It was what is likely to be one of the last practices of the season for the team, and of the careers of it’s 14 seniors.

Despite the realization that Saturday’s Battle of the Valleys rivalry game against Saginaw Valley State University (7-2, 7-2 GLIAC) could be it for the Lakers (7-3, 6-3 GLIAC) this season, the team, and its seniors, are fired up for one last go at things this year.

“It’s tough knowing that this could be the last game of my career, but it’s the last game of the season against a rival,” said senior linebacker Brad Howard, the team’s leading tackler with 73 stops. “We’ve just focused on what we needed to do to prevail, and I think our (the seniors) legacy here is ‘work hard at every opportunity you get’ because you never know when your time is going to be up.”

The seniors have built that legacy up from the time they stepped on campus five years ago. They’ll be the last group of players led by former coach Chuck Martin, and they’ll be the first senior class since 2001 to leave GVSU without a national championship title.

“Their approach since we lost the three games has been phenomenal — they’ve been nothing but the leaders in our program,” said GVSU head coach Matt Mitchell. “They’ve taken a leadership role in terms of the legacy they want to leave, and I think we’ve played better because of our seniors playing well too.”

GVSU’s improved play will be put to the test Saturday when the team takes on a Cardinal squad that sits atop the GLIAC North Division with one of the top GLIAC quarterbacks in sophomore Jonathon Jennings.

Although the rivalry between the schools has been lopsided in recent years — GVSU has out-scored Saginaw Valley 104-14 since 2008 — the Lakers’ early-season struggles have positioned them as underdogs against the Cardinals for the first time in years.

“It’s going to be real motivating. They’re going to come out hard because last year we came out hard,” said senior receiver Jovonne Augustus. “It was nasty, real nasty toward them last year, so I’m not going to be surprised if they come out real emotional.”

Saginaw Valley’s emotion will be a key factor Saturday. With a win, the Cardinals would win the GLIAC North for the first time since 2003, and thanks to a victory over Wayne State University two weeks ago, the Cardinals are also in position to win the overall GLIAC title if Hillsdale College loses Saturday.

Jennings has led the Cardinals to a three-win improvement over last season so far, and his 176.4 passer rating ranks second nationally only behind his GVSU counterpart Heath Parling’s 182.3 rating.

The game will showcase a pair of similar teams, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

“It’s a kind of fitting that the last game in Lubbers, the last game of our season and the last game for our seniors will be against Saginaw because it’s been a pretty intense rivalry.” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to do a good job on defense of stopping the run, and then getting some pressure on Jennings and get him off balance.”

That pressure will come from Howard and the linebackers, as well as GLIAC sack leader Andre Thomas and the defensive line. Mitchell said the defense will look to contain the Cardinals’ big plays, even if that means giving up yardage, and the offense will aim to avoid turning the ball over.

Regardless of the Lakers’ playoff situation, players like Augustus have said that this is a game where they want to come out and “put it to” Saginaw Valley.

The game can be seen on Comcast 900/901 and heard on WMUS 107.9. Follow the action live on Twitter @LanthornSports.

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