Sept. 9, 2006

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Allendale, Mich. -

#1 ranked Grand Valley State needed a 47 yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Cullen Finnerty to senior wide receiver Eric Fowler with 5:04 left in the game to claim a 30-24 victory over Ashland before a crowd of 12,817, the fourth largest in Lubbers Stadium history. GVSU improves to 2-0 both overall and in GLIAC action, while Ashland falls to 0-2.

Ashland tied the game with a big play of its own when QB John Ferguson hit Troy Rice with a 67 yard pass and catch to tie the game at 24-24 with 7:26 left. Ashland faced a third and 10 before the TD. However, the Lakers went 74 yards in seven plays to pull out the win. GVSU converted two key third downs on the winning drive. The first was

an 11 yard completion from Finnerty to Fowler on a third and six. The second was the deciding play in the game. Finnerty scrambled right, nearly had a helmet ripped off on a face mask and he then turned to the left. Finnerty readjusted his helmet and then hit Fowler, who had snuck behind the Ashland defense on the scramble, with a 47 yard strike. Todd Carter missed the PAT wide right and GVSU held a 30-24 lead.

"You never stop on a play because Cullen (Finnerty) just keeps plays alive," said Fowler. "He always finds a way to make someone miss and he is at his best when things break down," added Fowler.

The Laker defense then stiffened and held the Eagles on a third and eight play to force a punt. GVSU was able to pick up a first down on third and two to seal the win.

"I am really proud of this team because they just keep fighting," said head coach Chuck Martin. "The offense made a play when it needed one and the defense just found a way to hold Ashland on that third down," added Martin.

Ashland dominated the opening quarter, recording 160 yards of total offense to build a 10-0 lead. GVSU's first points of the game came at the 12:02 mark of the second quarter when junior LB Matt Beaty tackled Bill Cundiff in the end zone for a safety. GVSU then drove 56 yards in 12 plays following the free kick. Finnerty scored from three yards out and Carter added the PAT to pull GVSU within one (10-9). Grand Valley State took its first lead of the game with an 8-play, 76-yard drive for a TD. Finnerty scored his second TD of the game, this one coming from one yard out to give GVSU a 16-10 lead.

"The defense was able to get us going with the safety and then the offense picked it up," said Martin. "We put together two nice scoring drives," said Martin.

GVSU held Ashland to four yards of total offense in the second quarter on 10 plays.

Ashland forced a Laker punt on its first possession of the second half and then drove 45 yards in 10 plays for the score to take a 17-16 lead. GVSU came right back with a 5-play, 70-yard scoring drive of its

own that Astin Martin culminated with a 5-yard TD run. The big play of that drive was a Finnerty to Fowler 50-yard pass play. Finnerty converted the two-point play to give the Lakers a 24-17 lead.

Finnerty completed 12-of-19 passes for 200 yards and one TD. Astin Martin added 121 yards and one TD on 20 carries. Martin has now rushed for more than 100 yards in 11 of 15 games played. Eric Fowler caught seven passes for a career-high 155 yards. Buster Larkins and Ryan Gaydosh each tallied eight tackles. Matt Beaty and Dan Skuta each collected a pair of sacks and Mike McFadden kept his streak of consecutive games with a QB sack alive with a sack in the fourth quarter. McFadden has now recorded a sack in 15 straight games.