Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University opened its 2025 football season with a 45-9 win over Lincoln (Pa.) before an audience of 12,136 at Lubbers Stadium. The victory improved GVSU’s overall record in season openers to 35-19 and marked their 21st win in such games since 2001. The Lakers will face Black Hills State next Saturday at home.

The game began with a key defensive play by GVSU safety Josh Anderson, who intercepted a pass on the fifth play. On offense, redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Schuster led a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with senior running back Syone Usma-Harper rushing four times for 64 yards and Schuster connecting with junior wide receiver Lynn Wyche-El for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore place kicker Mathew Bacik added the extra point.

Schuster continued the strong start by hitting junior wide receiver Kellen Reed with a 45-yard touchdown pass on the next possession after a three-play, 61-yard drive. Lincoln managed to score following a GVSU penalty but midway through the second quarter, GVSU answered with another scoring drive capped by Usma-Harper’s 18-yard touchdown run.

In the second half, sophomore quarterback Brady Drogosh led a six-play, 61-yard drive and scored himself after sophomore running back Paschal Jolman finished the series with an 18-yard run into the end zone. Schuster later threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Donovan Johnson during another scoring drive. Drogosh added another touchdown on a four-yard rush after junior running back Derrick Woods carried five times for 47 yards. Bacik completed GVSU’s scoring with a successful 42-yard field goal.

The Lakers’ offense totaled 481 yards—230 rushing and 251 passing. Schuster completed his first collegiate start going 17-for-21 for three touchdowns and no interceptions. Reed led receivers with four catches for 85 yards and one touchdown; Johnson had four receptions for 56 yards and one score; Wyche-El caught four passes for 34 yards and one touchdown as well.

Usma-Harper finished as leading rusher with seven carries for 83 yards and one touchdown while Woods contributed six carries for 47 yards. Drogosh added eight carries totaling 31 yards along with his own rushing touchdown.

Defensively, GVSU limited Lincoln to just seventeen rushing yards on twenty-four attempts while holding them to sixteen completions out of twenty-eight passes for one hundred seventy-nine passing yards and intercepting three times. Senior linebacker Jimmy Downs led all defenders with eight tackles including two tackles-for-loss and one sack. Free safety Quinn Wills, defensive end Jarie Buddin, and linebacker Anthony Cardamone each made four tackles; Anderson, free safety Matthew Nickens, and cornerback Trey Sharp each recorded an interception.

After this opening victory, Grand Valley State is set to continue its season hosting Black Hills State at Lubbers Stadium next week.