Head Coach Scott Wooster Postgame


#3 Grand Valley State (2-0) claimed a 24-21 non-conference road win Saturday night at #22 Colorado State-Pueblo (2-1).  GVSU will host Wisconsin-La Crosse Saturday, Sept. 21 at Lubbers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
  
CSU-Pueblo started quick on the opening possession of the game, driving 53 yards on six plays, including a 41 yard completion in which Grant Hart made a touchdown saving tackle. The Laker defense regrouped and maed a stop on fourth down with a quarterback sack by junior DE Niles King. Sophomore running back Khalil Eichelberger rambled 47 yards to on the Lakers' first play and QB Avery Moore finished the four-play, 78-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. PK Mathew Basik hit the first of his three PATs and GVSU ledt 7-0. The Laker defense forced a three-and-out and the Laker offense went back to work, driving 62 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. Moore hit sophomore WR Kellen Reed with a 24-yard touchdown pass and GVSU led 14-0 with 4:38 left in the first quarter. 

CSU-Pueblo drove 77 yards in 10 plays and reached the GVSU 20 yard line, however, sophomore DE Josh Schell recovered a fumble to end the drive and the Laker offense went back to work.  
Moore hit WR Kyle Nott with a 24 yard reception to start the drive, followed by a 19 yard run by junior RB David Holloman. The drive stalled, but Bacik drilled a 41-yard field goal to give the Lakers a 17-0 lead. 

Junior CB Terez Reid ended a Thunderwolve drive with an interception midway through the second quarter and neither team was able to mount a scoring opportunity in the first half. 
 
CSU-Pueblo scored on its opening drive of the third quarter after being pinned inside the five yard line following a Trace Hrgich punt. The big play in the six-play, 96-yard drive was a 65 yard completion and after back-to-back defensive holding penalties on Grand Valley State the Thuderwolves scored. 

GVSU drove 53 yards in seven plays late in the third quarter for a touchdown. An apparent 27 yard rushing touchdown by RB Kenneth Jones was called back by due to holding, but Moore picked up a first down with nifty 18 yard run and Jone ended the drive with a four yard TD run. Bacik hit the PAT and GVSU led 24-7 heading into the fourth quarter. 

CSU-Pueblo scored quickly with an 8-play, 75-yard drive to pull the Thunderwolves within 10 points (24-14). 

WR Donovan Johnson came up with a big play following a GVSU fumble when he forced and recovered a fumble on the return at the GVSU six yard line. The Lakers were unable to pick up a first down, but Hrgich came through with a 61 yard punt that was aided by a CSU-Pueblo block in the back. The Thunderwolves drove 71 yards in five plays for a touchdown with four seconds left in the game. GVSU was called for four defensive penalties on the drive. 

The Lakers tallied 401 yards of total offense, including 239 rushing yards and held a 35:35 - 23:34 advantage in time of possession.In addition, GVSU was 7-for-16 on third down, while CSU-Pueblo was 3-for-11 on third down and 0-1 on fourth down. The Thunderwolves rushed for 68 yards and passed for 315 yards on 25-of-43 through the air.

Khalil Eichelberger rushed for 95 yards on 14 carries, while Moore chipped in 64 yards and a TD on 12 carries. David Holloman toted the ball seven times for 49 yards and Jones added 31 yards and a TD on nine carries. 
 
Moore completed 14-of-22 passes for 162 yards and one TD. 
 
Kellen Reed caught four passes for 54 yards and a TD, while Donovan Johnson caught two passes for 22 yards. Gavin Cossou hauled in two passes for 11 yards, Cody Tierney one for 25 yards and Nott one tallied one reception for 24 yards. 
 
Trace Hrgich punted eight times for a 46.5 yards per punt average, including three inside the 20 yard line. 
 
Safety Kobe Hayward led the defense with six tackles, followed by Jake Archbold with five and Niles King added five stops, 3.0 TFL (-12) and 2.0 QB sacks (-11). Ian Kennelly, Jimmy Downs, Deven Pringle and Anthony Cardamone each contributed four stops.

GVSU was flagged a program-record 21 times for a record 194 yards, including a fourth quarter when the Lakers were called for 10 penalties (100 yards). CSU-Pueblo was called for eight penalties for 54 yards in the game.