Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) faced a narrow defeat against Harding University in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals, with a final score of 7-6. The match took place on Saturday afternoon, resulting in Harding advancing to the semifinals scheduled for next Saturday at their home ground. GVSU concluded their season with an 11-2 record.

The decisive moment came when Harding's quarterback, Cole Keylon, completed a 15-play, 73-yard drive by scoring a touchdown from one yard out with just under four minutes remaining in the game. Prior to this, GVSU had established a lead with two field goals during the first half. Senior placekicker Josh Gorball successfully converted kicks from distances of 48 and 27 yards.

Defensively, GVSU managed to hold Harding—known for leading the nation in rushing yards per game—to only 205 rushing yards over 62 attempts. Standout performances included senior linebacker Abe Swanson and senior defensive end Christian McCarroll, each recording 12 tackles. Junior safety Ian Kennelly also contributed significantly with ten stops.

On offense, senior quarterback Cade Peterson completed ten out of nineteen passes for a total of 123 yards. Junior wide receiver Darrell Johnson was notable with five receptions totaling 63 yards, while Kyle Nott added three catches for 27 yards. Khalil Eichelberger rushed for 31 yards and Tariq Reid contributed an additional 18 yards. Punter Trace Hrgich delivered an average of 48.4 yards on his five punts, including one that reached as far as 68 yards and three that landed inside the opponent's twenty-yard line.

The game saw GVSU penalized ten times for a total loss of eighty-five yards, whereas Harding incurred only two penalties related to delay of game aimed at managing the clock. Notably, no other infractions were recorded against Harding throughout the entire duration of the game's 129 plays.