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 Stan Thornton had three interceptions returning one for a touchdown. |
Nov. 10, 2007
Typical of the 2007 Wayne State University football campaign, the Warriors had a lead in the fourth quarter only to let it slip away for the fourth time this season. WSU finishes the year with a 3-8 overall mark and a 2-8 record in the GLIAC. Ferris State finishes at 6-5 overall and 5-5 in the conference.
The Warriors struck first with a 10 play, 27-yard drive culminating in a 39-yard field goal by David Chudzinski (Belleville, Mich.). WSU had taken possession at the FSU 49 following a failed fake punt by the Bulldogs.
Ferris State responded with a 11-play, 67-yard drive with Jim Yates making a 24-yard field goal attempt to knot the game at three with 4:20 remaining in the opening quarter.
Stan Thornton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow) returned the kickoff 23 yards to the WSU 30. Two Daryl Graham (Detroit, Mich./St. Martin de Porres) runs and a 21-yard Mickey Berce (Dearborn, Mich.) completion to freshman Ed Sanders (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) moved the ball into Ferris territory. Chudzinski completed the eight-play drive with a 42-yard field goal.
The Warriors held on to the 6-3 lead until midway through the second period when FSU went 70 yards in 15 plays and used 4:41 on the clock. Paris Holloman had a two-yard scoring rush up the middle giving the guests their first lead of the contest.
The rest of the second quarter and the entire third period were scoreless. Both teams had drives in the third period deep into opponent territory but had the drives end on turnovers.
On the third play of the fourth quarter, FSU quarterback C.J. Van Wieren was intercepted by Thornton who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. It was the first interception return for a score by a Warrior since Leo Wells returned a pick 91 yards for six points on Oct. 15, 2005, against Findlay.
It was also Thornton's third interception of the game, the first three pick performance by a WSU player since Earl Carruthers had three interceptions in a win at Ashland on Oct. 4, 2003.
After an exchange of punts, the Bulldogs went 57 yards in nine plays with Van Wieren scored on a six-yard run to put FSU in front 17-13. WSU drove the FSU 38 but Berce was sacked on fourth down. Ferris was then able to run out the clock.
Ferris State led in most offensive categories: rushing yards (271-113), passing yards (120-106), total offense (391-219), time of possession (32:10-27:50), and third-down conversions (11/19 - 4/15).
The 2008 GLIAC schedule has been approved with all 12 teams (with the addition of Tiffin and the departing of Gannon and Mercyhurst) having an open weekend on August 30. The Warriors begin conference play on Sept. 6 at Saginaw Valley before returning to Adams Field to host Indianapolis on Sept. 13.
Notes:
WSU's average attendance of 2,801 was the highest for a season since 1979.
WSU sophomore running back Joique Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich.) was held under 100 yards for just the fourth time in his 22-game career as he gained 61 yards on 19 carries. The nation's leading scorer was held without a touchdown for only the second time in his career. He finished the campaign with a GLIAC tying 156 league points (GVSU's David Kircus in 2001).
Bell has rushed for 3,492 yards in 22 games and is 712 yards from the all-time school record (4,204 by Joe Gough 1991-94). He is also second in WSU all-time all-purpose yards with 4,285, which is 251 behind Gough's mark of 4,536.
Senior linebacker Alan Guy (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams), who made his 40th career start finished with 10 tackles (4-6) including 1.5 for loss. He finished his WSU career with 308 tackles (seventh all-time) and 37.5 for loss (ninth all-time).
David Chudzinski with his seven points against FSU tied Matt Fishburn's (1994-97) all-time scoring record by WSU kickers with 158 points.
In terms of GLIAC career records, Bell will enter his junior campaign in 2008 with 3,302 rushing yards (GLIAC games only) which is eighth all-time. Bell's 4,070 all-purpose yards is seventh all-time, while his 288 points is tied for fourth.
Bell rushed for 1,427 yards in 2007, the third-highest single-season mark in school history on 289 attempts, the fourth-best mark all-time for a year at WSU.
Junior Dante Dunn (Lansing, Mich./Waverly) had 22 kickoff returns for 600 yards and an average of 27.27, the highest return average in school history for a season for anyone with at least 11 kickoff returns.
The contest was the final collegiate game for 12 Warrior seniors: Muhammad Abdullah, Chris Alsina, James Cook, Luis Gomez, Guye Goodlow, Alan Guy, Dale Knuth, Frank Lietke, Nolan Martin, John Rehberg, Kenny Schmidt and Merrick Steele.
