Game:                        NCAA Div. II #21 Wayne State (MI) Univ.          1-1 (1-1 GLIAC) 
                                    at Malone University                                             0-2 (0-2 GLIAC)
Date:                          Saturday, September 22, 2012
Kickoff:                       7:00 p.m. EDT at Fawcett Stadium
Broadcasts:              WNPQ 95.9 FM, www.thelight959.com
                                    6:45 p.m. EDT pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play)
Live Video:                http://www.malonepioneers.com/showcase
Live Stats:                 http://www.sidearmstats.com/malone/football
Tickets:                     $6.00 adults; $3.00 students/senior citizens; children 12 and under are free

Series:                      Saturday's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the Pioneers and Warriors.

Coaches: 
Malone – Eric Hehman is in his third season as the Pioneers' head coach and has tallied a 7-16 record at Malone.  Prior to arriving in Canton, Hehman spent the previous five years as the head coach at NCAA Division III Greenville (IL) College where he led the Panthers to a 28-22 record and a berth in the 2009 NCCAA Victory Bowl.
Wayne State – Paul Winters, now in his ninth season as the head coach of the Warriors, has compiled a 49-44 record at Wayne State.  He was named the AFCA Division II National Coach of Year after a memorable 2011 campaign in which he led WSU to a 12-4 record and an appearance in the Division II National Championship Game.  Prior to becoming the Warriors' head coach, Winters held assistant coach positions at the Univ. of Akron, the Univ. of Wisconsin and the Univ. of Toledo.

Coaches Show: In the week three video, Coach Hehman discusses last week's contest at Hillsdale, this week's match-up with Wayne State and why "Pioneers"  is such a fitting nickname for this year's squad.

Last Season's Records: Malone 4-7 (N/A), Wayne State 12-4 (7-3 GLIAC)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers dropped a hard-fought road contest to defending GLIAC Champion Hillsdale (MI) College this past Saturday by a final tally of 27-10…Malone trailed by a narrow 14-10 margin at halftime before the Chargers pulled away with a pair of second-half TD's...With 111 rushing yards vs. Hillsdale, the Pioneers have now gained 100 or more yards on the ground in four straight contests (when taking into account the final two games of 2011 and the first two match-ups of 2012)…Malone currently ranks sixth among the GLIAC's 16 schools in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 30:49 through its first two games.

Malone players to watch:  QB Will Szpor threw for 142 yards and a touchdown against Hillsdale…Through Malone's first two games, the sophomore signal caller has completed 27 of 47 (57.5%) passes for 303 yards with three TD's and one interception…Although Slot Back/WR Justin McLean was limited to two pass receptions and two rushing attempts last week, the senior playmaker currently ranks ninth in the GLIAC in all-purpose yards, averaging 122.5 through the Pioneers' first two games…RB Steven Niewiedzial has been Malone's top rusher so far this season, having picked up 89 yards on 18 attempts (5.2 avg)…RB Ronnie Beers has also seen plenty of playing time…last week vs. Hillsdale, the freshman posted 26 rushing yards to go with a 26-yard TD grab…On the defensive side of the ball, senior DB Demarco Donaldson currently leads the GLIAC with an average of 14 tackles per game…Donaldson has also broken up two passes and forced a fumble…Fellow DB Logan Francis has made 16 stops…Freshman LB James Benedix has made an immediate impact, totaling 14 tackles through his first two games.

Wayne State Notes – The Warriors' 12 victories in 2011 marked the highest single-season win total in program history…Wayne State notched four road playoff victories last fall before dropping a 35-21 decision to Pittsburgh State Univ. in the DII National Championship Game… The Warriors entered 2012 ranked at No. 5 in the Preseason National Poll, but suffered a 7-0 loss to Ashland University in their season opener… WSU then engineered a frantic rally this past Saturday, overcoming an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Lake Erie College 35-31…The Warriors currently rank fourth in the GLIAC in total defense, yielding just 272.5 yards per outing…WSU is also first in the conference in pass defense, allowing just 258 total yards through the air in its first two games.

Wayne State players to watch: RB Toney Davis earned Honorable Mention All-GLIAC recognition in 2011 after rushing for 1557 yards and 22 touchdowns…Through the first two games of his junior campaign, Davis has gained 180 rushing yards on 42 attempts with two TD's…Davis' average of 90 yards per game currently ranks sixth in the GLIAC…. Mickey Mohner is back under center for Wayne State this season after throwing for 2,800 yards and 25 TD's last year…Through WSU's first two games in 2012, Mohner has completed 27 of 51 (52.9%) passes for 326 yards with two TD's and three interceptions…Mohner's favorite target this fall has been WR Dominique Maybanks, who currently ranks sixth in the conference with an average of 73.5 receiving yards per game..Through two contests, Maybanks has snagged a total of 11 catches, including one TD…LB Ed Viverette, a 2nd team All-GLIAC performer in 2011, paces the Wayne State defense with 20 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, a sack and one forced fumble…Viverette is currently tied for fifth in the GLIAC with an average of 10 tackles per game…Fellow LB Nores Fradi has also made significant contributions with 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

2012 Rosters:
Malone  |  Wayne State

2012 Statistics:
Malone  |  Wayne State