Nov. 5, 2005

Stats

Hillsdale, Mich. - The Wayne State University football team closed out its 2005 campaign with a 28-14 setback at Hillsdale's Muddy Waters Field on Saturday.

The Warriors finished the season with a 3-7 mark both overall and in the GLIAC, while the Chargers end the year at 5-6 overall and 4-7 in the league.

The Warriors were driving midway through the opening period but an offensive pass interference penalty on Nick Body forced WSU to punt that was returned across midfield.

HC went 49 yards in six plays with Mark Nicolet completing a 22-yard scoring toss to Ryan Hermosillo for the game's first score.

Wayne State punted on its next drive and Hillsdale drove 87 yards in eight plays with Keith Recker hauling in a 41-yard pass from Nicolet to give the hosts a 14-0 lead.

WSU went 77 yards in nine plays following the kickoff to pull within seven points at 14-7. Chris Middlebrooks (Romulus, Mich.) had five rushes for 43 yards on the drive setting up a Nolan Martin (St. Joseph, Mich./Berrien Springs) to Nick Body (Ortonville, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes) 23-yard touchdown pass as Body managed to get a foot down in the end zone.

Wayne State thought they had the momentum recovering an onside kick but a WSU player was ruled offsides. On the drive following the ensuing kickoff, Hillsdale went 65 yards in 11 plays for a 21-7 lead. Greg Dixon scored on a one-yard plunge.

The Chargers scored the only points of the third quarter on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:19 off the clock and culminated in a 20-yard run by Phil Martin.

On Hillsdale's next drive, back-up quarterback Jesse Hoskins was sacked by James Cook and Josh McLean returned the fumble 18 yards.

WSU drove inside the HC 30 but failed to convert a fourth-and-four.

Following a Charger punt on the ensuing drive, the Warriors drove 85 yards in six plays to make it a 28-14 contest. Middlebrooks capped off the drive with a 2-yard jaunt into the end zone.

On the first play off the drive, Middlebrooks gained 31 yards to go over 1,000 yards for the season.

WSU had three other double-digit plays on the drive: Darren Haynes' 15-yard run; Nolan Martin's 11-yard run; and Martin's 19-yard pass to Bobby Boyer.

Hillsdale held a 36:58 to 23:02 advantage in time of possession and converted 11 of 19 third down plays. WSU went 1 of 11 on third down and was limited to 285 yards on 62 plays.

Notes:

WSU junior running back Chris Middlebrooks gained 150 yards on 23 carries to become only the fifth back in school history to have a 1,000-yard season finishing with 1,029 yards. His 239 rushing attempts is the sixth-highest total in WSU history.

Sophomore Nolan Martin completed 12 of 29 for 116 yards to finish the season with 137 completions (t-7th) and 285 pass attempts (7th all-time) for 1,470 yards (9th all-time). His 356 total plays ranks 8th all-time on the WSU single-season charts.

Nick Body had a game-high seven receptions for 78 yards to end the year with 67 catches (second highest WSU total behind his 73 catches in 2003). His 809 receiving yards ranks seventh.

Senior defensive end Leo Wells (Detroit, Mich./Hamtramck) had 1.5 tackles for loss to complete his career with 52.5 TFL, 0.5 behind the school-record holder (Daishawn Franklin, 1995-98).

WSU senior defensive lineman Michael Hall (Inkster, Mich./Belleville) had 11 tackles to end the year as WSU's top tackler with 69 total stops.

Sophomore linebacker Alan Guy (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) had a game-high 13 tackles including 12 solo.

Wayne State opens the 2006 season on Saturday, September 2 at Michigan Tech. WSU's home opener will take place the following Saturday (September 9) against the Pumas of St. Joseph's.