Detroit, Mich. – The Wayne State football team ended the 2001 season with a 39-26 loss to Northwood University on Saturday (Nov. 10) at WSU Stadium. The Warriors end the season 3-7 overall, 3-6 in the GLIAC. Northwood improves to 3-6 overall, 3-6 in the GLIAC.

The Northwood offense proved to be too much for the Wayne State defense as the Timberwolf rushing attack amounted 402 total rushing yards for the game on 73 attempts. Northwood outgained the Warriors in total offense, 544-330.

NU opened scoring in the first quarter as Pernell Jackson scored on a nine-yard TD run to go up 7-0. The Timberwolves would later score reel off 18 more unanswered points in the second quarter as kicker Shaun Sjulstad added a field goal with 1:06 left in the second to give NU a 25-0 lead. Sophomore Jorge Gomez (Oxford) finally broke the Northwood streak by scoring on a three-yard catch from senior Jason Charron (Clinton Twp.) to head into the half down 25-7.

WSU pulled to within 12 points (25-13) at the 11:14 mark in the third quarter as Gomez scored again, this time on a two-yard run (Charron conversion pass failed). However, Northwood would respond as Pernell Jackson would not be denied getting into the endzone, scoring on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jason Martin at 7:23 in the third and punched in a 15-yard run at 2:51 in third to increase NU’s lead to 39-13. Sophomore Sterling Walker (Detroit/Redford) would later score on a 35-yard TD pass from Charron to cut the deficit to 39-19. In his last career game as a Warrior, senior Pierre Brown (W. Bloomfield) scored with eight seconds left in the game on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Charron to make the final score 39-26.

The Warriors, despite compiling 330 yards of total offense, couldn’t convert any third downs, going 2-for-13 for the game. The Warriors did go 4-for-5 in fourth down conversions.

Individually, Gomez led the team in rushing with 98 yards on 17 carries for a 5.8 yards per carry average. Charron finished his WSU career by throwing for 231 yards and three TD’s on 23-of-44 passing. Gomez also led Wayne State in receiving, catching eight passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. Brown recorded six catches for 68 yards and a TD.

Defensivley, freshman Mohammad Bazzi (Dearborn/Fordson) posted 14 total tackles, four tackles for loss (20 yards) and two sacks for minus 10 yards. Senior Joe Spuhler (Macomb/Henry Ford) finished his Wayne State career by recording 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.