Full Game Notes (PDF)

Game:        Malone University                                                0-2 (0-2 GLIAC)
                  at Wayne State University                                    1-1 (0-1 GLIAC)     
Date:         Saturday, September 19, 2015
Kickoff:    6:07 p.m. EDT at Tom Adams Field (Detroit, Michigan)
Broadcasts: www.malonepioneers.com/showcase
                  5:45 p.m. EST pre-game (Clint Scroggs – play-by-play, Larry Ridgeway – color)
Live Video: http://www.wsuathletics.com/watch/?Live=332
Live Stats: http://www.gliac.org/sports/fball/2015-16/boxscores/20150919_l5s0.xml
Tickets:      $10.00 adults; $5.00 youth; children 5 and under are free

Series:       
The Warriors hold a 3-0 edge in the all-time series, having posted a 38-14 victory at Benson Stadium in 2012, a 38-27 triumph at home in 2013 and a 39-15 win in Canton last fall.

Coaches:   
Malone – Eric Hehman is in his sixth season as the Pioneers' head coach and has tallied an 11-44 record at Malone.  Prior to arriving in Canton, Hehman spent the previous five years as 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 12th season as the head coach of the Warriors, has compiled a 64-61 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.

Last Season's Records: Malone 1-10 (1-9 GLIAC), Wayne State 7-4 (6-4 GLIAC)

Malone Notes – The Pioneers suffered a narrow 28-27 defeat at Michigan Tech University on Saturday afternoon…Malone jumped out to a 20-7 advantage before MTU clawed back to within 20-14 at the half…After exchanging third-quarter TDs, the Huskies pulled ahead 28-27 with a fourth-quarter scoring drive…Malone was forced to punt on its next possession and MTU ran the final 3:59 off the clock to preserve the victory…The Pioneers have delivered big plays in the passing game this year with an 82-yard TD in the season opener and a 44-yard completion for a score last week…Malone's average of 15.0 yards per completion is tied for the fifth-best in the GLIAC…The Pioneers converted nine of 14 third downs on Saturday and are now own the fourth-best third-down conversion rate in the conference at 50% (12-24)…Malone has been penalized just seven times, totaling 46 yards through its first two games.

Malone players to watch:  QB Will Szpor completed 17 of 21 pass attempts for 253 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's contest, marking that first time since 2011 that a Pioneer QB eclipsed 250 yards (Szpor threw for 279 yards in a win over Notre Dame College)…The redshirt senior has now completed 26 of 40 pass attempts on the season for 402 yards & three touchdowns…Szpor currently ranks eighth in the GLIAC in passing yards and is fifth in completion percentage (65%)…RB Matt Blasiole posted 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns at MTU…On the season, the sophomore tailback has picked up 114 rushing yards and scored three TDs…WR Ashton Dulin caught six passes for 104 yards and a score in Saturday's contest…The speedy freshman has snagged seven catches for 186 yards and two TDs through his first two collegiate games…Dulin's average of 26.6 yards per catch leads the GLIAC…WR Eian Elsass has also made an impact in the passing game, having snagged nine catches for 119 yards and one TD…DB Lucas Haupt recorded 10 tackles and a forced fumble in last week's contest…He currently leads the team with 18 tackles on the season…LB Ryan Weber, who made 11 stops against Michigan Tech, follows with 17 total tackles and a forced fumble.

Wayne State Notes – After dropping their season opener at Michigan Tech University, the Warriors bounced back on Saturday at home with a come-from-behind 21-20 triumph over Truman State University…WSU overcame a 20-7 third-quarter deficit, outscoring the Bulldogs 14-0 in the fourth quarter…Wayne State totaled 174 yards on the ground in the contest while holding Truman State to just 227 total yards… The WSU defense currently ranks second in the GLIAC in yards allowed, surrendering an average of 241.5 through its first two contests…The Warriors have registered 10.5 tackles for loss on the season which is tied for the most in the GLIAC and sixth-most among NCAA Division II teams…WSU ranks third in the conference in time of possession with an average of 33:04 per outing.

Wayne State players to watch: RB Romello Brown picked up 73 rushing yards on 24 carries last week and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter…On the season, Brown has netted 117 yards on 38 carries…RB Demetrius Stinson has also seen plenty of carries, having picked up 101 yards on 26 attempts…After Wayne State lost fifth-year senior QB Carl Roscoe to injury on the first offensive play in the season opener, true freshman signal caller D.J. Zezula has stepped into the starting spot…In his first two games, Zezula has completed 21 of 42 passes for 225 yards with four TDs and no interceptions….WR Jamel Hicks has been the main target in the passing game, hauling in six passes and a TD in each of the Warriors' first two contests…On the season, Hicks has 12 catches for 144 yards...LB Anthony DeDamos has racked up a team-best 20 tackles through Wayne State's first two games and shares the GLIAC lead in tackles for loss with 5.0…DB Zak Bielecki has made 15 stops on the year…CB Lairren Johnson has nine tackles and an one interception on the season…he has also broken-up or defended seven passes through the Warriors' first two games.
 
2015 Rosters
Malone  |  Wayne State

2015 Statistics
Malone  |  Wayne State