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Wayne State University Athletics

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Football Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Football Visits Ferris State To Conclude 2023 Campaign

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State will conclude its 2023 campaign this Saturday with a game at sixth-ranked Ferris State.

The Bulldog contest will be WSU's sixth versus a team ranked in the top 25 nationally, including Concordia (NAIA), but does not include Truman State, who was ranked 28th the week of their visit to Detroit.

The Warriors are completing their season against a top-20 opponent for the fifth consecutive year (at #8-Grand Valley State in 2018; at #19-GVSU in 2019; at #1-FSU in 2021; and vs. #6-FSU in 2022).

The last time Wayne State ended the season with a win was the 31-17 victory at #19-GVSU in 2019.

SCOUTING FERRIS STATE
The Bulldogs have won five of their last six games since a 17-10 setback at FCS-Montana on September 16.  The only defeat was a 49-28 loss at Grand Valley State on October 14.

FSU has used a pair of quarterbacks in senior Mylik Mitchell and sophomore Carson Gulker.  Mitchell has passed for 1,221 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions, while Gulker is 42-of-66 for 654 yards and eight touchdowns with zero interceptions.  Gulker is the Bulldogs leading rusher with 591 yards and 12 touchdowns with third-string signal caller Trinidad Chambliss adding 293 yards and three scores on the ground.

Senior Xavier Wade is the primary target with 35 receptions for 825 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Tyrese Hunt-Thompson has caught 31 balls for 570 yards and seven scores.

Sophomores Deion Small and Brady Rose each have pun returns for a touchdown, while Shon Stephens had a 100-yard kickoff return for a score last week at Davenport.

Stephens is tied for the GLIAC lead with seven interceptions, while junior defensive end Sheldon Cage has a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss.  Senior defensive lineman Olalere Oladipo has a squad-best five sacks.

Tony Annese has compiled a 122-19 record in his 12th season leading Ferris State.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Ferris State leads 32-22 in the all-time series 32-22 having won the last eight meetings since a 45-7 Wayne State triumph on October 17, 2009.  WSU's last victory in Big Rapids was a 19-0 contest on October 18, 2008.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Wayne State ranks fourth nationally and leads the GLIAC with just two fumbles lost this year.  WSU is seventh in the nation and first in the GLIAC in fourth down conversion percentage (9-of-13 for 69 percent).  The Warriors are 30th in turnovers lost (12), 51st in fourth down conversion defense (stopping 9-of-15 for 60 percent), 57th in both time of possession (30:56) and fewest penalties per game (6.1), and 60th in passing yards per completion (12.87). 

Individually, Griffin Milovanski ranks 15th in the nation and second in the GLIAC in field goals per game (1.20).  He also is 36th in field goal percentage (12-of-17 for a .706 success rate).  Jeremy Taras is 67th in punting average (37.9).  Matt Buschman is 70th in solo tackles per game (4.4), while Jaden Davis ranks 78th in sacks per game (0.56).  Kendall Williams ranks 88th in all-purpose yards (92.00).

Following the game vs. GVSU, Milovanski ranks 21st among all active Division 2 players with 0.93 career field goals made per game, tied-for-20th in field goals made (27), and 16th in field goal percentage (27-of-36 for a .750 success rate).  Williams is 29th in all-purpose yards per game (101.76).

THE CHALLENGING FUTURE
According to the NCAA, Wayne State has the most difficult schedule in Division 2 based on past opposition (50-27 with a .649 winning percentage).  Future opposition (Ferris State) has a 7-2 mark (.778), which puts the Warriors tied-for-29th in that category.  Through the end of week 10 and into week 11, WSU has the toughest overall combined schedule in Division 2 (57-29 with a .663 winning percentage). That puts Wayne State well ahead of Western Oregon (.612), Frostburg State (.607), Grand Valley State (.598), and Chowan (.586).

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 one more opportunity to make noise in 2023 against nationally ranked Ferris State (No. 6) from the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll.  Three of WSU's 11 opponents this season are currently in the top six of the rankings.

NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR DEBUTS
Through 10 games in 2023, a total of 29 Warriors have made their collegiate debut, with another eight making their WSU debuts.  The 29 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, Gabe Mendoza, 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).

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 17 of his extra point attempts in 2023.  The successful tries have extended his streak to 43 consecutive made PATs, which is 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 along with 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 three 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 27 needs one more to equal 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 10 games of the 2023 campaign.

Junior Jaden Davis has a team-high 5.0 sacks, along with 8.5 tackles for loss in nine games (six starts) at defensive end.  The transfer from Ellsworth C.C. also has notched a total of 37 tackles and six quarterback hurries.  His six quarterback hurries are tied for the fourth most since the statistic started being kept in 2002.  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 at Northern Michigan, 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 fifth in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game (59.8).

OTHER FIRSTS IN 2023
The 2023 season has seen several 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.  The first collegiate scores for tight ends Kaveon Ross (32 yards) vs. MST and Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez (40 yards) at Northern Michigan, and wide receiver Max Nicklin vs. Grand Valley State (22 yards).  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, while Justin Cox tossed his first two touchdown passes in the victory at NMU.  McLean secured his first triumph as a starter over MTU, while Cox garnered the win in the Superior Dome.

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.

RECOGNIZING SENIORS
The following sixteen (16) seniors were honored for their contributions to the Warrior football program prior to last Saturday's contest:  Matt Buschman, Maxx Fisher, Shavez Hawkins, Jr., Gamon Howard, Jr., Darrin King II, Eli McLean, Niko Mosley, Max Nicklin, Noah Nicklin, Jace Parrish, Dalen Peeks, Kane Quinlan, Drake Reid, Jarrett Short, McKinley Underwood, and Jayden Waddell.

DON'T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION
For the 22nd season, every WSU contest was 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 joined Baligian in the booth for a pair of home contests.  The radio pre-game show will start 15 minutes before Saturday's road contest at FSU.

New for the 2023 football season, all in-conference Wayne State University football games (home and away) will be streamed via FloSports.

 
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Players Mentioned

Tomi Bisiriyu

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu

T
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Devon Brown

#32 Devon Brown

CB
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Dion Brown, Jr.

#7 Dion Brown, Jr.

WR
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Matt Buschman

#10 Matt Buschman

OLB
6' 2"
Graduate Student
Joe Clark, Jr.

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.

DE
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez

#86 Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez

TE
6' 5"
Redshirt Junior
Will Edwards

#62 Will Edwards

G/C
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Maxx Fisher

#27 Maxx Fisher

H/P/PK
5' 11"
Senior
Elijah Fowlkes

#2 Elijah Fowlkes

CB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Ethan Gates

#76 Ethan Gates

T
6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Tomi Bisiriyu

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
T
Devon Brown

#32 Devon Brown

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
CB
Dion Brown, Jr.

#7 Dion Brown, Jr.

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Matt Buschman

#10 Matt Buschman

6' 2"
Graduate Student
OLB
Joe Clark, Jr.

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
DE
Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez

#86 Nathaniel Eberly-Rodriguez

6' 5"
Redshirt Junior
TE
Will Edwards

#62 Will Edwards

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
G/C
Maxx Fisher

#27 Maxx Fisher

5' 11"
Senior
H/P/PK
Elijah Fowlkes

#2 Elijah Fowlkes

5' 10"
Sophomore
CB
Ethan Gates

#76 Ethan Gates

6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
T