Game Highlights

Press Conference

The #16 Grand Valley State football team claimed a 27-7 GLIAC home win over Davenport in a driving rain storm that lasted the entire game. Saturdays game was the third consecutive home game in which it rained the entire game. GVSU improves to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in GLIAC action. The Lakers will host William Jewell College next Saturday (Nov. 2) at 4 p.m.

The GVSU defense put the offense in great field position early when LB Brendann Brown forced a fumble that DT Dennis Johnson recovered at the Davenport 21 yard line. QB Cole Kotopka drove the Lakers 21 yards in five plays and hit TE Jayk Slager with an 8-yard TD pass. PK Josh Gorball kicked the first of his three PATs for a 7-0 lead. The GVSU defense continued to dominate and the Panthers were forced to punt from its own 12 yard line. Following a 22 yard punt the Laker offense took over on the Davenport 34 yard line. WR Brandon Wadley rushed for 11 yards and Kotopka hit WR Austin Paritee with a 20 yard completion to the Panther three yard line. The reception for Paritte was the 100th of his career, moving him into 19th all-time in receptions. Kotopka carried the ball in from the one yard line and GVSU led 14-0 after one quarter of action. 

The GVSU defense got into the scoring column late in the second quarter when DE Christian McCarroll returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown to give the Lakers a 21-0 halftime lead. 

Davenports only offensive success came in the third quarter on a drive that was kept alive by a GVSU personel foul on third down. The Panthers took advantage of the Laker penalty and finished the drive with a 36-yard TD pass. Grand Valley State forced another turnover when LB Tyler Bradfield forced a fumble that DT Wallace Hall recovered. Kotopka drove the Lakers 66 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. The big play of the drive came when Kotopka hit RB Johnt'e Crawford with a swing pass out of the backfield that went for 42 yards. Kotopka then ran it in from four yards out for the final points of the game. 

The Laker defense limited Davenport to 161 yards of total offense, 90 of which came on one drive. The Panthers lost three of eight fumbles and completed just five passes. The Lakers tallied 202 yards of total offense and did not turn the ball over one time on the night. RB Tariq Reid rushed for 44 yards, while Crawford added 21 yards on 13 carries. Kotopka completed 5-of-13 passes for 82 yards and a TD. The GVSU defense tallied six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. LB Isaiah Nkansah recorded 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-12) and a QB sack (-8), while Brown tallied 12 tackles, a TFL, a QB sack and a forced fumble.