Press Conference

Grand Valley State claimed a 35-28 victory over Saginaw Valley State before a crowd of 13,180 at Lubbers Stadium. The Lakers improve to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in GLIAC action, while the Cardinals fall to 4-2 and 2-2 in GLIAC play. GVSU will hit the road for a GLIAC tilt at Northern Michigan next Saturday. 

For the third consecutive week the final outcome of the game was decided in the closing seconds and in the end it was a goal line stand from the Laker defense that preserved the win. Saginaw Valley State was stopped on first and goal from the one yard line and then second and goal from the one as time expired.

GVSU built a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter, turning a pair of Cardinal turnovers into 14 points. Following a fumbled punt RS freshman running back scored his first collegiate TD on a 21-yard run and Josh Gorball added the PAT. Senior CB Jaylen Moore then picked off a deflected pass and returned it 16 yards for a TD to up the lead to 14-0. The Lakers moved the advantage to 21-0 with 8:50 left in the second quarter as Reid scored on a 5-yard TD to culminate a 9-play, 44-yard drive that took 4:13 off the clock. 

Saginaw Valley State turned an interception into points with 1:18 left in the second quarter and scored on its first possession of the second half to pull within seven points (21-14). Reid scored his third TD of the game from a yard out to finish a 10-play, 83-yard drive and up the lead to 28-14. SVSU scored late in the third, but the Laker offense answered the bell again, this drive covering 78 yards in eight plays as QB Cole Kotopka hit WR Austin Paritee wit ha 9-yard TD pass. The Cardinals scored a TD with 11:17 left in the fourth quarter to pull with the final margin of 35-28. 

Reid rushed for 287 yards and three TDs on 39 carries in his first collegiate start. Reid's 287 rushing yards ranks second in a single-game behind Marty Carter's 298 yards on 20 carries versus Northern Michigan in 2016. Paritee caught six passes for 67 yards and a TD, while Jacob Miller hauled in two passes for 31 yards and Brandon Wadley two catches for 30 yards. LB Isaiah Nkansah led the defense with 10 tackles, 1.5 QB sacks (-10), while fellow LB Tyler Bradfield added 10 stops and two pass breakups.