DETROIT -- The Wayne State University football team (1-2 overall, 0-1 GLIAC) suffered a 30-21 setback in its GLIAC opener to Ashland University (1-2 overall, 1-0 GLIAC) Saturday evening at Tom Adams Field.

Three costly miscues (a fumbled punt, an interception in the red zone, and a fumble inside its own 20 yard line) led to 10 AU points, plus kept the Warriors off the scoreboard in the opening stanza.

WSU punter Taylor McCarty (Oxford, Mich. / Lake Orion) fumbled a snap on the game's opening drive leading to a 25-yard touchdown drive by the Eagles.  Andrew Vaughn had a four-yard touchdown run on the fourth play following the fumbled punt.

On Wayne State's third drive of the game, sophomore signal caller Jake AmRhein (South Elgin, Ill.), who was making his first collegiate start, drove the Warriors 53 yards following a 22-yard punt return by Darece Roberson, Jr. (Muskegon, Mich. / Mona Shores), but his fourth down pass from the AU five was intercepted.

The next time WSU had the ball, AmRhein engineered an 80-yard touchdown drive in 11 plays that used 5:50 on the clock.  Roberson hauled in a 30-yard scoring strike from AmRhein and graduate student Paul Graham (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) connected on his first PAT attempt of the season.

Ashland responded with a 75-yard drive with Luke Ogi scoring on a 12-yard scamper to make it 14-7.

For the second consecutive drive, the Warriors went 80 yards and scored with just nine seconds remaining before intermission.  Sophomore tight end Steven Glenn (Lincoln Park, Mich.) had his first collegiate touchdown on a five-yard reception from AmRhein.  WSU was 4-for-4 on third down on the drive.

AU regained the lead, 21-14, as Vaughn had a 30-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the second half.

Following a Wayne State punt, Ashland's Satchel Denton made a 32-yard field goal attempt to give the guests a 24-14 advantage.

Roberson had a 38-yard kickoff return to start the drive, and finished it with a 27-yard touchdown reception to pull WSU within three at 24-21, one play into the fourth quarter.

A Warrior fumble led to a 28-yard field goal by Denton, who later concluded the scoring with a 19-yard field goal.

TEAM STATS

Ashland led 218 to 71 in rushing yards, and 331 to 282 in total offense.  Both teams had 14 third-down plays, with AU converting eight to Wayne State's six.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Senior Demetrius Stinson (Detroit, Mich. / Douglass) rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries, while AmRhein passed for 211 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-27.  Roberson had a team-high 57 receiving yards.

LEADING THE EAGLES

Vaughn rushed for a game-high 135 yards and two touchdowns.  Austin Brenner completed 15-of-20 passes for 113 yards.  Garrett Turnbaugh had a game-best four receptions for 58 yards.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will try to snap its two-game losing streak with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 22.