Postgame Interview

GVSU Highlights

The #21 Grand Valley State Laker football team claimed a regular season ending 69-13 GLIAC victory over Roosevelt at Lubbers Stadium Saturday. GVSU is 7-3 overall and 5-2 in GLIAC action. The Lakers, who have won three consecutive games, dropped three games by a total of 11 points, including two road defeats at top five programs. 
 
GVSU scored early and often with 10 touchdowns on the day, including six in the first half to build a 42-7 lead. The Lakers took the opening possession 75 yards in six plays for a touchdown. RS freshman QB Zach Olejniczak went the final three yards, while RS freshman QB Andrew Schuster completed four passes for 72 yards on the drive. DE Derek Rood forced a fumble that fellow DE, Jamari Buddin, returned 37 yards for a touchdown and PK Mathew Bacik added his second PAT for a 14-0 lead. 

Schuster directed a 7-play, 80-yard drive that Olejniczak finished with runs of five and six yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 GVSU lead after one quarter of action. Schuster hit WR Griffin Shinrock with a 10-yard pass on the first play of the second quarter for a TD. Schuster completed a 41-yard pass two junior WR Kellen Reed and hit RB Derrick Woods with a 19-yard completion. Schuster hit Reed with touchdown passes that covered 25 and 35 yards to complete the first half scoring. 

Olejniczak hit senior WR Jordan Johnson with a six-yard touchdown pass following a 29-yard interception return by safety Tony Roberts. Schuster hit senior RB Syone Usma-Harper with two-yard TD pass, Woods raced 79 yards for a touchdown and QB Ethan Plumb hit WR Alex McLean with a seven-yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 
 
Schuster completed 29-of-36 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. The 401 passing yards are the most by a QB since 2019 when Cole Kotopka threw for 402 yards at Northern Michigan. Woods rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on four carries, while Usma-Harper toted the ball seven times for 33 yards. 
 
Reed hit career-highs in receptions (8), yards (169) and TD receptions (2), while Lynn Wyche-El caught six passes for 96 yards. Jordan Johnson caught three for 50 yards and Donovan Johnson hauled in three for 21 yards. 

Safety Quinn Wills led the defense with eight tackles, followed by DT Josh Williams' seven stops. CB Chris Little, SS Josh Anderson, FS Tony Roberts, LB Riley Simpson and DT Tre Buckley each contributed six tackles. DE Derek Rood recorded three tackles, 2.0 QB sacks (-17) and 2.0 TFL (-17). 

Senior punter Trace Hrgich averaged 47.0 yards on two punts and scored his first career point with a made PAT.