Football || Wayne State University

WAYNE STATE (0-3, 0-2 GLIAC)
at Ferris State (1-1, 0-1 GLIAC)
Saturday, Sept. 28 • 7 p.m.

MATCH-UP AT A GLANCE:
Stadium: Top Taggart Field (6,200)
Surface: AstroTurf 12
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Site: Big Rapids, Michigan
Series Record: Ferris State leads 21-19

THE GAME
The Wayne State University football team will try to snap a seven-game losing streak, dating back to last season, when it travels to Big Rapids to face the Ferris State Bulldogs this Saturday, Sept. 28. FSU won last year’s game in Detroit, 38-14, scoring 31 consecutive points after the Warriors had taken a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Dan Gray passed for 209 yards and one touchdown, while Pierre Brown had 104 yards receiving and a score. Nate Collins rushed for a team-high 45 yards, with Pat Harwood scoring on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter.

THE COACHES
WSU head coach Steve Kazor is in his third season as the Warrior bench boss. He has a 7-16 record at Wayne State with an overall collegiate head coaching mark of 32-33 in his seventh season.

Ferris State head coach Jeff Pierce has a 50-30 record in his eighth season with the Bulldogs. Pierce, who holds the highest winning percentage in FSU history, was an assistant at Ferris for 12 years before being appointed to his current position.

THE SERIES
Ferris State leads 21-19 in the all-time series having won the last four meetings. The Warriors are 11-11 in the games played in Detroit, and 8-10 in Big Rapids. WSU’s last series win came in 1997 at FSU, 30-26.

IN THE POLLS
The Warriors were selected 11th in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) preseason coaches poll. Ferris State received 87 points in the GLIAC coaches preseason poll, which placed them in a tie-for-third.

SCOUTING FERRIS STATE
The Bulldogs opened the season with a 33-21 victory over Hillsdale on Sept. 7. The Sept. 14 contest against Grand Valley was cancelled, while Ferris was upended at Northern Michigan on Sept. 21, 17-3.

Derek Fudge rushed for 70 yards on 23 carries against the Wildcats with Tom Marsan completing 16 of 42 passes for 158 yards with two interceptions. Brandis Bowie hauled in a team-high five catches in Marquette for 38 yards. Ferris limited NMU to 76 yards on the ground in 36 attempts, while recording three interceptions.

Defensive lineman Bo Moore was a preseason Second Team All-America selection by Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette.

GRAND VALLEY GAME NOTES

WSU signal caller Dan Gray completed 12 of 25 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown against Grand Valley. He has not thrown an interception in 85 attempts this season. The only interception thrown (in 117 attempts) by the Warriors this year came on a halfback option by Thabiti Williamson.
Sophomore wide receiver Marqus Anthony had career-highs with eight receptions and 145 yards against GVSU. He is the squad’s leading receiver in catches (12) and yards (190).
Sophomore wide receiver Michael Griffie recorded his first collegiate touchdown on a nine-yard reception from Dan Gray.
Lynn Morton had his first four collegiate receptions.
Senior running Thabiti Williamson moved into second place on the WSU career all-purpose yards chart after rushing for 14 yards and recording 56 yards on kickoff returns. He now has 3,694 all-purpose yards (2,025 rushing, 367 receiving, 1,286 kickoff return, and 16 punt return). Joe Gough (1991-94) holds the all-time Warrior all-purpose yards record with 4,536. Williamson is fifth in WSU history in rushing yards, and second in kickoff return yards.
Wayne State has four players averaging more than 50 all-purpose yards a game led by Craig Duppong (67.7 ypg). Duppong is the team’s leading rusher with 96 yards, and is second on the squad in kickoff return yards (103) and average (20.6).
The 54 pass attempts by Wayne State against the Lakers is a GLIAC team season-high in 2002.

GRAND VALLEY STATE 49, AT WAYNE STATE 14
Wayne State fell to the No. 1 team in Division II, Grand Valley State, 49-14, on Sept. 21 at WSU Stadium. GVSU led in passing yards 385-303, total offense 597-319, and time of possession, 31:46 to 28:14.

WSU signal caller Dan Gray completed 12 of 25 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. Randy Hutchison was four-of-nine for 75 yards and one touchdown, while James Phillips, in his Warrior debut, completed 10 of 19 passes for 66 yards.

Eight different receivers had receptions for the Warriors led by Marqus Anthony, who had career-high with eight receptions and 145 yards. Nate Collins caught five balls for 85 yards. Lynn Morton had his first four WSU receptions.

GVSU quarterback Curt Anes completed 21 of 33 passes for 334 yards. The Lakers leading rusher was Reggie Spearmon with 97 yards on 16 carries. Phil Condon (7-154, TD), Terrance Banks (5-102, TD) and David Kircus (4-50, 3-TD) were GVSU's leading receivers.

Grand Valley took a 7-0 led with 8:58 remaining in the opening stanza on a 16-yard scoring toss from Curt Anes to David Kircus. The Warriors drove 39 yards in 11 plays to the GVSU 26, but Stephen Wayne's 43-yard field goal attempt was just wide right. The Lakers drove 74 yards in eight plays with Anes completing a 24-yard pass to Terrance Banks for a 14-0 lead following Dave Hendrix's second extra point kick.

Following a WSU punt, GVSU went 47 yards in seven plays as Anes and Kircus hooked-up on an eight-yard scoring pass. The Lakers increased their lead to 28-0 with 1:41 to play before intermission on a Brent Lesniak 13-yard touchdown run. The Warriors went 80 yards in six plays following the kickoff with Randy Hutchison completing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Marqus Anthony on a fourth-and-four with just 13 seconds left in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Anes and Kircus connected again from 17 yards for a 35-7 GVSU lead. Anes had his fifth touchdown pass of the game on GVSU's next drive. Mike Holloway hauled in the nine-yard scoring toss.

Sophomore Michael Griffie had his first career touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. Dan Gray hit Griffie for a nine-yard touchdown. The Lakers scored on their next drive to complete the scoring.

Warriors In The GLIAC Stats Team Statistics (All Games)
Scoring Offense		11th	11.7 ppg
Scoring Defense		12th	38.7 ppg
Passing Offense		7th	188.7 ypg
Passing Defense		11th	266.3 ypg
Kickoff Returns		6th	19.4 ypr
Punting (net punting avg.)		11th	28.4
Turnover Margin		T-4th	+1.00 pg
Rushing Offense		12th	62.7 ypg
Rushing Defense		12th	253.7 ypg
Total Offense		11th	251.3 ypg
Total Defense		12th	520.0 ypg
Punt Returns		10th	2.9 ypr
Passing Efficiency		10th	86.7
Passing Defense Efficiency		12th	171.1
First Downs		11th	36
Opp. First Downs		12th	78
Sacks By		10th	4
Penalties		8th	62.7 ypg
Opp. Penalties		1st	95.0 ypg
Fourth-Down Conversions		T-7th	33.3%
Opp. Fourth-Down Conversions		T-10th	62.5%
Red Zone Offense		T-8th	66.7%
Red Zone Defense		7th	76.5%
Third-Down Conversions		18.8%	12th
Opp. Third-Down Conversions		7th	39.0%
Kickoff Coverage		6th	18.9 ypr

WSU Individuals in the GLIAC
Interceptions	Alvin Mask	T-2nd	2
Punt Return Average	Stephen Stokes	10th	2.9
Kickoff Return Average	Thabiti Williamson	6th	22.3
Punting	Adam Nemer-Kaiser	4th	39.2
Scoring (Kicking) Per Game	Stephen Wayne	T-9th	3.7
Field Goals Made Per Game	Stephen Wayne	T-4th	1.00
Tackles Per Game	Derrick Thomas	2nd	10.3
Sacks	Leo Wells	T-2nd	3
Tackles For Loss	Leo Wells	T-2nd	4
Fumbles Recovered	Mohamad Bazzi	T-1st	2
	Derrick Thomas	T-4th	1
	Nate Collins	T-4th	1