GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State will play the first of three consecutive non-GLIAC games on Thursday night against Slippery Rock at Tom Adams Field.  The Warriors are opening the season at home for the second consecutive season and for the ninth time in the Paul Winters era.  Since 2004, WSU is 8-7 in season openers and 9-6 in home openers.

SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
Slippery Rock had an 11-3 season a year ago where it advanced to the NCAA DII Playoffs for the fourth time in program history.  The Rock won twice in the postseason before falling to Note Dame (Ohio) 21-17 in the Super Regional Championship game.  Head coach Shawn Lutz is in his fourth season leading SRU and enters the 2019 campaign with a career record of 26-10.  The Rock was picked as the favorite to win the PSAC after going 7-0 in conference games last year.
 

Slippery Rock returns six starters on offense, including senior quarterback Roland Rivers III, who accounted for 3,318 yards of total offense and 35 touchdowns in 2018.  The program top two pass catchers are back in Henry Litwin and Jermaine Wynn, Jr., who both caught 51 passes and combined for 1,586 receiving yards plus 17 TDs through the air.  Top rusher Wes Hills is gone after gaining 1,714 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns.  Rutgers transfer Charles Snorweah and returning junior Braden Fochtman will share the load in the backfield.
 

Junior linebacker Tim Vernick will anchor the defense after leading the unit with 92 total tackles, including 13 for loss a season ago.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State leads 2-1 in the all-time series versus Slippery Rock.  This will be the first meeting since 1986.  The first-ever contest between the two programs took place at The Big House (Michigan Stadium) in 1981 in front of 34,876 fans.  WSU won that contest 14-13.

CONSISTENT LEADER
Paul Winters became the longest tenured football coach in program history in 2018 and enters his 16th season at the helm of the Warriors in 2019.  Winters surpassed Hall of Fame coach Joseph Gembis, who held the post for 14 seasons (1932-45).  Winters enters this season tied-for-29th among all active DII football head coaches with 83 wins.  He is tied with Arne Ferguson (Western Oregon) and Victor Santa Cruz (Azusa Pacific).

A MATURING OFFENSIVE LINE
No matter the number of starters returning or the student-athletes graduating and participating in professional training camps, the WSU offensive line continues to be a strength of the program.  The Warriors return two veteran starters in junior guard Lane Potter (22 starts) and senior center Charlie Younger (15 starts).  Other returnees on the O-Line include center Reid Thompson (seven starts) and guard Adam McJunkin (three starts).  In addition, tackle Landin Mitchell (made nine starts on the offensive line in 2017 for Davenport).

WINNING WHEN EXECUTING
Wayne State has won 23 of its last 29 games when rushing for over 200 yards, including the 2018 season-opener over Walsh, where the Warriors totaled 237 yards on the ground and vs. Northwood when WSU rushed for 399 yards.  The first three setbacks when accomplishing the feat came in 2016-at Ashland, where the Warriors ran for exactly 200 yards in a losing effort; at Ferris State and at Ohio Dominican when WSU ran for 242 yards.
 

WSU lost on three occasions last season when rushing for at least 200 yards - at UIndy on Sept. 8th where the Green & Gold compiled 202 yards on the ground; Sept. 22 at Saginaw Valley State; and at GVSU in the season finale when WSU finished with 242 yards on the ground.  During the last seven-plus seasons (2011-18), Wayne State is 33-10 when rushing for 200 yards, including a 13-8 mark on the road.  Under Coach Winters, the Green & Gold are 52-19 under those parameters, including a 33-5 mark at home.

2019 OUTLOOK
Wayne State will look to rebound in 2019 after posting back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since Paul Winters first two years in Detroit.  Winters enters his 16th season guiding the Warriors, who have 49 returning letterwinners, including 16 starters.
 

The six starters on offense include offensive linemen Lane Potter and Reid Thompson.  Senior Charlie Younger returns to bolster the contingent after missing the final seven games a season ago.  Graduate student Deiontae Nicholas and seniors James Hill and DeOntay Moffett will lead the rushing attack, while Darece Roberson, Jr. and Ray'Jon Williams-Jackson, will be the main targets for either Jake AmRhein or Dakota Kupp.
 

The WSU defense has eight returning starters, including all four in the secondary in senior Kyle Toth and sophomore Tieler Houston at the safety positions, and senior Greg McDade along with junior DaVarie Halliburton at cornerback.  Senior linebackers Leon Eggleston and Ryan Smith return as does defensive linemen Tiroca Battle and Jalen Lewis.
 

The place-kicker duties will be handled by either junior Luke Bevilacqua or an incoming freshmen (Jackson Griskie and Niccolo Seilo), while the punting chores are an open competition as incumbent Taylor McCarty will miss the season as a medical redshirt. 
 

The return game will be led by Roberson (punt and kickoff return), Kyle Lewis (kickoff return) and Deiontae Nicholas (kickoff return).

PITTMAN MAKING AN IMPRESSION
One of the leaders of the defense, during his time at Wayne State was linebacker Anthony Pittman.  He made a strong case to earn a roster spot with the Detroit Lions when the team breaks camp but will join the practice squad to begin the season.  In the August 23rd exhibition game, Pittman led all Lions with 48 snaps from scrimmage.  He also saw action on nine special teams plays.  The week before in Houston, Pittman saw action in 60 plays (47 defense, 13 ST) recording three tackles and a quarterback hit.

GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) released its Preseason Football Coaches Poll in early August and Wayne State was tied-for-fifth with Davenport.
 

The Warriors received 30 points as did Davenport.  Ferris State had eight first-place votes and 64 points, while Ashland was second with 55 points.  Grand Valley State had one first-place vote and 51 points, with Saginaw Valley State accumulating 42 points.  Trailing WSU and DU were Northern Michigan (19 points), Northwood (17 points) and Michigan Tech (16 points).
 

Each head coach was not permitted to vote for his own school.  Each team will play each of the other eight schools in league play since there were no changes in the GLIAC football membership for 2019.
 

OPTIONS IN THE BACKFIELD
Coach Winters has to be happy when he looks into the running back room and sees three running backs in their final year of eligibility led by James Hill, DeOntay Moffett and Deiontae Nicholas.  The trio has combined for 2,435 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns along with a 6.44 yards per carry average.  In addition, the three seniors have a joint 864 receiving yards giving the contingent 3,299 yards from scrimmage in their collegiate careers.
 

Hill, who was voted to the 2018 All-GLIAC Second Team as well as WSU's Offensive MVP, returns after leading the GLIAC in yards per carry (6.4), which ranked 18th nationally.  Hill finished fourth in the league in rushing yards (831), and fifth in both rushing yards per game (75.5) and rushing touchdowns (10).  During Hill's breakout season a year ago, he was second on the squad in receptions (17), total offense and all-purpose yards (1,021), and third in receiving yards (172).
 

SIGNAL CALLERS
One of the ever-popular topics of conversations around the country as the summer winds down is who will be playing quarterback for the local team.  Wayne State has a couple of experienced options in junior Jake AmRhein and senior Dakota Kupp.
 

AmRhein started the final nine games a season ago, and finished the year ranked fourth in the GLIAC in both passing yards (1,744) and passing efficiency rating (122.7), and fifth in passing touchdowns (11), while ranking 30th nationally in yards per completion (13.95).

Kupp is 4-1 as a starter and will enter his senior season ranked 18th in school history in total offense per play (5.25 yards), 24th in completion percentage (.454 / 59-of-130), 25th in passing efficiency rating (96.1) and 26th in passing yards per completion (12.8 / min. 50 completions).
 

PLAYING RANKED OPPONENTS
Wayne State is 9-30 against teams ranked inside the top 25 under Coach Winters (does not include forfeit by SVSU in 2005).  WSU's last victory came on Sept. 13, 2014, against 13th-ranked Carson Newman at Tom Adams Field.
 

EARLY SEASON SUCCESS
Since  the  start  of  the  2008  season,  WSU  has  a  31-17  record  for  games  played  in  August  and  September.  The Warriors are 25-24 in October during that same time period, 12-13 in November and 2-1 in December.
 

TOM ADAMS HOME COOKING
Tom Adams Field is not an easy place to play for visiting programs. The Warriors have defended their home turf well in the past 11 seasons (2008-18) to a 42-22 tune.  WSU had a winning record at Adams Field for nine straight seasons, until a 2-4 record in 2017.  In the Coach Winters' era, the Warriors are 49-35 (.583) in home games. 
 

WSU is 33-19 at Tom Adams Field this decade and carries a 217-220-19 all-time record at home in the first 101 years of the program as Detroit Junior College (1918-23), College of the City of Detroit (CCD / 1923-34), Wayne University (1934-56) and WSU (1956-present).

ON THIS DATE
The last time WSU started a season on Sept 5th was the 2013 contest at 17th-ranked Carson-Newman.  The last home contest on Sept. 5th was game number two of the 2009 campaign which saw the Warriors fall 21-13 to No. 24 Saginaw Valley.  The last time Wayne State started a season on Sept. 5th at home came in 1998, when Mercyhurst notched a 24-17 victory.

GOOD TO MEET YOU

As mentioned earlier, this will be the first football meeting between WSU and Slippery Rock since 1986.  Week two will see the Warriors first trip to Kirksville, Mo. since Oct. 11, 1975 when the Tartars posted a 41-7 triumph.  The week three match-up with Quincy will be the first football meeting between the schools.  Wayne University has played only one opponent whose name began with a Q in the first 101 years of football.  WU lost 7-0 at Quantico Marines (Quantico, Va.) in 1948, followed by a 33-14 setback at home the following year.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State concluded the 2018 season with 45-21 setback at eighth-ranked Grand Valley State on Nov. 10, 2018.  Wayne State totaled 471 yards of offense, compared to 413 for the Lakers.  WSU was just 2-of-13 on third down, while limiting Grand Valley to 4-of-12.  The biggest difference was four turnovers by the Warriors to zero for GVSU.  James Hill rushed for a game-high 101 yards on 13 carries, while DeOntay Moffett gained 64 yards on 10 attempts.  Jake AmRhein completed 18-of-31 passes for 229 yards along with two touchdowns and two interceptions.  Steven Glenn had a team-high 84 receiving yards on two catches, including a 68-yard touchdown reception.
 

900TH GAME
Wayne State played its 900th football game on Oct 13, 2018.  The first contest was a 41-0 win on October 6, 1918, at Assumption (Ont.) College (became Assumption University in 1956).  The record by school names is Detroit Junior College (24-12-6), College of the City of Detroit (24-57-5). Wayne University (70-86-11) and WSU (261-341-7).
 

DON'T MISS ANY OF THE ACTION
There are several ways you can watch or listen to Wayne State Football this season.  Every contest can be heard live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM) or online at PatriotDetroit.com.  Every home game can be seen live on Comcast CN900 in the state of Michigan.  In addition, every home clash will be streamed via pay-per-view on WSU All-Access at WSUAthletics.com.