Game 8: Saginaw Valley vs. Grand Valley
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 2 PM ET
Wickes Memorial Stadium | University Center, Mich.

KICK OFF...
Saginaw Valley State hosts Grand Valley State at Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium for the 52nd meeting between the two teams. The Cardinals trail the Lakers 12-39 in the all-time series, but snapped the 'Lakers' 10-game winning streak with a 20-19 win last year at Lubbers Stadium.

SVSU enters the game with a 3-4 overall record and a 1-2 mark in GLIAC play. Saginaw Valley State earned its first conference win last week at Wayne State, defeating the Warriors 49-3. 

GVSU is 5-2 overall, with a 1-2 conference record. The Lakers fell 41-34 to Ferris State in the Anchor-Bone Classic last week after surrendering a 17-point first-quarter lead.

The Cardinals are seeking their second straight conference win, while the Lakers aim to avoid a third loss this season. GVSU has only had two three-loss seasons (2025, 2019) in the last 10 years. The Lakers have not lost three games in a row since 2014.

Last Time Out...
The Saginaw Valley State football team won emphatically at Wayne State on Saturday at Tom Adams Field, 49-3. The Cardinals (3-4, 1-2 GLIAC) allowed the Warriors (0-7, 0-3 GLIAC) to gain just 31 yards on offense.

SVSU forced a three-and-out on its first drive. Ty Robertson (Saginaw, Mich., Heritage HS) recorded a sack on the first play to set the tone for the Cardinals' defense. Robertson then picked up a tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup on the next drive before a sack from Josh Williams forced another Wayne State punt. Devin Miles (Danville, Ill., Danville HS) got SVSU on the board with a 13-yard rushing touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Cardinals in front, 7-0.

The second quarter started slow with the teams trading seven straight scoreless drives. Action picked up quickly following the two-minute timeout. Miles capped off a 68-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to put SVSU up 14-0. Wayne State got a good kickoff return to start their ensuing drive, but another three-and-out took only 29 seconds off the clock. The Cardinals scored again just one play later on a 59-yard strike from Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind., Brownsburg HS) to JT Webber (Grand Blanc, Mich., Grand Blanc HS). SVSU led at halftime, 21-0. The Saginaw Valley State defense held WSU to -3 yards of offense in the first half.

A Cardinal fumble on the kickoff to open the second half gave Wayne State the ball in good field position. They kicked a field goal to make the score 21-3. SVSU scored a touchdown just over five minutes later. Whitaker connected on another long strike, this time to Matt Vaughn (Stevensville, Mich., Lakeshore HS) for a 64-yard score. Leading 28-3, the Cardinals put together another sustained drive that ended in an eight-yard rushing touchdown for Cornell Beard (Shaker Heights, Ohio, Shaker Heights HS). SVSU now led 35-3. Sean Hodges (Detroit, Mich., Cass Tech HS) returned an interception for a 32-yard pick-six, his second of the season, to put SVSU up 42-3 at the end of the third quarter. 

SVSU scored one last touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Cooper Arendt (Dexter, Mich., Dexter HS) led a six-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jamison Pelt (Saginaw, Mich., Swan Valley HS). It was Arendt's first career touchdown and Pelt's first career receiving touchdown. SVSU won 49-3.

Whitaker had a strong first start for SVSU. He went 14/19 for 293 passing yards and two touchdowns. Vaughn and Webber each had over 100 receiving yards. Vaughn caught four for 132 yards and a touchdown, and Webber finished with three for 100 yards and a touchdown. Miles had 11 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Robertson, Xavier Chasen (Pontiac, Mich., Waterford Mott HS), Carlton Freeman (Kalamazoo, Mich., Loy Norrix HS), Josh Williams, and Allon Hill (Cincinnati, Ohio, Roger Bacon HS) all recorded a sack (Robertson had two). Adom LeDuc (Sterling Heights, Mich., Adlai E. Stevenson HS) and James McDonald (Warren, Mich., De La Salle HS) each had a team-high five tackles. Teagen Lenderink (Rockford, Mich., Brentwood Academy TN) went 7-for-7 on extra points.

The Cardinals out gained Wayne State, 474-31. They held the Warriors to just 0.4 yards per carry. SVSU also had 19 first downs compared to Wayne State's three.

1st-AND-10...
• Saginaw Valley State football enters a new era with first-year head coach Michael Engle. Engle became the eighth SVSU football coach when he was hired in January. Engle spent four years at UIndy before he joined the Cardinals.

• The Cardinals were chosen fifth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll. SVSU finished with 28 points, three points behind fourth-place Davenport.

• Defensive Lineman Adom LeDuc (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Utica Stevenson HS) was named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List. LeDuc earned a spot on the first-team defense, ranking among the 11 best defensive players in Division II college football.

• The Cardinals named wide receiver Braden Hill, offensive lineman Kaiden Bell, defensive lineman Adom LeDuc, and linebacker James McDonald.

• Kicker Teagen Lenderink was selected as the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the season opener. He is the only Cardinal to receive a GLIAC Player of the Week award this season.

• Connor Wolf continues to lead NCAA Division II in passing yards per completion (19.52), while ranking fourth in passing efficiency (189.75). He leads the GLIAC in passing yards per game (237.5), yards per pass attempt (11.78), and passing yards per completion. His fifth-best efficiency mark ranks second in the league.

• SVSU had a dominant performance on defense at Wayne State, allowing just 31 yards and recording a pick-six. 

• The Cardinals had three rushing touchdowns last week, making it their most effective rushing game since their first game against McKendree

• Grand Valley State has not lost three games since 2019 and has not lost three in a row since 2014.

• GVSU has the top-ranked passing defense in the GLIAC, allowing just 121.9 YPG.

Cardinal Receivers Highlight Efficient Passing Game...
SVSU has a trio of receivers with 100-yard performances through this season.

JT Webber leads the Cardinals with 580 receiving yards. He had back-to-back 100-yard games to open the season and collected a third against Davenport. Webber tallied 107 yards in the season-opening win over McKendree before repeating in game two with 132 yards against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Webber had one catch for an 82-yard touchdown in the loss to Northwood, and he led the team with four receptions for 44 yards at Kentucky State. Against the Panthers, Webber caught five passes for 102 yards, the team high. He added a fourth at Wayne State with exactly 100 yards.

Matt Vaughn caught four passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns against the Bearcats in the season opener. He finished the first four games with three or more catches for the Cardinals. Against the Javelinas, he caught three passes for 35 yards. At Northwood, the converted TE caught four for 27, then added three for 26 against the Thorobreds. He had a career night at Wayne State with four receptions for 132 yards and a 64-yard touchdown.

Braden Hill recorded a team-best 135 receiving yards and three touchdowns at Northwood, marking his first 100-yard receiving game this season. He leads the team with six touchdown catches and added a seventh score at Kentucky State when he returned a punt for a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 early lead.

Ramonty Houze Jr. had a big showing against Davenport two weeks ago, catching four passes for 98 yards. Houze caught three passes for 20 yards or more against the Panthers, including a 34-yard reception on a 3rd-down play that extended a first-half drive for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals currently rank fifth in NCAA Division II and lead the GLIAC in passing yards per completion (18.27). They are 5th in team passing efficiency (181.63) and rank 18th in passing offense (274.0). Hill is one of 40 players in the country to return a punt for a touchdown. He also ranks 23rd with his six touchdown catches, fourth-best in the league. Webber leads the nation in yards per reception (27.62).

About the Lakers...
Grand Valley State is entering the weekend ranked at #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and the D2Football.com poll. However, after two straight losses, the Lakers have work to do in the NPI Rankings. The NPI has GVSU at #49. That ranking places them six spots out of a playoff spot in Super Region 3. 

The Lakers have lost two straight games and hold a record of 5-2 (1-2 GLIAC). Two weeks ago, #5 Grand Valley State was upset on the road by #19 Michigan Tech in overtime, 41-35. It was a very back-and-forth game as neither team ever led by more than a touchdown. A fumbled snap in overtime gave Michigan Tech the ball in need of a field goal to win it. The Huskies scored a touchdown four plays later.

Last week, the Lakers fell in a major rivalry game against #1 Ferris State. Grand Valley State jumped out to an early 17-0 lead at home. However, 34 unanswered points for the Bulldogs put the Lakers behind. Ferris State held off a second-half push from the Lakers, making the final score 41-34. 

Despite the last two games, the Lakers' defense has allowed just 17 PPG. In their first five games, they allowed 7.4 PPG. Keegan Sell leads GVSU on defense with 37.0 tackles. Tyus Jackson and Tyler Maynard are the leaders on the defensive line. They make up the top two in sacks and TFLs.

The offense is scoring 49.71 PPG. This is heavily influenced by their 96-0 victory over Judson on September 19. Against DII competition, they are scoring 42 PPG. They are led by sophomore quarterback Andrew Schuster. Schuster is tied for first in DII in passing touchdowns this season with 24. He is also third in passing efficiency. Kellen Reed is a force as a receiver. He has 48 receptions for 910 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Kellen Russell-Dixon leads the team with 538 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 88 attempts.