Warriors Drop Home
Opener to Ferris State

Wayne State’s game Saturday versus Ferris State was its 2001 home opener at Wayne State Stadium. On a warm and sunny afternoon in front of 2,115 fans, many that were sporting small replica bells of the new Warrior Victory Bell unveiled for the game, the Warriors lost 38-14.

WSU scored the game’s first score when senior receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) caught a 44-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Dan Gray (Belle River, ONT/District). The touchdown score came with 3:54 remaining in the first quarter.

Ferris State would score the next 31 points in the game, starting with the first of four straight touchdown passes from Tom Marsan. Marsan tied the Wayne State Stadium record for passes thrown in a game. Five players, including three Wayne State players hold the record. Among those three are Gray (vs. Ashland, 9/9/00) and senior Jason Charron (Clinton Township, MI/Clintondale) (vs. Findlay, 9/30/00).

Wayne State scored its last touchdown with 12:40 remaining in the fourth quarter when sophomore runningback Pat Harwood (Romeo, MI) scored his first collegiate TD on a one-yard carry. The game featured 12 combined quarterback sacks for 98 yards in losses. Both teams finished with 68 net rushing yards each, and both had over 100 yards lost in rushing.

Brown Continues TD Game Scoring Streak
Harlon Hill candidate and senior wide receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) caught a TD pass against Ferris State, his fourth in three games played. He has scored in each of Wayne State’s games so far this season.

Brown scored on a 44-yard reception with 3:54 remaining in the first half. He finished with 104 net receiving yards on four receptions. With his TD grab Brown extends his Wayne State career record to 30. He is also inching closer to Ray Ponder’s (1989-92) career record of 2,655 net yards receiving. With 350 net yards caught in Wayne’s first three games, Brown has 2,535 net career yards, second to Ponder’s mark. Brown has 125 career receptions. Brown is averaging 116.7 net yards receiving per game and 18.4 net yards per catch after the Warriors’ first three games.

Harwood Scores First Collegiate TD
Sophomore runningback Pat Harwood (Romeo, MI) scored his first collegiate TD against Ferris State, capping off a six-play, 38-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run at the 12:40 mark in the final quarter. Harwood finished with 16 net yards on five carries.

Gray Passes For Over 200 Yards
Sophomore quarterback Dan Gray (Belle River, ONT/District) started hisfirst game in 2001 against Ferris State, throwing for 209 net yards and one touchdown on 14-of-38 passing. He also threw two interceptions, and was sacked four times. In two games played this season Gray is averaging 243.5 net yards passing and 232.0 total offense yards per game; both figures lead the Warriors.

Hutchinson Sees First College Action at QB
Randy Hutchinson (Tecumseh, MI), a true freshman, saw his first collegiate action in the Ferris State game in the fourth quarter. He completed three of his five pass attempts for 41 net yards, and he was also sacked once.

Walker Continues All-Purpose Workload
Sophomore wide receiver Sterling Walker (Detroit, MI/Detroit Redford) continues his workload production, showing up in the final Ferris State box score in four categories. He had 101 net kickoff return yards on five attempts, one punt return for 22 yards, one pass catch for 22 net yards, and one rush for seven net yards. For the season Walker has 366 net all-purpose yards, which averages out to 122.0 per game.

QB Sacks Abound in Ferris State Game
Wayne State and Ferris State combined for 12 quarterback sacks for 98 yards in losses. FSU QB Tom Marsan was sacked a total of seven times, including twice by senior linebacker Joe Spuhler (Macomb Township, MI/Utica Henry Ford II) for 12 yards in losses. Spuhler finished with four tackles for 16 yards in losses, leading the team.

The Warriors had a total of 21 tackles for 98 yards in losses. Junior defensive back Derrick Thomas (Belleville, MI) had three tackles for six yards in losses, and he led the Warriors with four pass breakups.

Wayne State Faces Findlay in Night GLIAC Contest
The University of Findlay hosts Wayne State Saturday, Sept. 29, in the Warriors’ third night game of the season. Kickoff at Donnell Stadium is 6 p.m. EDT.

The Warriors would like a repeat of last year’s game when it ended a 15-game losing streak by defeating the Oilers 41-20 at Wayne State Stadium. Senior quarterback Jason Charron (Clinton Township, MI/Clintondale) won GLIAC Offense Player-of-the-Week honors after passing for a Wayne State Stadium record 425 net yards, and senior receiver Pierre Brown (West Bloomfield, MI) caught a stadium record three touchdown passes, and he finished with 209 net yards receiving on 10 catches.

Overall the Warriors produced 638 total net offense yards in the contest.

Since the Wayne State-Findlay series resumed in 1999, the Oilers have won two of the last three meetings. Last season’s Warrior victory broke a three-game losing streak to Findlay. Overall the Oilers lead the all-time series 6-3-0. The teams first met in 1923 with then-City College of Detroit winning 28-0. They met three times in the 1930s, with Findlay taking all three games.

Warriors Start October On UP Color Tour
Wayne State opens the month of October during one of the most beautiful moments in the state of Michigan. The Warriors travel to the Upper Peninsula, where the fall colors will be in their full glory. Northern Michigan University hosts WSU at the Superior Dome on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. EDT.

WSU will return home for its annual Homecoming contest Saturday, Oct. 13 against Hillsdale at 1 p.m. EDT.