Player Profiles - of College Football Games

2003 NCAA Division II National Championship Game
Grand Valley State 10, North Dakota 3
Florence, Ala. • Dec. 13, 2003
Braly Municipal Stadium
Scoring 1 2 3 4 TP
North Dakota 0 0 0 3 3
Grand Valley State 3 0 7 0 10
184
QTR Time Team-Play(PAT){Plays-Yards} ND GV
1 7:32 GV David Hendrix 19-yard field goal
{17-79, 7:28} 0 3
3 9:15 GV M. Tennessee 1-yard run
(David Hendrix-kick) {4-20, 1:29} 0 10
4 9:47 ND Jeff Glas 35-yard field goal
{14-6, 5:33} 3 10
TEAM STATISTICS ND GV
First Downs 17 19
Rushes/Yards 23/22 34/128
Passes (A-C-I) 42-28-1 29-19
Yards Passing 281 149
Total Offense 303 277
Punts/Average 3/38.3 2/32.5
Fumbles/Lost 3-1 1-1
Penalties 7-64 3-30
Time of Possession 30:13 29:47
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS:
RUSHING: GV-Finnerty 19-78, Tennessee 12-38-1; ND-Roland 12-43.
PASSING: GV-Finnerty 19-29, 149 ND- Bowenkamp 28-41-1, 281.
RECEIVING: GV-Staley 4-45, Locricchio 4-44; ND- Johnson 7-101,
Stattleman 8-57.
A-7236
Florence, Ala. - A determined North Dakota football team could not break the will
of the Grand Valley State University defense this time.
The Lakers held off a potential game-winning drive late, intercepting a pass near
the goal line to preserve a 10-3 win in the NCAA Division II Championship Game
Saturday.
The effort in front of a Braly Municipal Stadium crowd of 7,236 allowed GVSU
to become the sixth Division II team to win back-to-back national titles since the
first championship game in 1973.
Grand Valley (14-1) would be celebrating three titles in a row if North Dakota
hadn't rallied in 2001 to beat the Lakers 17-14 with a fourth-quarter drive.
“That was deja vu that North Dakota moved the ball down field," GVSU coach
Brian Kelly said, referring to the game's dramatic finish. "Our defense has just
2007 Laker Football Media Guide
All-Time Postseason Summaries
answered the bell the past three weeks. They have not let up a touchdown now in 12
consecutive quarters of playoff competition. That's a lot to be said in terms of how
we got back here.
"We got back here on the backs of our defense."
The defense sought redemption for a dejecting end to the 2001 contest against
North Dakota.
The Fighting Sioux edged Grand Valley two years ago when they scored on a 1yard
touchdown run with 29 seconds left.
A 58-yard reception for a tight end off a missed tackle set up the decisive score.
This year, North Dakota were thinking of a similar end when GVSU's David
Hendrix missed a 43-yard field goal with 3 minutes, 54 seconds remaining.
The Fighting Sioux (12-2) moved up the field and put themselves in a 1st-and-10
at the Grand Valley 17-yard line. They downed the ball to stop the clock. The Lakers
then forced two incomplete passes, including a third-down one that fell incomplete
in the end zone.
North Dakota quarterback John Bowenkamp looked to keep the drive alive on
fourth quarter, but GVSU linebacker Mike Hoad stepped in front of the pass at the
5-yard line. The Lakers squashed the comeback bid.
"We thought the defense had to step up a lot this year," said Hoad, a senior. "We
had our backs up against the wall at the end. I think (the resilience) was typical of
our seniors and our character."
Hoad and his teammates would have been tested further had the Fighting Sioux
got into the end zone. North Dakota, which missed two field goals during the game,
would have gone for the go-ahead two-point conversion had they scored, according
to Fighting Sioux coach Dale Lennon.
Instead, North Dakota was dealing with a tough loss.
"They beat us at our game," Lennon said.
The low-scoring contest featured only a 19-yard David Hendrix field goal midway
through the first quarter.
The Lakers too the opening drive 79 yards in 17 plays before reaching the 1-yard
line and settling for a field goal. The drive was Grand Valley's second-longest of the
season.
Neither team scored in the half. The 3-0 score was the lowest at halftime of NCAA
Division II Championship Game history since 1989 when Mississippi College and
Jacksonville State were scoreless.
North Dakota, which had not been shutout in a half this season, threatened right
away in the third quarter, though
The Fighting Sioux took the opening drive of the second half and marched 63
yards to the GVSU 7-yard line. On third-and-four, quarterback John Bowenkamp
dropped back to pass then scrambled to his right.
A charging Grand Valley linebacker, Lucius Hawkins, hit Bowenkamp after he
pump-faked and forced a fumble. Hawkins scooped up the football and raced 59
yards to the North Dakota 20-yard line.
Four plays later, running back Michael Tennessee barrelled into the end zone from
1 yard out. Tennessee's 16th touchdown of the season and a Hendrix extra point put
the Lakers ahead 10-0 with 9:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The Fighting Sioux bounced back on their next series and set themselves up for
a 43-yard field goal.
Kicker Jeff Glas, however, slipped on his approach and Grand Valley defensive
lineman Keyonta Marshall easily deflected the kick.
Glas also pulled a 46-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was the fourth time this
season Glas had missed at least two field goals in a game. Glas finally connected on
a 35-yard field goal 9:47 into the fourth quarter.
It wasn't enough.
Grand Valley joined the 1999 Northern Colorado team as the only ones to win a
national championship while never playing at a home.
The Lakers won four road games in the playoffs and six in a row including the
regular season.
"It means a lot (to earn a national title by winning four consecutive games on the
road.)," Kelly said. "They did it in tough circumstances. Maybe they can get credit
for being one of those all-time great teams."