Nov. 2, 2006

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ASHLAND GAME STORYLINES

The Wayne State University football team (5-4 overall, 5-3 GLIAC) will try to stop its first two-game losing streak of the season this Saturday when the Ashland Eagles (3-5 overall and GLIAC) invade Adams Field for WSU's home finale.

It will be Armed Forces Day this Saturday with scheduled attractions including an F-16 flyover, the game ball being rappelled down to the field via a helicopter, and an Army-style climbing wall.

The Warriors need one win in their final two games for their first winning season since 1993.

ON THE HEADSET

Wayne State's Paul Winters has a 9-20 mark in his third year with the Warriors. WSU has won eight of its last 14 games.

Ashland head coach Lee Owens has a 17-13 mark in his third year with the Eagles. His overall 12-year collegiate coaching record is 57-74.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

Wayne State trails 17-4 in the all-time series which began in 1975. The Warriors have lost the last nine home games against Ashland since claiming a 31-28 victory in 1976.

IN THE POLLS

Wayne State was tabbed for ninth in the GLIAC pre-season coaches poll. The Eagles were ranked third by the GLIAC coaches.

ON THIS DATE

WSU is 4-7-1 on November 4 after an 18-0 win over Ypsilanti Normal (now Eastern Michigan) in 1918, a 0-0 tie with Olivet in 1922, a 3-0 triumph over Hope in 1933, a 13-6 Homecoming loss to EMU in 1939, a 40-0 Homecoming setback to South Dakota State in 1950, a 28-6 loss at Western Reserve in 1961, a 47-18 triumph at Case Tech in 1967, a 28-7 loss at Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1972, a 24-14 victory at Northwood in 1978, a 36-30 setback versus Findlay in 1989, a 43-3 loss at Michigan Tech in 1995, a 22-20 setback against Grand Valley in 2000.

SCOUTING ASHLAND

The Eagles have lost two straight games after a stretch of three wins in four outings.

Blaine Maag leads the team in rushing yards (399) and touchdowns (4). Quarterback John Ferguson has completed 111 of 201 passes for 1,149 yards. David Ziegelhofer has a team-best 38 receptions for 351 yards.

Brady Miller has a team-leading 66 tackles, while Jeremy Crabtree has two pass break-ups and two interceptions. Miller was a preseason All-American by Hansen's Football Gazette.

NORTHWOOD GAME NOTES

Wayne State has won five games in a season (and in the GLIAC) for the first time since 1994.

Wayne State dropped its first road game of the season on Saturday to fall to 3-1 away from Detroit.

The Warrior defense has allowed 820 yards rushing the last two games after Northwood gained 495 yards on 51 carries. WSU allowed just 687 rushing yards in the first seven games.

Senior wide receiver Jake Weingartz recorded his first 100-yard receiving game with three catches for 114 yards. He had a 40-yard TD reception from Joique Bell, a 49-yard reception from Trent Pohl that set up WSU's final touchdown, and a 25-yard catch from Pohl.

Bell had a "hat trick" of touchdowns with a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, the aforementioned first quarter TD pass to Weingartz, and a receiving touchdown just before halftime.

WSU's third quarter TD drive of 95 yards ties a season-long set against Grand Valley.

Pohl had his first career rushing TD. He also extended his consecutive pass attempt streak without an interception to 77.

Place-kicker David Chudzinski tied the school career mark by making all four extra points on Saturday increasing his consecutive PAT streak to 32. He needs one field goal made to tie the WSU single-season mark of 12.

Bell set WSU single-season records for rushing yards (1,663), touchdowns scored (19), points (114) and GLIAC rushing yards (1,553 - Michael Simpson of Findlay had 1,545 in 2004). He is currently tied for the most rushing TDs (18) in a season and is second in all-purpose yards.

THIS AND THAT

Fans can follow all Wayne State home football games online via GameTracker (through wsuathletics.com) and all games (home and away) with audio from wdtkam.com.

Joique Bell is second nationally in all-purpose yards (215.4), third in the country in rushing yards (184.8) and fourth in scoring (12.7 points per game).

David Chudzinski leads the conference in field goals made (11), field goal percentage (84.6) and is tied-for-first in PAT percentage (100). He is seventh nationally in field goals made per game (1.2).

Derrion Fuqua is third in the league in passes defended (interceptions + break-ups) with 10 and is tied-for-24th in total tackles (6.8 per game).

WARRIOR CAPTAINS

Alan Clay, Grant Fodor, Alan Guy, Ryan Oshnock and Jake Weingartz.