Holland Reporter

Grand Valley State University's football team, ranked third nationally, will travel for its first road game of the 2025 season to face sixteenth-ranked Pittsburg State. The matchup is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET) at Carnie Smith Stadium.

Historically, Grand Valley State has a record of 32-21 in road openers and has won 18 out of 23 such games since 2001. This contest marks only the second meeting between the two programs; Grand Valley State previously defeated Pittsburg State 24-21 during the 2023 NCAA Division II Playoffs at Lubbers Stadium.

The Lakers enter this game after a home victory over Black Hills State, winning 48-36. In that contest, Grand Valley's offense generated seven scoring drives under two minutes and thirty-nine seconds, with six drives consisting of five plays or fewer and four covering more than sixty-five yards. The team produced eighteen plays of ten yards or more and eight plays exceeding twenty yards.

On offense, Grand Valley recorded 436 total yards on fifty-six plays against Black Hills State, averaging nearly eight yards per play. Four scoring plays were longer than twenty-seven yards, while five covered at least fourteen yards each.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Schuster was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against Black Hills State. Schuster completed twenty-two out of thirty-two passes for three hundred ninety-one yards and four touchdowns—a freshman record for passing yards in a single game at GVSU and tied for ninth all-time in school history. He connected with ten different receivers and engineered seven scoring drives under two minutes and thirty-nine seconds. In his first two collegiate starts, Schuster has completed seventy-three percent of his passes for six hundred forty-two yards and seven touchdowns.

Sophomore kicker Mathew Bacik has converted three out of four field goal attempts this season, including successful kicks from beyond forty yards. Senior linebacker Anthony Cardamone surpassed career milestones with over two hundred tackles, thirty tackles for loss, and fifteen quarterback sacks.

The Lakers have led Division II in total attendance for thirteen consecutive years and have drawn nearly twenty-six thousand fans through their first two home games this season.

Head coach Scott Wooster is in his third year leading Grand Valley State. Under Wooster's direction, the Lakers have posted a record of twenty-four wins and four losses along with two NCAA Division II playoff appearances and one GLIAC title in his first two seasons.

Defensively against Black Hills State, the Lakers registered eleven tackles for loss totaling negative fifty-three yards and four quarterback sacks resulting in negative twenty-five yards. Through their first two games this season, they have produced thirteen offensive plays over twenty yards—six resulting in touchdowns—and multiple defensive stops including five three-and-outs versus Lincoln University earlier this year.

Statistically within the GLIAC conference and nationally among NCAA teams:

- The Lakers rank first in passing offense (321.6 ypg), rushing defense (19 ypg), pass efficiency (205.56), and are second in tackles-for-loss per game.

- Quarterback Andrew Schuster leads the conference in completion percentage (73.6%), pass efficiency (215.1), touchdown passes (7), passing yardage (642), average passing yardage per game (321), and average yardage per completion (16.4).

Grand Valley State remains one of Division II's most successful football programs by winning percentage among teams with more than five hundred games played—boasting an all-time record of 456-153-3 (.748). The program has achieved ten or more wins on twenty occasions throughout its fifty-three-year history—including eighteen times since 2001—and captured national championships in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006 as well as making six NCAA championship appearances.