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Wayne State University Athletics

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Jordan Bell leads WSU with nine catches for 139 yards.

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

Football To Entertain Wisconsin-La Crosse This Saturday at 1 PM

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University football squad returns home to entertain Division 3 powerhouse Wisconsin-La Crosse.  Both squads enter Saturday's match-up at Tom Adams Field with 0-2 marks under first-year head coaches.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE
The Eagles compiled a 45-14 mark from 2021 through 2025, including an NCAA Division 3 playoff appearance all five seasons (5-5 post-season record).

Michael Zweifel was named head coach in February after spending four years as an assistant at UWL.  He was named the winner of the 2011 Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III football player.  Zweifel led the nation in receiving yards (1,915) that year and ended his career as the all-time NCAA leader (all divisions) with 463 receptions.  He was a three-year team captain at Dubuque (Iowa).

Senior signal caller Kyle Haas has completed 55-of-93 passes (59%) for 608 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions.

Three receivers have caught at least 10 passes each through two games for the Eagles.  Seniors Keaton Arendt and Jack Janke each have 11 receptions, while juniors Brodie Mickschl has 10 catches for a team-high 168 yards.  Arendt and junior tight end Calahan Miles each have a touchdown reception.

Sophomore Brady Kuhn has rushed for a team-best 17 yards on 13 carries.  Senior Braeden Ott and Janke each have a rushing touchdown.

Defensively for UWL, senior linebacker Colin O'Neil has a team-high 15 tackles (8-7), while junior Ben Ott has made 14 stops (9-5).  Ben Ott and Boston Brindley each have an interception, while sophomore Jack Wesolowski has three quarterback hurries.

Cooper Mueller is averaging 49 yards on four punts, while Haas has punted three times (29.0 average).  Maddox Pratt is 4-of-4 on field goals, including a season-long 44-yard attempt.  Pratt has also handled a majority of the kickoffs.

Janke has totaled 16 punt return yards on three attempts, and 59 yards on three kickoff returns.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State trails 0-2-0 in the all-time series with Wisconsin-La Crosse.  The Eagles claimed a 28-21 win at Tom Adams Field on Sept. 17, 2022, then won last year's match-up (31-22) on Sept. 20, 2025, in Wisconsin, at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

NEW ERA, TOUGH TESTS
Last year, the Warriors played the 16th-toughest schedule in NCAA Division 2.  Including post-season match-ups in 2025, WSU's opponents had a .580 winning percentage (65-47).

Wayne State entered the 2026 season with a new coaching staff and several new faces on the roster.  This year, WSU's 11 opponents include three teams that advanced to the NCAA Playoffs a season ago in Northwood, Wisconsin-La Crosse (Division 3) and Ferris State. 

WARRIORS BY THE NUMBERS
The 2026 Wayne State football roster features 120 student-athletes from 13 states and one Canadian province, with the majority of football student-athletes coming from Michigan (82).  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-three (23) of the 26 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. 

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.

BOOTING AWAY
Redshirt-freshman punter George Sanchez-Murillo, who made his collegiate debut in the season opener vs. Northwood, punted 10 times for 451 yards (45.1 average) with five punts inside the 20.

The 45.1 average was the highest in the last 13 years by a WSU punter who had at least five punts in a game, while the five punts inside the 20 matched the school record set by Stefan Terleckyj in 2011 vs. Saginaw Valley State and equaled by Paul Graham in 2014 at Findlay.

He had punts of 51, 50, 39, 45, 38 in the first half, before punts of 48, 43, 44, 45, and 48 yards in the second half.

Northwood only was able to return one punt (for 24 yards) giving Sanchez-Murillo a 42.7 net punting average.

He averaged 41 yards on five punts at Hillsdale with one inside the 20.

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 p.m. 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 edition of the Breakdown with Brady Beedon will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16. 

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 returns for his 18th season calling Warrior football.  Baligian, who has been on the Detroit airwaves since 1998, and was on Fox 2 from 2002-18, will serve as the play-by-play announcer for nine games.

Former Warrior defensive end Brady Beedon will serve as the color analyst for selected games.  In addition, he will serve as the play-by-play announcer for the Warrior football game at Quincy.  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 four 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 road games at Quincy and Michigan Tech. 

Every Wayne State GLIAC football game will be available on FloCollege, along with the home non-conference contest against Wisconsin-La Crosse.  The FloCollege broadcasts of home games will be produced by The PreP for the fourth consecutive year. 
 
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Players Mentioned

Evan Bainbridge

#61 Evan Bainbridge

OL
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Jordan Bell

#0 Jordan Bell

WR
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Jesse Brown

#62 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
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

WR
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Matthew Evans

#80 Matthew Evans

WR
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Derek Johnson

#59 Derek Johnson

OL
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Joseph Lattimore

#17 Joseph Lattimore

WR
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
Andrew Pazuchowski

#11 Andrew Pazuchowski

DE
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Evan Bainbridge

#61 Evan Bainbridge

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
OL
Jordan Bell

#0 Jordan Bell

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
WR
Jesse Brown

#62 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
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Matthew Evans

#80 Matthew Evans

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Derek Johnson

#59 Derek Johnson

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
OL
Joseph Lattimore

#17 Joseph Lattimore

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Andrew Pazuchowski

#11 Andrew Pazuchowski

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
DE