Northwest Wayne News

The Wayne State University football team is set to face the Findlay Oilers in their home opener this Saturday, following a week one loss. This marks the 24th meeting between the two teams and the first since Findlay's departure from the GLIAC.

Wayne State aims to secure a third consecutive home opener victory, having previously defeated Shaw and Missouri S&T in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Findlay enters the game with a 1-0 record after defeating Truman State 37-21. Head Coach Kory Allen, who has been with the team for 19 seasons, leads them. Matthew Rueve, a transfer from Boston College, made his collegiate debut last week with impressive stats: completing 21 of 35 pass attempts for 318 yards and two touchdowns.

Cam Childers returns as Findlay's top receiver from last season and had seven receptions for 150 yards in week one. Despite losing key player Brian Benson, senior Jayden Farmer led the ground attack with 82 yards on 18 carries.

Historically, Findlay holds a slight edge over Wayne State with a series lead of 12-11. However, Wayne State has won eight of their last ten encounters. The Warriors' past losses to Findlay at Tom Adams Field came in overtime.

Since 2008, Wayne State has shown early-season success with a record of 35-31 in games played during August and September. They are ranked sixth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

In their season opener against Tiffin, ten players made their collegiate debut while eleven others made their WSU debut. The team's offensive line is notably experienced this year with several returning starters including Aidan Tweedy and Charles Wesley.

Wayne State faces another challenging schedule this season after playing what was deemed the toughest schedule in Division II last year by the NCAA. They will compete against three teams ranked in the preseason top 25 poll: Ferris State (No.3), Grand Valley State (No.4), and Indianapolis (No.16).

The team currently has three sets of brothers on its roster along with several players who have familial ties to former Warriors athletes.

Graduate student punter Jeremy Taras stands out for his performance last season where he averaged over 38 yards per punt.

Wayne State’s roster includes players from twelve states predominantly Michigan but also Ohio, Illinois, California among others.

For fans unable to attend games live broadcasts will be available on WDTK - The Patriot or online at PatriotDetroit.com with veteran broadcaster Sean Baligian calling Warrior football for his sixteenth season alongside various analysts throughout different games.

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