WSU Football Weekly Game Notes

Game #8 - Wayne State at Northern Michigan
Date:  Saturday, Oct. 26
Time:  1:00 PM
Location:  Marquette, Mich.
Stadium:  Superior Dome (8,000)
Live stats:  livestats.prestosports.com/waynestate
Live video:  wsuathletics.com/showcase
Live audio:  WDTK 1400 AM/92.7 FM (wdtkam.com)
Live television:  Comcast Xfinity Channel 900

NORTHERN MICHIGAN STORYLINES
Wayne State makes the first of two trips to the Upper Peninsula on Saturday, visiting Northern Michigan.  The Warriors are currently on a two-game skid after dropping its first game of the season at home in a 14-10 loss vs. Saginaw Valley.
    
WSU is 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC.  The Warriors are tied for sixth in the GLIAC North Division, while Northern Michigan is in eighth place in the division with a 1-5 record.
    
Beginning with the Wildcats, WSU has three of its last four games on the road to finish the regular season.  Wayne State visits Ferris State next Saturday (Nov. 2), before hosting Grand Valley for its final home contest of the season on Nov. 9.  The Warriors make a second trip to the U.P. to wrap up their schedule, playing at Michigan Tech on Nov. 16.

ON THE AIR
Sean Baligian (play-by-play), former WSU football running back Josh Renel (color) and Lisa Seymour (sideline) will call the action all season on WDTK The Patriot 1400 AM/92.7 FM Radio.  Fans can also check out the live simulcast on wdtkam.com.

QUICK HITS
Ed Viverette leads the GLIAC with 7.0 sacks in six games played.  He is also tied for first in the league with 9.5 tackles for loss.
    
Wayne State is second in the conference in total defense (351.4 yards per game) and first in the league in passing defense, allowing just 185.0 passing yards per contest.
    
Stefan Terleckyj became the all-time leader in field goals attempted in WSU history with his 54th career try at Hillsdale.  He holds the career marks for field goals made, field goal percentage and points by a kicker.
    
The Warriors have outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter this season, 48-35.

THE SERIES
The Warriors have won three straight against Northern Michigan and are 12-15 against the Wildcats since the series started in 1957.  Wayne State also won the last meeting in Marquette, defeating NMU 30-28 on Oct. 1, 2011.  The last three matchups have been decided by eight points or less and WSU is 5-7 all-time in road games against Northern Michigan.

ON THE HEADSET
Paul Winters is in his 10th season as head coach of the Wayne State football program.  He has a 56-52 record in his Warrior tenure, including a 43-22 mark in his last five-plus seasons.  In the 2013 season opener against Carson-Newman, Winters became the all-time leader in Wayne State football history in games coached (102).
    
Northern Michigan's Chris Ostrowsky has a 5-12 record in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats.  Prior to coaching at NMU, Ostrowsky coached at Northeastern University as the quarterbacks coach, recruiting coordinator and passing game coordinator.

SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN
The Wildcats have dropped five straight games since starting the season off with a 41-31 home victory against Findlay.  The Wildcats most recently fell 48-17 at Grand Valley last Saturday.  NMU is 14th in the GLIAC, scoring 21.5 points per game and are 13th in total offense (355.3 yards per game).  Northern Michigan has totaled 41 points in its last three contests.
    
Senior quarterback Cody Scepaniak and junior quarterback Dustin Thomas have combined to pass for over 1,100 yards, while rushing for more than 400 rushing, but freshman Shaye Brown made his first career start last week and threw for 168 yards on 14 of 22 passing, with one touchdown and one interception.
    
Sophomore running back Wyatt Jurasin leads the team with 242 yards on 60 carries and one touchdown.  Junior wide receiver Marcus Tucker leads the squad with 32 catches for 445 yards and has three touchdown.  Senior wide out Christian Jessie also has 26 receptions for 383 yards and one score.
    
Defensively, junior linebacker Nick Krause leads the team with 42 tackles and two fumble recoveries.  Redshirt-freshman defensive lineman Adam Williams leads NMU with 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles-for-loss.  Senior defensive back Brandon Parson has two of Northern Michigan's three interceptions this season.

SAGINAW VALLEY RECAP
The Warriors led 10-0 through three quarters limiting the high-powered Cardinal offense to 131 yards, while generating 247 yards of total offense and three trips to the red zone.  It was the first time since a shutout loss to Grand Valley in 2008 that the Cardinals' did not manage to score through three quarters of play.  
    
SVSU scored two touchdowns in less than a three minute span in the fourth quarter to upend the host Warriors.  Wayne State drove 84 yards to the SVSU one-yardline on its second possession of the game, garnering four first downs all on pass completions by Sean Guinane, who was making his second career start.  The final completion of the drive by Guinane was the first career reception for freshman tight end Nathan White.  On a second-and-goal from the one, Guinane was unable to handle the snap with the ball bouncing into the end zone where it was recovered by Cardinal Brian Johnson.  
    
On the ensuing drive, SVSU QB Jonathon Jennings was stopped by Moe Davenport for no gain on a fourth-and-one from the WSU 49.  Following SVSU's third punt of the game early in the second period, Wayne State went 51 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead.  WSU converted both third down plays on the drive as Doug Griffin gained three yards on a third-and-two, then scored from four yards out on a third-and-goal.  
    
Griffin had six carries during the scoring drive for 28 yards, while Desmond Martin added three rushing attempts for 14 yards.  After the Warrior defense forced a three-and-out for the second time in the contest, the Wayne State offense drove deep into Cardinal territory.  Guinane completed a 24-yard pass to Dominique Maybanks on a third-and-eight, and three plays later Michael Johnson hauled in an eight-yard pass on third-and-four.  Guinane had a nine-yard carry on a third-and-10 but on fourth-and-one mishandled the snap resulting in a two-yard loss and a turnover on downs.  
    
WSU's defense responded with back-to-back takeaways on the next two Saginaw Valley drives.  Gerren DuHart had an interception, then freshman safety Valorian Cunningham forced a fumble that he recovered.  On the Cardinals first possession of the third quarter, Jennings was sacked by Mike Laamanen, who forced a fumble that was recovered by Ryan Hankins.  After being unable to garner a first down, Stefan Terleckyj connected from 41-yards increasing the Wayne State lead to 10-0 with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.  The Warriors recovered an onside kick but punted on fourth-and-four.  SVSU drove to the Wayne State 31, but Cardinal place-kicker Scott Stanford missed a 48-yard field goal attempt.  
    
Following a WSU punt, Saginaw Valley had an 11-play, 80-yard drive culminating in a 18-yard touchdown reception by Jeff Janis from Jennings cutting the Warrior lead to 10-7.  Wayne State had to punt on its next drive and the Cardinals drove 73 yards in five plays with Janis catching a 38-yard scoring toss from Jennings to complete the scoring.  
    
After a three-and-out by WSU, SVSU used over seven minutes on the clock and drove inside the Warrior five.  Jennings was sacked on fourth-and-goal, giving Wayne State the ball with 12 seconds remaining.  Guinane had a 19-yard completion to Val Showers plus a personal four on SVSU advanced the ball to the WSU 47, but Guinane's Hail Mary pass was incomplete.

IN THE POLLS
Undefeated Ohio Dominican (7-0) moved up to No. 14 in the AFCA Coaches Poll, which was released Monday.  Saginaw Valley also made its first appearance in the poll this season, moving up to No. 25 in the rankings.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Warriors are first in the GLIAC and 20th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game at 185.0.  Wayne State is also sixth in the country in fewest penalties (3.57) and fewest penalty yards (34.29) per game.
    
Stefan Terleckyj is first in the conference and 14th in the nation with a 42.9 yard per punt average.  Ed Viverette is first in the GLIAC with 7.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss and is tied for ninth in the country with 1.2 sacks per game.

PRIVETT NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR NFF SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
Chet Privett was selected on Oct. 2 as one of the 170 semifinalists for the 2013 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards and the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
    
Privett was one of 24 Division II student-athletes named as a candidate. Each nominee must be in the final year of elgibility, have demonstrated strong leadership qualities on and off the field, have a GPA of 3.2 or better on a 4.0 scale and have outstanding football ability, among other qualifications.
    
A co-captain in 2013, Privett is a three-time GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection (2011-12-13) along with being named to the GLIAC Honorable Mention team in 2011. He has played in 40 games in his Warrior career, making 37 career starts.
    
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients and the results will be announced in a press release on Oct. 31.

TERLECKYJ EARNS SEPTEMBER FRED MITCHELL AWARD
Stefan Terleckyj was one of 26 student-athletes recognized on Oct. 1 as the Fred Mitchell Award honored 26 collegiate place-kickers for their excellence on and off the football field during the month of September.
    
Terleckyj was one of 18 seniors selected and just one of seven Division II place-kickers bestowed with the monthly accolade.
    
The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award) is provided to the nation's top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams. The recipient of the award is chosen based on excellence on the football field and in the community.
    
Terleckyj is second on the team in scoring with 32 points from 4 of 6 field goals and 20 of 21 extra points in 2013. He is a 2012 Fred Mitchell Award Finalist, who owns the school record for the most kicking points (270), which is also third in school history.

VIVERETTE EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Along with being named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against Ashland, senior linebacker Ed Viverette was selected as the D2football.com National Defensive Player of the Week.  Viverette totaled nine tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and he returned a fumble 42 yards for WSU's first defensive touchdown of the season.
    
The last Warrior to be honored with a national player of the week accolade was safety Jeremy Jones, who was also selected as the D2football.com National Defensive Player of the Week following a 27-10 win over Michigan Tech on Sept. 17, 2011.

COMCAST XFINITY
All five of WSU's home games will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 900.  The broadcast team of Ryan Ermanni (play-by-play), Rod Beard (color) and Joe Abramson/Kevin Brechmacher (sideline) will have the call from Tom Adams Field.  Each home Saturday telecast will be replayed at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, 8 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m. on Thursday the week following the live broadcast.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
All Wayne State football games can be heard on WDTK Radio (1400 AM/92.7 FM).  Fans can listen to the games online at wdtkam.com or watch the home games via Warrior All-Access for a $5.95 per game fee.  Sean Baligian and former WSU running back Josh Renel will handle the call in the booth, while Lisa Seymour will handle the sideline reporting for each contest.  

WINTERS ON WEDNESDAYS
Join Paul Winters and host Rod Beard every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. on WDTK 1400 AM for an hour of Warrior football.  The radio show will also be streamed online at wdtkam.com.