The Warriors are 1-2 this season.

Football 9/22/2022 9:08:00 AM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Football Readies for Rival Grand Valley State

The Warriors and Lakers have split the last two meetings.

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State continues its homestand with a third straight game at Tom Adams Field this Saturday evening vs. GLIAC-rival Grand Valley State.

The Warriors and Lakers have split the last two meetings, with Wayne State's win being a 31-17 triumph in 2019 in Allendale. GVSU got the best of the Green and Gold in last year's match-up in Detroit.

This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. With conference turnover shaking up the schedule, this contest will be considered a non-league game. The second battle between these two squads will be a GLIAC game in Allendale on Nov. 5.

SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
Grand Valley State has been dominant in just about every category this season, as evidence by its No. 3 national ranking. The Lakers are undefeated thus far, with wins over a pair of top-25 opponents (Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State-Pueblo).

On offense, the Lakers have a balanced attack, averaging 243 yards passing and just under 200 yards rushing per game. The signal caller for GVSU is Cade Peterson, who was Second Team All-GLIAC as a sophomore a season ago.

Peterson has passed for 601 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 78 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground. Along with Peterson, Tariq Reid has been excellent in the backfield. He leads the Lakers in rushing with 199 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.

As for the receiving core, GVSU has a plethora of options for Peterson. Leading the way is Jahdae Walker, who has 11 catches for 271 yards and two scores this season. Cody Tierney has caught 10 passes for 115 yards, while Kordell Hoover has been explosive in the pass game, turning just three receptions into 106 yards and two touchdowns.

The GVSU defense has been a nightmare for opposing offenses this season. The Lakers are allowing just 13 points per game.

Leading the charge on defense are Abe Swanson, Jay'viar Suggs and Damonte McCurdy. Swanson is the team's anchor on defense, leading the squad in tackles (21). He was a First Team All-GLIAC linebacker last season. Sack wise, Wayne State will look to keep Suggs in check, as he's tallied a pair of sacks across the team's first three games. In the secondary, McCurdy has been solid, swatting away three passes and coming away with an interception.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Grand Valley State has a firm grip on the rivalry over the years, holding a 36-6 record against the Warriors. However, the squads have split the last two meetings.

Wayne State is 3-18 at home against the Lakers in the all-time series, with the last win in Detroit coming in 1983 (22-10).

FOWLKES CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Freshman cornerback Elijah Fowlkes has proven to be a lockdown cornerback for the Warriors early in the season, with the Sept. 17 contest against Wisconsin-La Crosse being his best game to date.

The young defensive back had a career-high seven tackles and two interceptions, with one of those picks being a 51-yard touchdown return, giving the Warriors a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Fowlkes also had a tackle for loss against the Eagles to earn GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Fowlkes is tied for the GLIAC lead with two interceptions, while his 54 interception return yards leads the league.
On the season, Fowlkes has collected 16 tackles, including 1.5 for loss (0.5 sacks) and two interceptions.

BUSCHMAN'S BREAKOUT
Eastern Michigan graduate transfer Matt Buschman totaled five tackles (1 solo, 4 assisted) in his WSU debut at Slippery Rock, along with a quarterback hurry. In the Sept. 10 triumph over Shaw, Buschman recorded a team-best nine tackles (4 solo, 5 assisted), which included a sack, forced fumble and an eight-yard fumble return all on the same play.

He continued that strong play versus Wisconsin-La Crosse last Saturday, tallying seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and an interception.

On the season, Buschman is second on the team in tackles (21), tackles for loss (2.0), and interceptions (1).

FIRST CATCHES
True freshman wide receiver A.J. Nichols and sophomore tight end Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez each had their first collegiate receptions last Saturday vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Nichols hauled in a 48-yard pass from Josh Kulka in the third period, while Eberly-Rodriguez had a 35-yard reception in the fourth stanza from Kulka.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
WSU has the toughest strength of schedule the rest of the year at .789 (15-4). Wayne State's current SOS of .833 (5-1) is tied-for-12th. The cumulative SOS of .800 (20-5) is the highest in Division II.

FRESH FACES
Of the 66 student-athletes to play for Wayne State during the first three games of 2022, 31 had never played a down in college before this season. Thirty (30) are former WSU letterwinners (12 on offense, 17 on defense, plus one on special teams). Four others have participated for the Green and Gold, but had not lettered, plus Matt Buschman.

PLAYING RANKED OPPONENTS
Wayne State is 12-36 against teams ranked inside the top 25 under Coach Winters (does not include forfeit by SVSU in 2005). The Warriors topped two ranked teams in 2019 - SVSU (#25) and GVSU (#19) - and also beat Ashland, who was ranked 27th when the teams met on Oct. 19, 2019. Prior to the 24-20 win over SVSU in 2019, WSU's last victory came on Sept. 13, 2014, against 13th-ranked Carson Newman at Tom Adams Field.

The Warriors will have plenty of chances in 2022 to gain some national attention, as they will play four teams that appeared in last season's Division II playoffs. WSU fell against Slippery Rock to open the season and will meet Grand Valley State tonight and again on Nov. 5. The Green and Gold then conclude the regular season with a game against the defending National Champion Ferris State Bulldogs. Only three teams in the nation are playing more playoff teams this season.

WILKERSON GETS RECOGNIZED
Redshirt senior linebacker Julius Wilkerson was nominated for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The annual award, presented by the National Football Foundation, honors those who excel in the classroom, community and on the field. Wilkerson is a First-Team All GLIAC player and was selected to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

POTERACK KEEPS MAKING PLAYS
Graduate student tight end Nick Poterack scored WSU's lone touchdown at Slippery Rock on a fourth down reception from Elijah Taylor.

Against Shaw, Poterack continued to be a big target for the WSU gunslingers. On a double-lateral pass, Poterack was left all alone, notching the first touchdown of the night for Wayne State. Poterack's 33-yard touchdown catch was the longest reception of the night for the Green and Gold. The touchdown grab was the seventh of his career and moved him into a tie-for-18th in Wayne State history.

He continued his strong stretch against Wisconsin-La Crosse, as he 39 receiving yards (51) and tied for the team lead with two receptions. His biggest play was a 20-yard grab on third-and-15 that helped set up the first touchdown of the game for Wayne State.

WINTERS NAMES CAPTAINS
Head coach Paul Winters named the team's four captains prior to the team's scrimmage on August 20. Graduate student offensive lineman Cooper Kukal, redshirt-fifth year defensive lineman Sean Banaszak, redshirt senior linebacker Julius Wilkerson and redshirt junior cornerback Drake Reid were selected.

TOM ADAMS HOME COOKING
Tom Adams Field is not an easy place to play for visiting programs. The Warriors have defended their home turf well in the past 13 seasons (2008-19, 21-22) compiling a 47-30 record. WSU had a winning record at Adams Field for nine straight seasons, until a 2-4 record in 2017. In the Coach Winters' era, the Warriors are 54-43 (.563) in home games.

WSU went 36-21 at Tom Adams Field during the 2010s and has a 222-228-19 all-time record at home in the first 103 years of the program as Detroit Junior College (1918-23), College of the City of Detroit (CCD / 1923-34), Wayne University (1934-56) and WSU (1956-present).

GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Ferris State (35 points, five first-place votes)
2. Grand Valley State (32 points, two first-place votes)
3. Michigan Tech (24 points)
4. Saginaw Valley State (22 points)
5. Northern Michigan (14 points)
6. Wayne State (12 points)
7. Davenport (8 points)

EARLY SEASON SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2008 season, WSU has a 34-25 record for games played in August and September. The Warriors are 30-28 in October during that same time period, 15-15 in November, and 2-1 in December.

DON'T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION
There are several ways fans can watch or listen to Wayne State Football this season. Every contest can be heard live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM) or online at PatriotDetroit.com. Veteran Detroit broadcaster Sean Baligian returns for his 14th season calling Warrior football.

WSU Hall of Fame tailback and kick returner Josh Renel will again be joining Baligian in the booth. In addition, former Warrior defensive end Brady Beedon will provide color commentary for selected broadcasts and will also handle the Locker Room Report and Senior Spotlight features for WDTK.

The radio pre-game show will start 15 minutes before a road contest and 30 minutes prior to a home game.

In addition, every home contest will be streamed via WSU All-Access at WSUAthletics.com. A 24-hour pass to watch home events is available for $5.95, a monthly pass will cost $9.95, and the yearly pass is being sold for $69.95.

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Players Mentioned

#98 Sean Banaszak: DE; 6' 4"; Redshirt Fifth Year

#86 Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez: TE; 6' 5"; Redshirt Sophomore

#63 Cooper Kukal: C; 6' 4"; Graduate Student

#12 Josh Kulka: QB/H; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#85 Nick Poterack: TE; 6' 4"; Graduate Student

#3 Drake Reid: CB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#11 Elijah Taylor: QB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

#52 Julius Wilkerson: MLB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#22 Elijah Fowlkes: CB; 5' 10"; Freshman

#54 Matt Buschman: OLB; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#98 Sean Banaszak
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Fifth Year
: DE

#86 Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Sophomore
: TE

#63 Cooper Kukal
: 6' 4"; Graduate Student
: C

#12 Josh Kulka
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: QB/H

#85 Nick Poterack
: 6' 4"; Graduate Student
: TE

#3 Drake Reid
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: CB

#11 Elijah Taylor
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: QB

#52 Julius Wilkerson
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: MLB

#22 Elijah Fowlkes
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: CB

#54 Matt Buschman
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: OLB