Wayne Named GLIAC Player-Of-The-Week
Freshman placekicker Stephen Wayne (Farmington, MI) was named the Great Lakes Conference Special Teams Player-of-the-Week for games played Sept. 8. The Warriors defeated host Ashland 19-16 when Wayne connected on a 33-yard field goal as time expired, breaking a 16-all tie. Wayne made a 20-yard field goal earlier in the game. Wayne is the first Warrior to earn Great Lakes Conference football honors this season.

Wayne State Pulls Out Victory at Ashland
In a Great Lakes Conference opener for both teams, Wayne State and Ashland combined for five field goals. It was the last one that counted for everything. Freshman kicker Stephen Wayne (Farmington, MI) capped off an eight-play, 65-yard drive that consumed 54 seconds with a 33-yard field on the game’s last play, giving the Warriors’ a 19-16 victory over host Ashland.

The victory evens Wayne State’s overall record to 1-1. Last season the Warriors were at .500 overall twice, but their last start at .500 came in 1995, when they also dropped their season-opener but won their second game.

The Warriors’ winning drive began at its own 20-yard line, after an Eagle punt went for a touchback. Displaying its “hurry-up” offense, every Warriors’ play was a pass. Sophomore quarterback Dan Gray (Belle River, ONT/District) completed four of seven attempts. Two went to senior wide receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) for 18 and 14 yards. The latter set-up Wayne’s field goal attempt to win the game.

Wayne State took an early lead in the game when Brown caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jason Charron (Clinton Township, MI/Clintondale). WSU led 6-3 with 9:29 remaining in the first quarter.

Brown’s second TD grab of nine yards from Gray with 1:43 remaining in the third quarter again put WSU in the lead, 16-13. With 2:46 remaining in the contest, Ashland senior kicker Matt Pifer connected his third field goal of the game from 35 yards out to tie the game 16-all.

WSU outgained Ashland 451 to 247 yards in total offense. The Warriors ran a total of 95 total offense plays to the Eagles’ 71. In total first downs, Wayne State had 24 to Ashland’s 10. Sixteen of WSU’s first downs came on passing situations, and WSU was seven for 23 in third down conversions.

Turnovers plagued both teams. WSU lost one fumble and threw three interceptions, while Ashland had two passes picked off and lost three fumbles on six total.

Both teams scored points in every quarter.

The victory snaps a six-game losing streak to Ashland. The last time Wayne State defeated AU was in 1994, 16-15 at Ashland’s Community Stadium. Overall Ashland leads the series 14-3.

Wayne Boots First College FGs at Right Moment
Freshman Stephen Wayne (Farmington, MI) converted both of his field goal attempts against Ashland, his first two collegiate field goals of his career. The latter, of 33 yards, came with no time remaining in the contest and gave the 19-16 to Wayne.

Wayne missed both field goal attempts in the Warriors’ season-opener at Division I-AA Northern Iowa on Sept. 1.
Wayne also booted one point-after kick, giving him seven points for the game, and nine for the season.

Wayne was WSU’s GLIAC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week nominee.

Brown Scores Both Wayne State TDs
Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) scored his second and third touchdowns of the season at Ashland, giving him the team lead in scoring with 18 points. His first touchdown was for 62 yards with 9:29 remaining in the first quarter, and his second was from nine yards out with 1:43 to go in the third quarter. Both TD receptions gave Wayne State a lead at that point.

Brown led all receivers with 10 grabs for 179 net yards. Brown now has 15 receptions for 246 net yards in two games.

He is now 225 yards from becoming the Warriors’ all-time leading receiver. Brown has 2,431 career net receiving yards, second to Ray Ponder’s (1989-92) all-time record of 2,655 yards. Brown’s 29 career TD receptions is Wayne State’s all-time record.

Brown was Wayne’s Offense Player-of-the-Week nominee.

Gray Impressive Off Bench
Sophomore quarterback Dan Gray (Belle River, ONT/District) saw his first action as a Warrior against Ashland. He entered the contest in the second quarter and remained at the helm for the remainder, engineering the Warriors’ game-winning scoring drive capped off by Stephen Wayne’s (Farmington, MI) 33-yard field goal.

Gray attempted 46 passes and completed 17, including a nine-yard TD strike to senior receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) in the third quarter. Gray had 278 yards in net yards passing. Although he wasn’t intercepted, Gray was sacked three times by the Eagle defense.

Gray came in for senior quarterback Jason Charron (Clinton Township, MI/Clintondale), who struggled against Ashland. Charron had three of his 16 pass attempts picked off, and he completed only seven for 148 net yards.

Walker Also Tops Century Receiving Mark
Sophomore wide receiver Sterling Walker (Detroit, MI/Detroit Redford) had 113 net receiving yards on six receptions against Ashland, giving him his first century game as a Warrior and giving two century receivers for WSU in the contest. Senior receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) also topped the century mark with 179 net yards.

Walker finished with 167 all-purpose yards at Ashland. He returned four punts for 34 net yards, and one kickoff for 20 yards.

Smitherman Picks Off Two Eagle Passes
Freshman defensive back Dan Smitherman (Westland, MI/Westland John Glenn) had both of Wayne State’s interceptions at Ashland, the first two of his collegiate career.

Neither resulted in a Wayne State score, but in a game with nine total turnovers and a scoring play with no time remaining in the contest, both were crucial picks. Smitherman returned one interception for 42 yards, his final total of the contest. Both game in the first half.

Smitherman finished with five total and three unassisted tackles. He was Wayne’s Defense Player-of-the-Week nominee.

Defense Shines At Ashland
Wayne State’s defense held Ashland to 247 net total offense yards, including only 64 on the ground, and the Eagles managed only 10 total first downs. Although Ashland’s quarterback was never sacked, the Warriors had six tackles resulting in 14 yards lost. Junior defensive back Derrick Thomas (Belleville, MI/Belleville) led WSU with 11 total tackles, including seven unassisted.

Senior linebacker Joe Spuhler (Macomb Township, MI/Utica Henry Ford II) had nine total tackles and seven assists.

Victory Bell To Be Unveiled Against Mercyhurst
Wayne State hosts Mercyhurst in its 2001 home season opener this Saturday, Sept. 15. Kickoff at Wayne State Stadium is 12 noon EDT.

In a ceremony during the Mercyhurst game, the Warriors’ new Victory Bell will be introduced. A Revere-replica bell, it will be permanently displayed at Wayne State Stadium, and rung after every Warrior score and victory. National City is the proud sponsor of the Wayne State Warrior Victory Bell. National City will distribute several hundred mini-bells prior to the game.

In order to ring the Victory Bell after the game, WSU needs to change its history against Mercyhurst. The Lakers are 3-0 against Wayne State in the series meeting. Last season in the season opener for both squads, Mercyhurst won 37-27 at home despite three touchdown passes by senior quarterback Jason Charron (Clinton Township, MI/Clintondale) and two TD catches by senior receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI).

Mercyhurst lost its season opener 28-21 to Michigan Tech last Saturday, Sept. 8 at home. Senior quarterback Scott Farison threw for 302 net yards and two touchdowns, but he was also picked off three times and was sacked four times. A total of eight different Lakers caught Farison’s 26 pass completions. Sophomore cornerback Rob Keefe set a school single game record with a 76-yard punt return. He finished with 118 net punt return yards on four tries.

This marks the first meeting that the game hasn’t been both squads’ season opener.

Coming Up Next
It will be NASCAR Day at Wayne State Stadium Saturday, Sept. 22, as WSU hosts Ferris State University starting at 12 noon EDT. There will be NASCAR cars on-site for fans to view, and NASCAR memorabilia will also be available.