Sept. 15, 2011

Wayne State Football Game Notes #3

MICHIGAN TECH GAME STORYLINES
The 14th-ranked Warriors have started 2-0 for the second consecutive year and has won seven of their last eight home contests including 16 of their last 20 in Detroit.

While Saturday's homecoming contest with 22nd-ranked Michigan Tech University will be the 75th in school history, it will also be WSU's 200th Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game.

The first Homecoming match was in 1935 (no game in 1943 and 1944). WSU has won its last six Homecoming games.

The Warriors are riding a six-game winning streak, the third-best in school history, dating back to last season. WSU and Michigan Tech currently have the longest GLIAC winning streaks (all games) at six. WSU's next three games are all against schools that are 2-0 in 2011.

TIFFIN RECAP
Wayne State recorded its first shutout since Oct. 18, 2008, on its way to earning a 55-0 victory over visiting Tiffin University last Saturday at Adams Field.  Similar to the Urbana contest, the Warriors scored seven first quarter points, and then used the second and third quarters to break away.  While the ground game was the difference in the contest as the Warrior offense outgained the Dragons on the ground, 285-33, the passing game is what jump started the effort.

Dominque Maybanks was on the receiving end of two touchdown passes. The first came at the end of the first quarter when junior Mickey Mohner hit a wide-open Maybanks along the Tiffin sidelines for a 54-yard score. Less than five minutes into the second quarter, Maybanks hauled in a 28-yard TD pass, and the scoring would start from there.

Senior Josh Renel barreled in from seven yards out with 5:04 left before intermission. A fumble by Tiffin quarterback James Capello – recovered by freshman Steve O'Shell following a monster hit from senior Ed Viverette – set-up the Warriors' last score of the half. On the ensuing play, senior Troy Burrell grabbed a 29-yard TD reception from Mohner to propel WSU to a 28-0 halftime lead.

It was more of the same for the Warriors in the third quarter as the hosts again put up 21 on the scoreboard, and capped the scoring with six points in the fourth.

WSU led 27-12 in first downs and finished with a 465-181 edge in total offense.

Sophomore linebacker Moe Davenport, subbing for the ailing Raleigh Ross, contributed a team-best six solo tackles and seven total tackles which included two sacks.  All told, the Warriors sacked Capello five times for minus 28 yards and finished the contest with nine tackles for loss (-42 yards).

TIFFIN HIGHLIGHTS
* Renel recorded his sixth straight 100-yard rushing game.

* Mohner recorded three touchdown passes for the fourth time in his career.

* Burrell extended his game reception streak to 24 after catching three passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.

* The passing efficiency mark of 225.1 garnered by Mohner and back-up Sean Guinane was  the highest in at least a decade.

IN THE POLLS
Wayne State moved up three spots in this week's AFCA Division II Coaches Poll to 14th. It is the seventh straight week the Warriors have been in the top 25. WSU improved five spots in the Massey Ratings to 10th, while D2Football.com moved the Warriors up three spots to 13th.
Michigan Tech is ranked No. 22 by the AFCA and No. 19 by D2Football.com.

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. The Huskies were picked to finish second in the GLIAC North Division, earning 67 points and one first-place vote.

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 (38-39) is tied-for-second with Hall of Fame coach Dick Lowry on the WSU career wins all-time list. WSU is 25-10 in its last 35 games.

Michigan Tech's Tom Kearly (32-22) is in his sixth year with the Huskies. Kearly earned GLIAC Coach of Year honors last season after leading MTU to an 8-2 record.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State leads 16-6 in the all-time series with Michigan Tech. The Warriors have outscored the Huskies, 618-479. After winning14 of the first 16 meetings, the Warriors have lost four of the past six contests including the last two.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH
The 22nd-ranked Huskies (2-0, 1-0 GLIAC) enter Saturday's contest leading the GLIAC in total defense (211.5 ypg) and scoring defense (8.0 ppg). While Wayne State has the conferences best running game (293.5 ypg), Michigan Tech is second (89.5 ypg) – behind WSU (41.0 ypg) – at stopping the run. MTU is also ranked second at defending the pass (122.0 ypg).

The Huskies and Warriors, along with Grand Valley, are tied for the most sacks in the GLIAC at nine. MTU and WSU sit one and two in sacks against, respectively.  Jacob Clark of MTU is tied for the league lead in sacks (3) and is first in fumbles recovered (2).

The Huskies' offense features a balanced attack as they rank sixth in rushing (192.0 ypg.) and fifth in passing (225.0 ypg.).

MTU cruised to a 41-10 victory over Lake Erie College last Saturday. Tech amassed 506 yards of total offense and held the visiting Storm to 261 yards. Tailbacks Cedrick Barber (100 yards) and Akeem Cason (77) combined for 177 rushing yards. Barber is the eighth-leading rusher in the GLIAC (77 ypg).

Tyler Scarlett threw for 216 yards on 15-of-21 passing and three touchdowns in the win, while Pat Carroll was the leading receiver with 69 yards on five catches.  Scarlett has thrown for 415 yards and four TDs in the first two games. He ranks fifth in both passing  (207.5 ypg) and total offense (241.5 ypg). Carroll is tied for sixth in receptions (10) and ninth in receiving yards (123).

COMCAST
Saturday's contest will be televised live on Comcast Channel 900 with Dave Zoran and Scott Kowalkowski making the call, and Joe Abramson on the sidelines.

The game will be replayed on Sept. 20 @ 9:00 p.m., Sept. 21 @ 9:00 a.m., Sept. 26 @ 12:00 p.m., Sept 27 @ 9:00 p.m., Sept. 28 @ 9:00 a.m., Oct. 3 @ 12:00 p.m., Oct. 11 @ 9:00 p.m., Oct. 12 @ 9:00 a.m., Oct. 17 @ 12:00 p.m., Oct. 25 @ 9:00 p.m., Oct. 26 @ 9:00 a.m., Oct. 31 @ 12:00 p.m., Nov. 1 @ 9:00 p.m., Nov. 2 @ 9:00 a.m., Nov. 7 @ 12:00 p.m.

WDTK AND WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
All Wayne State football games can be heard on WDTK Radio (1400 AM). Fans can also listen online at wdtkam.com or watch the home games via Warrior All-Access for a $5.95 fee per game. Sean Baligian and WSU Athletics Hall of Famer Joe Gough will call the action every Saturday, while Lisa Seymour is again the sideline reporter.

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.

UPCOMING CAREER MILESTONES
* Renel needs five rushing touchdown to move into a sixth place tie with L.C. Bulger III  (1983-85, 87) on the WSU all-time list. He needs 178 all-purpose yards to move into a  sixth place tie with Elbert Richmond (1950-52) on the WSU all-time chart. He needs 305 rushing yards to move into a tie for 10th with Chris Middlebrooks (2003-06). He needs seven punt returns to pass Keith Bennett (1983-86) for second and five kickoff returns to tie Chad Fietsam (1984-87) and Nate Bush (1993-95) for fifth.

* Burrell needs two receptions to tie Jimmy Hill (1996-98) for fourth on the WSU all-time  lists. He needs four receiving touchdowns to tie Ray Ponder for third all-time.

* Mohner needs one touchdown pass to move into a third place tie with Mark Friday (1991-93) on the WSU all-time chart. He needs 204 passing yards to tie Rich Popp (1983-86) for fourth all-time.

* Jones needs two passes defended to pass Dante Dunn (2005-08) for fourth on the  WSU all-time list. Jones needs 101 interception return yards to move into a second  place tie with Stan Thornton (2007-10) on the all-time chart.

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