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Wayne State University Athletics

Football Preview Graphic - Grand Valley State
D'Vaun Bentley is the reigning GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week.

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

Football Begins GLIAC Play At No. 6-Grand Valley State

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University football squad will commence GLIAC play this Saturday at sixth-ranked Grand Valley State University.  Kickoff is slated for 3 PM at Lubbers Stadium.

SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
The Lakers are coming off a bye week after compiling a 4-0 record in non-conference games in which they out-scored their opponents 210-34.  The closest game this year for GVSU was a 20-10 victory at Ashland on Sept. 12.

Fourth-year head coach Scott Wooster has compiled a 33-7 record at GVSU, including a 21-3 home mark.  A 2001 graduate of Wayne State, Wooster lettered three years (1997-98-99) for the Tartars after spending his first season at Eastern Michigan.  He was an assistant coach at WSU for 11 years (2009-19).

Sophomore quarterback Andrew Schuster has completed 76 percent (66-of-87) his passes for 1,013 yards with 14 touchdowns to one interception.  Three back-up QBs are a combined 9-of-10 for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Kellen Reed leads the GLIAC with 27 receptions for 558 yards and nine touchdowns.  He averages nearly 21 yards per catch.  Senior tight end Evan Furtney has caught 13 passes for 139 yards and three scores.

Sophomore Kellen Russell-Dixon has rushed for a team-best 329 yards on 55 carries with four touchdowns.  He has only been caught behind the line of scrimmage for a total of minus three yards.  Junior quarterback Brady Drogosh has 182 rushing yards, while sophomore running back ArJon Thompson has three rushing touchdowns on just 10 carries.

Junior linebacker Torian Wyatt leads the Lakers defensively with 17 tackles (8-9), including a sack plus a fumble recovery.  Freshman defensive lineman Tyler Maynard has a team-high four tackles for loss among his 10 total tackles (3-7).  Redshirt freshman defensive back Troy Temple has two interceptions along with 14 tackles (6-8).

Junior punter Evan Sundermann is averaging 39.5 yards on 10 punts this year.  Junior Mathew Bacik is 3-of-3 on field goals with a long of 40 yards, and 24-of-24 on PATs.

Ryan Burnside has returned two punts for 54 yards, while Reed and Alex McLean have each returned two kickoffs.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Grand Valley State holds a 41-6 advantage in the all-time series having won 36 of the last 37 match-ups.  WSU is 3-20 all-time at GVSU, including a 2007 contest at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich.  The Warriors last win in Allendale was a 31-17 triumph on November 16, 2019.

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 after rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in the loss at Quincy on September 26.
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.  

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.

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 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.

Fifteen (15) other 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. 

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 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, Oct. 7. 

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
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
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

WR
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Matthew Evans

#32 Matthew Evans

CB
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Karter Freeman

#89 Karter Freeman

WR
6' 4"
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
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
Malachi Evans

#88 Malachi Evans

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Matthew Evans

#32 Matthew Evans

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
CB
Karter Freeman

#89 Karter Freeman

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
WR