GVSU Vs. Tiffin Football Gamenotes

The Game: #3 Grand Valley State (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC) vs Tiffin (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Lubbers Stadium (10,444)
TV: ESPN3 - Tom Cleary (play-by-play) and Bob Mitchell (color)
Radio: ESPN 96.1 - Steve Lloyd-Jones (play-by-play) and Greg Johnson (color)

The Coaches
Grand Valley State • Matt Mitchell (Cornell College, 1997) • 57-19/.750 (7th) 
Tiffin • Gary Goff (Valdosta State) • 15-40 (6th)

Series
• Grand Valley State leads the all-time series with Tiffin by a 8-0 margin. The Lakers have outscored Tiffin by a combined point total of 398-104 in those eight meetings, with the average score through eight games GV 49.7 - TU 13.0. In addition, the Lakers have shutout Tiffin three times (2008, 2010, 2012) in the eight meetings. GVSU claimed a tough 49-42 victory over the Dragons in 2015.

• Grand Valley State is in its 46th season of football and sport a 371-137-3 all-time record. GVSU's .729 winning percentage tops all Division II schools and is third all-time in all divisions behind Notre Dame (.733) and Michigan (.732).

• Grand Valley State is 28-17 all-time in season-openers and have won 14-of-the-last-15 since 2001. The Lakers' last loss in a season-opening game since 2001 was at Azusa-Pacific in 2014 (26-23) in overtime. 

• The Lakers are 30-13 in home openers all-time. GVSU did not play a home game its first two years. The Lakers have won 14-of-the-last-15 home openers since 2001 with the only set back coming in 2014 to Ohio Dominican (28-24).   

• Grand Valley State has been ranked in the top three of the AFCA Coaches' Poll 11 times since 2002 and the top 10 13 times since 2002. 
  

• The Lakers finished fourth in the final 2015 American Football Coaches Association poll (AFCA) and have now finished a season ranked among the AFCA top 10 12 times since 2001, including 11 seasons ranked among the top four in the final AFCA poll.

The 2016 Grand Valley State football has one thing on its mind. EMBRACE THE PROCESS. Seventh-year head football coach wants the 2015 NCAA Division II semifinal loss to Shepherd to be a point of reference as a missed opportunity, but the final game of the 2015 campaign will have no effect on the 2016 season. It is a new season with new players, but the process that is Grand Valley State football will remain the same. Get better everyday and be a great teammate. Both can be accomplished and will make the sum of the group better. 

     "We stayed the course and embraced the process of becoming a great football team in 2015," said Michell. "We had our ups and downs and faced adversity, but we never wavered from what we wanted to do as a team. We took advantage of our opportunity in the playoffs when we had return matchups with Ashland and Ferris State and we knew that we were going to be the better team the second time around."

     The 2016 GVSU football team will have some new faces in new places, but a significant amount of the core returns and is ready for a big year. 

     "I really like the leadership and accountability that this team has amongst one another. We have that inner core that has played a lot meaningful football games at Grand Valley State and they know what it takes both on and off the field," added Mitchell.

     The Lakers return sophomore Bart Williams who turned in one of the top all-time, single-seasons by a redshirt freshman. Williams completed 273-of-480 passes for 4,206 yards and 45 touchdowns. He averaged 280.4 yards per game and tallied a pass efficiency rating of 153.1. Bart broke the 300-yard passing mark a GVSU single-season record eight times and tossed four or more TD passes in a game six times. Williams' three playoff wins and 12 total wins in a season ranks second behind former Laker great and three-time National Champion Cullen Finnerty. Junior Ollie Ajami found his niche and rushed for 210 yards and two TDs on 18 carries (11.7 ypr.). Redshirt freshmen Matt Crable and Cole Kotopka gained valuable experience in the spring and will battle in the fall for playing time. 

Mitchell on the quarterbacks - 
     "Obviously Bart just continued to mature as a quarterback throughout the 2015 season. His grasp of the offense became more evident every week and his leadership as a reliable playmaker continued to evolve throughout the season. We do need him to value possession of the ball in 2016, but at the same time we do not want to take away his aggressive nature. Ollie really did a nice job giving our opponents a new look and we really like Crable and Kotopka."

Sophomore Marty Carter rushed for 889 yards and seven TDs a redshirt freshman on 135 carries (6.6 ypc.). Carter played in 14 games and started the NCAA Semifinal contest at Shepherd for an injured Kirk Spencer. Marty set a GVSU single-game, playoff record when he rushed for 231 yards and one TD on 26 carries in the Super Region 4 final at Colorado State-Pueblo. Carter also rushed for 99 yards and two TDs on 14 carries at Ashland in an NCAA Division II First-Round matchup at Ashland. Senior Terrell Dorsey is healthy to open a season for the first time in his career and brings a different style to the mix, while sophomore Christian Lumpkin has a defined role in the offense. Redshirt freshmen Caleb Richard and Bryce Young-Walls were solid in the spring and give the Lakers depth. 

Mitchell on the running backs - 
     "We have dynamic playmakers who all bring a different style to our offense. We preach versatility and we really like to have packages for players so they have a defined role. Marty (Carter) gives us a power back that can go the distance, while Dorsey is a bulldozer that is adept at making people miss at the line of scrimmage. We are just beginning to figure out what Christian (Lumpkin) can do, but we will find ways to get him the ball."

     Deep, talented, experienced playmakers is the best way to describe the Laker receiving unit and Bart Williams will have no shortage of targets for the 2016 campaign. Senior Matt Williams is a returning all-american that hauled in 72 catches for 1,357 yards and 17 touchdowns. In addition, Williams returned 22 punts for 297 yards (13.5 ypr.) and one touchdown. Junior Brandon Bean caught 33 passes for 628 yards and six TDs in eight games, while sophomore Nick Dodson caught 32 passes for 479 yards and five TDs as a true freshman. Junior Urston Smith came on in the second half of the year and hauled in 21 receptions for 344 yards and three TDs. Senior Joe Robbins returns and junior transfer Jon-Mark Anderson was a productive player at Illinois State. Sophomore Jalen Bryant looked solid in the spring and redshirt freshmen Omari Mitchell, Austin Paritee, Marquon Sargent and De'Aundre Simpkins will provide quality depth. Nick Keizer, Pete Cender and Brian Moran make the tight end position worthy of being productive in the passing game, while also making a difference in the running game.  

Mitchell on the Wide Receivers - 
     "We have a lot of options among our receiving unit. We really like to platoon our receivers and the depth that we have will allow us to do that and keep them fresh for the entire game and as the season moves along. It is a competitive group of players that want to get on the field and make an impact."

     With just one senior offensive lineman on the roster (Aaron Cox), the Laker front line will have to come together to form a cohesive unit. Cox turned in a stellar junior campaign and will be expected to lead the youngsters. Junior Dan DeLuca and sophomores Josh Dentler and Ben Walling have all started along side Cox on the offensive line, but the expectations have changed as they enter the starting lineup. Juniors Scott Koenigsknecht, Cameron Hobbs and Evan Schriner will be joined by sophomores Derek Sparkman and Nick Fish and redshirt freshmen Nate Brady and Kyle Korman. 

Mitchell on the Offensive Line -
     "This is the one area on our football team where we head into the season with the most unknowns, Aaron Cox returns with the most experience and we have three or four who have started, but just being in the rotation is a lot different that being in the game at crunch time."

     One would think that when you graduate the NCAA DII Gene Upshaw Award winner and the Defensive Player of the Year nationally,  your defense would take a step back. While the answer remains to be seen, the GVSU defensive line is not looking back and will enter the 2016 as one of the top defensive lines in the country. The Lakers go 10 deep with impact players that have produced in a big way. GVSU will dress five seniors, three juniors and four sophomores. De'Ondre Hogan is a two-time All-GLIAC honoree and poised for national honors. He recorded 65 tackles and 10.0 TFL as a junior. Alton Voss was also an All-GLIAC honoree after notching 60 tackles and 9.0 TFL. A pleasant surprise came in the form of  transfer Sydney Omameh from Ohio Dominican. Sydney earned all-american honors in 2014 as a junior, but missed all but three games in 2015 after sustaining a season-ending injury versus the Lakers. Omameh, who graduated from ODU and is enrolled in graduate school at GVSU, tallied  62 stops and 8.5 QB sacks in 2014. Senior Mark Rosenquist recorded 28 stops and comes into his senior year in the best shape of his life. Junior Keane Belcher tallied 17 tackles and 5.5 TFL, while sophomore Dylan Carroll recorded 32 tackles and 6.0 TFL. Senior Sonny Haskins is a reliable player in the middle and along with  junior Cody Moore and sophomores Jacari Faulkner and Jacob Howe. 

Mitchell on the Defensive Line - 
     "If you were talking about a position on our team with all the boxes checked you would most likely be talking about  the defensive line. Talent and depth are a great thing and we have both on our defensive line. In addition, we have edge rushers and guys that will fill the gaps on the interior."

      The linebacking unit, like the defensive line, is a position of  strength for the Lakers. Three seniors who have played a lot of important snaps, along with a junior, provide one of the best linebacking units in the country. Senior Marquez Gollman earned all-america honors after recording 117 tackles, 8.5 TFL and three interceptions in 2015. Senior David Talley earned All-GLIAC honors with a team-high 128 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 5.0 QB sacks, while fellow senior Joe Moran notched 65 tackles and 4.5 TFL Junior Collin Schlosser recorded 84 tackles, 7.0 TFL and 5.0 QB sacks en route to earning All-GLIAC honors. That group combined for 394 tackles, 32.5 TFL and 14.0 QB sacks. Sophomore transfer Dae'Shaun Hurley recorded 83 tackles as a redshirt freshman at Ball State, while Gabe Guilbee-Rodriguez will provide depth. Sophomore Rahju Blackmon and freshmen Isaiah Nkansah and Michael Pettis will see action as reserves. 

Mitchell on the Linebackers - 
     "This group has played a lot of great football for Grand Valley State. They fill the needs of our defense and we really put a lot of responsibility in their hands. I like the fact that this group of linebackers are capable in all facets of the game in terms of run stoppers and pass defenders. They are athletic and can run."

    Six returning secondary players have started in the defensive backfield for the Lakers. Junior safety Garrett Pougnet earned All-GLIAC honors as a sophomore with 105 tackles, 9.0 TFL and three interceptions. Senior Donte Carey is a three-year regular who recorded 45 tackles and picked off one pass. Junior Kyle Short also saw a significant amount of playing time and notched 28 tackles. Junior Tre Walton and sophomores Devin McKissic and Jacob Studdard will provide a stellar rotation at cornerback. Walton recorded 45 tackles, picked off a team-high six passes and tallied 28 pass break ups, while McKissic chipped in 47 tackles, three interceptions and 17 pass break ups. Studdard added 23 tackles in the back line. Senior Nate Cole and sophomores Brendan McMahone and Grant Postma will play a significant role on special teams and as reserves in the secondary. 

Mitchell on the Secondary - 
     "Again, we have some really good football players who have played a lot of snaps for us in critical situations. I like our ability to play the pass and still come up and offer run support. Our ability to rush the passer will really benefit our secondary as well."

Joel Schipper is an All-GLIAC returnee and is a know performer in the kicking game. He has converted 36-of-45 field goals and 179-of-184 PATs en route to scoring 287  career points. Schipper also did an outstanding job with his kickoff duties. J.J. McGrath could help on kickoffs, while sophomore Collin Cribley and redshirt freshman battle for the punting duties.

Mitchell on the Kickers - 

     "Joel Schipper has done a great job for us kicking the ball and he is a reliable performer when we get inside the opponent 30 yard line. He has made a lot of big kicks for us and did an outstanding job when pressed into kickoff duties last season. We have to find a punter that can give us some consistencey. "