Football 11/1/2023 1:18:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Football Has Home Finale This Saturday

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State will play its final home contest of the season this Saturday vs. #3-Grand Valley State on Senior Day at Tom Adams Field. One more game remains on the schedule after this weekend - November 11 at Ferris State.

Eighteen (18) seniors will be honored on the field during pre-game ceremonies ahead of the 1 p.m. kickoff between the Warriors and Lakers.

The Green and Gold scored 36 consecutive points in snapping its nine-game road losing streak last Saturday with a 41-17 victory at Northern Michigan. It was the third triumph of the 2023 season and improved Wayne State to an even 2-2 in GLIAC play.

WSU is 5-10 over the past 15 home season finales dating back to 2007, with victories in 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, and 2010. The 2019 triumph was a 35-14 decision over Michigan Tech on November 9 of that year.

SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
The Lakers have won seven straight games since a season-opening loss at Colorado School of Mines on August 31. That includes wins over ranked schools in Colorado State-Pueblo, Assumption, and then No. 1-ranked Ferris State. Grand Valley State leads the GLIAC in several categories, including points per game (51.8), yards per game (495.8), rushing offense (263.8 yards per game), and third down percentage (45%).

GVSU's offense runs through quarterback Cade Peterson, last season's GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. The third-year starting senior has thrown for 185.3 yards per game, which ranks third in the league. He has also passed for 15 touchdowns and rushed for six more on 65 attempts.

An impressive 13 Lakers have hauled in touchdown receptions this season, led by top receiving threat Cody Tierney. The junior leads the team with five scores through the air and has nearly double as many yards (506) as the next Laker, which is Kyle Nott with 258. Nott is also the other GVSU receiver with more than 2 TD's this season. Senior Tariq Reid is the leading running back, as he has seven scores. In the return game, redshirt freshman Kellen Reed averages a GLIAC-leading 35.5 yards per kickoff return and has scored twice, while junior Darrell Johnson scored on one of his 17 punt returns this season.

The Grand Valley State defense is relentless and has several names to watch out for. Reigning GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year Christian McCarroll continues to disrupt offenses, totaling 12.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in eight games. The 6.5 sacks are not even a team-lead, as sophomore Niles King paces the conference with 7.0. Fellow sophomore Anthony Cardamone's 6.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss makes it a trio of tough Lakers to play against.

Scott Wooster was named the eighth head coach in GVSU football history on January 24, 2023, after spending the previous three seasons on Matt Mitchell's staff as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Wooster spent 11 years at Wayne State between 2009 and 2019, serving his first four years as the tight ends coach before moving to the offensive line. He mentored 13 All-GLIAC honorees as the O-line coach, including 2016 GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year Nate Theaker.

RECOGNIZING SENIORS
The following eighteen (18) seniors will be honored for their contributions to the Warrior football program prior to the contest: Matt Buschman, Jacob Edelman, Maxx Fisher, Tommy Guajardo, Shavez Hawkins, Jr., Gamon Howard, Jr., Darrin King II, Jeff Knight, Eli McLean, Niko Mosley, Max Nicklin, Noah Nicklin, Jace Parrish, Kane Quinlan, Drake Reid, Jarrett Short, McKinley Underwood, and Jayden Waddell.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Grand Valley State leads the all-time series 38-6. After splitting the first five contests between September 5, 1975 and November 10, 1984, the Lakers won 33 of the last 34 games played between GVSU and WSU.

A 31-17 Wayne State win on November 16, 2019, in Allendale snapped a 30-game losing streak to GVSU. It is WSU's only triumph in the series since 1985.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Wayne State ranks fifth in the nation and first in the GLIAC in fourth down conversion percentage (9-of-12 for 75 percent), 26th in net punting (37.3 punting average), 39th in fewest penalties per game (5.56), 40th in fewest penalties (50), 44th in both passing yards per completion (13.41) and in turnovers lost (12 in nine games), and 56th in kickoff returns (20.5 yards per return).

Individually, Griffin Milovanski ranks 15th in the nation and first in the GLIAC in field goals per game (1.22). He also is 45th in field goal percentage (11-of-16 for a .688 success rate). Kendall Williams ranks 52nd in kickoff returns (22.6 yards per return) and 62nd in all-purpose yards (103.50). Jeremy Taras is 57th in net punting (38.3 average per punt).

Following the game at NMU, Milovanski ranks 21st among all active Division 2 players with 0.93 career field goals made per game, tied-for-21st in field goals made (26), and 22nd in field goal percentage (26-of-35 for a .743 success rate). Williams is 35th with 2,956 all-purpose yards.

THE CHALLENGING FUTURE
According to the NCAA, Wayne State has the tied-for-eighth most difficult schedule in Division 2 based on past opposition (38-23 with a .623 winning percentage). Future opposition has a combined 13-3 mark (.813), which puts the Warriors tied-for-ninth in that category. Through the end of week nine and into week ten, WSU has the toughest overall combined schedule in Division 2 (51-26 with a .662 winning percentage). That puts Wayne State well ahead of Western Oregon (.610), Frostburg State (.605), Grand Valley State (.603), and Chowan (.597).

Wayne State's 11 opponents this year had an overall mark of 86-41 (.677) in 2022. The Warriors played the toughest regular-season schedule in NCAA Division 2 in 2022 (.692 winning percentage with a 74-33 combined record).

Coach Wheatley and the Warriors have two more opportunities to make noise in 2023 against nationally ranked Grand Valley State (No. 3) and Ferris State (No. 7) from the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll. Five of WSU's 11 opponents this season are currently in the top nine of the rankings.

NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR DEBUTS
Through nine games in 2023, a total of 28 Warriors have made their collegiate debut, with another eight making their WSU debuts. The 28 were Jaiden Acker, Tomi Bisiriyu, Rashad Boyd, Jr., Devon Brown, Josiah Buford, Jaydon Bush, Joe Clark, Jr., Justin Cox, Davon Dallas-Jackson, Nico Davis, Will Edwards, Dahmir Farnum, Ke'Waun Farnum, Maxx Fisher, Ethan Gates, CJ Gordon, Torrence Greene, Dontez Hicks, Colby Horn, Aaron Mass, Brayden McKenna, Eli McLean, Nick Ostas, Quincy Salter, Tyler Swick, XaVior Tyus, Anthony Walk, Jr., and Derrick Wallace, Jr. The true freshmen were Acker, Boyd, Jr., Buford, Bush, Cox, Dallas-Jackson, Nico Davis, the Farnum brothers, Gordon, Greene, Hicks, Swick, Tyus, Walk, Jr., and Wallace, Jr. The eight transfers to see action were Danny Chaudhry (Morgan State), Jaden Davis (Ellsworth C.C.), Ben Griskie (Lake Erie College), Gamon Howard, Jr. (Lincoln, Calif.), Jace Parrish (Northwood), Jeremiah Sterling, Jr. (Olivet), Jayden Waddell (Davidson), and Carl Ware (Madonna).

ONE LONG DRIVE
The Warriors concluded a 19-play, 76-yard drive with a Griffin Milovanski 22-yard field goal in the second quarter against Concordia. The drive was the longest by plays since an 18-play scoring drive resulted in a Darece Roberson, Jr. four-yard reception at Northern Michigan on October 5, 2019. Lasting 11:31, it was the longest scoring drive since at least the start of the 2002 season.

SAFETY DANCE
Two plays after a Warrior punt in the opening quarter at NMU, Jaden Davis and Gus Taylor tackled Northern Michigan signal caller Aidan Hoard in the end zone. The six-yard loss for a safety were the first two points of the game for WSU and became the first safety for the Warriors since the fourth quarter on September 21, 2019, at Quincy by defensive end Jalen Lewis.

The safety was just one in a string of stifling plays for the Wayne State defense, as the squad ended up limiting the Wildcats to 103 yards rushing, with 52 of those yards coming on one play in the game's opening drive.

MILOVANSKI'S MILESTONES
Kicker Griffin Milovanski has remained spotless this fall by connecting on all 16 of his extra point attempts in 2023. The successful tries have extended his streak to 42 consecutive made PATs, which ties Paul Graham's 2014 mark for the third-longest streak in program history. The redshirt junior's run of made kicks dates back to the 2021 season finale at Ferris State on November 13.

The redshirt junior battled the wind in the victory vs. MTU to convert on all three field goal attempts (22, 38, and 47 yards) and earn GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week and D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week. Milovanski then matched a career-long with a 48-yard field goal vs. Davenport the following week. The last time he connected from 48 yards was September 10, 2022, at home vs. Shaw. By kicking a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter vs. Missouri S&T, Milovanski became the seventh place-kicker in school history (105th season) with 100 career points.

Milovanski passed Bill Kelley's 60 made PATs from 1973-76 with his 61st in the third quarter vs. MTU to nab sole possession of fifth-place on the all-time leaderboard. He needs four more made extra points to pass Matt Fishburn's 68 from 1994-97. He also passed Bob Klick (1988-90) for sixth all-time in made field goals and with 26 needs three more to pass Jerry McGowan's 28 between 1983 and 1986.

PUTTING THE "SPECIAL" IN SPECIAL TEAMS
Since 1981, only Griffin Milovanski (2023) and Bob Klick (1990) have made five field goals of at least 40 yards in a season. Klick made a 51-yard attempt, plus another four in the 40-49 range. Milovanski has connected from 41, 43, 47 (twice) and 48 yards this season.

Maxx Fisher continued the trend of impressive special teams play from both he, Milovanski, and Jeremy Taras in 2023. In his first career game punting, Fisher had a 41-yard punt downed at the NMU 4, which later led to a Wayne State safety. Fisher saved a low snap to get off a 31-yard punt with no return later in the contest, while his third punt was from the WSU end zone and went for 35 yards. His last punt was for 41 yards. Fisher averaged 37 yards on four punts and also made his first career PAT attempt on WSU's final touchdown in the fourth quarter.

FINDING A GROOVE ON DEFENSE
The Wayne State defense has had a few key players stand out after nine games of the 2023 campaign.

Junior Jaden Davis has a team-high 3.0 sacks, along with 6.5 tackles for loss in eight games (five starts) at defensive end. The transfer from Ellsworth C.C. also has notched a total of 30 tackles and four quarterback hurries. In the victory at Northern Michigan, Davis notched five tackles (2-3) including 1.5 tackles for loss.

Another defense end, redshirt freshman Colby Horn, had a big impact in the victory over Michigan Tech. Horn totaled a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss along with a quarterback hurry. His quarterback hurry came on first down and led to a missed field goal attempt. On the drives that Horn recorded a tackle for loss, there were a missed field goal, a punt, and a turnover on downs as he was part of a tackle for loss in three separate quarters.

Five different Warriors have garnered an interception for the Green and Gold this season, including Elijah Fowlkes (vs. Concordia), Dalen Peeks (vs. Davenport), Shavez Hawkins, Jr. (at Saginaw Valley State), and Drake Reid and Hayden Loya (at Northern Michigan). Hawkins, Jr. and Loya each posted the first interceptions of their career, while Peeks and Reid collected their second following interceptions in 2021 and 2022 at DU, respectively. Fowlkes' was his third and first since he had two against Wisconsin-La Crosse last season.

COX'S STRONG PLAY
Quarterback Justin Cox made his collegiate debut in the game at Saginaw Valley State. He threw for 107 yards on 9-of-12 passing, including a 27-yard strike to Dion Brown, Jr. on a third-and-eight in the first quarter. He scored his first collegiate touchdown with a four-yard rush to open the scoring against the Cardinals and cap a nine-play, 65-yard drive in the opening stanza.

The freshman won his first ever game as a starter in the victory over the Wildcats, throwing for 144 yards on 7-of-12 passing and connecting on a pair of third quarter scores to Dion Brown, Jr. (34 yards) and Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez (40 yards). The strike to Brown, Jr. was the first passing TD of Cox's young collegiate career.

WILLIAMS RISES THE RANKS
Wayne State's dynamic redshirt senior running back Kendall Williams continues to etch his name in WSU football lore during the 2023 season.

His 22-yard run on the second play from scrimmage against the Miners officially put him over 1,000 yards rushing for his career, a feat done by only 36 others in the 105-year history of WSU football. In the 24-point triumph at NMU, Williams rushed for a game-best 121 yards and two touchdowns. The two scores not only doubled his season total in the eight prior contests but also was his fourth career two rushing TD game. He contributed a five-yard reception and a 36-yard kickoff return for 162 all-purpose yards.

Williams has carried for four touchdowns this season and leads the team on the ground with 538 rushing yards. Following his recent stretch of four straight games over 75 rushing yards, Williams has jumped to 20th all-time by a Warrior (1,513) in the statistic. He also ranks third in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game (67.2).

OTHER FIRSTS IN 2023
The 2023 season has seen several other firsts among those on the Wayne State football team, including the first career touchdown and 100-yard receiving effort (first since 2021) for Te'Avion Warren vs. Missouri S&T and first collegiate scores for tight ends Kaveon Ross (32 yards) vs. MST and Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez (40 yards) at Northern Michigan. D'Marco Singleton (68 yards vs. the Miners) and Brayden McKenna (three yards at NMU) scored their first TD's on the ground. Quarterbacks Eli McLean (on Ross' TD) and Jayden Waddell (on Warren's) also threw their first touchdown passes as Warriors. McLean secured his first triumph as a starter over MTU.

DON'T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION
For the 22nd 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 is in his 15th season calling Warrior football. Former Warrior defensive end Brady Beedon is in his third season and will serve as the color analyst for nine games and handle the Locker Room Report and Senior Spotlight features for WDTK. WSU Hall of Fame tailback and kick returner Josh Renel will join Baligian in the booth for a pair of home contests. In addition, WWJ Afternoon Anchor Tony Ortiz will serve as the sideline commentator during the six home broadcasts. Ortiz previously served as the sideline reporter for the Comcast CN900 broadcasts of WSU football from 2016 through 2022.

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

New for the 2023 football season, all in-conference Wayne State University football games (home and away) will be streamed via FloSports. WSU home games will be produced via The PreP in a partnership between the two entities and will simulcast the radio call of each home football contest.

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Players Mentioned

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu: T; 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

#32 Devon Brown: CB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman

#7 Dion Brown, Jr.: WR; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

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

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.: DE; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman

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

#91 Jacob Edelman: DE; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

#62 Will Edwards: G/C; 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman

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

#2 Elijah Fowlkes: CB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman
: T

#32 Devon Brown
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman
: CB

#7 Dion Brown, Jr.
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: WR

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

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman
: DE

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

#91 Jacob Edelman
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: DE

#62 Will Edwards
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Freshman
: G/C

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

#2 Elijah Fowlkes
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: CB