#17 Wayne State Football Game Notes at Hillsdale


HILLSDALE STORYLINES
The 17th-ranked Wayne State University football team had its school-record 10-game winning streak snapped following its 20-17 setback at Ashland University last Saturday.  Despite the loss, the Warriors are in the AFCA top 25 for the 12th consecutive week.

WSU continues a stretch that has them facing opponents who all sit near the top of the GLIAC standings. The Warriors travel to Hillsdale College (5-2, 5-1 GLIAC) this Saturday, where it has not won since 2000, and then returns home for a noon meeting with Saginaw Valley State University (4-2, 4-2 GLIAC) on Oct. 29. The Warriors then visit the University of Indianapolis (5-2, 4-2 GLIAC) on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. before returning home for their regular season finale against the University of Findlay (4-3, 4-2 GLIAC) on Nov. 12.


ASHLAND RECAP
The sixth-ranked Wayne State University football team saw the nation's longest winning streak (10 games – tied with Washburn and Colorado State-Pueblo) come to an end on a last second 43-yard field goal by Ashland senior Gregg Berkshire. The Eagles improved to 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the GLIAC with the 20-17 triumph.

The Warriors scored on their opening possession after limiting the Eagles to one first down on the game's opening drive. Senior Josh Renel returned the AU punt 31 yards to the Ashland 38 to start the possession. Five straight running plays, four by Renel and one by sophomore Toney Davis, gave WSU a first-and-10 at the AU 15.  Junior quarterback Mickey Mohner found senior tight end Cory Zauner on a crossing pattern and Zauner rumbled into the end zone with 9:49 remaining in the first stanza. Stefan Terleckyj connected on the PAT giving the guests a 7-0 advantage.

Following a WSU punt, the Eagles drove 45 yards with Berkshire making a 27-yard field goal attempt with 5:24 left before intermission. A WSU punt was followed by an Eagle punt, but Renel returned it 55 yards to the Ashland 27 with 1:03 left in the second period.  Mohner completed three-of-four passes for 18 yards and Terleckyj concluded the drive with a 25-yard field goal giving WSU a 10-3 halftime advantage.

Davis scored on a two-yard run with 3:55 left in the third quarter, putting the Warriors in front 17-3. The Eagles answered with a 15-play drive to pull within seven at 17-10 on a fourth-down Taylor Housewright touchdown pass to David Soucie. WSU went three-and-out on the next drive with Terleckyj's punt into the wind rolling dead at the WSU 48. On the ninth play, Ashland knotted the score on a four-yard touchdown run by Anthony Taylor with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter. On WSU's 13th play of the ensuing drive, Mohner's third down pass was intercepted with 12.8 seconds remaining.  Taylor rambled 33 yards on the first play and Ashland called timeout with 4.2 seconds left setting up Berkshire's winning field goal.


ASHLAND NOTES

* Wayne State had its school-record 10-game winning streak snapped at Ashland as the Warriors allowed 17 fourth quarter points. WSU had surrendered a total of 14 fourth quarter points in the first six games combined.
Renel had a game-high and personal season-best 179 all-purpose yards on a game-best 93 rushing yards and two punt returns for 86 yards, which led directly to 10 Wayne State points. He surpassed the 2,000-yard rushing plateau and moved into eighth place on the WSU all-time chart with 2,050 rushing yards.

* Renel also moved past Thabiti Williamson (1999-2002) into fourth place on the all-time all-purpose yards list with 4,124 yards.

* Mohner became WSU's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with his first quarter scoring toss (Mohner's 39th) to Zauner. It was Zauner's first career touchdown reception (he had only one catch in his first three seasons in the Green and Gold).

* Senior left tackle Joe Long made his 40th consecutive start in the Eagle contest.

* Senior wide receiver Troy Burrell, who set a personal-best with 900 receiving yards last season, has already eclipsed that total with 913 yards through seven games. Only two times in the previous 93 years of WSU football has there been a 1,000-yard receiver (Pierre Brown with 1,492 in 2000; and Nick Body with 1,110 in 2003).


IN THE POLLS
The Warriors are in the top 25 in all three polls for the 12th consecutive week. WSU dropped to 17th in the AFCA Division II Coaches poll and is 12th in the D2football.com poll. The Warriors fell to 14th nationally in this week's Massey Ratings.

The Warriors were selected to win the GLIAC South Division, receiving 80 out of a possible 85 points, along with 10 out of a possible 13 first-place votes. Hillsdale was picked to finish third in the GLIAC South Division, earning 66 points, in the preseason poll.


ON THE HEADSET
Head coach Paul Winters, reigning AFCA Region Coach of the Year, is in his eighth season at the helm of the Wayne State football program. Winters (42-40) is tied with Joseph G. Gembis (1932-45) for first on the WSU career wins all-time list with 42.

In his 10th season as head coach of Hillsdale, Keith Otterbein is 62-47. Otterbein's 18-year overall coaching record stands at 122-86-3.


SCOUTING HILLSDALE
With the fourth best offense in the conference, Hillsdale is led by junior Joe Glendening who is first in rushing yards (156.0 ypg), all-purpose yards (208.4 ypg) and scoring (18.9 ppg). Junior quarterback Anthony Mifsud generates the fourth-most total offensive yards per game in the conference at 249.4 and brings a 144.0 passing efficiency rating into Saturday's contest. HC is fourth in the league in rushing offense (218.9) and second in passing defense (169.4).

Sophomore linebacker Brett Pasche, tied for second in tackles for loss (10.0), leads a Chagers' defense that ranks sixth in the GLIAC in total defense (342.6 ypg). Senior defensive back Nick Hixson has the conference lead in passes defended at 10, while sophomores Devin Moynihan and Steven Embry are both tied for fifth in tackles per game at 9.0.


ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State trails 37-14-1 in the all-time series with Hillsdale. The Warriors have not won in Hillsdale since WSU recorded a 27-21 victory on Oct. 14, 2000, losing the last four. The home team has won the last six meetings in the series. Last season, WSU recorded a victory over the highest-ranked opponent in school history with a 14-9 home triumph over the No. 6 Chargers. Wayne State is 3-2 in the last five games versus Hillsdale and has scored 14 points in each of the last three contests.


MOHNER = SCHOOL RECORD HOLDER
Mohner's 439 passing yards against Lake Erie on Oct. 8 broke the all-time mark of 425 yards set by Jason Charron vs. Findlay on Sept. 30, 2000. It was also the second time Mohner threw for five TDs in his career, and it has only happened three times in program history. 


COACH WINTERS ON WDFN 1130 AM
Tune into WDFN 1130 AM every Thursday at 5:15 p.m. when WSU play-by-play announcer Sean Baligian talks with head coach Paul Winters. The interview will recap last week's contest and preview the Warriors' upcoming opponent.


JONES EARNS NATIONAL ACCOLADES
Jeremy Jones was selected national defensive player of the week on Sept. 20 by D2Football.com for the second time in his career. He earned the award last year for his play at Saginaw Valley.


UPCOMING CAREER MILESTONES

* Mohner needs 123 passing yards to pass Michael Gluski (1994-95, 97-98) for first all-time.

* Renel needs two rushing touchdowns to move into a sixth-place tie with L.C. Bulger III (1983-85, 87) on the WSU all-time list. He needs 37 all-purpose yards to move into a third-place tie with Steve Lee (1988-91) on the WSU all-time chart. He needs 121 rushing yards to tie Thabiti Williamson (1999-02) for seventh and 354 yards to equal Craig Duppong (2002-03) mark for sixth. He needs 76 punt return yards to tie Jerriel Burrus (2003-06) for the all-time lead.

* Burrell needs one receiving touchdown to tie Jimmy Hill (1996-98) for second all-time. He needs 36 receiving yards to move into a third place tie with Nick Body (2002-06) on the WSU all-time list and 19 receptions to equal Pierre Brown (1998-01) for third.

* Jones needs one passes defended to tie Derrick Mason (1985-88) for third on the WSU all-time list. Jones needs 84 interception return yards to move into a second place tie with Stan Thornton (2007-10) on the all-time chart. He needs two interceptions to tie John Hazely (1946-49), Gerald Megenity (1974-77) and Derrick Mason (1985-88) with 15 INTs for fifth all-time.