ALLENDALE, Mich. — No. 2 Grand Valley State started fast and dominated for 60 minutes in a 49-17 GLIAC victory over Northern Michigan in a constant heavy rain at Lubbers Stadium. The Lakers improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in GLIAC action. GVSU will be at #22 Saginaw Valley State next Saturday for a 3 p.m. kickoff in University Center. The Lakers have won 15 consecutive regular season games and 17 consecutive GLIAC games.
Grand Valley State elected to receive after winning the toss and it proved to be the right move as sophomore WR Kellen Reed returned the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. Mathew Bacik added the first of his seven PATs for a 7-0 Laker lead. The kickoff return for a TD was the third of Reeds career and it was the seventh longest return in GVSU history. GVSU junior linebacker Anthony Cardamone forced a Northern Michigan fumble on the Wildcats second play and senior QB Avery Moore rambled 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Lakers a 14-0 lead with 13:12 left in the first quarter.
Following a Northern Michigan field goal, GVSU drove went 83 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Syone Usma-Harper, seeing action for the first time, went the final 14 yards for a touchdown. The GVSU defense forced a three-and-out and the offense went back to work with a 7-play, 77-yard drive that sophomore running back Khalil Eichelberger finished with a 1-yard touchdown run to give GVSU a 28-3 lead at the half.
The Lakers forced a fumble on the second half kickoff, and it took just three plays for GVSU to go 13 yards. RB Kenneth Jones went the final two yards to build a 35-3 lead. Ike Udengwu engineered a 4-play, 77-yard drive that Derrick Woods finished with an 18-yard run and Isaiah Johnson returned a fumble 23 yards for a touchdown to close the scoring for GVSU.
GVSU rushed for 288 yards and five touchdowns on the night, led by Moore who rushed for 92 yards and a TD. Eichelberger added 58 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Usma-Harper chipped in 36 yards and a TD. The Lakers completed 5-of-11 passes for 94 yards. TE Drew Peterson hauled in two receptions for 24 yards and Sean Byrd caught one pass for 56 yards.
The Laker defense limited Northern Michigan to 206 yards of total offense, all on the ground. NMU did not complete a pass on the night (0-for-5). Kobe Hayward tallied seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss (-6), while Ian Kennelly added seven tackles. DT Thomas Jolly recorded six tackles, while LB Anthony Cardamone, DT Josh Schell, LB Damonte McCurdy, Jack Gilchrist and Charlie Nylander each recorded five tackles.
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