MARSHALL, MO - Grand View had their toughest test of the season, holding off Missouri Valley University 21-7 at Volney C. Ashford Stadium. The Vikings improve to 3-0 on the year and remain 1-0 in Heart of America North conference play, while MVU falls to 0-2.
Grand View struggled to find their footing in the first quarter as
Casey Rooney was intercepted twice deep in MVU territory, the first ending an eight-play drive at the goal line and the second snuffing out a promising possession near midfield. Both teams' defenses otherwise held firm, and neither offense found the end zone through the first fifteen minutes.
The second quarter stayed defensive for most of its length. Grand View saved its best for last before halftime, needing 12 plays to cover 83 yards.
Dalten Van Pelt and
Bryant Williams did the heavy lifting on the ground,
Lance Clayburg hauled in two catches to keep the chains moving, and Rooney found
Peyton Goode for a 6-yard touchdown with 51 seconds left in the half.
Cory Wood's extra point made it 7-0 at the break.
MVU answered immediately to open the third quarter's scoring, but not before Grand View's defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession. After a Vikings punt pinned MVU deep, the home team put together the game's longest drive, 13 plays for 95 yards, capping it with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Grand View wasted no time responding.
Isaac Kracl returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards, and the Vikings needed just eight plays to go 78 yards, with Rooney himself finishing it off on a 27-yard touchdown scramble to make it 14-7 with 51 seconds left in the quarter.
Grand View's defense delivered the biggest stand of the night early in the fourth quarter. MVU drove into Grand View territory and reached the 12-yard line, but back-to-back sacks by
Eli Moses, the second for a 13-yard loss, buried the drive and forced a turnover on downs at the Grand View 36. The Vikings answered with a 10-play, 64-yard drive that leaned on Van Pelt and Williams before Van Pelt punched it in from a yard out, making it 21-7. MVU's final real possession ended on another sack, this one by
Leo Jones on fourth down, and Grand View closed out the final minutes with a clock-eating drive to seal the win.
GAME NOTES
- Bryant Williams ran for 124 yards on 18 carries, and Dalten Van Pelt added 102 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, as Grand View piled up 272 net rushing yards as a team
- Eli Moses had a huge night up front with 3 sacks for 22 yards, and Drew Gerdes led all Grand View tacklers with 8 total stops
- Grand View's defense recorded 5 team sacks for 30 yards and out-gained MVU 359-162 in total offense, despite MVU holding a narrow edge in time of possession
- Grand View has now won 73 straight regular season contests, the longest active streak in all of college football.
UP NEXT
Grand View returns home to Duke Williams Stadium to host Benedictine College (Kan.) on Saturday, September 19th at 12:00 PM.
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