UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – A 94-yard kick return, 57-yard punt return, sack fumble, and a pick-six were the turning points in a 55-14 defeat in the Battle of the Valleys on Saturday night. The Cardinals scored in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 20-14 before the momentum shifted and the Lakers took control through the final 20 minutes of play.

Grand Valley State took a 7-0 lead a little over halfway through the opening quarter after a one-yard run broke the scoreless tie. The Lakers scored a 38-yard field goal in the final two minutes of the first to take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.

A 12-yard touchdown pass and another field goal in the second quarter had the score at 20-0 with 3:47 left before the break. GVSU looked like the score would remain there going into the half, but linebacker Micah Cretsinger picked off Cade Peterson at the GVSU 40-yard line and returned it for a touchdown to put the Cardinals on the board with 1:08 left in the half to give Saginaw Valley State the momentum as the teams went to the locker room at the break.

The gap was just 13 points despite the large margin in offensive yardage between the teams as the second half began. The Cards used a 12-play, 78-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard rush by rushing leader Tyler Amos that cut the Lakers lead to 20-14 with just under five minutes left in the third frame.

An illegal formation on the ensuing kickoff forced SVSU to re-kick and GVSU returned the kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown that pushed the lead back to 13, 27-14. A 57-yard punt return, a sack-fumble, and a pick-six contributed to 21 more points for the Lakers, and in just 3:25 of gameplay, GVSU held a 48-14 advantage.

Cretsinger was a bright spot for the Cardinals as he led the team with seven tackles and had the 40-yard pick-six at the end of the first half that put SVSU on the scoreboard.

SVSU has another tough test next week as they face No. 1 Ferris State on the road in a game that is set to begin at 2:00 p.m., next Saturday, October 7.