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Wayne State University Athletics

2024 vs. Findlay - Champion Edwards
Izzy Rincon
Champion Edwards rushed for a game-high 146 yards and had two passing touchdowns.
42
Winner Findlay OILERS 2-0
30
Wayne State WSU 0-2
Winner
Findlay OILERS
2-0
42
Final
30
Wayne State WSU
0-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
OILERS Findlay 14 21 7 0 42
WSU Wayne State 3 0 14 13 30

Game Recap: Football | | Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Second Half Comeback Comes Up Short For Football In 42-30 Setback

Champion Edwards had 233 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University football team (0-2 overall) dropped its second consecutive game against a top-30 ranked squad falling 42-30 to the University of Findlay (2-0 overall) Saturday afternoon at Tom Adams Field.

WSU out-scored UF 27-7 over the final 30 minutes, after trailing 35-3 at intermission.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Warriors won the toss and drove 57 yards in six plays with graduate student kicker Griffin Milovanski (Saugatuck, Mich.) connecting on a 36-yard field goal giving the hosts a 3-0 lead.  The big play on the drive was a 45-yard rush by sophomore quarterback Champion Edwards (Los Angeles, Calif. / American Fork [Utah] (El Camino C.C.)) on the second play from scrimmage.

The Oilers answered with a 71-yard touchdown drive in just four plays as signal caller Matt Ruebe had three completions (26 yards, 16 yards and a 27-yard scoring toss to Delon Hurt to put the visitors in front 7-3.

UF took over following a short punt by Wayne State and went 45 yards in eight plays to increase its margin to 14-3.  Jayden Farmer had a two-yard touchdown scamper on third-and-goal following an 18-yard pass play from Rueve to Donovan O'Leary set up the first-and-goal.

Second Quarter
Findlay took over at its own seven-yard line late in the opening stanza and put together a 13-play, 93-yard scoring drive that lasted nearly seven minutes.  Makaya Matthews scored on a three-yard jaunt putting UF ahead 21-3.

Following another WSU punt, the Oilers added to their advantage with a 57-yard scoring drive in seven plays.  Rueve and Mitch Neilsen hooked-up for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

Warrior quarterback Cane Mack (Portage, Mich. / Portage Northern), playing in his first collegiate game, was picked off on the first play after the kickoff as the ball was tipped by Findlay's Gavin DeGroat and intercepted by Christion Stokes.  It took UF five plays to go 15 yards with Matthews scoring on a one-yard plunge to complete the first-half scoring.

The Oilers had a 265-89 edge in total offense through 30 minutes.

Third Quarter
Findlay took the second half kickoff and went 72 yards in 12 plays to make it 42-3 as Cam Childers hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Rueve.

After an exchange of punts, the Warriors went 60 yards in five plays following a 24-yard punt return by redshirt freshman Dontez Hicks (Detroit, Mich. / Central).  Redshirt sophomore tight end Nick Ostas (Blissfield, Mich.) caught a 12-yard pass on third-and-seven to keep the drive alive, and Edwards finished the drive with a 49-yard keeper.

The pooch kickoff by Milovanski checked-up like a golf shot with Hicks falling on the ball at the Findlay 22-yard line.  On the third play of the ensuing drive, redshirt junior wide receiver Manny Harris (Kankakee, Ill. / Bishop McNamara) made an adjustment at the goal line to catch Edwards first TD pass as a Warrior.  The 14 points by WSU in 73 seconds made the score 42-17.

Fourth Quarter
Following a punt by Findlay, the WSU offense drove 82 yards in five plays for another second-half touchdown.  Redshirt junior wide receiver Myles McKatherine (Chicago, Ill. / St. Rita of Cascia (College of DuPage)) began the drive with a 24-yard carry, then Edwards gained 19 on a keeper.  Redshirt freshman XaVior Tyus (Portage, Mich. / Portage Northern) moved the chains with a 24-yard pick up.  On second down, McKatherine hauled in an 18-yard scoring strike from Edwards.

The Wayne State defense allowed one first down, but then forced an Oiler punt.  WSU turned the ball over on downs, but the Warrior defense forced a three-and-out.  A low snap on the punt forced Findlay kicker Owen Clevenger to throw the ball resulting in an intentional grounding penalty which statistically is a sack for WSU's Dahmir Farnum (Muskegon, Mich. / Mona Shores).

Wayne State took advantage of the field position and drove 35 yards in seven plays with redshirt senior Jeremiah Sterling, Jr. (Benton Harbor, Mich. / St. Joseph (Olivet)) scoring on a five-yard rush around the right end to complete the scoring.

TEAM STATS
Findlay had a 377-356 advantage in total offense, along with a 33:38 to 26:22 edge in time of possession.  The Warriors led in rushing yards 256-96.  Both teams were 4-for-4 in the red zone, with the Oilers notching four touchdowns and WSU recording three touchdowns and a field goal.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Edwards rushed for a game-high 146 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, while completing 5-of-16 passes for 87 yards and two scores.  Tyus contributed 66 yards on the ground in 11 attempts.  McKatherine had a team-best two receptions, while redshirt junior tight end John Rayba (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Stoney Creek) had a team-high 31 receiving yards.  Redshirt junior middle linebacker Justin Hart (Redford, Mich. / Westland John Glenn), making his first collegiate start, posted a game-high 11 tackles (4 solo, 7 assisted) and a pass break-up.

LEADING THE OILERS
Matthews rushed 19 times for a team-best 78 yards and two scores.  Rueve completed 26-of-35 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns.  Redd Douglas had a team-high six receptions, while Nielsen led UF with 67 receiving yards.  Adonai Bumba had a team-best eight tackles (7 solo, 1 assisted), including two for loss plus a pass break-up.

UP NEXT
After facing the G-MAC pre-season favorite in week two, Wayne State will host GLVC pre-season favorite the University of Indianapolis at 6 pm on Saturday, September 21.  The Greyhounds are ranked No. 16 nationally this week heading into this evening's home contest vs. Truman State, who will be WSU's week four opponent.

 
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