Allendale, Mich. -- The 2009 Wayne State University football season came to a close Saturday afternoon with a 59-28 setback at No. 5 Grand Valley State (10-1 overall, 9-1 GLIAC). The Warriors concluded their third winning season in four years with a 6-5 overall mark and a 5-5 league ledger.

On WSU's second possession of the game, freshman quarterback Mickey Mohner (Painesville, Ohio/Harvey) was hit on a second-and-six play and Laker linebacker Nick Shorkey returned the interception 16 yards for the game's first score.

Following a three-and-out by WSU, GVSU went 70 yards in 10 plays with Justin Trumble connecting on a 25-yard field goal.

On Wayne State's ensuing drive, Mohner was picked off by Justin Victor near midfield. James Berezik rushed in from two yards out on the third play of the drive. Berezik hauled in a 30-yard pass on the first play following the turnover.

The Warriors punted on their next two possessions and the host Lakers made it 24-0 midway through the second period on an 18-yard pass from Brad Iciek to Blake Smolen.

WSU responded with a five-play, 59-yard drive with Mohner finding Troy Burrell (Port Huron, Mich.) behind the GVSU secondary for a 45-yard TD pass on a third-and-21.

It took Grand Valley 92 seconds to answer on three plays after Smolen had a 51-yard kickoff return. Iciek hit Justin Sherrod for 24 yards with 2:08 remaining in the first half.

WSU senior kicker Anthony Morasso (Detroit, Mich./Harper Woods Notre Dame) had a successful onside kick to start the second half and the Warriors drove to the GVSU 23. Two plays for negative yards and an incompletion preceded an 18-yard pass to Burrell who fumbled forward trying to get the first down -- fourth down fumble has to be recovered by the offensive player who fumbled or else the ball is marked at the spot of the fumble – and WSU was one-yard short of a first down.

Grand Valley followed with a 13-play, 68-yard drive with Iciek scoring on a 13-yard run. After WSU turned the ball over on downs, Sherrod had a one-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 45-7.

Wayne State had a 79-yard drive with Joique Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich.) catching a five-yard toss from Moher. After another rushing TD for Sherrod, the Warriors went 70 yards with Greg Oberstaedt (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) hauling in a 13-yard scoring strike from Mohner.

Following Sherrod's four-yard scoring run, WSU went 65 yards in nine plays with Bell catching his second TD pass of the game.

Bell rushed for a team-high 74 yards to finish his collegiate career with 6,728 rushing yards, the sixth-highest total in Division II history (and eighth-best mark in NCAA history – all divisions). Including his 76 yards receiving, Bell finished with 8,055 all-purpose yards, the fourth-best mark in D-II history (ninth in NCAA history – all divisions).  Bell ended with 576 points, the fourth-highest mark in D-II history (and fifth in NCAA history – all divisions).

Bell also broke his WSU single-season rushing mark, finishing the 2009 campaign with 2,084 rushing yards.

Mohner completed 24-of-40 for 382 yards, the second-most passing yards in a game in school history (Jason Charron passed for 425 yards vs. Findlay on Sept. 30, 2000). The four TD passes by Mohner was one shy of the school mark set on Sept. 29, 2001, by Dan Gray in a 44-43 loss at Findlay.

Notes:

GVSU had a 556 to 468 edge in total offense as the teams combined for 42 fourth quarter points.

Wayne State's 397 passing yards marked the first time since Oct. 18, 2003 (a 42-35 loss to Michigan Tech), that the Warriors had passed for more than 300 yards (345 vs. Huskies).

Nine different receivers had receptions for WSU.

It was the final appearance in the Green and Gold for a senior class that recorded the most wins since the class of 1978.  Participating in their final collegiate game were Athan Anagonye, Joique Bell, Drew Chiatalas, Joe Claiborne, Aaron Higginbottom, Ryan Jonik, Anthony Morasso, Jared Nicholls, Brian Rilley, Matt Shango, Bruno Shkreli, Wendell Thompson, and Brent Wisniewski