WSU Football Weekly Game Notes

Game #3 - Wayne State at Lake Erie
Date:  Saturday, Sept. 21
Time:  1 p.m.
Location:  Painesville, Ohio
Stadium:  Jack Britt Memorial Stadium (3,000)
Live stats:  livestats.prestosports.com/waynestate
Live video:  ustream.tv/channel/lake-erie-college-athletics
Live audio:  WDTK 1400 AM/92.7 FM (wdtkam.com)

LAKE ERIE STORYLINES
The Warriors travel to Lake Erie for their first road conference game of the season on Saturday.  Wayne State won its GLIAC and home opener with a 34-22 victory over #21 Ashland last Saturday.
    
Wayne State has fared well in road conference openers in the past five seasons.  WSU has won four straight, dating back to 2009, and its last loss came on Sept. 6, 2008, in a 23-17 deficit at Saginaw Valley.  The Warriors won their first road league game last season, defeating Malone 38-14.  Wayne State also holds a 7-4 record in games played in Ohio since the start of the 2008 season.
    
WSU's game against Lake Erie will be the first against a non-ranked opponent this season.  Wayne State began the season at then-#17 Carson-Newman and the following week against then-#21 Ashland.

QUICK HITS
Including this season, the Warriors are 19-5 in August/September contests dating back to the start of 2008.  Wayne State started every season since 2008 with a 3-1 record or better.

Ed Viverette's 42-yard fumble return for a TD against Ashland was the first such return since Kenny Loney returned a fumble 23 yards for a score in WSU's season opener against Urbana on Sept. 3, 2011.
    
In WSU's season opener against Carson-Newman, head coach Paul Winters became the all-time leader in football games coached.  Winters has coached in 103 games in his 10-year coaching career.
    
WSU's 2013 home opener attendance of 4,109 was the largest at Tom Adams Field since Nov. 8, 2008, when Wayne State hosted 5,152 for its season finale against #1 Grand Valley.

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.

ASHLAND RECAP
All 56 points were scored in the same end zone as AU scored six points in the first quarter, followed by a 21-point explosion by WSU in the second stanza.  Ashland answered with 16 points in the third quarter, but Wayne State responded with 13 points in the final period.  The Eagles defense kept the Warriors off the scoreboard during the opening stanza extending WSU's scoreless streak vs. AU to more than six quarters.
    
Ashland drove 78 yards in 14 plays with Greg Gallaway converting a 22-yard field goal attempt at the 7:53 mark of the first period putting the visitors ahead 3-0.  After a Wayne State punt, Gallaway capped off a six-play, 86-yard drive with another 22-yard field goal increasing AU's lead to 6-0 with 1:54 left in the opening quarter.
    
On the first play of the second stanza, Carl Roscoe connected on a 70-yard TD pass to Michael Johnson.  The five-play scoring drive covered 92 yards after a muffed kickoff return.
    
Following a three-and-out for Ashland, the Warriors went 58 yards in 11 plays with Doug Griffin scoring on a three-yard QB draw on second-and-goal.  It was Griffin's first collegiate touchdown.  The WSU offense only had one third-down play on the drive with Roscoe garnering three yards on a third-and-one from the AU 8.
    
After a few non-scoring drives for each team, Ashland began a series at its own 20 following a touchback.  On the fourth play, AU quarterback Austin Bruns was sacked by Nores Fradi with senior linebacker Ed Viverette scooping up the fumble and racing 42 yards for his first career touchdown.  WSU led 21-6 with 27 seconds remaining before intermission.
    
Wayne State took the second half kickoff and had one first down when a Warrior fumble was recovered by Eric Schwieterman, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown just 90 seconds into the second half.  Following a WSU punt, Ashland went 64 yards in 10 plays with Gallaway connecting on a 36-yard field goal, his third of the contest.
    
After another three-and-out for the Warriors, the Eagles took a 22-21 lead on a one-yard plunge by Anthony Taylor on the seventh play of an 82-yard scoring drive.  Bruns two-point conversion rush failed.  On the ensuing drive, WSU went 84 yards in nine plays with Roscoe finding Dominique Maybanks for a 48-yard touchdown pass on a play in which Maybanks was interferred with.  Roscoe's two-point conversion pass was incomplete giving the Warriors a 27-22 advantage with 14:25 left.
    
Following a three-and-out by AU, Stefan Terleckyj just missed a 37-yard field goal attempt.  The Wayne State defense forced another Eagle three-and-out and the offense responded with an 11-play drive covering 47 yards with Griffin scoring his second touchdown of the contest on a third-and-goal with 2:05 left.  It was WSU's second third-down conversion of the drive.
  
Ashland ran 12 plays following the kickoff but could not convert on fourth down as back-up quarterback Tra'von Chapman was tackled for a three-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the WSU 5.
    
Wayne State finished with a 380-366 edge in total yards with both teams having two turnovers.
  
AU's Taylor led all rushers with 220 yards on 26 carries, but Bruns was sacked five times for minus 47 yards leaving Ashland with 177 net rushing yards.  Bruns completed 8-of-15 for 105 yards, while Chapman was 4-of-13 for 29 yards.
    
Toney Davis led the Warriors with 130 yards on 25 carries, his 15th career 100-yard rushing game.  Desmond Martin gained 87 yards on 16 attempts.  Roscoe was 4-of-15 for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
    
Austin Nelson had a team-high 10 tackles (5-5) for WSU including his first career interception.  Viverette totaled nine tackles (7-2) including 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a 42-yard fumble return and two quarterback hurries.

ON THE HEADSET
Paul Winters is in his 10th season as head coach of the Wayne State football program.  He has a 54-49 record in his Warrior tenure, including a 41-20 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).
    
Mark McNellie holds a 19-38 varsity record in his seventh year overall as the Lake Erie head coach.  He helped lead the Storm to a 3-8 (3-7 GLIAC) mark during the 2012 campaign.

SCOUTING LAKE ERIE
The Storm (0-2) enters their contest with Wayne State having lost the first two games of the season by a combined 10 points.  Lake Erie most recently dropped a 56-49 shootout at Ferris State in which the two teams combined to rack up over 1,000 yards of total offense.  LEC leads the GLIAC in total offense (631.5 ypg) and rushing offense (369.0 ypg).
    
Sophomore running back Anthony Bilal leads the rushing attack with 55 carries for 379 yards and seven touchdowns through two games.  Senior quarterback Brendan Gallagher has 525 passing yards and 191 rushing yards.  Junior wide receiver Tommy Jackson leads the squad with 11 catches and 136 receiving yards.
    
Defensively, linebacker Tanner Wells (23 tackles) and defensive back Devante Sims (21 tackles, 15 solo) lead the team in tackles.

ALL-TIME SERIES WITH LAKE ERIE
Wayne State is 3-0 in the all-time series against Lake Erie, which started in 2010.  WSU defeated the Storm 28-16 in its only other road contest in Painesville.  Wayne State beat the Storm last year in Detroit, 35-31.  The Warriors have won their games against LEC by an average of 12.3 points per game.

GLIAC HONORS
Senior linebacker Ed Viverette earned GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against Ashland.  The weekly conference award was a first for the three-year starter and 2013 captain.  He currently leads WSU with 22 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
  
With his 3.5 sacks against Ashland, Viverette is also moving up the career sack charts.  He needs a half-sack to tie Gary Ruttan for 10th place in Wayne State history at 15.0 sacks.

IN THE POLLS
Wayne State moved up 39 spots to No. 44 in the Massey Ratings, which were released on Sept. 15.  Four GLIAC teams are ahead of the Warriors in the poll.  Ohio Dominican (No. 15), Grand Valley (No. 24), Michigan Tech (No. 28) and Saginaw Valley (No. 35) are ahead of WSU, with Ashland just behind at No. 45.  
    
Just one GLIAC team is in the top 25 of the AFCA Coaches Poll -- Grand Valley at No. 10.  Carson-Newman is one spot behind the Lakers at No. 11 in the AFCA poll.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Wayne State ranks inside the top 50 in several statistical categories.  Wayne State is ranked 20th in fewest penalties per game (4.5) and 32nd in fewest penalty yards per game (45.0).  The Warriors are 13th in the country in net punting with a 40.6 average per punt.  WSU is also 30th in yards per pass completion (15.3).
    
Individually, Ed Viverette is second in the country with three forced fumbles.  He is also tied for sixth in Division II with 3.5 sacks.  Carl Roscoe is currently second in the nation in passing yards per completion at 18.1.
    
Stefan Terleckyj is first in the GLIAC and 10th in the country in punting average, with a 45.2 per punt average.
 
COMCAST XFINITY
All five of Wayne State's home games will be broadcast on Comcast Xfinity Channel 900.  The broadcast team of Ryan Ermanni, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson 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.