DETROIT – The Wayne State University football team (5-4 overall, 4-4 GLIAC) extended its winning streak to three games with a 31-26 triumph over the visiting Findlay Oilers (4-5 overall, 3-5 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon at Tom Adams Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors took a 3-0 lead on 36-yard field goal by sophomore Paul Graham (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) on the 11^th play of a 38-yard drive following the first career interception by senior defensive tackle Derrick Rodgers (Redford, Mich. / Thurston).  A key play on the scoring drive was a nine-yard scramble by freshman quarterback D.J. Zezula (Clarkston, Mich.) on a fourth-and-five.
 
Findlay finished the first period with 10 yards of total offense on 10 plays in 3:38, while WSU totaled 38 yards on 20 plays in 11:22.
 
Wayne State extended its lead to 10-0 at the 9:50 mark of the second quarter on a three-yard run by sophomore running back Romello Brown (Westland, Mich. / Livonia Churchill).  Sophomore running back Demetrius Stinson (Detroit, Mich. / Douglass) had an 11-yard run on a second-and-nine to put the Warriors in the red zone.
 
After back-to-back punts by UF (because of a fumbled return by WSU), Wayne State drove 92 yards in nine plays with Brown scoring on a one-yard plunge.  It was the Warriors third TD drive of the year of at least 90 yards.  The big play came on a third-and-seven from the WSU 11 as Zezula found junior wide receiver Jamel Hicks (East Cleveland, Ohio / Shaw) open for a 37-yard gain.
 
Findlay pulled within 17-7 with just seven seconds left before intermission on a two-yard reception by Daiquone Ford on a pass by Rhys Gervais, who began the game 2-of-8 for 16 yards with three interceptions.  Prior to the scoring drive, the Oilers had 32 yards of total offense on 20 plays.
 
After an unsuccessful onside kick by WSU to start the second half, coupled with a 35-yard return by UF's Brad Fenton, the Wayne State defense limited Findlay to just a field goal after three plays for minus three yards.  Tyler Bugeja made a 29-yard attempt to cut the Warrior advantage to 17-10.
 
Following a Wayne State punt, the Oilers went 40 yards in 10 plays and knotted the game at 17 on a one-yard run by Marcus Jones with 9:20 left in the third period.
 
The Warriors punted on the ensuing possession, but WSU special teams stopped an Oiler fake punt rush on fourth down when redshirt freshman Preston Pelham tackled Jones after a three-yard gain on fourth-and-four.
 
The Wayne State offense responded with a four-play, 56-yard scoring drive to take a 24-17 lead with 3:07 left in the third stanza.  Redshirt freshman wideout Corey Ester (Lake Orion, Mich.) made his first collegiate catch a memorable one hauling in a 37-yard scoring toss from Zezula on a third-and-four play.
 
Findlay had a 17-play drive but a 36-yard field goal attempt by Bugeja was wide right.
 
WSU fumbled on its second play, but again the Warrior defense held the Oilers to a field goal try with Bugeja connecting on a 41-yard attempt with 8:49 remaining in the game.
 
The Warriors sealed the victory with a five-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that consisted of five runs by Brown.
 
Findlay was able to pull within five points (31-26) on a five-yard touchdown pass from Gervais to Alex Long capping off an 82-yard drive.  The two-point conversion pass by Gervais was intercepted by senior Jamiil Williams (Lima, Ohio / Shawnee).
 
WSU was able to run out the final 3:46 on the clock by gaining 34 yards on eight plays and garnering three first downs (two by rushing plus a defensive offsides on a third-and-four).
 
WSU NOTES
Brown had his third consecutive 150-yard plus rushing effort finishing with a career-high 172 yards along with a career-best three rushing touchdowns on 30 carries.
 
After recording four interceptions in the first eight games of the season, the Warrior defense had three interceptions in the first quarter.  In addition to the aforementioned pick by Rodgers, junior linebacker Anthony DeDamos (Rockford, Mich.) and sophomore cornerback James Howard (Detroit, Mich. / Chandler Park Academy).
 
Redshirt freshman Drew Dowding (Michigan Center, Mich.) recorded a game-high nine tackles (6-3) including 1.5 for loss in his second career start.
 
The Warrior defense limited Findlay to 13 points in the second half on the three drives that started in Wayne State territory (field goal from WSU 09; touchdown from WSU 40; field goal from WSU 27).

UP NEXT
Wayne State will conclude its home slate next Saturday with a noon kickoff against Lake Erie before finishing the 2015 campaign at Hillsdale on Nov. 14.