Player Profiles - of College Football Games

182
2003 NCAA Division II First Round Playoff Game
Grand Valley State 65, Bentley College 36
Waltham, Mass. • Nov. 22, 2003
Bentley Stadium
Scoring 1 2 3 4 TP
Grand Valley State 17 20 7 21 65
Bentley College 6 16 6 8 36
QTR Time Team-Play(PAT){Plays-Yards} GV BC
1 12:31 GV Mario Locricchio 34-yd blocked punt return
(Dave Hendrix-kick)
7 0
1 10:00 BC Dallas Mall 18-yd pass from Marc Eddy
(Enzo Tirino-kick) {7-80, 2:31} 7 6
1 8:51 GV Brandon Langston 93-yd pass from Cullen Finnerty
(David Hendrix-kick) {3-92, 1:09} 14 6
1 6:25 GV David Hendrix 33-yd field goal {7-12, 2:12} 17 6
2 14:49 GV David Hendrix 35-yd field goal {6-20, 2:04} 20 6
2 10:06 BC Enzo Tirino 34-yd field goal {13-53, 4:43} 20 9
2 9:06 GV Michael Tennessee 5-yd run
(Dave Hendrix-kick) {3-19, 1:00} 27 9
2 6:14 GV Micah Staley 27-yd pass from Cullen Finnerty
(Dave Hendrix-kick) {4-28, 0:57} 34 9
2 3:19 BC Dallas Mall 5-yd pass from Marc Eddy
(Enzo Tirino-kick) {8-70, 2:55) 34 15
2 1:01 BC Dallas Mall 34-yd pass from Marc Eddy
(Enzo Tirino-kick) {5-82, 1:15) 34 22
2 00:00 GV David Hendrix 29-yd field goal {5-53, 1:01} 37 22
3 12:11 GV Brandon Langston 29-yd pass from Cullen Finnerty
(Dave Hendrix-kick) {6-67, 2:49} 44 22
3 3:47 BC Mark Dhooge 17-yd pass from Marc Eddy
(Marc Eddy pass failed) {7-67, 2:24} 44 28
4 13:47 GV Cullen Finnerty 20-yd run
(Dave Hendrix-kick) {2-20, 0:14} 51 28
4 12:14 GV Scott Mackey 37-yd interception return
(David Hendrix-kick) 58 28
4 6:43 BC Dallas Mall 5-yd pass from Marc Eddy
(Russ Bonilla pass from Marc Eddy) {15-71, 5:31} 58 36
4 3:44 GV Ryan Hukill 18-yd run
(David Hendrix-kick) {2-26, 0:48} 65 36
TEAM STATISTICS GV BC
First Downs 17 22
Rushes/Yards 38/218 25/-14
Passes (A-C-I) 31/17/0 59/34/5
Yards Passing 317 446
Total Offense 535 432
Punts/Average 3/111 4/87
Fumbles 0/0 0/0
Penalties 18/172 6/43
Time of Possession
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS:
RUSHING: GV-Finnnerty 13-92; BC-Breda 10-9.
PASSING: GV-Finnerty 17-31-0, 317; BC-Eddy 34-59-5, 446.
RECEIVING: GV-Langston 8-148; BC-Mall 14-170.
A-4433
27:27 32:33
Waltham Mass. - Neither a flashy Bentley College passing attack nor a field littered with penalty
flags could prevent Grand Valley State University from successfully beginning defense of its
NCAA Division II football championship Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback Cullen Finnerty threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns as Grand Valley throttled
the Falcons, 65-36, in the first round of the playoffs.
The redshirt freshman also carried 13 times for a game-high 92 yards to help the Lakers (11-
1) overcome school records in penalties (18) and penalty yards allowed (172) before a standingroom
crowd of 4,433 at Bentley Stadium.
Brandon Langston had eight receptions for 148 yards and two scores, including a 93-yard
grab, and returned two kickoffs for 101 yards. Staley caught six passes for 120 yards and a
touchdown to highlight Grand Valley’s 535 yards of offense.
“We had a great game plan. We were confident we could put up a lot of points quickly,”
Finnerty said after GVSU won its 17th straight road game.
“They gave us a lot of looks that were really good for our quarterback runs, They were also
keying on Michael (Tennessee), so we did a lot of play-action with him and I just kept the ball
and had a lot of clear looks out there.”
Tennessee, who led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with 1,295 rushing
yards, had 79 yards and a 6-yard touchdown on 13 carries.
“We knew they weren’t going to let us run the football with Michael,” said Lakers coach Brian
Kelly, who played his college football at nearby Assumption (Mass.) College. “So we spread the
field and probably had more no-back sets than we’ve had all year, and the one guy that is not
defensible in that scheme is the quarterback.”
“Cullen can run and throw the football. When you have that double threat, why not utilize
him? You’re in the playoffs. You have to do what you have to do.”
The decisive victory sends the Lakers to Saginaw Valley State next Saturday for the Northeast
Region championship game.
“We didn’t get the job done the first time with Saginaw Valley,” Staley said. “We can’t wait
to get a second chance.”
Bentley (10-1) leaned on quarterback Marc Eddy, who completed 34 of 59 passes for 446
yards and five touchdowns. Receiver Dallas Mall had 14 receptions for 170 yards and four
touchdowns.
Eddy, however, suffered five interceptions, and was sacked five times. Grand Valley free safety
DeJuane Boone had two of those pickoffs, while strong safety Scott Mackey returned his
school-record 16th career interception 37 yard for a touchdown.
Safety Sean Roland and linebacker William Gray also made interceptions.
“That was probably the best team we’ve ever played,” said 25-year Bentley coach Peter
Yetten. “They’re a well-oiled machine with a lot of weapons and speed, and their size wore us
down.”
“Their (defensive) lineman and linebackers were really quick,” Eddy said. “They do a lot
with their defense to confuse you.”
“We felt the speed of our defense would be successful for us,” said Lakers defensive end
Aaron Hein. “We knew they’d get their yards with their passing game, but we weren’t going to
let them get anything when they carried the football.”
David Hendrix added three field goals for Grand Valley and Mario Locricchio returned a
blocked punt by Langston 34 yards for the first of Saturday’s 13 total touchdowns.
2007 Laker Football Media Guide
All-Time Postseason Summaries
2003 NCAA Division II Quarterfinal Playoff Game
Grand Valley State 10, Saginaw Valley 3
Saginaw, Mich. • Nov. 29, 2003
Wickes Memorial Stadium
Scoring 1 2 3 4 TP
Grand Valley State 0 10 0 0 10
Saginaw Valley State 3 0 0 0 3
QTR Time Team-Play(PAT){Plays-Yards} GV SV
1 5:47 SV Eric Houle 21-yd field goal {16-74,6:28} 0 3
2 3:12 GV Dave Hendrix 31-yd field goal{9-50, 3:39} 3 3
2 1:33 GV Scott Mackey 46-yd interception return
(Dave Hendrix-kick) 10 3
TEAM STATISTICS GV SV
First Downs 14 20
Rushes/Yards 33/93 33/46
Passes (A-C-I) 26/13/1 46/27/2
Yards Passing 204 300
Total Offense 297 346
Punts/Average 5/184 5/214
Fumbles 0/0 0/0
Penalties 4/28 7/35
Time of Possession 27:15 32:45
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS:
RUSHING: GV-Tennessee 16-66; SV-Bridges 15-46
PASSING: GV-C. Finnerty 12-25-1, 196; SV-Radlinski 27-46-2, 300.
RECEIVING: GV-Langston 4-74; SV-Martinez 8-107.
A-9267
University Center, Mich. - Heading into Saturday’s showdown between top-ranked
Saginaw Valley State and defending NCAA Division II champion Grand Valley
State, the game had all the hallmarks of an offensive shoot-out.
Grand Valley coach Brian Kelly knew better.
All-America free safety Scott Mackey returned an interception 46 yards for a late
second-quarter touchdown, and the Lakers’ defense bent but never broke throughout
the chilly afternoon at Wicks Memorial Stadium to secure a 10-3 victory in the quarterfinals
of the Division II playoffs.
The Lakers (12-1) earned their 17th straight road win, their third northeast Region
title in a row and a third consecutive trip to the national semifinals, where they will
face Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Texas A&M-Kingsville (11-1) defeated Central Oklahoma 49-6 for the West
Region crown.
“My expectations going into this game (were) different from what the media
thought, because I thought it would be this kind of football game,” said Kelly, who
is one win away from leading the Lakers to their third straight appearance in the
Division II championship game.
“They know what we do, we know what they do. It was going to be attention to
the little things - field position, turnovers. The little details in games like this are
what we coached hard on all week, and our kids executed from that standpoint.”
Saginaw Valley, ranked No. 1 in the final Division II poll, had averaged 36.2
points and 413.9 yards of offense. Behind quarterback Mark Radlinski’s 27-for-46
passing for 300 yards, the Cardinals had 346 yards and they reached the GVSU 2-,
7-, 29-, and 8-yard lines.
But all they could show for it was Eric Houle’s 21 yard field goal on their opening
possession.
“It’s obviously important when you’re in the red zone (or inside the opponents’
20 yard line) to score points in a game like this, but neither offense scored a touchdown,”
said Cardinals coach Randy Awrey.
“Grand Valley has a good defense, and they were able to get to our quarterback
sometimes. Give them credit. They’re a good team, and we just had two of the best
teams in the country play each other. It was a great game, and with these playoff situations,
somebody has to go home and somebody gets to go on.”
Led by four quarterback sacks on the part of linebacker Lucuis Hawkins, the
Lakers recorded a season-high seven sacks. Radlinski, a junior from Grand Rapids
Catholic Central, had been sacked just 13 times in his previous 12 games this year.
In Saginaw Valley’s 34-20 at Grand Valley on Oct. 18, Radlinski was not sacked,
and the Lakers turned the ball over six times.
“The coaches put us in the best position to win, and we have to believe in them,”
Hawkins said. “I just thank coach (Chuck) Martin (defensive coordinator) that he had
confidence in the defense and me.”
“We got to Mark the first time we played them, but the game obviously got out
of hand with the turnovers we had.” Kelly said. “We knew we could get pressure on
him. We changed up some things in coverage. We brought Lucius and overloaded,
and he used his speed to his advantage today.”
Radlinski, the offensive player of the year in the Great Lakes Conference, blamed
himself for the sacks and the interception by Mackey.
“We had our opportunities. We just got in that red zone and couldn’t punch it in,”
he said. “They came out and pressured me pretty good.”
“It’s my job to get the ball out of my hands (to avoid sacks). There’s a lot of times
I didn’t do that. And I game them seven points. That’s on me. I’ll take the responsibility.”
Mackey, a senior from nearby Bay City, said he simply got a good jump on a pass
intended for Saginaw Valley wide receiver Mark LaFreniere to make the interception
and then streak down the right side for the 46-yard touchdown return.