Game Highlights
Post-game Press Conference

Grand Valley State opened the 2019 season with an impressive 35-10 non-conference, home-opening win over Edinboro before a crowd of 14,552. The Lakers improve to 31-18 all-time in season-opening games (17-2 since 2001) and 34-11 in home openers at Lubbers Stadium (19-1 since 2001). The Lakers will host Delta State Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

The Laker defense dominated from the opening kickoff, limiting Edinboro to 120 yards of total offense, including just five first downs. The fighting Scots tallied 120 yards of total offense, 13 via the ground on 20 carries. Edinboro's offense produced just a second quarter 38 yard field goal. In addition, the Laker defense produced eight three-and-outs.

Offensively, GVSU scored on its opening possession of the season when junior QB Cole Kotopka hit RB Bryce Young-Walls with a 59-yard pass completion and then found WR Austin Paritee in the corner of the endzone with a 1-yard TD pass. Freshman PK Josh Gorball kicked the first of his five PATs to give GVSU a 7-0 lead. Sophomore RB Aryuan Cain-Veasey then took over the game. He raced 48 yards for a touchdown on the Lakers' third possession of the game and then added a 94-yard TD run with 4:29 left in the second quarter to up the Laker lead to 21-3. The 94 yard TD run was the third longest in program history (Marty Carter 97, Spencer Calhoun 95).

Edinboro used an interception return for a touchdown to pull within 21-10 early in the third quarter, but the Lakers answered with a 5-play, 64-yard scoring drive that Cain-Veasey finished with a tough 29 yard ramble. Kotopka hit sophomore TE Jayk Slager with an 8-yard TD pass with 13:27 left in the fourth quarter to close the scoring. 

Cain-Veasey rushed for 200 yards and three TDs on 11 carries to lead a ground game that produced 319 yards. Kotopka completed 18-of-29 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while Paritee hauled in five passes for 48 yards. Sophomore Jacob Miller caught three passes for 53 yards and junior Charles Gaines pulled down three catches for 35 yards. The GVSU offense rolled up 572 total yards and averaged 8.3 yards per play. The Lakers converted 9-of-16 third downs and possessed the ball for 35:53. 

The trio linebacking unit of Junior LB Tyler Bradfield (6), Isaiah Nkansah (5) and Brendann Brown (5) led a defense that tallied 10 tackles for loss (--27) and three QB sacks (-15).