Football 11/11/2026 12:33:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Football Concludes 2026 Campaign With Trip To Michigan Tech

GAME STORYLINES
The 2026 Wayne State University football squad will play its final contest of the season this Saturday by visiting 12th-ranked Michigan Tech for a noon kickoff at Sherman Field at Kearly Stadium in Houghton.

To date, WSU has played the 20th toughest schedule (.573 / 51-38), and when combined with future opponents, the 2026 strength of schedule is eighth (.596 / 59-40) out of 160 schools ranked by the NCAA. The Huskies have played the toughest schedule to date (62-28 / .689), while Saginaw Valley State is second (59-31 / .656) and Northern Michigan is fourth (55-33 / .625).

SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH
The Huskies enter the regular-season finale with an 8-2 overall record, which includes two overtime victories (33-32 vs. Upper Iowa and 41-35 against Grand Valley State).

Head coach Dan Mettlach is in his fourth season guiding the MTU program after joining the staff in 2017. He was voted GLIAC Player of the Year in 2004.

Junior quarterback Alex Bueno has passed for 1,050 yards on 76-of-119 with nine touchdowns to four interceptions. Sophomore signal caller Elliott Larner has completed 48-of-96 passes for 575 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions. Larner also leads MTU on the ground having rushed for 747 yards and 18 touchdowns. Senior Jake Rueff has contributed 629 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Abram Larner leads the Huskies in receptions (48), receiving yards (741) and touchdown catches (10). Nic Nora is next with 21 receptions for 448 yards.

Linebacker Chase Koch leads the Huskies defense with 105 tackles (48-57), including seven for loss along with two interceptions and five quarterback hurries. Linebacker Mahdi Sabbagh has recorded 78 tackles (28-50), including three sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Jackson Zachary has made 59 stops (27-32), plus had a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Roosevelt.

Jaxon Lippert has a team-high five punt returns for 43 yards, while Abram Larner had a 74-yard touchdown return on his lone attempt. In terms of kickoff returns, Abram Larner is averaging 24.6 yards per return on 18 attempts with a long of 80 yards.

Avery Kucharski is 40-of-45 on extra points and 10-of-13 on field goals with a long of 51 yards. Kucharski averages 40.5 yards on 16 punt attempts with five inside the 20. Ivan Ermlich has punted 19 times for 747 yards (39.3 average) with four inside the 20.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Michigan Tech has won the last two meetings and nine of the last 12 match-ups dating back to 2012. The Warriors are 9-9 all-time in Houghton with WSU's last triumph at Sherman Field being a 20-14 win on October 21, 2017. Wayne State has a 20-15 edge in the all-time series which began in 1967. The Warriors won the first 10 meetings (1967-1994) and 13 of the first 14 battles.

NOTES FROM THE FERRIS STATE GAME
Junior Griffin Nowak had four of his nine punts against the Bulldogs land inside the 20. Three of his boots went for at least 50 yards. Nowak possibly could eclipse the WSU single-season punting average of 44.12 (min. 17 punts) set by quarterback A.J. Vaughn in 1965 (17-750). He has had 13 punts of at least 50 yards and 13 punts inside the 20 with only three touchbacks.

NOTES FROM THE NORTHERN MICHIGAN GAME
Nowak punted seven times against Northern Michigan for 365 yards, a 52.1 average per punt. Five of his seven punts were inside the 20 with four over 50 yards. Nowak's net punting average was 50.0 for his seven punts. The 52.1 average was the second-highest in program history (min. 5 punts) behind A.J. Vaughn's mark of 52.3 against John Carroll on October 2, 1965.

NOTES FROM THE DAVENPORT GAME
Wayne State forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles) at Davenport. It marked the first game with four turnovers by the opponent since Nov. 9, 2024, when the Warriors picked off three passes and recovered a fumble in a 38-14 win over Roosevelt.

Sophomore linebacker Luke Johnson forced a fumble at Davenport, which was his GLIAC-leading fourth of the season. Johnson had two forced fumbles at Quincy, and one in the last home game vs. Saginaw Valley State. His four forced fumbles is tied-for-first in NCAA Division II with Jalin Edwards of Virginia-Wise, Gabe Gutierrez of Northern State, Jarred Marquez of Chadron State and Alex Sauve of Shippensburg.

Nowak posted the then fourth-highest single-game punting average (46.18 / min. 5 attempts) in program history with 508 yards on 11 attempts, which included two punts over 60 yards. The 508 punt yards in one game is the sixth-highest in Wayne State history and the most since Mark Polcyn recorded 515 punting yards in a 1986 contest at Illinois State.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The WSU running back tandem of D'Vaun Bentley and Gary Jefferson, Jr. have combined for 790 yards and seven touchdowns through the first 10 games. Both Bentley and Jefferson, Jr. missed the contests against Davenport and Ferris State due to injuries. Bentley returned to lead the team in rushing yards (44) vs. Northern Michigan. The rest of the squad has combined for 57 rushing yards when you include the negative rushing yards on sacks.

One hundred forty-six (146) of WSU's 242 pass attempts this fall have been by true freshmen, including 71 by Nikkos Davis and 30 by Brody Thompson. The Warriors have six quarterbacks with at least 21 pass attempts this season.

Eleven (11) different players have attempted a pass for WSU this year after punter Griffin Nowak completed a fourth-down pass at Davenport. In addition to the eight quarterbacks and Nowak, wide receiver Drew Hickmott had a 38-yard completion and Bentley had a one-yard completion out of the Wildcat formation.

Jordan Bell leads all Wayne State receivers with 26 catches and 327 receiving yards. Kristian Kilpatrick had the first two touchdown receptions among his 11 catches for 123 yards. Drew Hickmott has at least one reception in 18 of his 21 games with the Green and Gold.

Jefferson, Jr. has team-high totals of 18 kickoff returns for 345 yards and leads Wayne State with 682 all-purpose yards (304 rushing, 33 receiving, and 345 on kickoff returns).

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 ROOSEVELT CONTEST
The 96-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter was WSU's longest drive since the 2023 squad recorded two scoring drives of at least 90 yards:
1) Sept. 2, 2023, at #15-Slippery Rock (7 plays, 91 yards, 2:42) - Manny Harris with a 25-yard run;
2) Sept. 16, 2023, at #18-UIndy (8 plays, 95 yards, 3:47) - Eli McLean with a 13-yard run.

WSU rushed for 160 yards and one touchdown in the first three games combined, but has rushed for 676 yards and seven touchdowns over the last six contests.

The Warriors posted a season-high 160 passing yards vs. the Lakers.

For the second straight game, Wayne State had a kicker connect on a 47-yard field goal. Griffin Nowak made a career-long 47-yard attempt at Grand Valley, and junior college transfer Ryan Rodas drilled a 47-yard field goal vs. Roosevelt.

The Warriors have used six different starting quarterbacks in the first 10 games this year (Ethan Lane-Northwood & Roosevelt; Carson Creehan-Hillsdale; Nikkos Davis-Wisconsin-La Crosse, Quincy & Northern Michigan; Brody Thompson-GVSU & SVSU; Miekael Brooker at Davenport; and Dale Johnson-Ferris State). Davis became the first to start three contests when he got the nod against Northern Michigan. Only Searcy and Thompson have played in five games after making an appearance against Ferris State. None of the other six quarterbacks have played in more than four games.

NOTES FROM THE QUINCY CONTEST
The WSU offensive line 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. In the loss to Roosevelt on October 10, WSU tallied 18 of the 27 fourth quarter points.

WARRIORS SEEING ACTION
Ninety-four (94) different players have seen action this year for Wayne State. This group includes 23 past WSU letterwinners, 20 players listed as redshirt freshmen, 20 players that transferred to Wayne State in 2026, 13 players who have been at WSU but have not lettered previously, and 18 true freshmen.

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. Deavante Deleon had his first career touchdown against Northern Michigan.

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Players Mentioned

#25 XaVior Tyus: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

#18 Carson Creehan: QB; 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore

#9 Logan McGraw: WLB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#0 Jordan Bell: WR; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#1 D'Vaun Bentley: RB; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

#14 Miekael Brooker: QB; 6' 5"; Senior

#12 Drew Hickmott: WR; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#0 Luke Johnson: LB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#2 Kristian Kilpatrick: WR; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#40 Griffin Nowak: PK/P; 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#25 XaVior Tyus
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore
: RB

#18 Carson Creehan
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore
: QB

#9 Logan McGraw
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: WLB

#0 Jordan Bell
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: WR

#1 D'Vaun Bentley
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: RB

#14 Miekael Brooker
: 6' 5"; Senior
: QB

#12 Drew Hickmott
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: WR

#0 Luke Johnson
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: LB

#2 Kristian Kilpatrick
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: WR

#40 Griffin Nowak
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Junior
: PK/P