WSU Football Weekly Game Notes

Game #11 - Wayne State at Michigan Tech
Date:  Saturday, Nov. 16
Time:  1 p.m.
Location:  Houghton, Mich.
Stadium:  Sherman Field (3,000)
Live stats:  livestats.prestosports.com/waynestate
Live video:  huskieslive.mtu.edu
Live audio:  WDTK 1400 AM/92.7 FM (wdtkam.com)

MICHIGAN TECH STORYLINES
The Warriors finish the 2013 regular season on Saturday, making its second trip of the year to the Upper Peninsula for a game against Michigan Tech.  The Warriors are looking to end a five-game losing streak.  WSU is also searching for its first road victory of the season.  Wayne State has an 0-5 record in games played away from Detroit, compared with a 3-2 record at home.
    
Wayne State (3-7, 3-6 GLIAC) closes out its second straight season with Michigan Tech (5-4, 5-4 GLIAC).  The Huskies earned a 35-13 victory over the Warriors on Nov. 10, 2012 in last year's finale in Detroit.

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
Paul Winters will coach in his 100th GLIAC contest in WSU's season finale at Michigan Tech.
    
Val Showers' 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Grand Valley was the first kick return for a TD since Josh Renel returned the opening kick of the 2011 national title game for a score.
    
Wayne State had its highest average attendance at Adams Field for home games since 1976.  Including the 4,429 people for the home finale against GVSU, WSU averaged 3,279 per game in 2013.  The single-game attendance total was also the ninth-largest in Adams Field history.
    
The season finale is the first of two straight against MTU.  WSU opens 2014 with the Huskies at home.

THE SERIES
The Warriors are 17-7 against Michigan Tech in the all-time series, which began in 1967.  Wayne State is also 8-4 in games played in Houghton.  WSU lost the last meeting as MTU won 35-13 in Detroit on Nov. 10, 2012.  Michigan Tech also won the last contest played in Houghton, winning 24-7 on Sept. 18, 2010.  Paul Winters is 3-4 against the Huskies all-time and WSU is 4-6 in its last 10 meetings with Michigan Tech.

ON THE HEADSET
Paul Winters is in his 10th season as head coach of the Wayne State football program.  He has a 56-55 record in his Warrior tenure, including a 43-26 mark in his last five-plus seasons.  Winters will coach in his 100th GLIAC contest in the 2013 season finale at Michigan Tech.  He has a 47-52 record in conference contests.
    
Michigan Tech's Tom Kearly has a 49-33 record in his eighth season as head coach of the Huskies.  He has lead Michigan Tech to six winning seasons in his tenure and six top-five finishes in the GLIAC.  Prior to coaching at Michigan Tech, Kearly spent 19 seasons at Central Michigan, the last six of which were spent as associate head coach.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH
The Huskies enter their season finale on the heels of a 30-27 victory at Hillsdale last Saturday.  Prior to the road victory last week, Michigan Tech had consecutive losses to GLIAC North leaders Saginaw Valley and Ferris State.
    
Junior quarterback Tyler Scarlett had a hand in all four MTU touchdowns in its victory against the Chargers.  He threw for one score and ran for three more.  Overall this season, Scarlett has thrown for 2,340 yards and 13 touchdowns against six interceptions.
    
Junior running back Charlie Leffingwell reached 1,000 yards for the season against Hillsdale and has 1,117 yards on 222 carries this season.  He also has six touchdowns and a 5.0 yards per carry average.
    
Freshman wide receiver Brandon Cowie leads the team with 55 catches for 880 yards and three touchdowns.  Senior wide out Jordan McConnell has 53 receptions for 730 yards and a team-high six receiving touchdowns.
    
Junior place kicker Garrett Mead is 10-for-14 on field goal tries and 25-of-30 on extra points in 2013.
    
Defensively, senior linebacker Taylor Ziolkowski has a team-high 76 tackles and two fumble recoveries.  Junior defensive end Nelson Wienke has team-highs in both sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (6.5).  Sophomore defensive back Brett Gervais is second on the squad with 64 stops (45 solo) and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

GRAND VALLEY RECAP
The Warriors dropped their home finale Saturday, falling to Grand Valley, 34-20, in front of the ninth-largest crowd (4,429) in Adams Field History.
    
The Lakers scored the first 14 points of the contest before Val Showers returned a GVSU kickoff 85 yards for WSU's first score of the game.  It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Warrior since Josh Renel went 93 yards with the opening kickoff in the 2011 national championship game.
    
Grand Valley went 75 yards in seven plays after the opening kickoff with Jamie Potts hauling in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Heath Parling.  On GVSU's next possession, Greg Hasse stopped Laker running back Chris Robinson for a one-yard gain on fourth-and-two from the WSU 35.
    
Following Wayne State's second punt of the opening period, Parling hit Brandan Green on a screen pass with Green racing past the Warrior defensive unit for an 82-yard score on the play prior to Showers' kickoff return.
    
Grand Valley held a 228-24 edge in total offense during the first 15 minutes.
    
On the Lakers second punt of the second quarter, the Warrior returner fumbled with Marquez Gollman recovering for GVSU at the WSU 20.  On fourth down, Joel Schipper connected on a 30-yard field goal increasing the Grand Valley advantage to 17-7.
    
Wayne State went 46 yards on the ensuing drive, but a 41-yard field goal attempt was blocked with Laker Jordan Kaufman returning it 56 yards for a touchdown with just 71 seconds left before intermission.
    
The Warriors led in total offense during the second quarter 86-21, but was outscored 10-0.
    
WSU pulled within 24-14 early in the third period after a 66-yard scoring drive following the second half kickoff.  Doug Griffin completed three passes on the drive, all to Michael Johnson for 23 yards, with Johnson scoring from 18-yards on a jet sweep play.
    
Grand Valley answered with an 11-play, 82-yard drive with Ben Hutchins scoring on a seven-yard run.  GVSU converted two third-and-long plays during the possession.  After GVSU partially blocked a punt, Schipper missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.
    
Griffin had a 41-yard run on the following play, but was stripped by DeVonte' Jones, who also recovered the fumble.
    
On the Lakers possession early in the fourth period, Schipper made a 23-yard field goal attempt giving the guests a 34-14 lead.
    
The Warriors responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive with Toney Davis running around the left end for 21 yards and his 51st career rushing touchdown.  Sean Guinane went 3-of-3 on the drive for 24 yards, while Davis gained 34 yards on his two carries.

LOOKING AHEAD
Wayne State opens the 2014 season on Sept. 6 with a home game against Michigan Tech.  Four of the first five games in 2014 are in Detroit.  The Warriors also host Carson-Newman on Sept. 13 for a non-conference matchup.  The GLIAC changes to three divisions of five teams each starting next year.  WSU will be in a five-team Central Division with Hillsdale, Grand Valley, Findlay and Tiffin.  

IN THE POLLS
Undefeated Ohio Dominican moved up one spot to No. 8 in the most recent 2013 American Football Coaches Association Coaches' Poll, which was released Monday.  Saginaw Valley, with a 9-1 mark overall and 9-0 record in the GLIAC, moved up four spots to No. 15 in the poll.  Grand Valley also picked up two votes in the rankings.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Warriors are fourth in the nation in penalites per game (3.5) and fifth in the country in penalty yards per contest (32.60).  Individually, Stefan Terleckyj is seventh in the country and first in the conference at 43.3 yards per punt.

SHOWERS EARNS WEEKLY CONFERENCE HONORS
Senior wide receiver/kick returner Val Showers earned GLIAC Special Team Player of the Week honors following his performance against Grand Valley on Nov. 9.  Showers returned a kickoff 85 yards for WSU's first TD against GVSU and finished with four returns for 171 yards, which was six yards shy of the WSU single-game record.  He is the second Wayne State played to earn a conference award in 2013 as Ed Viverette was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 16 after a win vs. Ashland.

PRIVETT NAMED SEMIFINALIST FOR NFF NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD
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 43 games in his Warrior career, making 39 career starts.
    
Sixteen college football student-athletes were selected as finalists for the award.  Quarterbacks Trevor Adams (Northwest Missouri State) and Dustin Vaughan (West Texas A&M) were the only two finalists selected from Division II.

TERLECKYJ EARNS MONTHLY FRED MITCHELL HONORS
Stefan Terleckyj was honored on Oct. 29 as one of 35 place-kickers for his excellence in the community and on the playing field during October.  He was one of 23 seniors and just one of nine Division II kickers selected for the October monthly award.
    
He was also 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 43 points from 6 of 8 field goals and 25 of 26 extra points in 2013. He is a 2012 Fred Mitchell Award Finalist, who owns the school record for the most kicking points (281), 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 were aired on Comcast Channel 900.  The broadcast team of Ryan Ermanni (play-by-play), Rod Beard (color) and Joe Abramson (sideline) had the call from Tom Adams Field.  Each home Saturday telecast was 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.