Nov. 29, 2002

Allendale, Mich. - Number one ranked Grand Valley State (11-0) will host 6th-ranked Indiana (Pa.) (11-1) in the NCAA DII Northeast Regional Final. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in Lubbers Stadium. Grand Valley State is 11-0 and ranked number one in the final regular season AFCA coaches poll with all 27 first place votes and 675 points. Grand Valley State concluded the regular season with its 26th straight regular season win. The Lakers have also won 24 straight GLIAC games and 20 consecutive home games. GVSU is coming off a 62-13 victory over 10th-ranked C.W. Post last Saturday in NCAA. DII first round action. With the win, GVSU advanced to its second straight Northeast Regional final. IUP enters the game with an 11-1 record after a 27-23 victory over Saginaw Valley State last Saturday.

Media Coverage: Saturday's game vs. IUP will be broadcast live on the radio by WMFN AM 640 beginning at 12:45 pm. Dick Nelson will handle the play-by-play, while former Laker Dan McLean handles the color. The Brian Kelly Radio Show can be heard on WMFN AM 640 every Friday night at 6 p.m., with a replay on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. A live video feed will also be broadcast live on the Internet at Grand Valley's web site, www.gvsu.edu. The broadcast will mark the second straight week GVSU has used the webcast.

The Series: Grand Valley State is 0-6 all-time versus Indiana (Pa.). IUP is 3-0 in Lubbers Stadium. The teams last met in the season-opening game in 1995, which IUP won 28-25. Brian Kelly is 0-5 vs. IUP, while Frank Cignetti is 6-0 vs. GVSU.

1989 - IUP 34, @ GVSU 24*
1992 - IUP 45, @ GVSU 27
1993 - @ IUP 34, GVSU 3
1994 - @ IUP 35, GVSU 33
1994 - @ IUP 35, GVSU 27*
1995 - IUP 28, @ GVSU 25
*NCAA Playoff Game

The Coaches: Grand Valley State * Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983) * 101-34-2/.743 (12th year); Indiana (Pa.) * Frank Cignetti (IUP, 1987) * 160-40-1 (IUP/17th year), 177-67-1 (21st year). GVSU head coach Brian Kelly ranks third (.745) among all active Division II head coaches in winning percentage...Kelly notched the 101st win of his career last Saturday vs. C.W. Post. Under Kelly, GVSU is 55-11-1 at home, 45-21-1 on the road, 1-1 at houseman field and 0-1 at a neutral site.

GVSU Playoff History: This is Grand Valley State's seventh NCAA Division II playoff appearance. The Lakers are 4-6 all-time in the DII Playoffs and 1-1 in the NAIA.

NAIA Division I Playoff
1978 - at GVSU 24, at UW-LaCrosse 14;
Elon (NC) 14, at GVSU 7

NCAA DII Playoffs
1989 - Indiana (Pa.) 34, at GVSU 24
1990 - East Texas State 20, at GVSU 14
1991 - at East Texas State 36, GVSU 15
1994 - at Indiana (Pa.) 35, GVSU 27
1998 - at Slippery Rock 37, GVSU 14
2001 - at GVSU 42, Bloomsburg 14
2001 - at GVSU 33, Saginaw Valley 30
2001 - at GVSU 34, Catawba 16
2001 - North Dakota 17, GVSU 14
2002 - at GVSU 63, C.W. Post 13

Rankings: The Lakers received all 27 first place votes in the final regular season AFCA poll. GVSU was ranked number one for all 11 weeks. The Lakers are also ranked number one by D2Football.com, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and the Dopke rankings. IUP enters the game ranked sixth in the AFCA.

All-GLIAC Performers: Grand Valley State placed 18 players on the 2002 All-GLIAC teams, including 11 players that earned All-GLIAC First-Team plaudits on both offense and defense. Seven Lakes earned first-team honors on offense, while four earned first-team honors on defense. In addition, the Lakers nearly swept the GLIAC position Player of the Year Awards. Senior QB Curt Anes was named the GLIAC Player of the Year for the second straight year, while David Kircus was named Co-Offensive Back of the Year for the second straight season. Senior offensive tackle Dale Westrick was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year and sophomore defensive tackle was named the Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year. Junior defensive back Scott Mackey wan selected as the Defensive Back of the Year. The following are the Laker Players that earned All-GLIAC plaudits:
Offense First-Team
QB Curt Anes, RB Reggie Spearmon, WR David Kircus, TE Phil Condon, WR Terrance Banks, OT Dale Westrick, OC Tom Hosford
Defense First-Team
DT Keyonta Marshall, DE Dan Vaughn, LB Orlando Williams, DB Scott Mackey
Defense Second-Team
DT Shad Risk, SS Lucius Hawkins
Honorable Mention
OG Scott Martin, DE Dan Hosford, LB Melvin Estes, CB Sidney Lewis, DB Darrin Smith.

Last Game: Grand Valley State scored 21 points in both the second and third quarters en route to a 62-13 NCAA Playoff win. QB Curt Anes completed 23-of-31 passes for 337 yards and six TDs, while running for 41 yards on five carries. WR David Kircus caught seven passes for 161 yards and four TDs. RB Reggie Spearmon toted the ball 25 times for 71 yards and one TD, while catching five passes for 84 yards and two TDs. The Grand Valley State defense limited the nations leading rusher, Ian Smart, to 139 yards on 23 carries. C.W. Post was limited to 204 yards of total offense, including just 21 via the air. FS Scott Mackey led the defense with seven tackles, while DT Keyonta Marshall chipped in six tackles, including three for loss (-13).

* Harlon Hill Finalist Curt Anes continues to move atop several career school, GLIAC, and NCAA statistical categories. Curt has thrown for 225 yards or more in 20 of his last 21 games...Anes has thrown three or more TD passes in 16-of-his-last-21 games, including four or more in 12 of 21 games...Curt has thrown just nine interceptions in his last 782 attempts (29 games) and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 11-1 in his last 21 games...In his career, Anes has completed 681-of-1100 attempts for 9,786 yards and 100 TDs...Curt became the NCAA D II all-time leader in career touchdowns accounted for (122) last saturday vs. C.W. Post...Curt ranks 3rd all-time in Division II TD passes (106), 3rd in total offense (11,070), 12th in all-time passing yards (9,786), and 17th in career yards per game (270.0)...Curt has completed 218-328 passes for 2,897 yards and 39 TDs this season...Anes' 39 TD passes this season rank as the eighth-best single-season total...The GLIAC's all-time career leader in TD passes thrown with 91 and total offense with 9,746 yards...Anes is the all-time leader in GLIAC passing yards (8,600)...Anes was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season and second straight week after completing 17-of-20 passes for 252 yards and five TDs in two quarters and one drive. Anes was named GLIAC Player of the Week for the second time after completing 23-of-35 passes for 314 yards and three TDs vs. Indianapolis. He also rushed for then a season-high 40 yards and tallied 354 yards of total offense...Anes completed 18-of-24 passes for 226 yards and two TDs in just over two quarters of action Mercyhurst...Curt completed a season-high 24 passes in 33 attempts for 248 yards and two TDs vs. Northwood...Completed 20-33 passes for 245 yards and two TDs at then third-ranked Saginaw Valley State...Anes completed 14-25 passes for 196 yards and three TDs vs. Northern Michigan...Curt completed 19-32 passes for 278 yards and four TDs at Michigan Tech...Completed 20-31 passes for 243 yards and five TDs vs. Hillsdale...Completed 21-33 passes for 336 yards and five TDs vs. Wayne State...Named GLIAC Player of the Week following Wayne State game...Completed 19-31 passes for 224 yards and two TDs vs. UC-Davis.

* All-American candidate David Kircus has broke the 100-yard receiving mark in three straight games and four of his last five...Kircus has caught 20 passes for 432 yards and 11 TDs in that three-game stretch...David caught a season-high eight passes for 168 yards and three TDs vs. Indianapolis...He then hauled in five passes for 106 yards and four scores vs. Findlay and seven for 161 yards and four TDs last Saturday vs. C.W. Post...Kircus has 55 catches for 978 yards and 27 TDs in 2002...David now holds the top two single-season totals in NCAA college football history for TD receptions. Kircus set the record with 28 last season and has 27 this season...David's 164 points scored this season ranks as the 15th-best single-season total...His 168 points last year ranks 9th-best...The all-time leading scorer in GLIAC (348), Kircus ranks 10th in all-time points scored in Division II (416)...David is the all-time leader in NCAA Division II touchdown receptions with 68 and the all-time leader in GLIAC action with 59...Kircus ranks 31st in DII career receptions with 200...Kircus, who has caught 55 touchdown passes in his last 21 games (2.6 pg), is averaging a TD catch every 2.0 receptions this season and every 2.9 for his career...Kircus set the all-division college football record for consecutive games with a TD catch (21) last week vs. C.W. Post. The record was previously held by Brian Penecale of West Chester from 1993-95...Dave has two or more TD catches in 19-of-his-last-21 regular season games..In addition, Kircus has caught a pass in 44 straight games...David is the all-time leading scorer in the GLIAC (348) and third in all-time receiving yards (3,333)...Kircus has 200 catches for 3,759 yards in his career...David is also the GVSU all-time leader in career all-purpose yards (4,525).

*Senior running backs Reggie Spearmon and Brent Lesniak concluded their careers ranked among the top 10 in all-time rushing yards. Spearmon ranks fifth with 2,988 yards in GLIAC games, while Lesniak ranks 10th all-time with 2,494 yards.

* Senior tight end Phil Condon is fifth on the squad in receptions (20) and third in yards (354)...Condon missed nearly four games with an injury...Condon has 77 catches for 1,134 yards in his career...Condon was the 21st player in Laker football history to go over the 1,000-yard plateau...Condon caught a career-high seven passes for a career-high 154 yards at Wayne State.

* WR Terrance Banks is the GVSU single-season record holder for receptions with 71 this season...Banks ranks second on the squad in yards (892) and TDs (6) this season...Banks has four 100-yard receiving games in 2002...Terrance recorded single-game, career-highs in receptions (10), yards (107) yards and TDs (2) vs. Hillsdale...Caught eight passes for 105 yards and a TD vs. Findlay...Notched nine catches for 106 yards at third-ranked SVSU...Banks hauled in five passes for a 102 yards and one TD at Wayne State...Terrance ranks 10th in career receptions with 98 for 1,327 yards and 12 TDs.

* Grand Valley State has had two one-hundred yard receivers in the same game twice this season. David Kircus (103) and Terrance Banks (105) both broke the mark vs. Findlay...Phil Condon (154) and Terrance Banks (102) accomplished the feat earlier this season at Wayne State.

* Grand Valley State has had two one hundred yard rushers in the same game twice this season. Reggie Spearmon (152) and Brent Lesniak (137) accomplished the feat at Michigan Tech, while Spearmon (136) and Brandon Langston (108) reached the mark at Mercyhurst. Three running backs have notched at least 100 rushing yards 10 times this season.

* RB Reggie Spearmon leads GVSU in rushing with 1,216 yards and 14 TDs on 220 carries...Spearmon's 1,216 yards is the third-best single-season total in GVSU history, just 97 behind second place Jamie Hosford's 1,313 in 1975 and 118 behind John Mahan's 1,334...Reggie ranks third on the squad in receptions with 28 for 288 yards and three TDs...Reggie's 102 points scored is the sixth-best single-season total in GVSU annals...Spearmon ranks first in GVSU football history with 3,563 rushing yards in all games played...Reggie is third in all-time all-purpose yards (3,680)...Reggie has caught 45 passes for 466 yards and and six TDs in his career...Reggie has notched six 100-yard rushing games the season and had a string of four straight snapped last week vs. C.W. Post...Spearmon tallied 156 yards and one TD on 20 carries in the regular season finale vs. Findlay...Reggie rushed for 120 yards and three TDs on 25 carries vs. Indianapolis...Spearmon toted the ball 17 times for 136 yards and a career-high three TDs at Mercyhurst...Tallied 163 yards on 30 carries vs. Northwood...Reggie played just three downs at SVSU due to a toe injury...Spearmon rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on 15 carries in just over two quarters vs. Northern Michigan. Spearmon also had a 12-yard TD reception...Reggie had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games earlier this season. He tallied a 28-carry, 152-yard, two TD performance at Michigan Tech... Spearmon rushed for 165 yards and one TD on 27 carries vs. Hillsdale...Ranks second in all-time rushing TDs with 33.

* RB Brent Lesniak ranks second on the team in rushing yards with 529 yards and seven TDs on 95 carries...Lesniak is fourth on the team in receptions for 21 for 223 yards...Brent recorded his second 100-yard rushing game of the season with 123 yards on a career-high 26 carries at third-ranked SVSU...Brent notched a season-high 137 yards on 10 carries at Michigan Tech...Lesniak has nine TD runs that have covered 50 yards or more in his career...Brent ranks second in all-time, all-purpose yards (4,538) and third in all-time rushing (2,752) at Grand Valley State.

* Freshman running back Brandon Langston ranks third on the squad in rushing with 446 yards on 58 carries...Langston is averaging a team-best 7.7 yards per carry...Langston toted the ball 11 times for 108 yards and one TD vs. Mercyhurst. Rushed for 149 yards and one TD on 12 carries versus Northern Michigan earlier this season...Langston has TD runs that have covered 72 and 32 yards...He has six receptions for 60 yards.

* The Grand Valley State defense has notched 90 tackles for loss (-369) and 38 QB sacks (-225) in 11 games this season.

* Grand Valley State ranks 34th in the country in rushing defense, yielding 117.1 yards per game...The Lakers have limited four opponents to 100 rushing yards or less...Seven of 11 Laker opponents have passed for 200 yards or less, including C.W. Post's 21 yards passing.

* Sophomore defensive tackle Keyonta Marshall ranks fourth on the team in tackles (62), but first in tackles for loss (17-75) and QB sacks (10-58)...Sophomore Lucius Hawkins leads the squad in interceptions (3) and return yards (65)...Sophomore defensive back Joe Ballard has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Ballard has returned a fumble and an interception for TDs this season...21 different Lakers have recorded a tackle for loss this season and 14 have notched a QB sack.

* Junior FS Scott Mackey recorded the longest fumble return for a TD in GVSU football history vs. Findlay (95 yds). Mackey now has the longest punt return for a TD (Mercyhurst, 87 yards) and the longest fumble return for a TD in GV history. Mackey, who has 10 career interceptions, returned an interception for a TD last year in the semifinals vs. Catawba.

* Grand Valley State yielded its first points in the first quarter this season vs. Mercyhurst. The Lakers have a 129-14 advantage in the first quarter, a 165-79 advantage in the second and a 128-38 margin in the third quarter...The Lakers have scored in every quarter since the first quarter of the UC Davis game...GVSU outscored its opponents 517-179 this season.

* GVSU is converting 50.0 percent of its third downs (68-137) this season. In comparison, Laker opponents are converting 27 percent (46-170) on third down.

* Grand Valley State has converted 56 of 61 scoring opportunities (91.8%) inside the 20-yard line this season with 51 TDs. GVSU's opponents are just 23 of-38 (60.8%).

* GVSU rushed for a season low 39 yards in the season opener vs. UC Davis. Since that game GVSU is averaging 234.1 yards rushing per game. In addition, since rushing for just two TDs in the first three games, the Lakers have crossed the goal line 21 times in the last eight games.

* Booming Attendance Grand Valley State set a GLIAC record for single-season attendance 50,838. GVSU set the GLIAC games only record this season with 38,477. GVSU is averaging 8,473 in all games and 7,695 in GLIAC games.

* Grand Valley State is 79-0 when scoring 40 points or more and 144-6 when scoring 30 points or more.

* Grand Valley State won its school record 26th straight regular season game vs. Findlay (63-19). The Lakers have also won 24 consecutive GLIAC games. The streak, which began on Oct. 14, 2000 with a 56-21 win over Indianapolis, is the third longest in college football behind Miami (Fla.) and Division III Mount Union...GVSU has a 20-game home winning streak at Lubbers Stadium.

Did You Know? Grand Valley State is the only Division II team in the country to be averaging over 215 yards rushing and 250 yards passing per game.