43-yard pass from Donovan Zezula to Jamel Hicks for a touchdown to pull within seven (14-7) at the half. 

GVSU opened the second half with a 3-play, 62-yard scoring drive that consumed 1:23 off the clock. Carter ran 44 yards to the WSU 16 yard line and Williams then connected with Dodson on a highlight reel 16-yard touchdown pass. Schipper added the PAT for a 21-7 Laker lead. 

Wayne State continued to battle and scored late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 21-21 left. 

"Our guys showed great composure when Wayne State tied the game and we executed when we needed to. We  stayed aggressive because we felt like we could throw the ball deep and after we got the lead our ground game was able to pick up a couple of first downs and drain the clock," said Mitchell.

The Lakers went for the big play on first down as Williams hit Smith on a first-down pass play that covered 50 yards to WSU 25 yard line. GVSU moved to the Wayne State 12 yard line and Schipper drilled a 29-yard field goal to give the Lakers a 24-21 lead with 8:57 left in the game. Schipper moved into second place on the all-time scoring list with the field goal (363 points), passing former Laker great Erik Lynch (362). 

Wayne State picked up one first down and moved into GVSU territory, but the Laker defense took over stopping the Warriors on a fourth-and-one play with a Dylan Carroll 11-yard sack.

"That was a big time stop by our defense because Wayne State had the ball on our 35 yard line with a second and three play and we forced them into a fourth down by stuffing the run up the middle twice and came up with a big sack," added Mitchell. 

The Grand Valley State offense then used a 7-play, 3:10 drive to chew up the clock, giving the Warriors the ball back with just 1:37 left. Carroll added another sack and senior safety Donte Carey sealed the game with an interception. 

Carter moved into second-place on the single-season rushing list (1,590) with his 20-carry, 165-yard outing. Carter also led the GLIAC in regular season rushing yards with his 1,590 yards. Williams completed 12-of-19 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while Dodson led the receiving unit with six catches for 61 yards and two TDs. Smith hauled in three passes for 69 yards and junior WR Brandon Bean caught two passes for 22 yards. Junior tight end Nick Keizer made a key third-down reception that covered 23 yards. 

Collin Schlosser led the defense with 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-6) and a fumble recovery. Marquez Gollman chipped in nine stops and Garrett Pougnet eight. Carroll recorded six tackles and two QB sacks (-20).  Wayne State entered the game averaging 281 rushing yards per game, but the Laker defense limited the Warriors to 189 rushing yards.

• GVSU sophomore running back Marty Carter led the nation in regular season rushing yards with 1,590 yards and 18 TDs on 205 carries...Carter rushed for 1,486 GLIAC rushing yards, the seventh-best, GLIAC single-season mark...Carter moved into 10th on the GVSU all-time rushing list with 2,479 yards.

• Sophomore QB Bart Williams has completed 162-of-265 passes for 2,713 yards and 26 TDs...He has a pass efficiency rating of 172.7...Williams' 2,713 passing yards ranks ninth on the single-season list, while his 6,928 career passing yards is seventh. 

• Senior PK Joel Schipper moved into second on the GVSU all-time scoring list with 363 career points.

• Grand Valley State hit the 11-win mark for the 13th time in program history, including the 12th time since 2001.