DETROIT – The Wayne State University football team (2-1 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) was relentless on offense Saturday night against Malone (0-3 overall, 0-3 GLIAC), winning the game in dominant form by a score of 56-21 at Tom Adams Field. The Pioneers played a competitive first half, but the Warriors on both sides of the ball in the second half were too much for the opposition. The Warriors have won six of their last seven games dating back to last season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the Warriors forced a three-and-out on the Pioneers first drive of the game, freshman quarterback D.J. Zezula (Clarkston, Mich.) connected with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Manny Mendoza (Rochester Hills, Mich.) for a 37-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 WSU early in the first quarter.
• The Warriors defense remained strong forcing a second consecutive three-and-out.  The WSU offense then marched down the field going 58 yards in 10 plays with sophomore Demetrius Stinson (Detroit, Mich. / Douglass) scoring on a four-yard scamper to stretch the Wayne State advantage to 14-0.
• The Pioneers responded at the beginning of the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Matt Blasiole to pull the visitors within seven at 14-7.  MU drove 75 yards in 14 plays.
• Malone continued to rally in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown run by Ashton Dulin on an end around to tie the game at 14 points apiece.
• The Pioneers run game continued to give the Warriors defense trouble in the second quarter as Matt Blasiole rambled 65 yards on the second play after a WSU punt giving Malone its first lead of the game at 21-14.
• Wayne State capitalized on its final drive before heading into halftime with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Zezula to redshirt junior tight end Trent Brodbeck (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's Jesuit) which knotted the game at 21, just 40 seconds prior to intermission.
• On the first drive of the second half for the Warriors, Zezula found a wide-open Brodbeck for a 54-yard touchdown pass giving the lead back to WSU at 28-21.  It was Brodbeck's second touchdown reception of the game, and the third of his collegiate career.
• Wayne State extended its lead later in the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown run from redshirt sophomore running back Romello Brown (Westland, Mich. / Livonia Churchill) pushing the Warrior lead to 35-21.  Brown's TD run concluded a 12-play, 66-yard drive in 6:26.
• The first turnover of the night came in the third quarter when redshirt junior defensive tackle Dalton Binkowski (Washington, Mich. / Romeo) stripped the ball on a Malone run and the fumble was recovered by redshirt senior defensive tackle Derrick Rodgers (Redford, Mich. / Thurston), putting Wayne State in opportunistic territory at the Malone 17.
• On the ensuing drive, Brown scampered for a 14-yard touchdown run, his second of the night which made it 42-21 Warriors.  Brown's fourth career touchdown run was his third against the Pioneers (his lone touchdown last season came at Malone).
• Late in the fourth quarter, Stinson eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark with a 31-yard touchdown run to further increase the lead to 49-21.
• The Warriors were not done scoring until redshirt freshman running back Deiontae Nicholas (Chesterfield, Mich. / L'Anse Creuse North) ran 27 yards for his first career touchdown.

WARRIOR PLAYER TIDBITS

• Stinson's first quarter touchdown run was the first score of his collegiate career.
• Brodbeck's two touchdown receptions in this game were the second and third of his career. His first touchdown catch came on October 20, 2012, against Northern Michigan. He also accomplished a career-high in receiving yards with 126.
• Redshirt junior linebacker Valorian Cunningham (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Loy Norrix) set a career-high in tackles-for-loss with three solo TFL's in the game.
• Brown's two rushing touchdowns in the game gives him three for the season and four total in his collegiate career.
• Nicholas fourth quarter touchdown was the first of his collegiate career.
• Redshirt sophomore kicker Paul Graham (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's) moved up in the record books into a tie-for-seventh in all-time scoring by kickers with Craig Motzer (1986-87).  Each has 86 career points.
• Zezula finished the game completing 88 percent of his passes (16-18).

WARRIOR TEAM TIDBITS

• After giving up 21 unanswered points to the Pioneers in the second quarter alone, the Warriors defense stepped up and didn't allow another point in the second half, setting up a marginally-large victory for Wayne State with a final score of 56-21.
• The Warriors rushed for over 200 yards (267) against the Pioneers, making the Green and Gold 17-4 when accomplishing the feat over the past four seasons.  
• Wayne State went 9-of-13 on third down conversions, along with going three for four on red zone opportunities.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

• Zezula completed 16-of-18 pass attempts for 254 yards and three touchdowns. He also had five rushing attempts for 30 yards.
• Stinson led the team in rushing with 131 yards on 25 attempts along with two touchdowns.
• Brodbeck had a game-high in receiving yards with 126 on four receptions and his two touchdowns.
• Defensively, redshirt senior safety Zak Bielecki (Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran North) led the team with eight total tackles, five unassisted and three assisted.

THE FINAL STATISTICS

• The Warriors had 521 yards in total offense, compared to only 233 total yards for the Pioneers.
• Wayne State had the edge in passing yards by a 254-90 margin.
• The WSU defense limited Malone to six yards of offense in the second half on 22 plays.

UP NEXT
The Warriors are on the road next week as they face GLIAC opponent Northwood Timberwolves (1-2 overall) on September 26 in Midland, Mich.  Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Hantz Stadium.