>> Welcome back to an all new episode of the Grand Valley State sports report on WGVU.

I'm your host Jake leading this week will recap a massive family.

They win against northwood for Laker football will take a look at volleyball as they fought tough on the road Laker.

Women soccer standout.

Katie barrel joins a little later in the show to run down her team this season are featured this week.

Highlights later, football's Josh fourball rocket in Laker nation is the Grand Valley State sport report starts right now.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Number 6 Grand Valley State claimed a 70 to 9 victory over northwood Saturday night before a Laker family day crowd of 15,000.

The Lakers are still undefeated at 5 and O overall and 2 unknowingly at play.

Join us now to talk about his team is Matt Mitchell and coach 100 wins now for you.

For your career.

We had a lot to talk about.

70 point performance review personally to have your family on hand to win that 100 game.

Was that mean to you?

That was awesome mean.

I think it's just >> it's really just kind of a neat experience for everybody involved.

And for me, you know, reflect.

And just to kind of a milestone occurred reflect back upon obviously came as a head coach, great history and tradition.

So they will inherit a program with a really strong foundation that I've had the opportunity to coach a lot of great players over the course of time work with a lot of good assistant coaches had great mentors both in coaching athletic department that have really set a strong Foundation.

So excited to be a 100 but not done, you know, wanted to move on and continue to try to strive to be the best we can be day in, day out.

>> A resounding way to get the win 70 points for your team had to be really happy with their offense.

Did this weekend.

>> Yeah.

Did a great job.

You know, I think again, we have really started halves the 1st half and finished her 1st half really well, you know, the first possession of the first 5 games.

We've been very efficient have not gone 3 an out whether we've scored for the 5 know what we really set up a good field position and we stayed aggressive at the end of halves.

You known for the 5 games.

He scored the last possession head into halftime 2.

So that's been really good with their offense.

You know, I think that first drive is really critical.

You know, the North and makes plays in the pass game got up us on a 6.

Nothing you know, as we mentioned, the post-game show, there's a 3rd 33rd along the Cape converted to Daryl Johnson to freshman I think was probably the play the game because I really gave us the energy and spark to get on the score.

And we just were very efficient.

The rest the way we executed at a very high level.

The 1st half of their starters and worth out, you know, an offensive lineman, a tight end 3 receivers were down.

Some guys is really proud of some new starters, a kind of stepped into that moment that were backups that executed with our offense.

And again, those really nice to see her eyes and get going.

That was intentional for us to, you know, get him the ball a little bit more and try to make sure he was in a position and I think you saw Kate make some plays again with his arm and his feet.

And we had some explosive runs really got on.

So, you know, not a lot of things that I watched the tape that I was disappointed with our offense in the 1st half.

>> Number 3, scoring offense in the nation.

So obviously things been going well all year.

But it seems like particularly the last 2 weeks.

The passing game, the deep passing game have really taken the next step by what you see with that.

What's been the growth that what's been the impetus behind the growth of that.

>> Yeah.

Nothing coming out of the Michigan Tech.

We you know, we were a little bit trying to focus on some consistencies that were occurring.

Weather is protections.

Whether was fundamentals of the quarterback position, fundamentals and routes just trying to, you know, make some plays in the passing game.

So made a really concerted effort going up the side of the valley.

And in part that was because second how to get front.

And also this is a week because we took an oath with steam.

We felt like there would be some opportunities within their secondary to make some place.

And so we really of the working h#*#*#* o#* that practice to try to grow and improve and become more explosive in the pass game.

You know, I think we knew the strength of this team would be line titans running backs heading into the season.

You know, I've talked about some season previews it felt like for this team to be exposed, to try to be one of the top teams, the nation scoring offense.

You know, getting the passing game going was important.

And I think that our guys really bought into that challenge that we've had and it has showed up on tape.

>> Showed up at 70 points this past weekend.

But only 9 allowed to go back to the defensive side of the ball northwood comes down long touchdown drive that could hit a couple of deep passes on you score that early touchdown and the receiver the caught all 3 passes doesn't touch the ball.

Again.

You get 3 points.

The rest of the way.

What was the adjust?

Your defense made yet to be really happy with the way they played after that first year they did.

You know, I want to highlight they played great physical all night.

Did a really good job on that opening drive.

We recover 3, they had a couple bank posts.

Bill could have maybe a little more depth at the corner position.

But.

>> That's one of the things on the board.

You know, if there's one defensive defended everything everybody run all the time and scoring one to 0.

So, you know, there's a there's plenty of positives and negatives with every defensive Koch making up credit North where there's some contested place and that could happen.

The past games go throw good catch there, guys.

Right there was wide open in the what touchdown catch.

We've got to be better in regards to play man to be in a better position.

But after that, I thought we did a really good job settle in.

And I think the one thing we lot lot of hits on the quarterback.

We we hit the quarterback, even though the ball got off.

Sometimes there's a lot.

A lot of violence on the quarterback was really important star defensive line continue to play.

And as I mentioned from all 3 levels.

You know, we were really physical in the run game, put her hands on guys, block destruction and casual Goldsmith was a good back coming to the game really limited his his touches and carries.

And I think the thing that was exciting for us on the defensive side.

The ball.

Jake, as we pull all of our starters on both sides.

The ball at halftime did not see a significant drop off with the second group in the 2nd half really only of the 3 points and majority of time North.

We did have their starters in for the bill for most of the entire 2nd half was running their offense and this guy's got a great, you know, red zone stop, which would have been great read some stuff.

So we really came in and really touched on that really coach those guys up America to help by the experiences for a lot of first year players never played football game and go out there have that experience yet for Queen Lowry really stood out to me on that second unit.

Want to talk about Denzel Williams because he got to play for the first time this past week and boy, was he electric made a lot of plays.

You know, I think Denzel was a transfer from an old Dominion.

That was a really productive player there and it takes some time off for the game.

And I kind of got back on his radar.

You actually reached out to me last spring got him in the summer.

And then we just had a series of some things from a health standpoint, you know that he wasn't cleared to play and he will be worked incredibly hard.

Stay locked in, especially as quarter.

I can tell that he was going to be good.

Special teams player makes a really big plan to kick off in the opening kickoff blocks, a punt.

You know, that is our 3rd time we scored on special teams and 5 games and he was a big part of that.

His first action, the point some snaps on defense did a good job of defense.

It's exciting for us to bring another really experience football player that has played really us highest level fbs football that could come in, help us on special teams to kind of spell and TJ Crosby.

The nickel position, too.

>> What's great to have that physicality back, especially going to the Big One this week.

We'll break down that first when we come back.

Right.

Okay.

Thanks.

We're back to preview that anger bone classic against their state of the Grand Valley State sport report continues on WDTN.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] It's that time of year again as the annual anchor bone classic against Ferris state comes to Allendale the Saturday in a matchup of undefeated teams coaches.

One needs no further hype than it already has.

>> Yeah.

There's obviously a lot on the line who can take a step past the natural right for the 2 institutions Affleck departments, football teams.

You have other in our region.

It's a region.

There's only 4 undefeated football team's first 2 of them are facing off Saturday.

Now Dale has big implications on the conference championship race.

And there's just, you know, a lot of the line in regards to both the ugly act in postseason play.

>> Obviously emotions will be high to be at Liberty stadium.

A packed house once again.

How do you keep the energy level at the right build throughout this week.

>> Yeah.

I think that's one thing that a previous experiences will lean on you and I talked about the show with your offer covid.

We took the field against a nationally called a state problem.

Our guys really hyped up to play a game very energetic.

And you know, we were focused, though, on the way we execute, especially the 1st half and salt point back to that even point little bit to Saturday.

It's northwood.

You know, the fact that we had a, you know, crowd.

Those in the top 10.

You can really feel the energy coming back home after 2 weeks on the road.

So try to channel all that and really try to make sure that we have a lot of energy, which we will.

But that are just focused on the right things and that's on our guys line with us.

I'm an execution on doing the little things that occur throughout the course of football game.

And I would also say know that first it is extremely talented football team won the most talented teams that I've seen in my time a Grand Valley.

They are going make some plays on both sides of the ball.

And we have to make sure that we don't flinch in those moments when they do make it that we handle that adversity the right way and move on to the next play.

How much will some of that adversity you faced early in games earlier in the season kind of help you kind of point back to those moments when you know you're going to face that.

It gets really good fares to I think it's going to be immense and even like to come back to northwood game.

They scored the opening possession.

We did not flinch on the defensive bench.

There was no sense of panic because without a score.

We're supposed to.

You know, what was supposed to.

Obviously this killed northwood.

But we didn't really flinch in that moment.

You know, we know winning football games is very, very difficult and that there are some really good teams in our league, Anderson to good teams.

And for says the 2 teams they're going to make plays and we have to accept that fact to limit the number of those plays and make sure that we don't give a blot explosive plays for touchdowns with our offense is out there, but they're going make some plays are counted and we've got to just make sure that we understand that will work work to keep our composure throughout the course of the game on the offensive side.

A lot of the Times Paris their calling card of their quarterback runs their offense.

Literally what the key to kind of slowing them down on the offensive side.

Well, that's what's been unique, I think about first.

That's why the number one team in scoring offense and in total offense through of 7 weeks.

The division 2 footballs because they've they've played 3 guys.

The quarterback position in those 3 guys individually have a little bit different skill sets that make them very dynamic explosive and coaches staff does a great job of trying to fit their scheme to match the strength of the quarterback position and that is always been a calling card for states.

You combine sent out to quarterbacks a unique skill set with the physical line.

A really dominant back to the running backs and they're really talented receivers.

There's there's you know, it's it's a very, very skilled Townsend offense.

Like I said, this is one of these talented offense that I've seen on tape out of them.

>> Well, coach is going to be a big stage.

Pack.

Tell us the biggest game division to maybe in all of college football this week.

We're really looking forward to go get win one o one o K OK.

Thank you.

Don't go away.

The Grand Valley State sports.

We'll be right back after this.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] The number one ranked Laker women's soccer program return to form with an 8.

Nothing win over the Davenport Panthers Friday night on senior night at the GSU soccer field.

The Lakers improved to 10 o and one on the season and 6 on one ugly act play.

>> 2 Lakers provided hat tricks with credit to low scoring 3 goals in the 1st half for ugly act best 11 on the season.

Many next scored once in the 1st half and twice quick out of halftime now has 4 goals in her last 2 games Taylor each scored the first goal of the night and just the 7th minute.

>> And Darlene rather maker rounded out the scoring with the put back in the 56 minutes to cap off the night.

The Lakers are back in action next Friday at Saginaw Valley for the 01:00PM kickoff.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> GSU women soccer is open their season on fire as they're currently 10 o and one on the season on Friday.

The team hosted senior night with an impressive 8, a win against Davenport.

Someone has been no stranger to the success of this team over the past couple of years joins us now.

We'd like to welcome in senior.

Katie barricaded, thanks so much for being here.

Let's start with senior night.

A really, really cool night on our 11 seniors that have given so much of this program after such an unusual year.

How special was that night for you and your classmates.

Yeah, it was incredibly special.

I don't think it was anything.

>> We ever could have imagined the celebration that the team put on, you know, starting with the locker room and even the parent tailgate, it was really, really incredible.

>> It's awesome to see how well this team has adjusted to a new coach.

Let's go there now, obviously Jeff was here for 6 years had a ton of success under him.

Jim takes over this program.

You guys seem to have not missed a beat 10 wins in 11 games undefeated on the season so far how the adjustment been for this team.

>> I think it's been really good.

I think everyone has bought in to what Jim was trying to implement our program.

And I think one of the biggest things is he was never trying to destroyer take away anything.

We have already already created.

He was just trying to add things compliment what we already started.

>> That 2019 team that won the national championship set the school record 117 goals this year.

Maybe the goals hadn't been quite there yet.

That all changed on Friday night.

What was the difference that you guys back on that fire power way that we're used to.

>> Oh, that's a good question.

I think I think girls are really said he settled into their roles.

No first person I can think of is Greta has really just firecracker off the bench and she's brought a lot of excitement and a lot of goal-scoring every time she steps on the field.

So I think players are really started to settle into their new roles compared to their 2019 roles.

>> Yeah, a role that you had in the past on that right wing.

Obviously it's that tremendous speed and pace in the playing the balls into the box of my favorite moments from you is that Saint Rose game.

I want to go back to that moment.

The cross you had into Rico cigar just as tricky.

I know that members still sticks.

And yeah, take us back to that looks at one of my most special memories of you.

Yeah.

>> Yeah.

I mean, I can play that so vividly in my head over and over again.

I know exactly what you're talking about.

I mean, yeah, you know, my one of my strengths is doing exactly that.

You know, picking out players in the box and they put themselves in the right places and in the right situations.

And I guess I'm the lucky one that they're there.

But yeah, you know, playing with players like that, though, I could really serve any ball in the box.

And I'm very confident that, you know, anyone's going to get on the end of it.

So.

>> Yeah, that was a special moment for sure.

Great to see the team offense.

You guys can put together now let's go back to that whole in general that trip to the national championship was a wild trip to Minnesota straight to Pittsburgh 2 weeks on the road as a team won an experience.

That was.

But that's one of my favorite moments with the soccer room.

You've been here for a few years worth of your favorite moments of the soccer player.

>> Oh, man, that's that's a good one.

There's a lot but definitely going back to 2019.

I guess that the transition from 2018 to 2019, you know, losing the national championship in 2018 and then just the resilience and determination we showed throughout that whole next year to come back and win it again.

I think we proved exactly why.

You know, we should be on that high stage and that we are the best team in the country.

And I think now in 2020, we're looking at, you know, our affirmation season to really confirm that, you know, we didn't just win that game by a fluke.

We really are the great us D 2 soccer program.

There is an there's really not one specific moment, but it's all been really special.

>> It has been a special career for us not even more special to have your parents and the grandparents of basically everything you knew you weren't getting out of this interview and pass that was held the world about how special they are because they are at every single time at a yeah.

They're even there before we step on the field, haha.

>> They you know, they they get to their bleacher spot.

Something seats every game, every time an it's been incredible to have them.

I'm the youngest of 11 grandchildren on that side of the family and the only college athletes.

So they it's really special for them to really involved in all of our lives.

But it's it's different.

We're a huge sports family.

So to actually have a college athlete plain and they love it.

It's it's their it's their life.

>> Both been often hear some of those cheering sections for you that come to each and every game.

Looking forward this weekend.

Again its alumni weekend.

Before we let you go on Sunday with all the people from the past.

25 years coming back.

House specials.

That could be to you guys to see where this program came from.

>> Where it is now.

6 time national champions.

Yeah, it is.

It is really incredible.

I don't know much about the alumni from I'd say 5 years ago.

But you know, the more recent alumni.

You talk about Stratus and Sydney o'donnell.

They've clearly left such a big legacy for our program an they embody everything that Grande Valley soccer is.

So it's really special to see to see them come back in to see what they've.

>> But the foundation for.

So I'm excited rattling off a couple of all Americans in the barrel with okay.

Looking forward to seeing you continue this season.

Best of luck.

The rest of the way.

Congratulations on a great career and thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you so much for having me.

Appreciate it.

We'll be right back with more on the Grand Valley.

State sports report [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] GSU volleyball hit the road this week dropping a pair of matches.

A look ahead.

Now to the Midwest.

Regional crossover tournament this weekend.

Joining us now to talk about the team's head coach Jason Johnson coach a tough trip across state to the east Side couple of losses for you, but your team.

Well as lessons they can learn from this weekend as well.

>> I would hope so.

I mean, I again, I talk to their kids a little bit obviously through last week and through the weekend that they are weaker preparations were needed to be, you know, and that's on us as coaches, not just on the players, but I think it's a collective effort of what we need to do as we prepare going into weekends each weekend little bit more difficult or or different.

I guess I'll say playing on a Saturday Sunday where you're not having a normal Friday Saturday.

So getting up on Saturday morning, traveling over and I don't know if we really handle that.

Well, obviously didn't perform at our best again, citing a but about side and I did a great job of just controlling tempo on their side of the net that forced us into some uncomfortable situations.

>> These are 2 very different style of teams are playing on back to back days.

Let's start with sag another to my first.

Their gym is really tough to play and and second, they like to kind of muck things up.

So you knew that going in with the strategy kind of try to combat that at second about it all.

>> You know, I think you've heard this to me quite often throughout the season.

It's service see passing and serving.

And when we can control that on our side of the net when we can stay in system with our offense when we can get moving a little bit and get into a flow.

I feel like we have a good offense that can be successful.

Second.

I did a great job of getting us uncomfortable.

Our passing was not where it needed to be.

Therefore we had to rely on hitters at a higher volume than what I think we would like to do.

And so when that starts happening, it plays into the what second want to do defensively.

And they just again made us uncomfortable throughout the match.

>> When you go to Wayne state and they're a very good offensive team.

I mean, this both teams head over to 20 for the massive not like anything was bad on the offensive side.

This is what was kind of 2 heavyweights going at it made to seem to come out on top more than you guys did.

>> Yeah.

I would agree that I I I talked with our staff afterward.

And just like you said, it was a tale of 2 different batches.

I thought Friday night or Saturday we struggled offensively where on Sunday we hit well enough to win the match.

We just could not slow them down with our blocking, with our defense and that created issues for us.

You know, the ones that we win our blocking or defense was great.

We were able to get him out of the system or the 3 sets.

We lose.

We gave up over 300 hitting percentage for all 3 of those sites and you're not going win that many matches doing that.

But we talked a lot about Sarah white.

>> This year and she's kind of take a bigger role, a new role this year to see her balance back the way she did on Sunday.

Have to give you that silver lining of a into weekend to say she really did step up in that second game, a bounce back after a tough Saturday.

>> Yeah.

And again, I think that's what you're always looking for with your players is how they responded for city.

And I thought Sarah.

Yeah, had a rough match against saga and turned it around had a different energy about or a different committed to what she was doing was in a better place.

You know, whether that's just emotionally or energy, whatever it is, was in a better place against Wednesday.

So it allowed her just to get going a little sooner.

And because of that had a good match against them.

5, 3, in the glee.

Actress still sitting in the upper portion.

Now as we head into this Midwest Regional crossover, you explain to our viewers last week why this crossover so important.

But now, if you enter this week now, where do you feel you guys going to stand know.

It's not totally decided yet.

What kind of matches are we looking at this week and what can we expect in the cross.

But like I said, I think we're still sitting in the top half.

We get 6 teams that go into that top half.

And like I said last week it's an important area to be because you're starting to play teams that are going to be in the conversation of regional berths for the NCAA tournament.

So my hope is we will get a couple of good matches under our belt out there.

We need to do well, you know, 2, 1, to 3 and oh, record will really help us, you know.

>> Put ourselves back in the conversation.

But then it's turning back around.

We get back to conference and having a strong finish to the season.

We have some tough matches coming up at home again, the nice thing is we're finally be at home for a couple weekends in a row.

>> Yeah, we're excited to get home for quite a few games and that that's the schedule.

But how do you use this Midwest runs one of the only sports that does this kind of break from conference play, how to use this is maybe a reset.

Maybe this is the perfect time coming off that into weekend.

>> Well, I think more than anything what you're trying to do when you get into this tournament is your conference wants to do really well.

You want every team in your conference to win as many games as possible because then when you come back home in your plane, your conference matches.

They have winds and you have wins over teams that are going to be talked about in regional rankings.

So when they're looking at at-large berth into the NCAA tournament.

If if erris intact and northern and all these teams go over and have a lot of winds that just helps our conference look stronger, which allows us to get more teams into the NCAA tournament.

>> That's the goal.

Getting the nca to epa's to take care of business this weekend.

At least 3 matches this weekend coach best of luck.

Thanks for joining us.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Don't touch that remote.

We'll be right back with more of the Grand Valley.

State sports report after this [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] GSU football is known for its high powered offense and a defense that ranked very high in Division 2.

But what about special teams this year.

Josh Corps ball is kicking his way into being one of the most interim parts of the Lakers success this season.

Tom Cleary has the story.

>> As a head coach Matt Mitchell's job requires him to be all things to all people.

A decision maker, a recruiter, an administrator and a disciplinary.

And for his players.

What is also something else.

Most fans might not consider a special teams coach.

It's all overseas Grande, Valley's kickers.

A job may be easier this year by the presence of Indiana native Josh Corps ball who kicks off makes placement kicks and this year months.

>> We have a really strong way.

That's how we got on his radar as well as kickoffs.

A really deep is going to touch backs.

And then I think he's really gotten better.

The next point field goal kicker, you know, yes, 3 years old boy left his would grow in that area.

>> Mitchell knows recruiting kickers is something cause coaches nightmares for this season.

He toyed with a number of strategies for hunting.

His quarterback Peterson to trying to make more fourth-down conversions, but then preseason camp started Corps ball quickly showed he wasn't just a guy who could hit a ball off route.

>> Katie was doing the job last year.

Very well.

But I know that's a lot to be put on him and ask of them.

So I kind of worked on in the summer and just got the hang of it.

>> And all that Mitchell and his staff might spend a lot of time talking to their kickers.

They readily admit college coaches need to place more trust in what they're kickers know rather than what their coaches and tell them.

I've always liken kickers.

Little bit like go first.

A lot of great golfers.

We know their swing, you know, and.

>> I think most by the time they get to us have a resource that departed of working West.

There's a lot of quality.

Kicking coach is nationally.

These guys going stay in touch with and also sometimes across the state are some guys are good.

>> And one thing Mitchell likes about Josh were ball is that he defines this task and then keeps things simple regardless of whether he's kicking off hunting or trying to score points.

>> Yes, something big that was go back on it.

Just try to make clean contact the ball.

That's the biggest thing to hit.

Well, hit clean give you good ball flight good distance.

But the biggest thing is just focused on connecting on the wall.

>> 4 games this year for Bol has made just 2 or 3 field goal tries.

But he's had a big impact on the Lakers in other areas.

He's averaged over 40 yards per punt in those Laker wins and nearly half of his 30 kickoff have gone for touchbacks.

And while Josh Corps ball has kept his head coach from staying up late at night.

Worrying about special teams is also helping teammates.

See a little more of the state.

One guy does all the kicking and punting that Mitchell gets to take one extra position player on the road.

The Grand Valley State sports report.

I'm Tom clearing.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> That's all the time we have this week on the Grand Valley.

State sports report dsu football will host the anchor bone classic on Saturday October 16th in Allendale game.

Time is slated for 07:00PM in a matchup for the acts of privacy as both teams enter undefeated dsu women soccer will head over to Saginaw Valley on Friday for a 01:00PM game against the Cardinals will then return home afterwards take on northern Michigan for their 25th anniversary celebration in Allendale on Sunday kickoff for that game is scheduled for 12:00PM.

Does your belly ball had to Hammond Indiana for the Midwest Regional crossover turn on Friday and Saturday this week, the play at least 3 games over the weekend as they look to improve their strength of schedule for a bit at the nca tournament.

>> For upcoming games as well as live broadcast of every Laker athletic program visit CBS the Lakers dot com to see more of this show it to our youtube channel at youtube.

Dot com.

Slash WGVU 35 makes you hit the subscribe button to get updated video highlights all year long for the entire crew here at WGVU.

I'm Jake.

We have a great week.

Laker nation has always accurate.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]