A first half offensive onslaught by Northwood proved to be too much for the Wayne State football team to overcome Saturday as the Warriors fell 38-24 at Adams Field. Saturday also marked the final home game for 13 seniors.
With one game left in the season, the Warriors have a 6-4 overall record with a 5-4 mark in the GLIAC. Northwood improved its record to 6-4, both overall and in the GLIAC.
Senior running back Joique Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich./Benton Harbor) accumulated a game-high 314 yards rushing on 33 carries with three touchdowns. This was Bell's 13th consecutive 100-yard game and the second most rushing yards he has accumulated in a single game. In addition to surpassing the 2,000-yard rushing mark on the season, Bell also became the GLIAC's career leader in all-purpose yards after a 45-yard rush in the first quarter.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Mickey Mohner (Painesville, Ohio/Harvey) threw for 67 yards on 4-of-13 passing with one interception. Sophomore wide receiver Troy Burrell (Port Huron, Mich./Port Huron) snagged three catches for a game-high 63 yards.
The WSU defense was anchored by sophomore linebacker Nick Thomas (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) who compiled a game-best 18 tackles. Senior linebacker Matt Shango (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) added 12 tackles, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. Sophomore defensive tackle Jimmy Kinaia (Troy, Mich./Athens) picked up a fumble recovery.
As a team, Northwood outgained Wayne State 496 to 454 in total offense and was 12-of-17 on third-down conversions. The Timberwolves opened the game by scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions.
Wayne State answered the Timberwolves nine-play, 83-yard touchdown drive on the game's opening series with a 47-yard touchdown run by Bell on third and two to even the score at 7-7. The two teams would hardly be done scoring though.
Northwood scored another touchdown before Bell found the end zone again from two yards out. An extra point by senior kicker Anthony Morasso (Detroit, Mich./Harper Woods Notre Dame) gave WSU its only lead of the game at 14-13.
The Warriors would have trouble stifling the Northwood offense for the rest of the half as WSU surrendered four more scores including a 27-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the half. NU took a 38-14 lead into halftime.
Never a team to roll over, Wayne State came out of the locker room and struck quickly. On WSU's first play from scrimmage in the second half, Bell took a handoff and darted 69 yards to set up a first and goal on the Northwood six. Morasso finished the drive by connecting from 23 yards out on a field goal to make it a 38-17 game.
The Warrior defense also showed life and stuffed the Northwood offense for two consecutive series; the first coming after a sack by sophomore linebacker Raleigh Ross (Detroit, Mich./Crockett) and the second on a goal line stand forcing a turnover on downs.
Starting at their own one-yard line, the WSU offense proceeded to march the ball methodically down the field for nine plays and 99 yards until it was capped off with Bell's third score of the day to pull within two scores at 38-24.
However, the bid for a great come-from behind win on Senior Day would not happen as the Warrior offense stalled, coming up scoreless the rest of the game.
Wayne State will close out the 2009 season next Saturday (Nov. 7) at Grand Valley State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Notes:
The 314 rushing yards was the second-most in a game for Joique Bell, who rushed for 318 yards vs. Mercyhurst on Sept. 16, 2006.
Bell moved from ninth in all-time NCAA Division II rushing to sixth. His career total of 6,654 ranks eighth in NCAA history (all divisions).
Bell moved into sixth place in all-time NCAA history with 564 points, which ranks fifth among Division II players.
Bell went from 12th to seventh place in all-time NCAA Division II all-purpose yards (and from 22nd to 14th in NCAA history - all divisions) with 7,905 yards.
