ALLENDALE, Mich. — #4 Grand Valley State claimed a crazy 57-49 double overtime victory over #20 Colorado State-Pueblo Saturday night before a crowd of 15,182 at Lubbers Stadium as Scott Wooster picked up the first win as head coach. The Lakers will host #23 Assumption University next Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.
The 2023 home opener will go down as an instant classic and one of the craziest games in GVSU football history. The Lakers dominated the first quarter in every facet of the game and led 14-0. GVSU rolled up 137 yards of total offense and limited the Thunderwolves to five yards on nine plays. Senior RB Tariq Reid culminated an 8-play, 71-yard drive with a 13-yard TD run on the Lakers' opening possession. Senior QB Cade Peterson hit junior WR Cody Tierney with a 27 yard completion on third-and-eight to keep the drive alive. Following another three-and-out by the Laker defense, GVSU drove 61 yards in 11 plays for a score. Peterson raced 22 yards for a first down on fourth-and-nine and Reid scored from two yards out on the next play. Senior place kicker Josh Gorball kicked the second of his seven PATs to give the Lakers a 14-0 lead. Grand Valley State upped its lead to 21-0 with a 6-play, 44-yard drive that sophomore RB Syone Usma-Harper concluded with a 2-yard run.
Colorado State-Pueblo picked up its initial first down of the game on its fourth drive and drove 80 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown. The Thunderwolves then returned blocked field goal 72 yards for a touchdown to pull within 21-14. GVSU needed just two plays after a 55-yard kickoff return by junior WR Darrell Johnson. Peterson his junior WR Kyle Nott with a 27-yard pass and catch that Nott hauled in one handed. Colorado State-Pueblo answered quickly with a score, but GVSU redshirt freshman WR Kellen Reed returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and the Lakers went in with a 35-21 halftime lead. Reed's kickoff return for a TD was the seventh longest in program history.
The Thunderwolves scored a touchdown on their possession of second half and tied the game at 35-35 on an interception return for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman Alex Thole, in for an injured Cade Peterson, drove GVSU 62 yards in eight play for a touchdown. Reid toted the ball in from one yard out to give the Lakers a 42-35 lead with 2:50 left in game. CSU-Pueblo drove 75 yards in 13 plays and scored on the final play to send the game into overtime.
The visitors scored on the first play of overtime, but GVSU answered with a touchdown on its first play of overtime when Thole hit Tierney with a 25-yard TD pass. Reid then started the second overtime with a 25-yard TD run and Thole hit junior TE Drew Peterson the 2-point conversion pass to give the Lakers a 57-49 lead. CSU-Pueblo drove inside the Laker 10 yard line, but senior safety Cole Patritto batted away a fourth down pass to preserve the victory.
Reid rushed for 119 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries, while Peterson rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries. Usma-Harper added 34 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Peterson completed 9-of-13 passes for 155 yards, while Thole hit on 5-of-7 passes for 81 yards and a TD. Tierney recorded his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game with four catches for 106 yards, while Darrell Johnson hauled in three catches for 54 yards and returned two kickoffs 115 yards. Sophomore WR Jordan Johnson caught two passes for 19 yards and junior TE Gavin Cossou hauled in two catches for 18 yards.
Senior WR Abe Swanson led the defense with nine tackles and a QB sack, while sophomore LB Anthony Cardamone chipped in seven tackles and 1.5 TFL. Sophomore CB Devin Pringle added five tackles and three pass breakup. Sophomore CB Terez Reid notched two tackles, two pass breakups and picked off a pass.
GVSU rushed for 217 yards and five TDs as a team, while passing for 236 yards and two TDs. The Lakers recorded nine pass breakups.
