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#7 Grand Valley State will hit the road for the 2021 GLIAC opener at Saginaw Valleys State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Harvey Randall Wickes Stadium. GVSU enters the contest 3-0, while the Cardinals are 2-2. Grand Valley State leads the all-time series with Saginaw Valley State by a 38-11 margin and have won eight consecutive and 16-of-the-last-17 games in the series. GVSU claimed a 31-28 victory over the Cardinals in 2018 in University Center and tallied a 35-28 victory over the SVSU in the 2019 meeting in Allendale. The Lakers sport a record of 22-2 at Lubbers Stadium versus the Cardinals and a 15-9 mark at Wickes Stadium. From 2002 - 2010, Grand Valley State was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in 10 of the 11 meetings with the Cardinals. The lone time SVSU has been ranked higher than GVSU was in the 2003 playoffs and GVSU claimed a 10-3 win at Saginaw Valley State in the playoffs and eventually went on to win the National Championship.

• Grand Valley State is 33-14 all-time in GLIAC openers and 15-6 in GLIAC openers on the road. 

LAST WEEK
Grand Valley State raced out to a 30-0 halftime lead and never looked back en route to a 44-21 road win. The Lakers took advantage of blocked punt to get on the board first and then scored 23 points in the second quarter. RB Tariq Reid rushed for 131 yards and a GVSU single-game, record-tying four TDs on 13 carries. The Lakers rushed for 320 yards and six touchdowns as a team. LB Abe Swanson led the defense with seven tackles and 2.0 TFL (-9), while Brendann Brown and Damon Wesley each contributed five tackles. The Laker defense limited MTU to 82 rushing yards on 31 carries.

LAKERY BYTES
• The GVSU defense has forced its first three  opponents (CSU-Pueblo/UWL/MTU) into 13 three-and-out possessions and 27-of-30 total possessions that have not resulted in points have consisted of six plays or less. Five drives have resulted in negative yards and 19 drives have consisted of 10 yards or less. 

• Three games into the 2021 season, 16 different Laker receivers have caught a pass, while nine different players have scored a TD.

• GVSU has rushed for 640 yards and 10 TDs in the last two games. The Lakers rushed for 320 yards and four TDs vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse, followed by a 320-yard, six-TD rushing game at Michigan Tech. GVU is averaging 7.8 yards per carry in the last two games. The Lakers lead the GLIAC and rank second nationally in rushing yards per game (276.3). 

• GVSU is averaging 26.1 ypr on kickoff returns and 13.0 ypr on punt returns. The Lakers' opponents are averaging 20.6 ypr on kickoffs and 6.3 ypr on punts. In addition, GVSU's average field position following a kickoff is the 35 yard line, while opponents are starting on their 23 yard line. 

• The Laker defense limited CSU-Pueblo to 29 rushing yards on 20 attempts (1.5 ypr) and Michigan Tech to 82 yards on 31 carries (2.6 ypc).

• GVSU leads the GLIAC and ranks 14th nationally in rushing defense per game (72.3).

• GVSU ranks second in the GLIAC in third down percentage defense .290 (12-for-41). On the flip side, the Lakers rank second in third down conversion at .510 (18-for-35).  

• GVSU has recorded 11 drives that consisted of eight plays or more that have resulted in points. All total, the Lakers have scored on 16-of-35 drives (.457) this season. 

• The GVSU defense recorded 21 tackles for loss (-63), eight QB sacks (-33), 31 QB hurries, 11 pass deflections, recovered three fumbles and picked off two passes.   

• Punter Josh Gorball is averaging 40.1 yards per punt and has placed four inside the opponents 20 yard line.