DETROIT – The Wayne State University football team (6-4 overall, 5-4 GLIAC) won its fourth consecutive game in a thrilling shootout 56-54 against the Lake Erie Storm (2-7 overall, 2-6 GLIAC) at Tom Adams Field on Saturday afternoon. The final home game of the 2015 season was the highest-scoring contest in Wayne State football history as the teams combined to score 110 points (previous record of 108 occurred in a 58-50 triple-overtime setback at Mercyhurst on Sept. 15, 2007).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wayne State scored on the game's opening drive going 67 yards in six plays with sophomore running back Romello Brown (Westland, Mich. / Livonia Churchill) scoring on a two-yard plunge, after a 20-yard scamper.

LEC evened the score on its second possession on a 14-yard run by Anthony Bilal following a 12-yard interception return by the Storm's Tony Andrews.

Andrews recorded his second interception of the period on the ensuing drive and Bilal went 36 yards on the fourth play of the drive to give the visitors a 14-7 lead just past the mid-point of the opening stanza.

Following a Warrior punt, LEC's John Banyasz completed a 22-yard pass to Aaron Lindgren on the first play from scrimmage, but redshirt freshman linebacker Drew Dowding (Michigan Center, Mich.) forced a fumble, which he also recovered at the Storm 43.

Senior safety Jamiil Williams (Lima, Ohio / Shawnee) intercepted a Banyasz pass on the first play of the second quarter.  WSU drove 42 yards in eight plays with sophomore Demetrius Stinson (Detroit, Mich. / Douglass) scoring on a one-yard run to give the Warriors a 21-14 advantage.

Five straight punts led to a Wayne State possession just 85 seconds before intermission.  Both Brown and freshman quarterback D.J. Zezula (Clarkston, Mich.) had 21-yard rushes, prior to an 11-yard rush by Zezula which led to a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jamel Hicks (East Cleveland, Ohio / Shaw) with 10.2 seconds remaining.

At intermission, WSU held a 294-155 margin in total offense with Brown (97 yards, 2 TDs) and Bilal (82 yards, 2 TDs) leading each squad on the ground.

Lake Erie turned a 14-point deficit into a 13-point lead by scoring 27 consecutive points in the first 9:19 of the second half.

Bilal scored on a 74-yard run on the first play scrimmage, and following a WSU punt, the Storm went 47 yards in three plays with Banyasz and Aaron Lindgren combining a 25-yard TD pass.

LEC took the lead on a six-play, 29-yard drive after a bad snap on a Warrior punt that resulted in a 12-yard loss as sophomore punter Paul Graham (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) was tackled in the backfield.  The TD play was a 13-yard pass from Banyasz to Anthony Kukwa.

Lake Erie's Tony Andrews notched his third interception of the game on WSU's third down play and returned it 35 yards to the WSU 11, where Lindgren took an option and scored to give the visitors a 41-28 lead with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Redshirt freshman Jordan Billingslea (Southfield, Mich.) took the ensuing kickoff back a WSU season-best 61 yards.  After three runs by Stinson netted 23 yards, Zezula had a 12-yard completion to senior tight end Ethan Walsh (Canton, Mich. / Salem), which preceded a three-yard run by Brown to make it 41-35.

The WSU defense allowed two first downs before forcing a punt late in the third stanza.  Lake Erie held a 198-65 edge in total offense during the quarter.

Facing a second-and-eight from its own three, Zezula's play action froze the entire Storm defense allowing junior fullback Garrett Wiska (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central) to sneak out of the backfield and haul in a WSU record 97-yard scoring pass.  Wiska received downfield blocking help from Trent Brodbeck (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's Jesuit) and Hicks to complete the longest offensive play in Wayne State history.  Graham's PAT gave WSU a 42-41 lead since LEC's B.J. Rhodes had missed his PAT attempt after the Storm's last TD.

Lake Erie answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive in 3:20 with Bilal scoring his fourth touchdown of the game on a 35-yard jaunt.

It took Wayne State just five plays to regain the lead (49-48).  After Brown's eight-yard run on first down, Hicks caught a 50-yard pass and Brown followed with three runs totaling 20 yards for his fourth score of the contest.

The Warrior defense recorded a three-and-out on Lake Erie's ensuing drive, and WSU responded with an eight-play, 58-yard drive with Brown covering the final five yards for his fifth rushing touchdown of the game.

The Storm began its final possession at its own 16 following the kickoff.  LEC garnered five first downs and on the first third-down play of the drive, Banyasz tossed a five-yard scoring pass to Lindgren for his second TD reception of the contest with 14.0 seconds remaining in the fourth period.

Trailing by two, Lake Erie was forced to go for a two-point conversion and Banyasz pass to Lindgren was broken up by senior safety Zak Bielecki (Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran North).
Brodbeck recovered the onside kick and two rushes by Brown ran out the clock.
 
WARRIOR PLAYER TIDBITS
Brown's five rushing touchdowns in a game is tied for second-most (Joique Bell in 2009 vs. Ashland, and Toney Davis in 2011 at St. Cloud State) in Wayne State history.  The record of six was set by Joique Bell against Ferris State in 2009.
 
Wiska's 97-yard touchdown catch was his first career reception and touchdown, and was the longest offensive play ever recorded in the history of WSU football.
 
Hicks had a career-best 145 receiving yards, which was his third career game of at least 100 yards (two of which have been vs. Lake Erie).
 
Zezula finished 10-of-22 passing for a career-high 284 yards and two scores (previous high was 253 vs. Malone earlier this year).
 
Graham's eight made extra points is tied for third most for a single game in school history.
 
Billingslea tied a pair of school records with seven kickoff returns and 191 kickoff return yards.
 
Brown, Stinson, Zezula, and redshirt freshman Deiontae Nicholas (Chesterfield, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) combined for 309 net rushing yards and six touchdowns on 56 total attempts.
 
Bielecki led the Warrior defense with a team-best 13 total tackles (7-6) plus a pass break-up.
 
WARRIOR TEAM TIDBITS
The 593 yards of total offense by the Warriors were the eighth-most in school history (record of 638 was set against LEC on Oct. 8, 2011).
 
The 7.60 yards per play by the WSU offense was the sixth highest in program history (the all-time record of 10.29 was set on Oct. 8, 2011 vs. Lake Erie with 638 yards on 62 plays).
 
The 56 points scored by WSU is tied for seventh most in Warrior annals.
 
Wayne State set a school record with 787 all-purpose yards eclipsing the previous mark of 782 at Northern Michigan on Oct. 6, 2001.
 
THE FINAL STATISTICS
Wayne State ran 78 plays for 593 yards and led in both rushing yards (309-302) and passing yards (284-207).
 
The Warriors won the game despite losing the turnover battle, 3-2.
 
Wayne State was a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone with five touchdowns, while Lake Erie was 4-for-4 with four TDs.
 
WSU held a 35:10 to 24:50 edge in time of possession.
 
UP NEXT
The Warriors will look to end the season on a five-game winning streak as visit GLIAC opponent Hillsdale next Saurday for a noon kickoff.