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Wayne State University Athletics

2026 Football Team Captains
(C) Douglas Johnson, all rights reserved.
WSU Captains: #4-Max Edwrds, #76-Ethan Gates, #62-Will Edwards, #13-Joe Clark, Jr., and #40-Griffin Nowak.
52
Winner Northwood NOR 1-0 , 0-0
0
Wayne St. (MI) WSU 0-1 , 0-0
Winner
Northwood NOR
1-0 , 0-0
52
Final
0
Wayne St. (MI) WSU
0-1 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NOR Northwood 14 28 10 0 52
WSU Wayne St. (MI) 0 0 0 0 0

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

Football Blanked By Northwood In Season Opener

DETROIT -- The 2026 Wayne State University football season began by hosting No. 34-Northwood University at Tom Adams Field on Thursday evening in a game that was delayed for nearly an hour before the opening kickoff due to severe weather in the metro Detroit area.  The visiting Timberwolves scored touchdowns on six of their first seven possessions in defeating the Warriors 52-0 in the season opener for both squads.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
NU went 55 yards in five plays after the opening kickoff scoring on a 22-yard pass from Ethan Hamby to Case Boos just 1:35 into the contest.

Following a three-and-out by the WSU offense, Northwood covered 64 yards in 11 plays using 4:23 on the clock to take a 14-0 advantage on a two-yard scamper by Trent Hill.

The Wayne State offense garnered a pair of first downs but was forced to punt.  Redshirt freshman punter George Sanchez-Murillo (Lincoln Park, Mich. / Detroit Cass Tech) notched his second consecutive punt of at least 50 yards.

The Timberwolves drive continued into the second stanza with Hamby and Boos teaming up again on the second play of the quarter, this time from four yards out on a third-and-three.

Second Quarter
The Warriors earned a first down but Sanchez-Murillo was called upon to flip the field.

On the second play after NU missed a long field goal, WSU quarterback Ethan Lane (Chandler, Ariz. / Basha [Central Michigan]) was intercepted inside Warrior territory.

It took the Northwood offense less than two minutes to go 44 yards in five plays to grab a 28-0 lead on an 11-yard jaunt by Hill.

Wayne State recorded a pair of first downs before a Lane fumble was recovered by Northwood inside the WSU 40-yard line.  A two-yard touchdown run by Brandon Martin came on the play following a pass interference call in the end zone on WSU.

NU's Carter Minix had a 24-yard punt return as the Warrior offense stalled following the kickoff.  Northwood completed the first half scoring with a Hill notching his third rushing touchdown of the opening 30 minutes on a seven-yard run capping off a six-play, 35-yard drive in 65 seconds.

Northwood had a 328-69 edge in total offense during the first half.

Third Quarter
After a WSU punt, the Timberwolves extended their margin to 45-0 on a 38-yard field goal by Drew Cady on their first possession after intermission.

After each team punted, WSU running back D'Vaun Bentley (Detroit, Mich. / Loyola) was trying to pick up a first down on a third-and-one play when a hit by NU's Jaden Gilstrap caused a fumble that was recovered by Northwood's Carter Fay.

The Wayne State defense forced a three-and-out but the NU punt was mishandled giving the Timberwolves the ball at the WSU 31-yard line.  NU scored the game's final points on an eight-play, 31-yard drive with Matteo Humbert scoring from a yard out.

Fourth Quarter
In a scoreless final stanza, the first three drives all ended in a punt (two by WSU and one by NU), before Northwood turned the ball over on downs.

TEAM STATS
Northwood had a 545-170 advantage in total offense, including a 291-17 edge in rushing yards, along with over an eight-minute margin in time of possession (34:18 to 25:42).  NU was 9-of-17 on third down, compared to WSU's 5-of-16.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Bentley had a team-high 29 rushing yards, while freshman Gary Jefferson, Jr. (Bastrop, Texas) gained 25 yards on five attempts.  Lane was 5-of-14 for 24 yards, with Carson Creehan (Madison, Ala. / Madison Academy) passing for 126 yards on 13-of-19.  Jordan Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich. / St. Joseph) had a game-high five receptions for a game-best 68 yards.  Lienbacker Max Edwards (Los Angeles, Calif. / American Fork, in Utah) had a game-high 11 tackles (6-5), including one sack.

LEADING THE TIMBERWOLVES
Hill rushed for a game-high 115 yards and three touchdowns on 14 attempts.  Hamby completed 13-of-23 passes for 169 yards and two scores.  Lake Boos had four receptions for 47 yards, while Case Boos caught three passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns.  Both Ty Farmer and Joe Lathers each had two sacks.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will travel to Hillsdale College for a noon kickoff on Saturday, September 12.
 
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