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Wayne State University Athletics

Football vs Roosevelt Preview Graphic
Ashawn Sims leads the WSU defense with four quarterback hurries.

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

Football To Host Roosevelt For Annual Homecoming Contest

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University football squad will host Roosevelt University for the 89th annual Homecoming contest this Saturday at 1 PM at Tom Adams Field.  This will be the first time RU has served as the Homecoming opponent and will be the 35th different Homecoming opponent for WSU.

The Warriors are 45-42-1 all-time for their Homecoming games, despite losing five of the last six such contests.  Hillsdale (9, 3-6-0) and Northwood (8, 6-2-0) are the most common Homecoming opponents.  WSU has played a Homecoming game every year since 1935 except 1943, 1944, and 2020.

SCOUTING ROOSEVELT
Bill McKeon was named the second head coach in Roosevelt history in January 2025 after joining the Lakers in 2024 as the team's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.  McKeon has compiled a 6-9 mark as the RU head coach.

Sophomore running back Steven Moore leads the squad with 256 rushing yards, while senior quarterback Carl Bew has rushed for a team-high four touchdowns among his 206 yards.

Sophomore signal caller Tony Chahino has passed for 610 yards and seven touchdowns on 52-of-85 despite playing in only three contests.  Bew is 32-of-52 for 467 yards and three scores, while senior Justin Bland has three touchdown passes on 20-of-30 for 354 yards.

Senior wide receiver DJ Simmons, Jr. has team-high totals of 22 receptions, 518 receiving yards and six touchdowns.  Four other players have double-digit reception totals with senior wideout Joe Spaulding having two touchdown catches.

Graduate student defensive back Stacey Terry leads RU with 50 tackles (31-19) and two forced fumbles.  Senior linebacker Brandon Harvey and fifth-year defensive lineman Angelo Arnold are tied for the team lead with 5.0 tackles for loss.  Graduate student defensive back Derek Whaley has a team-best 2.5 sacks, along with a 38-yard fumble return.

Freshman Derrick Streeter, Jr. has returned five punts, while Bew has seven kickoff returns for 150 yards.  Freshman kicker Sean Sample is 26-for-26 on PATs and 7-of-9 on field goals with a long of 39 yards.  Junior Fearghal Mac Cearra is averaging 41.9 yards on 19 punt attempts.

ALL-TIME SERIES
This Saturday's match-up will be the third all-time meeting between the Warriors and the Lakers.  Both home teams prevailed in the first two meetings (WSU 38-14 in 2024, and RU 48-14 last year).

GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Ferris State (49 points, seven first-place votes)
2. Grand Valley State (43 points, one first-place vote)
3. Michigan Tech (34 points) 
4. Davenport (31 points)
5. Saginaw Valley State (28 points)
6. Northern Michigan (18 points)
7. Roosevelt (11 points)
8. Wayne State (10 points)

BENTLEY SELECTED GLIAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
D' Vaun Bentley (Detroit, Mich. / Loyola [Lawrence Tech]) was selected GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week on September 28th after rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in the loss at Quincy.

It was the first 100-yard rushing effort by a WSU running back since XaVior Tyus gained 116 yards on 14 carries vs. Northern Michigan on Nov. 16, 2024.

The 182 rushing yards were the most by a Warrior since Myren Harris rushed for 295 yards on 36 attempts at Michigan Tech on Oct. 8, 2022, while the four rushing touchdowns were the most since Myren Harris had four rushing scores vs. Northwood on Oct. 30, 2021.  

Bentley was never stopped behind the line of scrimmage by the Hawks and also contributed two receptions for 50 yards, including a 41-yard catch from deep in Warrior territory to just over midfield, to finish with 232 all-purpose yards.

NOTES FROM THE GRAND VALLEY STATE CONTEST 
D'Vaun Bentley had a 60-yard carry in the fourth quarter setting up WSU in the red zone (GVSU 20-yard line).  That drive culminated in a career-long 47-yard field goal by Griffin Nowak.

Bentley needs just eight more rushing yards to surpass last season's leader XaVior Tyus, who had 350 rushing yards.

The Warriors have had four different starting quarterbacks in five games this year (Ethan Lane-Northwood, Carson Creehan-Hillsdale, Nikkos Davis-Wis. La Crosse & Quincy, and Brody Thompson-GVSU). 

Sophomore linebacker Luke Johnson had a team-high eight tackles (3-5), while cornerback Jasir Rahaman had two pass break-ups.

NOTES FROM THE QUINCY CONTEST 
WSU rushed for 160 yards and one touchdown in the first three games combined, then rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns at Quincy.

The WSU offensive line, which allowed 16 sacks in the first three contests, allowed just one sack at Quincy despite the fact that four quarterbacks (all true freshmen) took snaps vs. the Hawks.

Kristian Kilpatrick caught a touchdown pass for the second consecutive game in the Quincy contest.  He is the first Warrior with a touchdown reception in back-to-back games since Myles McKatherine in 2024 (Sept. 5 at Tiffin and Sept. 14 at home vs. Findlay).

After not forcing a turnover in the first three contests, the Warrior defense forced two fumbles at Quincy, and turned those two miscues into 14 points.

Luke Johnson forced both fumbles at Quincy becoming the first Warrior with two forced fumbles in a game since Logan McGraw had two in the 2025 season opener (Sept. 4 vs. Tiffin).

Wayne State was outscored 21-6 in the fourth quarter through the first three games, but turned the tables at Quincy, outscoring the host Hawks 21-0 over the final 15 minutes.

WARRIORS BY THE NUMBERS
The 2026 Wayne State football roster features 116 student-athletes from 13 states and one Canadian province, with the majority of football student-athletes coming from Michigan (78).  Ohio (10), Texas (9), California (5), Florida (3), Minnesota (2) and Ontario (2) all have multiple student-athletes, while Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island and Washington each have one. 

Twenty-one (21) of the 24 returning letterwinners saw action vs. Northwood, while another 21 players who previously donned the Green and Gold (but had not lettered) played against the Timberwolves.  

Nine players (Emmanuel Ajayi, Samuel Arrey, Jesse Brown, Dereon Foster, Ethan Lane, Chase Lawrence, Jonathon Melendez, Ka'Vion Smith, and Nic Sturgill) made their Wayne State debut against Northwood after previously playing at a different institution.  

Two more (Lance-Matua Kellum and Victor Santana) made their WSU debut at Hillsdale, while Ryan Rodas made his Warrior debut in the Wisconsin-La Crosse contest.  Kymani Fenika and Elijah Hayward both made their WSU debut at Quincy, while Cammern Jordan andDavid Holloman

Fifteen (15) student-athletes made their collegiate debut in the season opener.  They were Elijah Beachum, Mason Conklin, Trent Davis, Deavante Deleon, Malachi Evans, Gary Jefferson, Jr., Derek Johnson, Joseph Lattimore, Abram Marcial, Dominic Melaragni, Andrew Pazuchowski, Caiden Pfeiffer, George Sanchez-Murillo, Torrence Searcy and Brody Videto.

Two others (Nikkos Davis and Brody Stack) made their collegiate debut at Hillsdale, with Karter Freeman, KJ McKenzie and Jordan Stewart making their collegiate debuts vs. Wisconsin-La Crosse.  In addition, five others (Brandon Bartolucci, Dale Johnson, Brody Thompson, Dante' Toliver and Nic Wells) made their collegiate debut at Quincy with Malik Shephard making his debut at Grand Valley State.

FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT
Both of Wayne State's touchdowns against Wisconsin-La Crosse had heavy contributions from true freshmen.

The 80-yard touchdown pass was from true freshman quarterback Nikkos Davis to sophomore wide receiver Kristian Kilpatrick.  The 80-yard scoring strike is tied-for-11th longest in program history and was Kilpatrick's first touchdown reception of his WSU career.

The Warriors' second touchdown was a 16-yard scamper by true freshman running back Gary Jefferson, Jr.

A FAMILY AFFAIR
WSU currently has a set of brothers in twins Malachi and Matthew Evans.  Both are redshirt freshman wide receivers.

Other Warriors with family ties include: Evan Bainbridge (father Matthew was an offensive tackle letterwinner in 1993-94); Jordan Bell (father Joique was a WSU Athletics Hall of Fame running back from 2006 to 2009); Brock Carpenter (father Tim was a four-year letterwinner for the Tartars and was Honorable Mention All-GLIAC as an offensive lineman in 1997, the same year he served as a team captain).

THE BREAKDOWN WITH BRADY BEEDON
Join head coach Terrence Issac and WSU football analyst Brady Beedon each Wednesday prior to a home football game at 5:30 PM at Woodbridge Pub for The Breakdown with Brady Beedon podcast. 
Each week a different assistant coach will join Isaac and Beedon.  In addition, a student-athlete will be interviewed. 

The podcast will be added to the Wayne State athletics website every Friday morning for those unable to be at Woodbridge that week.  The next editions of the Breakdown with Brady Beedon will take place on Wednesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 14. 

DON'T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION 
The 2026 campaign marks the second season of the Warrior Sports Network (WSN), which provides internet audio coverage of Wayne State football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball.

Veteran Detroit sports broadcaster Sean Baligian is in his 18th season calling Warrior football.  Baligian, who has been on the Detroit airwaves since 1998, will serve as the play-by-play announcer.

Former Warrior defensive end Brady Beedon will serve as the color analyst for selected remaining games.  Beedon will also handle the Locker Room Report and Senior Spotlight features for the WSN.  

Kevin Brechmacher, who will return for his 11th season calling the WSU men's basketball games this winter, will serve as a color analyst for selected games this fall.  He also co-hosts the Warrior Weekly podcast with Brady Beedon that began airing in January of 2026. 

WWJ afternoon anchor Tony Ortiz will serve as the sideline commentator during the six home broadcasts.  Ortiz will also be the color analyst for the road game at Michigan Tech. 

Every Wayne State GLIAC football game will be available on FloCollege with the broadcasts of home games being produced by The PreP for the fourth consecutive year. 
 
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Players Mentioned

XaVior Tyus

#25 XaVior Tyus

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Logan McGraw

#9 Logan McGraw

WLB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Evan Bainbridge

#61 Evan Bainbridge

OL
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Jordan Bell

#0 Jordan Bell

WR
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
D

#1 D'Vaun Bentley

RB
5' 11"
Graduate Student
Jesse Brown

#64 Jesse Brown

DT
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Brock Carpenter

#48 Brock Carpenter

TE/DE
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Mason Conklin

#53 Mason Conklin

DE
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Carson Creehan

#18 Carson Creehan

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

WR
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

XaVior Tyus

#25 XaVior Tyus

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
RB
Logan McGraw

#9 Logan McGraw

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
WLB
Evan Bainbridge

#61 Evan Bainbridge

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
OL
Jordan Bell

#0 Jordan Bell

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
WR
D

#1 D'Vaun Bentley

5' 11"
Graduate Student
RB
Jesse Brown

#64 Jesse Brown

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
DT
Brock Carpenter

#48 Brock Carpenter

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
TE/DE
Mason Conklin

#53 Mason Conklin

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
DE
Carson Creehan

#18 Carson Creehan

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
WR