Carl Ware led the WSU defense with 12 tackles, including two for loss.

Football 10/28/2023 4:04:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Football Scores 36 Straight for 41-17 Victory At Northern Michigan

Warriors end nine-game losing streak

Box Score MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The Wayne State University football team (3-6 overall, 2-2 GLIAC) scored 36 consecutive second half points to post a 41-17 triumph at Northern Michigan University (0-9 overall, 0-5 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon at the Superior Dome. The victory ended a nine-game road losing streak for WSU, which posted its last victory away from Tom Adams Field on October 16, 2021, with a 16-3 win at Davenport.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Wildcats took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in seven plays as Noah Hoffman went 52 yards for the game's first score.

Two plays after a Warrior punt, WSU defensive linemen Jaden Davis (Center Line, Mich.) and Gus Taylor (South Lyon, Mich.) combined to tackle the NMU signal caller in the end zone for a safety.

Following a punt by Wayne State, Northern Michigan drove 70 yards in 16 plays but was stopped on fourth-and-goal at WSU one-yard line early in the second stanza.

Second Quarter
The Warriors had to punt from their own end zone and the Wildcats capitalized with a short field goal by Michael Karlen to give the hosts a 10-2 advantage.

Wayne State responded with an 11-play drive which covered 54 yards and culminated in a 38-yard field goal by Griffin Milovanski (Saugatuck, Mich.) to complete the first half scoring.

NMU had a 146-62 edge in total offense through 30 minutes.

Third Quarter
The Warriors took the second half kickoff and drove 70 yards in seven plays for the go-ahead touchdown, which was a 34-yard completion from true freshman quarterback Justin Cox (Akron, Ohio / East Community Learning Center) to sophomore wide receiver Dion Brown, Jr (Flint, Mich. / Davison).

On the second play of offense for NMU, junior safety Hayden Loya (Wyandotte, Mich. / Roosvelt) notched his first career interception returning it to the Wildcat 18, but a 15-yard penalty on WSU moved the ball back to the 33.

Two plays later, Cox found junior tight end Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez (Petoskey, Mich.) behind the Northern Michigan secondary for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Eberly-Rodriguez first career touchdown reception put the Warriors in front 19-10.

The next three drives (two by NMU and one by WSU) ended in punts.

Fourth Quarter
On a drive that began with 4:21 remaining in the third period, Wayne State had 10 straight plays accounting for 69 yards with senior Kendall Williams (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Farmington) notching the final 20 yards on a third-and-two to increase the visitors advantage to 26-10 with 13:28 left in the contest.

Following a Wildcat punt, WSU went 75 yards in three plays aided by two penalties for 20 yards on NMU. Williams recorded his fourth career two rushing touchdown contest with a 49-yard scamper up the middle with 10:48 remaining. Cox tossed a two-point conversion pass to Brown.

After each team punted on its next possession, graduate student Drake Reid (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester) intercepted an Aidan Hoard pass with just over five minutes left.

The Wayne State offense continued to move the ball going 40 yards in six plays with redshirt freshman Brayden McKenna (Lapeer, Mich.) scoring on a three-yard plunge on just his second career rushing attempt. Senior place-kicker Maxx Fisher (Midland, Mich.) connected on his first career PAT attempt.

Northern Michigan completed the scoring with an eight-play, 75-yard drive in just 1:28 with Hoard finding Sam Peiffer at the back of the end zone with 24 seconds remaining.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State out-gained the hosts 328-268, including 266-122 in the second half with 75 of those yards coming on the final drive of the game.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Kendall Williams led all ball carriers with 121 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns. Cox completed 7-of-12 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Brown led the squad in both receptions (3) and receiving yards (69).

LEADING THE WILDCATS
Noah Hoffman rushed 15 times for a team-high 88 yards and one touchdown. Hoard passed for 165 yards and the late touchdown on 19-of-32 with two interceptions. Charlie Gerhard caught a game-best six passes, while KJ King had a team-high 65 receiving yards on four receptions.

GAME NOTES
Since 1981 only Griffin Milovanski (2023) and Bob Klick (1990) have made five field goals of at least 40 yards in a season.

Wayne State almost held an opponent under 200 yards of total offense in back-to-back games for the first time October 15 and October 22 in 2016, when the Warriors limited Walsh (197) and Saginaw Valley State (166), respectively. Last week, WSU allowed just 194 yards at SVSU, and then held NMU to 193 yards today before the game's final drive.

The last safety by Wayne State prior to today came in the fourth quarter on September 21, 2019, at Quincy by defensive end Jalen Lewis.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play its final home game of the 2023 campaign next Saturday (Nov. 4) with a 1 p.m. kick-off against Grand Valley State. Nineteen (19) seniors will be recognized during pre-game ceremonies.

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Players Mentioned

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

#27 Maxx Fisher: H/P/PK; 5' 11"; Senior

#28 Hayden Loya: S; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

#37 Brayden McKenna: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

#38 Griffin Milovanski: PK; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#3 Drake Reid: CB; 5' 9"; Graduate Student

#92 Gus Taylor: DT; 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore

#4 Kendall Williams: RB/KR; 5' 8"; Redshirt Senior

#16 Justin Cox: QB; 5' 11"; Freshman

#45 Jaden Davis: DE; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

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

#27 Maxx Fisher
: 5' 11"; Senior
: H/P/PK

#28 Hayden Loya
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: S

#37 Brayden McKenna
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB

#38 Griffin Milovanski
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: PK

#3 Drake Reid
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student
: CB

#92 Gus Taylor
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DT

#4 Kendall Williams
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Senior
: RB/KR

#16 Justin Cox
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: QB

#45 Jaden Davis
: 6' 4"; Junior
: DE