Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Wayne State University Athletics

Concordia-Ann Arbor Preview Graphic

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

Football Entertains Concordia This Saturday In First Night Home Game Of The Season

Warriors to play their second of four home games in a row.

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State will host NAIA member Concordia - Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 30, in the second of four consecutive home games at Tom Adams Field.  The Warriors began the home stand by falling to 1-3 with a 41-7 loss to visiting Truman State last weekend.

It's the first of two home night contests this fall for WSU, with kickoff this Saturday at 6 p.m.  Wayne State will also battle Davenport under the lights on Saturday, October 14.

The Cardinals and Warriors play one another for the first time ever.  Concordia - Ann Arbor plays football in the Mid-States Football Association.  The game is the final non-conference affair of the campaign for the Green and Gold.

SCOUTING CONCORDIA – ANN ARBOR
The Cardinals are off to a 3-0 start to begin their season.  CU scored 54 points in two of those contests, while tallying 34 points in the other win.

Concordia averages 480.7 yards of offense, the best in the MSFA by over 36 yards.  Most of its damage is done through the air.  Junior quarterback Gavin Brooks is the leader of the offense with 290.7 passing yards per game.  The first-year starter has thrown 10 touchdowns to four different targets.

Leading the team with six receiving touchdowns in just three contests is senior wideout Seeger DeGayner.  DeGayner notched 120 and 119 receiving yards in the first two games, then caught three touchdowns in the 54-0 shutout of Judson on September 16.  He averages 101.7 receiving yards per game.  Junior wide receiver Jordan Garcia and junior tight end Logan Hay have two touchdown receptions apiece.

10 players have carried the rock for the Cardinals this season.  Both senior Parker Graham (110 yards) and freshman Elijah Taylor (109 yards) had 100+ yard performances against Judson.  Junior Brandon Stewart, a transfer from Davenport, has found the end zone three times – all in the season-opener vs. Taylor University.

A key name to watch on defense for Concordia is Chase Maynard.  The sophomore linebacker has posted a team-high 27 tackles, including five tackles for loss, as well as a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.  The Cardinals have already forced six fumbles and recovered five of those loose balls.  Five defensive players have had an interception, including Gabe Whitmore, LeRoy Watson, Marvitis Dupree, Casey Rauch, and Melton Eason.

Joshua Schumacher is the head coach of the Cardinals, now in his seventh season after spending the previous four working with the defense.  Concordia has been ranked as high as sixth by the NAIA under Schumacher and his teams qualified the NAIA playoffs in each of his first five seasons before going 5-5 in 2022.  He has an overall record of 50-16 (.758).  Schumacher was named AFCA Region II Coach of the Year for the NAIA in 2020 and 2021.

ALL-TIME SERIES
WSU and Concordia – Ann Arbor have no prior history in football as this weekend will be their first ever match-up.

However, the two schools have played one another in other sports.  The Wayne State men's basketball team is 12-0 all-time over the Cardinals, with the last game played in 2003.  The WSU women's basketball team is 4-0 with home victories in 1991, 1997, 1999, and 2005.  Volleyball played once in 2002, a 3-0 triumph for the Warriors.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Wayne State ranks tied-for-first nationally in fewest sacks allowed (one this season for 0.25 per game), tied-for-third in fewest turnovers lost (two in four games), 14th in fewest penalties (18), 35th in both fewest penalty yards (189) and kickoff return average (22.29 yards per game), and 60th in completion percentage (.596).

Individually, Manny Harris ranks 27th in kickoff return average (26.3); Elijah Fowlkes is tied-for-30th in solo tackles (5.0 per game); Jeremy Taras ranks 48th in punting (39.1 yards per punt); and Kendall Williams is tied-for-58th in kickoff return average (23.0).

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.

THE CHALLENGING FUTURE
According to the NCAA, Wayne State has the most difficult schedule in Division II based on cumulative opposition records (20-11, .645 winning percentage).  Past opposition have a combined 8-3 mark (.727 winning percentage), which ranks tied-for-13th in the nation.  WSU is also ranked 26th in the country in future opposition winning percentage at .600 for a 12-8 ledger.

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 three more opponents nationally ranked via the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll in No. 1-Ferris State, No. 7-Grand Valley State, and No. 18-Davenport, while also battling a team that has received votes in Saginaw Valley State.

NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR DEBUTS
Between the first four games of 2023, a total of 17 Warriors have made their collegiate debut, with another six making their WSU debuts.  The 17 were Jaiden Acker, Tomi Bisiriyu, Devon Brown, Joe Clark, Jr., Nico Davis, Will Edwards, Dahmir Farnum, Ke'Waun Farnum, Maxx Fisher, Ethan Gates, Torrence Greene, Colby Horn, Brayden McKenna, Eli McLean, Nick Ostas, Quincy Salter, and Anthony Walk, Jr., with Acker, Davis, the Farnum brothers, Greene, and Walk, Jr. being true freshmen.  The six transfers to see action were Jaden Davis (Ellsworth C.C.), Gamon Howard, Jr. (Lincoln, Calif.), Jace Parrish (Northwood), Jeremiah Sterling, Jr. (Olivet), Jayden Waddell (Davidson), and Carl Ware (Madonna).

DAVIS' DIFFERENCE ON DEFENSE
Junior Jaden Davis has made quite the difference for the Warrior defense in 2023.  The transfer from Ellsworth C.C. leads the team and ranks third in the GLIAC in sacks with 2.5.  He has also notched a total of 17 tackles, with 3.5 resulting in lost yardage for opposing players.

Davis also recorded a quarterback hurry in the game at Indianapolis and forced a fumble vs. Truman State, both the first of his Wayne State career.  He has started the last three games for Coach Wheatley and the Warriors at defensive end.

McLEAN'S DUAL THREAT ABILITY
Graduate student quarterback Eli McLean has shown an ability to use both his arms and legs to support the Wayne State offense.  McLean led the team with 123 yards of total offense in the game at Indianapolis on September 16, collecting a team-best 52 rushing yards along with 71 passing yards (8-of-15). 

He also threw his first career touchdown pass in the win over Missouri S&T on September 9, finding junior tight end Kaveon Ross open down the middle for a 32-yard touchdown strike.  The score was also the first career touchdown for Ross.  McLean has rushed for 72 yards and thrown for an additional 195 yards on 17-of-29 passing in his first four games of action for the Warriors.

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 on September 9.  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.

RUNNING BACKS MAKING NOISE
The Warrior running back duo of redshirt sophomore D'Marco Singleton and redshirt senior Kendall Williams have each found success in 2023.

Singleton shined bright in the triumph vs. Missouri S&T on September 9, 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 165 rushing yards through four 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.  He scored his first touchdown of the season, a one-yard carry, in the game vs. Truman State on September 23.  The TD was the 10th of his Warriors career.

MILOVANSKI'S MILESTONES
Kicker Griffin Milovanski has connected on all eight extra point attempts to begin the season.  The successful tries extended his streak to 34 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.  He is in sole possession of sixth-place on the all-time leaderboard for made PATs.

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. 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.

 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Elijah Taylor

#11 Elijah Taylor

QB
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Tomi Bisiriyu

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu

T
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Devon Brown

#32 Devon Brown

CB
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Joe Clark, Jr.

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.

DE
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
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
Manny Harris

#1 Manny Harris

WR
5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
Colby Horn

#55 Colby Horn

DE
6' 7"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Elijah Taylor

#11 Elijah Taylor

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
Tomi Bisiriyu

#77 Tomi Bisiriyu

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
T
Devon Brown

#32 Devon Brown

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
CB
Joe Clark, Jr.

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
DE
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
Manny Harris

#1 Manny Harris

5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
WR
Colby Horn

#55 Colby Horn

6' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
DE