Oct. 31, 2002

Allendale, Mich. - #1 Grand Valley State (7-0, 6-0) will hit the road for a 1:30 p.m. tilt at Mercyhurst College (2-6, 1-6). This will be the final road game for the Lakers in regular season action. Grand Valley State is 7-0 overall and 6-0 in GLIAC action. The Lakers are ranked number one in the latest AFCA coaches poll with all 27 first place votes and 675 points. Grand Valley State has won a school record 23 straight regular season games and 21 straight GLIAC games. GVSU is coming off a 33-14 victory over Northwood last Saturday. Mercyhurst enters the game with a 2-6 overall mark, including a 1-6 league ledger. Mercyhurst dropped a 40-16 decision at Indianapolis.

Radio: The game will be broadcast live on the radio by WMFN AM 640 beginning at 12:15 pm. Dick Nelson will handle the play-by-play, while former Laker Dan McLean handles the color. The Brian Kelly Radio Show can be heard on WMFN AM 640 every Friday night at 6 p.m., with a replay on Saturday at 5:45 pm.

The Series: Grand Valley State leads the all-time series with Mercyhurst by a 4-0 margin. The Lakers are averaging 44.7 points in the four meetings, while giving up just 14 points per contest. GVSU scored 59 points in the first three quarters last season and claimed a 59-3 victory.

The Coaches: Grand Valley State * Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983) * 97-34-2/.737 (12th year); Mercyhurst * Marty Schaetzle (Bucknell, 1983) * 2-6/.333 (First year).

GVSU head coach Brian Kelly ranks fifth (.737) among all active Division II head coaches in winning percentage.

Rankings: The Lakers received all 27 first place votes in the latest AFCA poll. GVSU has now been ranked number one for eight straight weeks. The Lakers are also ranked number one by D2Football.com, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and the Dopke rankings.

Last Game: Grand Valley State scored on its first two possessions and built a 24-7 halftime lead when David Hendrix hit a 26-yard field goal with no time remaining in the first half. All-American WR David Kircus hauled in a 27-yard TD pass from Harlon Hill candidate Curt Anes to open th e scoring. After a Reggie Spearmon one yard TD run, Kircus hauled in his second TD reception of the game to give GVSU a 21-7 lead. Hendrix added a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter and Spearmon added his second TD run of the game to conclude the scoring in a 33-14 GVSU win. Spearmon led the ground game with 163 yards on 30 carries, while Anes completed 24-33 passes for 248 yards and two TDs. Kircus hauled in six catches for 106 yards and two TDs. FS Scott Mackey led the defense with 14 tackles. GVSU held the second leading rushing team in the country to just 145 yards on the ground, 160 below their average.

* Grand Valley State set a school record with its 23rd straight regular season win last Saturday. The Lakers have also won a school record 21 consecutive GLIAC games. The streak began on Oct. 14, 2000 with a 56-21 win over Indianapolis.

* Harlon Hill Candidate Curt Anes continues to move to the top of several career school, GLIAC, and NCAA statistical categories. Anes completed 24-of-33 passes for 248 yards and two TDs vs. Northwood last Saturday. Curt has thrown for 225 yards or more in 16 of his last 18 games...Anes has thrown three or more TD passes in 13-of-his-last-17 regular season games, including four or more in 10 of 17 games...The GLIAC's all-time career leader in TD passes thrown with 81 and total offense with 8,896 yards, Anes is tied with Matt McCarthy (FSU) for the top spot in all-time passing yards in the GLIAC 7,808...Anes has thrown just seven interceptions in his last 672 attempts (25 games) and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-1 in his last 17 games...In his career, Anes has completed 600-of-990 attempts for 8,657 yards and 90 TDs...Curt ranks 8th all-time in Division II in TD passes (90), 11th in total offense (9,842) and 19th in career yards per game (259.0)...Curt has completed 137-218 passes for 1,768 yards and 23 TDs this season...Curt completed a season-high 24 passes in 33 attempts for 248 yards and two TDs vs. Northwood...Completed 20-33 passes for 245 yards and two TDs at third-ranked Saginaw Valley State...Anes completed 14-25 passes for 196 yards and three TDs vs. Northern Michigan...Curt completed 19-32 passes for 278 yards and four TDs at Michigan Tech...Completed 20-31 passes for 243 yards and five TDs vs. Hillsdale...Completed 21-33 passes for 336 yards and five TDs vs. Wayne State...Completed 19-31 passes for 224 yards and two TDs vs. UC-Davis...Curt ranks sixth in the country in pass efficiency rating (171.58) and 19th in total offense per game (256.0)...Curt holds 13 GLIAC game, season and career records.

* All-American candidate David Kircus moved etched his name in the record books again last Saturday vs. Northwood. Kircus became the all-time leading scorer in GLIAC history with 294 points, surpassing the previous mark of 288 points by Tyree Dye of Ferris State. Kircus also nailed down the top spot in all-time receptions at GVSU with his 27-yard TD catch in the first quarter vs. the Timberwolves. Kircus is the all-time leader in NCAA Division II touchdown receptions with 56 and the all-time leader in GLIAC action with 51. Kircus set the DII record versus Michigan Tech and the I and IAA record with two TD catches versus Northern Michigan. Kircus, who has caught 43 touchdown passes in his last 17 regular season games (2.5 pg), is averaging a TD catch ever 2.2 receptions this season and every 3.1 for his career...Kircus has caught a TD pass in 17 straight games, the longest active streak among college football players...Dave has two or more TD catches in 15-of-his-last-17 regular season games..In addition, Kircus has caught a pass in 40 straight games...David is the all-time leading scorer in the GLIAC (294) and fourth in all-time receiving yards (3,021)...Kircus has 178 catches for 3,286 yards.

*Senior running backs Reggie Spearmon and Brent Lesniak are moving up the list of all-time rushers in GLIAC history. Spearmon ranks ninth with 2,578 yards in GLIAC games, while Lesniak has rushed for 2,386 yards. Lesniak needs 33 yards to move into the top 10. Spearmon ranks fourth in all-time rushing yards with 2,700, just 18 yards behind third place Eric Lynch. Lesniak ranks fourth in Laker annals with 2,634 yards.

* Senior tight end Phil Condon is third on the squad in receptions (17) and yards (324) this season...Condon has 74 catches for 1,104 yards in his career...Condon is the 21st player in Laker football history to go over the 1,000-yard plateau...Condon caught a career-high seven passes for a career-high 154 yards at Wayne State...Condon, who injured his ankle in the first quarter vs. Northwood, had his streak of 27 straight games with a reception snapped.

* WR Terrance Banks leads Grand Valley State in catches (46) and yards (595) this season...Banks has three 100-yard receiving games this season...Terrance recorded single-game, career-highs in receptions (10), yards (107) yards and TDs (2) vs. Hillsdale...Notched nine catches for 106 yards at third-ranked SVSU...Banks hauled in five passes for a 102 yards and one TD at Wayne State...Banks became the 22nd player in GVSU history to break the 1,000-yard plateau in career receiving...Terrance now has 80 career receptions for 1,025 yards and 11 TDs.

* Phil Condon and Terrance Banks became the sixth receiving duo in Laker football history to go over the 100-yard receiving mark in the same game. Condon caught seven passes for 154 yards, while Banks hauled in five passes for 102 yards at Wayne State.

* RB Reggie Spearmon leads GVSU in rushing with 733 yards and seven TDs on 133 carries...Spearmon rushed for 163 yards on 30 carries last week vs. Northwood...Reggie, who toted the ball just one time for eight yards and caught one pass for six yards at SVSU, would be averaging 120.1 yards rushing per game if you subtract his totals and game played vs. Saginaw Valley State...Spearmon rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on 15 carries in just over two quarters last Saturday vs. Northern Michigan. Spearmon also had a 12-yard TD reception...Reggie had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games earlier this season. He tallied a 28-carry, 152-yard, two TD performance at Michigan Tech... Spearmon rushed for 165 yards and one TD on 27 carries vs. Hillsdale...Spearmon.

* RB Brent Lesniak recorded his second 100-yard rushing game of the season with 123 yards on a career-high 26 carries at third-ranked SVSU...Lesniak ranks second on the team in rushing with 411 yards and three TDs on 76 carries...Brent notched a season-high 137 yards on 10 carries at Michigan Tech...Lesniak has nine TD runs that have covered 50 yards or more in his career...Brent ranks first in all-time, all-purpose yards (4,265) and fourth in all-time rushing (2,634) at Grand Valley State.

* Freshman running back Brandon Langston made the most of his first extended playing time Saturday vs. Northern Michigan. Langston rushed for 149 yards on 12 carries with one TD (72 yards).

* The Grand Valley State defense has notched 53 tackles for loss (-232) and 27 QB sacks (-157) in seven games this season.

Grand Valley State ranks 22nd in the country in rushing defense, yielding 94.7 yards per game...The Lakers limited SVSU to -22 yards on 35 carries and Northwood, who was second in the country in rushing average (305.7), to 160 yards below its average.

* Grand Valley State has picked off 11 passes and recovered seven fumbles this season. The Lakers are plus 9 in turnover margin.

* Sophomore defensive tackle Keyonta Marshall ranks fourth on the team in tackles (39), but first in tackles for loss (10-57) and QB sacks (8-51)...Sophomore Lucius Hawkins leads the squad in interceptions (3) and return yards (65)...Sophomore defensive back Joe Ballard has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Ballard has returned a fumble and an interception for TDs this season...15 different Lakers have recorded a tackle for loss.

* Grand Valley State has outscored its opponents 70-0 in the first quarter and 79-23 in the third quarter this season.

* GVSU is converting 49.0 percent of its third downs (42-88) this season. In comparison, Laker opponents are converting 32.0 percent (34-106).

* Attendance Record? Grand Valley State set a GLIAC record for single-season attendance after four home games this season. 38,496 fans have watched the Lakers in four home games. The single-season GLIAC record (GLIAC games only) is 29,299 set by GVSU in 2001. The Lakers have a three-game total of 26,135 in GLIAC play.

* Grand Valley State is 75-0 when scoring 40 points or more and 140-6 when scoring 30 points or more.

Lakers In NCAA Stats
Team
Total Off. 7th 456.3
Rushing Off. 18th 215.2
Scoring Off. 6th 40.0
Scoring Def. 20th 15.7
Pass Off. 23rd 259.9
Rush Def. 22nd 94.7
TO Margin 12th 1.3
Pass Eff. Def. 30th 103.2
Individual
David Kircus
Scoring 4th 12.9
Curt Anes
Pass Effic. 6th 163.0
Total Offense 23rd 254.6
Reggie Spearmon
Rushing 23rd 104.7
Terrance Banks
Receptions 12th 6.6
KO Return Yds. 34th 25.1
Keyonta Marshall
Sacks 7th 1.1
Tackles for loss 30th 1.6

NCAA Northeast Regional Rankings
1. Grand Valley State (7-0)
2. Bentley (8-0)
3. Findlay (7-1)
4. Indiana (Pa.) (8-1)
5. C.W. Post (8-0)
6. West Virginia Tech (5-3)
7. Northern Michigan (6-2)
8. Saginaw Valley State (6-2)
9. Southern Connecticut State (7-1)
10. Bloomsburg (6-2)