This is the first football meeting between Wayne State and Shaw.

Football 9/8/2022 8:53:00 AM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Football Returns to Detroit for Home Opener

The Warriors start a four-game homestand.

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State returns to Detroit for the home opener this Saturday. The Warriors will play their next four games in the comfy confines of Tom Adams Field.

WSU welcomes Shaw to town for the first time in program history. Shaw is an HBCU school located in Raleigh, N.C.

The Warriors opened the season with a setback at No. 23-Slippery Rock, but WSU has been solid in home openers over the last 15 seasons, earning a 9-6 record. The last home opening win for the Green and Gold was a 31-0 triumph over Walsh in 2018.

SCOUTING SHAW
The Bears fell 21-7 in their season-opening contest at home vs. Wingate last Saturday and heads into midtown Detroit looking for their first win of the young season.

The Bears were only able to muster seven points, as Ah'Shaan Belcher hauled in a 58-yard touchdown pass from Christian Peters. The Peters to Belcher connection was strong in that game, as the duo combined for six completions, 143 yards and a score.

Wideout Jon Barnes and tight end Allajah Mitchell are other names to watch in the passing game, with both of them catching a pair of passes in the season-opening loss.

On the ground, Sidney Gibbs, totaled 62 yards on 15 carries, while Jatoine Fields tallied 39 yards on five rushes, including a carry for a team-best 33 yards.

Defensively, Shaw has some ball-hawking defensive backs. The Bears came away with three interceptions, two of which were by safety Elijah Wilson. The Warriors will have to make sure they are blocking Akeythio Carson, as he is tied for the team lead in tackles (7) and leads the Bears in tackles for loss (1.5).

ALL-TIME SERIES
This will be the first football meeting between the two schools. The men's basketball programs have met twice before with the Tartars winning 89-61 in 1978 in North Carolina, and 75-47 at the Matthaei in 1979. The WSU women's basketball squad defeated the Bears 64-55 in 1978 in Detroit.

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) compiling a 46-29 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 53-42 (.558) in home games.

WSU went 36-21 at Tom Adams Field during the 2010s and has a 221-227-19 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).

EARLY SEASON SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2008 season, WSU has a 33-24 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.

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.

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.

YOUTHFUL ROSTER
Of the 60 players that traveled to Slippery Rock for the 2022 season opener, 27 had never played in college, 29 were former WSU letterwinners and three played for the Warriors, but had not earned a letter. The last player was Eastern Michigan graduate transfer Matt Buschman.
WILLIAMS' RETURNS PUTS NAME INTO RECORD BOOK
Redshirt junior Kendall Williams tallied 153 kickoff return yards last Saturday at Slippery Rock, which ranks tied-for-eighth in school history. The school record of 191 kickoff return yards in a game was set by Val Showers in 2014 vs. Carson-Newman, and equalled a year later by Jordan Billingslea against Lake Erie.

HBCU VISITORS
The Shaw Bears visit Tom Adams Field this Saturday for the first-ever football meeting between the schools. Shaw went 6-4 in 2021, including two three-game win streaks. The Bears allowed more than 16 points in a game just three times during the 2021 campaign.

Shaw's trip to Detroit will mark the first visit by an HBCU school to Midtown Detroit since Central State traveled to the 313 in 1985. The Marauders also played at WSU in 1970, 1971 and 1972. In addition, Kentucky State (1974 and 1984) and Howard University (1975) are the only other HBCU schools to play at Wayne State. The last meeting between WSU and an HBCU opponent came in a 21-14 victory at Winston-Salem State University in the 2011 NCAA Semifinals.

POTERACK FINDS THE END ZONE
Graduate student tight end Nick Poterack scored WSU's lone touchdown at Slippery Rock on a fourth down reception from Elijah Taylor. It was Poterack's sixth career touchdown catch.

MILOVANSKI CONNECTS AGAIN
After making 7-of-8 field goal attempts in 2021, sophomore Griffin Milovanski connected on a 36-yard field goal attempt at Slippery Rock. Along with his extra point at SRU, Milovanski has tallied 49 points, which is tied-for-16th in school history.

RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Then redshirt freshman running back Myren Harris etched his name in the WSU record book on October 30, 2021, toting the rock for an impressive 327 yards and four touchdowns on just 20 carries vs. Northwood. The previous record was held by Toney Davis, who ran for 326 yards on Nov. 19, 2011, in an NCAA playoff victory at St. Cloud State. Harris is one of four players in Wayne State history to surpass 300 rushing yards in a game (Davis, Joique Bell and Randy Holmes).

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)

KEY RETURNERS
Though the Warriors lose some talent from the 2021 squad, the Green and Gold aren't lacking playmakers for 2022. Myren Harris returns at running back after rushing for over 1,000 yards last season. Under center, WSU will return Josh Kulka, who threw for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns in just six quarters before a season-ending injury.

Defensively, four of the team's five leading tacklers from a season ago will again be on the field for Wayne State. Additionally, all four of the team's sack leaders return for another season. Led by star linebacker Julius Wilkerson (104 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss), the Warriors could see a drastic improvement in 2022.

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.

The first two home games can be seen live on Comcast CN900 in the state of Michigan. Check your local listings for replay times. Joe Abramson returns for his 15th year on the Comcast broadcast and sixth as play-by-play announcer. Rod Beard enters his 11th year as a member of the WSU broadcast crew, while WWJ Afternoon Co-Anchor Tony Ortiz is starting his sixth year as a member of the broadcast crew.

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

#7 Myren Harris: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

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

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

#38 Griffin Milovanski: PK/P; 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

#4 Kendall Williams: RB; 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

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

#7 Myren Harris
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore
: RB

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

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

#38 Griffin Milovanski
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: PK/P

#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

#4 Kendall Williams
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior
: RB