News Summary
The Grand Valley State Lakers faced their first defeat of the season, falling 17-14 to the Pittsburg State Gorillas at Carnie Smith Stadium. Trailing most of the game, the Lakers took a brief lead in the fourth quarter, but the Gorillas responded effectively. GVSU struggled offensively with their lowest total yards since at least 2001 and battled with penalties. This loss drops their record to 2-1, as they prepare to host Davenport in their next game.
Pittsburg, Kansas – The Grand Valley State Lakers suffered their first loss of the season, falling 17-14 to the Pittsburg State Gorillas at Carnie Smith Stadium. With this defeat, GVSU’s record dropped to 2-1, while Pittsburg State improved to 1-2. The Lakers, ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II, had been seeking an undefeated season but were outmatched in critical moments of the game.
After trailing for most of the contest, the Lakers briefly took the lead early in the fourth quarter when sophomore running back Paschal Jolman scored a 14-yard touchdown run, pushing the score to 14-10. However, Pittsburg State quickly responded, regaining the lead with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with Zahmari Palode-Gary’s 5-yard touchdown run, making the score 17-14.
GVSU had two opportunities to reclaim the lead. However, the Lakers were forced to punt after their first drive following Pittsburg’s touchdown and then succumbed to an interception on their final drive of the game.
The match began slowly, with both teams unable to score in the first quarter. Pittsburg State opened the scoring with a 53-yard field goal from Austin Schmitt in the second quarter, followed by Jackson Berry’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Kuron Parchmon, increasing the Gorillas’ lead to 10-0 just before halftime.
The Lakers responded dramatically when linebacker Riley Simpson recovered a fumble and sprinted 95 yards for a touchdown, pulling GVSU to within three points at 10-7.
Overall, the Lakers struggled offensively, finishing the game with a mere 206 total yards, their lowest output since at least 2001. GVSU’s rushing attack was particularly stagnant, netting only 56 yards on the ground, while Pittsburg State rushed for 104 yards and achieved 249 passing yards.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Schuster completed 14 of 27 passes for 150 yards but faced challenges, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked three times. Receivers Sean Byrd and Kellen Reed contributed significantly, with Byrd leading in receptions at four for 53 yards and Reed catching three for 34 yards. Syone Usma-Harper was the spark for the rushing game with 41 yards on 10 carries and contributed four receptions for 29 yards, while Jolman added another 18 yards rushing, including his touchdown.
The Lakers’ defense was headed by Anthony Cardamone, who recorded 10 tackles and one sack, followed closely by Torian Wyatt with eight tackles and a sack. Nevertheless, a high number of penalties plagued GVSU throughout the game, with 14 infractions totaling 89 yards. They also struggled on third-down conversions, successfully making only 6 out of 14 attempts.
This loss marks GVSU’s first regular season defeat since they lost to the Colorado School of Mines in the first week of the 2023 season. As the Lakers look to rebound, their next game is set for October 4, where they will host Davenport at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. Currently, GVSU holds an overall regular season record of 20-2 since the beginning of 2023.
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Additional Resources
- Pittsburg State Gorillas Win Slugfest Over No. 3 Lakers 17-14
- GVSU Falls to Pittsburg State
- GVSU Football Upset by Pittsburg State
- Pitt State Football Grabs First Win of 2025
- Wikipedia: Grand Valley State Lakers Football
- Google Search: Pittsburg State Gorillas
- Google Scholar: NCAA Division II Football
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Football
- Google News: Pittsburg State Gorillas
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