GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State snapped its nine-game losing streak and posted its first victory in the Tyrone Wheatley era last week with a 31-24 win vs. Missouri S&T.  It's back on the road this weekend as the Warriors travel to 18th-ranked Indianapolis for a date with the Greyhounds on Saturday, September 16, at Key Stadium.

WSU and UIndy will be playing each other for the first time since September 8, 2018, a 28-6 victory for Indianapolis.  The Greyhounds are the second team in the span of three straight GLVC contests for Wayne State.

The last time the Warriors won back-to-back games was when they reeled off five consecutive victories from October 19 to November 16 to close out the 2019 season. 

SCOUTING INDIANAPOLIS
The Greyhounds were idle last weekend following their 39-20 triumph at home over Hillsdale College on September 2.

Indianapolis posted over 500 yards of total offense (502 total) against the Chargers.  Sophomore signal caller Gavin Sukup accounted for 320 yards through the air on 15-of-23 passing in his first career game for UIndy.

A pair of wide receivers lead the way for the Greyhounds and both had big games in Week 1.  Junior Alonzo Derrick was the team's top receiver last season and paced the squad in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.  He grabbed six passes for 138 yards and two scores vs. HC, while sophomore Cobi Lewis secured four catches for 100 yards and his first career touchdown.

The running back group is a mix of options after the team lost its top two rushers from a season ago.  Sophomore Jaden Schlabach and juniors Jon Lewis and Kellen Porter all garnered carries out of the backfield in the first contest.  Defensively, junior defensive back Kivonte Houston is a notable ball-seeker, as he led the team with five interceptions last season and had one against Hillsdale.  He was also second in tackles behind Michael Brown, a defensive back now in his junior season.

Indianapolis enters the contest as the No. 18-ranked team in Division II and are led by fifth-year head coach Chris Keevers, who spent the previous 25 years as an assistant.  Under Keevers, the Greyhounds are 29-8 (.784) overall and have made two appearances in the NCAA playoffs.  In 2022, he led the team to a 9-2 record and was named GLVC Co-Coach of the Year.  

ALL-TIME SERIES
Indianapolis holds a 13-10 all-time series advantage over the Green and Gold, with the last contest being a 28-6 Warrior setback on September 8, 2018, in Indianapolis.  The Warriors have lost back-to-back games to the Greyhounds after winning five consecutive between October 20, 2007, and November 5, 2011, when the programs competed annually each season as members of the GLIAC.

Despite its most recent loss, WSU has registered success within the confines of Key Stadium.  Wayne State is 7-5 on the road all-time at UIndy, with victories in 1993, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2011.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Wayne State ranks eighth nationally in net punting (42.33 yards), 14th in sacks allowed (0.50 per game), 19th in rushing offense per game (218.5 yards), 27th in passing yards per completion (15.67), 35th in team sacks (2.50 per game), 38th in time of possession (32:16), and 57th in kickoff return average (21.38).

Individually, Jeremy Taras ranks fifth in the country and first in the GLIAC in punting (45.3 net yards), Te'Avion Warren is 24th nationwide in yards per reception (26.0), Griffin Milovanski ranks 25th in field goals per game (1.00), Elijah Fowlkes is 44th in solo tackles (5.5 per game), and Kendall Williams ranks 49th in combined kick returns (116 yards) and 50th in kickoff return average (23.2 yards).

WHEATLEY'S FIRST WSU CAPTAINS
Prior to the season opener at SRU, coach Wheatley named his first captains' group as Wayne State head coach.  The two defensive captains are graduate student Drake Reid (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and redshirt senior Dalen Peeks (Akron, Ohio).  Offensive captains are graduate students Noah Nicklin (Davisburg, Mich.) and Chrishoun Roberts (Garfield Heights, Ohio), while redshirt junior Griffin Milovanski (Saugatuck, Mich.) represents the special teams unit.

EARLY SEASON SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2008 season, WSU has a 35-27 record for games played in August and September.  The Warriors are 30-32 in October during that same time period, 15-17 in November and 2-1 in December.

THE CHALLENGING FUTURE
According to the NCAA, WSU is slated to play the toughest schedule the rest of the year in Division II as the future opponents have a combined 11-3 record (.786 winning percentage).  Wayne State's 11 opponents this year had an overall mark of 86-41 (.677) in 2022.  Last year, the Warriors played the toughest regular-season schedule (.692 winning percentage with a 74-33 combined record).

Coach Wheatley and the Warriors have four more opponents nationally ranked via the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll in No. 1-Ferris State, No. 7-Grand Valley State, No. 18-Indianapolis, and No. 24-Davenport, while also battling two other teams (Truman State and Saginaw Valley State) that have garnered votes from the association.

NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR DEBUTS
Between the first two games of 2023, a total of 15 Warriors have made their collegiate debut, with another five making their WSU debuts.  The 15 were Tomi Bisiriyu, Devon Brown, Joe Clark, Jr., Nico Davis, Will Edwards, Dahmir Farnum, Ke'Waun Farnum, Maxx Fisher, Ethan Gates, Colby Horn, Brayden McKenna, Eli McLean, Nick Ostas, Quincy Salter, and Anthony Walk, Jr., with Davis, the Farnum brothers, and Walk, Jr. being true freshmen.  The five transfers to see action were Jaden Davis (Ellsworth C.C.), Gamon Howard, Jr. (Lincoln, Calif.), Jace Parrish (Northwood), Jayden Waddell (Davidson), and Carl Ware (Madonna).

WARREN'S BIG DAY
Junior receiver Te'Avion Warren notched his first career touchdown and 100-yard receiving effort in the win over Missouri S&T.  His first reception went for 36 yards on a third-and-five, which set up WSU's first TD of the game.  Warren's second catch went for 12 yards and led to the touchdown that snapped a 17-17 deadlock early in the fourth quarter.

On the first play after Darien Tipps-Clemons forced a fumble that was recovered by Donte Reed, graduate student Jayden Waddell found Warren again, this time behind the MST secondary for a 57-yard touchdown pass.  It was Warren's first career score and the play stood as the game-winning points after a Miners' late TD of their own.

Warren's 100-plus yard receiving effort (105 total) not only led the team but was also the first such performance by a Warrior since Trevonte Davis (244 yards) and Jesse Prewitt (135) each eclipsed the century mark in the 51-45 overtime setback at Missouri S&T on September 18, 2021.

McLEAN HITS ROSS FOR SPECIAL SCORE
In the second period against the Miners, graduate student Eli McLean found junior tight end Kaveon Ross open down the middle for a 32-yard touchdown strike.  The connection was the first career touchdown for both Warriors and just the second career reception for Ross after his 19-yard catch from Jayden Waddell against SRU.

RUNNING BACKS MAKING NOISE
The Warrior running back duo of redshirt sophomore D'Marco Singleton and redshirt senior Kendall Williams have each had success to begin the new campaign.

Singleton shined bright in the triumph vs. Missouri S&T, scoring on a 68-yard jaunt down the sideline for his first career touchdown just before intermission.  The rush was the longest play of the day for either side and helped Singleton post a game-best 98 yards on the ground.  He also leads the team with 119 rushing yards through two games.

Williams' 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 Warrior football.

MILOVANSKI'S MILESTONES
Kicker Griffin Milovanski has connected on all six extra point attempts (2-of-2 at Slippery Rock and 4-of-4 vs. Missouri S&T) to begin the new season.  The successful tries extended his streak to 32 consecutive made PATs, the fourth-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. 

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.

WEEKLY WITH WHEATLEY
Join head football coach Tyrone Wheatley and Brady Beedon each Wednesday at Woodridge Pub prior to a home football Saturday for the Weekly with Wheatley podcast.  The remaining shows will be taped on Sept. 20, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, and Nov. 1.  A different assistant coach will join Wheatley and Beedon each week.

The podcast will be added to the Wayne State athletics website every Friday morning for those unable to be at Woodbridge that week.

GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1.  Ferris State (34 points, five first-place votes)
2.  Grand Valley State (31 points, one first-place vote)
3.  Davenport (27 points, one first-place vote)
4.  Saginaw Valley State (21 points)
5.  Michigan Tech (16 points)
6.  Wayne State (10 points)
7.  Northern Michigan (8 points)

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 for 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.  Renel provided color commentary for one game in 2012 and nearly every game for nine seasons (2013-22).  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 Wayne State University football games will be streamed via FloSports.  The games will be produced via The PreP in a partnership between the two entities.  The stream will simulcast the radio call of each home football contest.