Dec. 4, 2002 - The Game: Number one ranked Grand Valley State (12-0) will host 7th-ranked Northern Colorado (12-1) in an NCAA DII semifinal contest. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Lubbers Stadium.

The Teams: Grand Valley State is 12-0 and was 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 21 consecutive home games. GVSU is coming off a 62-21 victory over 6th-ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the Northeast regional final. With the win, Grand Valley has advanced to its second straight NCAA DII National Semifinal. Northern Colorado enters the contest with a 12-1 record. UNC claimed a 23-12 road win last Saturday at third-ranked Northwest Missouri State. Northern Colorado's only blemish this season was a 31-14 loss at IAA power Montana.

Media Coverage: Saturday's game vs. UNC 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 third straight week GVSU has used the webcast.

The Series: This will be the first-ever meeting between Grand Valley State and Northern Colorado. Saturday's semifinal will mark the fifth different North Central Conference team the Lakers have faced. GVSU dropped a 17-14 decision to North Dakota a year ago in the DII Championship game. The Lakers are 2-3 all-time versus the NCC, including a 1-0 mark vs. North Dakota State, 1-0 vs. St. Cloud State and 0-2 vs. South Dakota State.

The Coaches: Grand Valley State * Brian Kelly (Assumption, 1983) * 102-34-2/.746 (12th year); Northern Colorado * Kay Dalton (Colorado State, 1954) * 23-12/.657 (UNC/3rd year), 56-24/ (8th year).

GVSU head coach Brian Kelly ranks third (.746) among all active Division II head coaches in winning percentage...Kelly notched the 102nd win of his career last Saturday vs. IUP. Under Kelly, GVSU is 56-11-1 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 5-6 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 2002 - at GVSU 62, Indiana (Pa.) 21

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. Northern Colorado enters the game ranked seventh 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 Lakers 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 Keyonta Marshall was named the Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year. Junior defensive back Scott Mackey was 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 Darren Smith.

Last Game: Grand Valley State built a 50-7 halftime lead after scoring 19 first quarter points and 31 second quarter point. The Lakers added 12 second half points en route to a 62-21 win. Running backs Brent Lesniak (16-125, 2 TD) and Reggie Spearmon (25-112, 4 TD) combined to rush for 237 yards and six TDs. QB Curt Anes completed completed 17-of-22 passes (all in the first half) for 191 yards and one TD. Senior WR Terrance Banks led the receivers with seven receptions for 96 yards. GVSU rolled up 526 yards of total offense and held a 38:52 - 21:08 advantage in time of possession. The Laker defense limited IUP to just 228 yards of total offense. IUP converted just one third down play and turned the ball over four times.

* Curt Anes, one of three finalists for the 2002 Harlon Hill Award, continues to move atop several career, single-season and game GVSU and NCAA statistical categories, despite playing in just 39-of-48 quarters this season...2002 Playoffs: C.W. Post. - Completed 23-of-31 passes for 337 yards and six TDs. Rushed for 41 yards on five carries. Played one drive in fourth quarter. Indiana (Pa.) - Completed 17-of-22 passes for 191 yards and one TD. Rushed for 12 yards on two carries. Played one drive in third quarter and did not throw a pass in second half...Playoff totals - 40-of-53 passes (75.4 percent) for 528 yards and seven TDs...Curt has thrown for 225 yards or more in 20 of his last 22 games...Anes has thrown three or more TD passes in 16-of-his-last-22 games, including four or more in 12 of 22 games...Curt has thrown just nine interceptions in his last 803 attempts (30 games) and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 11-1 in his last 22 games...Curt has thrown 88 TD passes in his last 22 games (4.0 per game)...In his career, Anes has completed 698-of-1,121 attempts for 9,977 yards and 107 TDs...Curt is the NCAA DII all-time leader in career touchdowns responsible for with 123 (107 passing; 16 rushing)...Curt ranks 2nd in NCAA DII total offense (11,273), 3rd in all-time TD passes (107), 6th in all-time passing yards (9,977), and 17th in total offense per game (270.0)...Curt has completed 235-350 passes for 3,088 yards and 40 TDs this season. He has thrown just five interceptions this season and none in his four games...In his last five games, Anes has completed 98-132 (74.2 percent) for 1,320 yards and 17 TDs...Anes' 40 TD passes this season rank as the sixth-best single-season total, while his 2001 total of 48 was the third-best single-season total...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 vs. Findlay. 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...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).

* All-American candidate David Kircus has broke the 100-yard receiving mark in four of his last six games...In his last six games, Kircus has caught 32 passes for 602 yards and 15 TDs...2002 Playoffs: Hauled in four passes for 23 yards and one TD vs. Indiana (Pa.)...Caught seven passes for 161 yards and four TDs vs. C.W. Post. His four TD receptions tied the NCAA DII single-game playoff record...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...Kircus has 59 catches for 981 yards and 28 TDs in 2002...Kircus' 28 TD catches this season tied the college football record he set last season for single-season TD catches...David's 170 points scored this season ranks as the sixthth-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 (422)...David is the all-time leader in NCAA Division II touchdown receptions with 69 and the all-time leader in GLIAC action with 59...Kircus ranks eighth in all-time DII receiving yards (3,782) and 30th in DII career receptions with 204...Kircus, who has caught 56 touchdown passes in his last 22 games (2.5 pg), is averaging a TD catch every 2.1 receptions this season and every 3.0 for his career...Kircus holds the all-division college football record for consecutive games with a TD catch (22). Dave has two or more TD catches in 19-of-his-last-22 regular season games..In addition, Kircus has caught a pass in 45 straight games...David is the all-time leading scorer in the GLIAC (348) and third in all-time receiving yards (3,333)...Kircus has 204 catches for 3,782 yards in his career...David ranks second in career all-purpose yards (4,548).

* Senior tight end Phil Condon is fifth on the squad in receptions (22), but third in yards (394)...Condon missed nearly four games with an injury...Condon has 79 catches for 1,174 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 78 this season...Banks leads the team in catches (78) and yards (988), while ranking second in TD catches (6)...Banks has seven games with seven or more catches and four 100-yard receiving games in 2002...2002 Playoffs: Caught seven passes for 68 yards vs. C.W. Post. Hauled in seven passes for 96 yards vs. Indiana (Pa.)...Playoff totals - 14 catches for 164 yards in two games...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 ninth in career receptions with 105 for 1,423 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 three times this season. Brent Lesniak (125) and Reggie Spearmon (112) last accomplished the feat versus IUP..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 12 times this season.

* RB Reggie Spearmon leads GVSU in rushing with 1,328 yards and 18 TDs on 245 carries...Spearmon's 1,328 yards is the second-best, single-season total in GVSU history, just six yards behind John Mahan's 1,334...Reggie ranks third on the squad in receptions with 31 for 300 yards and three TDs...Reggie's 126 points scored is the fourth-best single-season total in GVSU annals...Spearmon ranks first in GVSU football history with 3,675 rushing yards in all games played...Reggie is third in all-time all-purpose yards (3,804)...Reggie has caught 48 passes for 478 yards and six TDs in his career...Reggie has notched seven 100-yard rushing games the season and had a string of four straight snapped vs. C.W. Post (25-71)...Spearmon has rushed for over 100 yards in five of his last six games...Reggie rushed for 112 yards and four TDs (all in the first half) vs. IUP. His four rushing TDs is a GVSU single-game record...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 37.

* RB Brent Lesniak ranks second on the team in rushing yards with 654 yards and jnine TDs on 111 carries...Lesniak is fourth on the team in receptions for 23 for 240 yards...Brent rushed for 125 yards on 16 carries last Saturday vs. IUP...Rushed for 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 first in all-time, all-purpose yards (4,680) and third in all-time rushing (2,877) at Grand Valley State.

* Freshman running back Brandon Langston ranks third on the squad in rushing with 469 yards on 66 carries...Langston is averaging a team-best 7.1 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.

*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.

* The Grand Valley State defense has notched 96 tackles for loss (-413) and 43 QB sacks (-268) in 12 games this season.

* Grand Valley State ranks 34th in the country in rushing defense, yielding 115.9 yards per game...The Lakers have limited four opponents to 100 rushing yards or less...Seven of 12 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 (64), 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 three fumble recoveries. Ballard has returned a fumble and an interception for TDs this season...21 different Lakers have recorded a tackle for loss, including 14 with three or more... 14 different Lakers have notched a QB sack.

* DT Shad Risk ranks sixth at GVSU in all-time QB sacks with 19...DE Dan Vaughn, a two-time First-Team All-GLIAC choice, has four tackles for loss and five pass break-ups this season...LB Orlando Williams is tied for the team lead in tackles with 77 and ranks second in tackles for loss (11-38). Williams, who missed the opening game of the season vs. UC Davis, also has five QB sacks.

* 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.

* The Lakers have a 148-21 advantage in the first quarter, a 196-79 advantage in the second and a 138-52 margin in the third quarter...The Lakers have scored in every quarter since the first quarter of the UC Davis game...GVSU has outscored its opponents 579-200 this season.

* GVSU is converting 50.0 percent of its third downs (74-148) this season. In comparison, Laker opponents are converting 26 percent (47-179) on third down.

* Grand Valley State has converted 64 of 70 scoring opportunities (91.8%) inside the 20-yard line this season with 58 TDs. GVSU's opponents are just 24 of-40 (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 27 times in the last nine games.