#9 Grand Valley State dropped a 20-17 decision to Ashland on a 52-yard hail mary pass as time expired Saturday (Oct. 5) before a Family Day crowd of 13,732. The Lakers fall to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in GLIAC action, while Ashland improves to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in league action. GVSU will host Saginaw Valley State Saturday (Oct. 12) at 7 p.m. 

A game that Grand Valley State led 10-0 with just over five minutes left and was played in a steady rain for the first three quarters, turned into a crazy, frantic final moments of action. Ashland QB Austin Brenner scrambled 28 yards for a TD with 5:01 remaining and after the Lakers were forced to punt with just under four minutes, RB Gei'vonni Washington scampered 44 yards for a TD with 2:34 left to give the Eagles a 14-10 lead. The Lakers got the ball back and turned in an 8-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:45 off the clock. QB Cole Kotopka completed a fourth down pass to WR Austin Paritee that covered 24 yards and on the very next play Kotopka hit WR Jacob Miller with a 23 yard pass for a TD and PK Josh Gorball added the PAT to a 17-14 GVSU lead with 49 seconds left. 

Brenner scrambled 18 yards for a first down and completed a first down pass for five yards before back-to-back incompletions to set up the hail mary fourth down pass that he completed to WR Logan Bolin. 

The Lakers scored a first quarter touchdown when Kotopka hit Paritee with an 8-yard pass. Miller set up the 27 yard scorng drive with 24 yard punt return. Gorball added  a 27 yard field goal with 11:08 left in the second quarter to up the Laker lead to 10-0. 

Sophomore RB Aryuan Cain-Veasey rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries, while Kotopka added 35 yards on 11 carries. Kotopka completed 11-of-25 passes for 150 yards and two TDs. Paritee hauled in five passes for 79 yards. LB Tyler Bradfield led the defense with a game-high 14 tackles and a tackle for loss, while DE Mike Pettis and DT James McBride each chipped in six stops. Pettis added two tackles for loss and a QB sack.