Game Highlights

#5 Grand Valley State claimed a 25-22 season-opening victory over #4 Colorado School of Mines before a crowd of 12,250 at Lubbers Stadium Thursday (Sept. 1) night. The Lakers will hit the road for a non-league contest at Colorado State-Pueblo next Saturday (Sept. 10) at 8 p.m. (ET). Grand Valley State improved to 33-18 all-time in season-openers and have won 19-of-the-last-21. In addition, the Lakers are 367-12 in home openers at Lubbers Stadium, including an 20-1 mark since 2001.

The Lakers' defense came up with a big stop that afforded the offense an opportunity to answer the bell when it was needed. Trailing 22-17 with 5:32 remaining the Laker defense got a three-and-out to force a field goal from 36 yards that sailed wide right. GVSU started the drive on its own 20 yard line with 3:12 and needed a touchdown. Junior QB Cade Peterson scrambled 18 yards to move the ball out of harms ways, but a  holding penalty on the very next play pushed the Lakers back to the 28 yard line with a first-and-20. Peterson hit senior WR Kordell Hoover with a gain of 17 and on third down found sophomore WR Cody Tierney with a 33-yard completion to the Mines 21.  Following a couple of short gains GVSU was faced with a fourth-and-six from the Mines 17 yard line. Peterson went to back to the target that had produced all night in sophomore WR Jahdae Walker. Walker produced big plays or drew a pass interference call the entire night. Peterson launched a perfectly thrown ball to the end zone and Walker drew yet another pass interference call that moved the ball to the two-yard line. Peterson then found senior TE Jayk Slager alone in the endzone for a touhdown and the 2-point conversion pass from Cade Peterson was secured by younger brother Drew Peterson to give GVSU a 25-22 lead.

Mines drove 69 yards in seven plays, but the hail mary pass came up short as sophomore SS Ian Kennelly tackled RB Michael Zeman short of the end zone. 

The Laker defense dominated the first 40 minutes of the game, limiting Mines to 101 yards, while GVSU built a 17-0 lead midway through the third quarter. Junior RB Tariq Reid scored on a one-yard TD run to cap an 8-play, 69-yard scoring drive. Peterson scored on a five-yard TD run early in the third quarter, before sophomore PK Kollin Kralapp converted a career-long 31-yard field goal. Mines reeled off 22 consecutive points before the Lakers' game-winning scoring drive. 

Peterson completed 17-of-29 passes for 266 yards and one TD, while Walker caught four passes for 132 yards. Avery Moore rushed three times for 29 yards, while Reid added 26 yards and a TD. Tierney caught four passes for 44 yards. Junior LB Abe Swanson led the defense with nine tackles, while Kennelly and FS Damonte McCurdy each chipped in with six stops apiece. RS freshman Jay'viar Suggs tallied four stops, two tackles for loss and batted down three passes.  RS freshman punter Trace Hrgich averaged 47.0 yards per punt and dropped two inside the 20 yard line.