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Football By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Football heads east for non-conference tilt at #2 Grand Valley State

Trailblazers travel nearly 1,800 miles to battle Division II powerhouse


 
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MEDIA INFORMATION
Date Sat., Oct. 6 | 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT)
Location Lubbers Stadium (10,444) | Allendale, Mich.
TV ESPN3 / ESPN App
Radio None
Watch
WATCH (ESPN3 / ESPN App)
 
Live Stats Grand Valley State Live Stats
Ticket Info Purchase Tickets
Game Notes Dixie State (PDF) , Grand Valley State
Twitter @DixieAthletics #RMACfb #DixieBlazers
DIXIE STATE - GRAND VALLEY STATE SERIES
Series First Meeting
At DSU N/A
At GVSU N/A
First Meeting N/A
Last Meeting N/A
DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS
Record 4-1, 4-1 RMAC
Ranking NR
Last Game Sept. 29, 2018 (won at Black Hills State, 41-38)
Head Coach Shay McClure (Southern Oregon, 1995)
Career: 15-12 (3rd Season)
DSU Record: Same
GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS
Record 5-0, 3-0 GLIAC
Ranking No. 2 (AFCA Top-25)
Last Game Sept. 29, 2018 (won at Northwood, 52-7)
Head Coach Matt Mitchell (Cornell, 1997)
Career: 82-23 (9th Season)
GVSU Record: Same
Dixie State football takes a break from Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play this week with an eastward trek for a Saturday night battle with No. 2 Grand Valley State at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale, Michigan.

Live video coverage is scheduled on a national level as ESPN will stream the game on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Live stats will be provided by the GVSU sports information staff at sidearmstats.com/gvsu/football.

ALL-TIME VS. AFCA RANKED OPPONENTS: Saturday's game marks the 16th meeting between Dixie State and an opponent ranked in the AFCA Top-25. No. 2 Grand Valley State represents DSU's highest-ranked opponent in its NCAA Division II era.  The Trailblazers are 1-14 all-time in matchups against ranked opponents, securing its first and only win over a ranked opponent in a 38-31 victory over No. 23 Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction in 2016.

ALL-TIME VS. GRAND VALLEY STATE: Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Dixie State and Grand Valley State.

KNOW YOUR FOE: Grand Valley State enters Saturday's contest with a 5-0 overall record and a 3-0 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play, climbing to No. 2 on Monday in the latest AFCA Division II Top-25 poll. Since 2002, the Lakers have claimed four NCAA Division II National Championships and have made four other appearances in the semifinals while qualifying for the Division II playoffs on a nearly annual basis.

The Lakers rack up an average of 471.6 yards (279.0 pass/192.6 rush) of total offense per game. Senior quarterback Bart Williams leads the GLIAC in passing, connecting on 71-of-134 attempts for 1,167 yards and 14 touchdowns and no interceptions. Williams' 14 touchdowns rank sixth nationally. Williams has three primary targets through the air, including Austin Paritee (22 rec/402 yard/5 TD), Nick Dodson (21 rec/384 yards/6 TD), and Jack Provencher (16 rec/153 yards/3 TD). Junior running back Chawntez Moss leads the rushing attack with 509 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

GVSU ranks third in the GLIAC and 12th nationally in total defense, allowing just 257.4 yards (130.6 pass/126.8 rush) of total offense per game. Sophomore linebacker Tyler Bradfield and senior defensive lineman Dylan Carroll leads the Lakers defense with 32 tackles each. Eight different GVSU defenders have recorded at least one sack, while four Lakers have logged an interception.

Senior kicker J.J. McGrath leads the GVSU special teams unit. Through five games, McGrath has connected on 3-of-4 field goals and 24-of-27 point-after attempts.

THE TREK EASTWARD: The Dixie State and Grand Valley State campuses are separated by five states (direct driving path) and 1,782 miles, marking the longest football trip in the Dixie State NCAA Division II era.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State made more history on Saturday with a 41-38 roller-coaster victory over Black Hills State at Lyle Hare Stadium in Spearfish, South Dakota, pushing its win streak to a Division II-era record four games in the process.

The Trailblazers outgained the Yellow Jackets by nearly 200 yards (526-354) and built a three-touchdown lead early in the second half, but still needed a game-winning touchdown drive with less than a minute remaining after BHSU roared back in the final two frames.

Dixie State surpassed the 500-yard mark for the second straight game with 526 yards (268 rush, 258 pass) of total offense. Trent Darms (Chico, Calif./Pleasant Valley HS) enjoyed a career day, completing 18-of-27 passes for 177 yards, while rushing for another 103 yards and a touchdown. Michael Sanders (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS) connected on 6-of-10 passes for 81 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Conner Miller (Santa Ana, Calif./Brethren Christian HS) also enjoyed a career day, catching five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for two more touchdowns. Sei-J Lauago (Paramount, Calif./La Mirada HS) finished with 83 yards rushing and one touchdown, while Lawrence Starks (Fontana, Calif./Etiwanda HS) added 78 yards rushing and one touchdown.

The Trailblazers allowed 354 yards (256 pass/98 rush) of total offense. Abraham Reinhardt (Wailuku, Hawaii/H.P. Baldwin HS) led the charge with a career-high 13 tackles (4.0 for loss) and 1.5 sacks, while Trayvon Watson (Los Angeles, Calif./West Adams Prep HS) added six tackles, and Shiloh Pritchard (American Samoa/Leone HS) and Alex Lilliard (San Diego, Calif./Grossmont HS) each finished with six tackles.

MAKING HISTORY: Dixie State pushed its win streak to four games on Saturday with a 41-38 triumph at Black Hills State, marking DSU's longest win streak of its Division II- era.

The Trailblazers improved to 3-1 on September 22 with a 51-47 win over South Dakota Mines, marking the best start of the Dixie State NCAA Division II era.

Dixie State students and fans packed the stands at Trailblazer Stadium on September 8, setting a new single-game attendance record of 5,498. The mark surpassed the previous record of 5,320 set during the 2006 home-opener against Humboldt State.

Freshman punter Josh Carlson (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) set a new Dixie State record in his Trailblazer debut with an 81-yard punt in the third quarter at CSU-Pueblo on September 1, eclipsing the previous mark of 78 yards set by Nate Lewis against Humboldt State in 2007.

UP NEXT: Dixie State returns to RMAC play next Saturday, hosting Western State at Trailblazer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Josh Carlson

#39 Josh Carlson

P
6' 0"
Freshman
Trent Darms

#11 Trent Darms

QB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Sei-J Lauago

#25 Sei-J Lauago

RB
5' 7"
Junior
Alex Lilliard

#5 Alex Lilliard

LB
6' 1"
Junior
Conner Miller

#26 Conner Miller

WR
6' 1"
Junior
Shiloh Pritchard

#2 Shiloh Pritchard

LB
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Abraham Reinhardt

#3 Abraham Reinhardt

LB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Michael Sanders

#15 Michael Sanders

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Lawrence Starks

#20 Lawrence Starks

RB
5' 10"
Freshman
Trayvon Watson

#13 Trayvon Watson

DB
6' 0"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Josh Carlson

#39 Josh Carlson

6' 0"
Freshman
P
Trent Darms

#11 Trent Darms

6' 1"
Sophomore
QB
Sei-J Lauago

#25 Sei-J Lauago

5' 7"
Junior
RB
Alex Lilliard

#5 Alex Lilliard

6' 1"
Junior
LB
Conner Miller

#26 Conner Miller

6' 1"
Junior
WR
Shiloh Pritchard

#2 Shiloh Pritchard

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Abraham Reinhardt

#3 Abraham Reinhardt

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
LB
Michael Sanders

#15 Michael Sanders

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
QB
Lawrence Starks

#20 Lawrence Starks

5' 10"
Freshman
RB
Trayvon Watson

#13 Trayvon Watson

6' 0"
Senior
DB