GVSU Postgame Press Conference
#25 Grand Valley State claimed a 45-7 GLIAC home victory over Tiffin in the 2017 regular season finale Saturday afternoon. GVSU closes the regular season 8-3 overall and 7-2 in GLIAC action. GVSU will now await the NCAA Football Championship selection show set for Sunday at 5 p.m.
The Lakers started slow offensively with three punts, an interception and a failed fourth down attempt on its first five possessions of the game. Tiffin took a brief 7-0 lead with an eight-play, 58-yard scoring drive midway through the first quarter
"It wasn't really how we wanted to start the game offensively, but we stayed together as a team and the defense did a great job in that first quarter until we were able to get it rolling," said head coach
Matt Mitchell.
Senior WR
Brandon Bean jump started the Laker offense with a 49 yard punt return to the Tiffin 23 yard line to set up the first score. Redshirt freshman RB Dre'On Kemp opened the drive with an 11 yard run, but junior QB
Bart Williams was sacked for a loss of seven yards. Williams scrambled for 11 yards to set up an eight-yard TD pass to Bean.
J.J. McGrath hit the PAT to tie the game with 6:37 left in the second quarter.
The GVSU defense set up the Lakers' second TD as senior LB
Collin Schlosser forced a fumble that senior DT
Demetrius Farmer recovered at the Tiffin 33 yard line. GVSU was called for holding on first down to set up a first-and-20. Kemp went for nine yards, followed by back-to-back completions to Bean that covered three and 11 yards for a first down. Kemp then went for five, 11 and four yards for a touchdown to give GVSU its first lead of the game (14-7) after the McGrath PAT.
Tiffin drove 43 yards in five plays late in the first half, but GVSU blocked a 38 yard field goal attempt and led 14-7 at the half.
Tiffin and Grand Valley State traded interceptions to start the second half, but the Lakers defense forced a three-and-out, followed by a 28 yard punt gave the Lakers good field position at the Tiffin 40 yard line. The
Brandon Bean show took off from that point of the game. Williams hit Bean with a 23 yard completion, followed by a 17 yard TD pass to Bean to culminate a 2-play, 40-yard scoring drive.
Another three-and-out forced by the Laker defense led to another GVSU touchdown. Kemp opened the drive with a 14 yard run and Bean then hauled in a 12 yard reception. Kemp went for three yards, followed by Bean receptions that covered 26 yards and then the final three yards for a TD to up the lead to 28-7.
The Lakers added a third TD in the third quarter with a four-play, 47-yard drive that Kemp finished with a 25 yard TD run.
"We made some adjustments at the half and our kids did a great job of executing those changes in the third quarter both offensively and defensively," added Mitchell.
McGrath kicked a 24 yard field goal to finish a nine-play, 48-yard field goal and the Laker special teams recovered a Tiffin fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Backup QB
Cole Kotopka hit Bean with a nine-yard completion and closed the four-play, 20 yard drive with a three-yard TD pass to Bean. Bean's catch was number 14 for the game to set a new GVSU single-game for receptions. The previous single-game reception record was 13 by Demonte Collins at Gannon on Sept. 4, 2004.
"
Brandon Bean put us on his shoulders today offensively when we really needed him and he was not going to be denied. It was fitting that he set the single-game receptions record and what a way to close out his career at Lubbers Stadium," stated Mitchell.
Junior
Jalen Bryant closed the game with six carries for 61 yards on the Lakers' final drive before the victory formation.
Williams completed 17-of-28 passes for 226 yards and three TDs, while Kemp led the rushing attack with 98 yards and two rushing TDs on 23 carries. Bean hauled in 14 catches for 164 yards an four TDs, followed by senior WR
Urston Smith's three catches for 50 yards. Bean added 50 yards on four punt returns to give him 214 all-purpose yards in the game.
Defensively, senior LB
Garrett Pougnet led the way with nine tackles, two tackles for loss (-14), a QB sack (-12) and a forced fumble. Fellow senior LB
Collin Schlosser tallied eight tackles, two tackles for loss (-9), a QB sack (-4), a forced fumble and recovered a fumble. Junior safety
Jacob Studdard chipped in eight tackles and a tackle for loss (-2). Senior safety
Kyle Short added six tackles and recovered a fumble. Senior defensive tackle
Cody Moore picked off a pass and recorded a tackle for loss.
Season Notes...
Brandon Bean 68 catches in 2017 ranks as the sixth-best single-season total in Lakers history...Bean has tallied 140 catches in his career which also ranks sixth all-time.
Collin Schlosser has 290 tackles in his career, the 10th-best total in GVSU history...Schlosser has 27.5 TFL and 11 QB sacks.
Bart Williams has completed 642-of-1,090 passes for 9,854 yards and 105 TDs.
