DETROIT -- The 25th-ranked Wayne State University football squad (6-1 overall, 6-1 GLIAC) scored on the game's opening kickoff and led 21-7 at intermission before scoring 13 points in each of the final two quarters for a 47-14 triumph over visiting Walsh University (0-7 overall, 0-7 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon at Tom Adams Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Sophomore Deiontae Nicholas (Chesterfield, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) took the opening kickoff back a school-record 97 yards giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead just 13 seconds into the contest.  The previous long of 96 yards was set by Dick Lisabeth against Iowa State on Sept. 22, 1951, in a season-opening 53-21 setback in Ames, Iowa.

The Cavaliers missed a 29-yard field goal attempt at the conclusion of a 15-play drive that used 8:35 on the clock.

Following a WSU punt, junior safety Ronny Brant II (Uniontown, Ohio / Green) separated running back Kalvin Gordon from the ball after a nine-yard pass play, and Warrior redshirt freshman Jalen Lewis (Pontiac, Mich. / West Bloomfield) recovered at the Walsh 31.

On the sixth play of the ensuing drive, junior Demetrius Stinson (Detroit, Mich. / Douglass) scored on an eight-yard jaunt to make it 14-0.

Walsh scored its lone offensive touchdown of the game on the next drive going 73 yards in 18 plays, but the drive should have ended after the first series but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Wayne State following a third-down pass break-up kept the drive alive.

WSU answered with a 69-yard scoring drive as junior Romello Brown (Westland, Mich. / Livonia Churchill) reached the end zone on a five-yard run on the eighth play of the drive.

The Cavaliers held a 165-134 advantage in total offense throughout the first 30 minutes along with a 20:31 to 9:29 edge in time of possession.

Walsh began the second half with a three-and-out and Wayne State marched down the field in four plays to take a 28-7 lead.  Sophomore quarterback Donovan Zezula (Clarkston, Mich.) connected with senior Jamel Hicks (East Cleveland, Ohio / Shaw) on a 36-yard pass play on second down and two plays later Brown rumbled around the left side for a 26-yard touchdown scamper.

Both teams punted on their next possessions, but Cavalier Antonio Tate fumbled inside the 10 yard line with Nicholas recovering at the one.  Nicholas then scored on a one-yard plunge on the very next play giving the hosts a 34-7 advantage.

After a three-and-out by Walsh, the Warriors drove inside the Cavalier 30, but Zezula fumbled with the ball going forward eight yards, where Nick King then raced 74 yards for a touchdown.

On the ensuing drive, Wayne State used eight plays to cover 65 yards with Stinson scoring on a 13-yard run with 12:59 left in the game.

The Cavaliers garnered a total of two first downs on their next two drives, but had to punt both times.  Following the second punt, redshirt freshman Stephen Charron (Palm Harbor, Fla.) went around left end for 59 yards and the final score of the game.

TEAM STATS RECAP

Despite Walsh holding a 35:39 to 24:21 advantage in time of possession, plus running 67 offensive plays to 51 for Wayne State, the Warriors led in total offense 416 to 197.

WSU had 41 rushing attempts for 326 yards (8.0 yards per carry) to the Cavaliers 39 rushing yards on 36 attempts (1.1 ypc).

WSU INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS

Brown reached the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the season by gaining 119 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns.  Stinson added 70 yards and two scores on 11 attempts, with Charron (1-for-59 with one TD) and Nicholas (6-for-51 with one TD) contributing to the rushing barrage.

Zezula completed 7-of-8 passes for 90 yards, with Hicks leading the way with three receptions for 56 yards.

Senior outside linebacker Valorian Cunningham (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Loy Norrix) totaled a team-best eight tackles (6 solo, 2 assisted) which included two tackles for loss (one sack), a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry.  Senior safety Larrien Johnson (Warren, Mich. / Lincoln), in his first start of the season, recorded six solo tackles and a forced fumble.

WALSH INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS

Garrison France rushed for a team-high 25 yards on six carries.

Mitchell Ault passed for 145 yards on 16-of-27, but was sacked five times.

Tate notched a game-high seven receptions for 67 yards.

WORTH NOTING

The 6-1 start by Wayne State is the best since the 2011 squad started 6-0 (7-1).  Other teams in the last 50 years to start this well were in 1976 (7-1), 1970 (6-1) and 1967 (7-0, then ended 7-2).

Brown had his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and 11th of his career.  He entered the contest second nationally in rushing yards per carry at 8.99 and improved his season average to 9.09 after his performance against the Cavaliers.

Both Stinson and Brown were in the top-20 nationally in rushing yards and both scored twice on the ground vs. Walsh.

Brown's 1,000-yard rushing season makes him the third running back in the Paul Winters' era to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons joining Joique Bell (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and Josh Renel (2010 and 2011).  WSU has had 11 1,000-yard rushers in the last 12 seasons (only 2012 and 2013 without a 1,000-yard rusher, but the Warriors had two in 2011).

Redshirt freshman safety Anthony Copeland (Bedford, Ohio) mde his collegiate debut in the Walsh contest.  Copeland was one of 67 Warriors to see action in the victory.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will take its 4-0 home record into next Saturday's contest vs. Saginaw Valley State at Tom Adams Field.  Kickoff is slated for noon.