Football runs past Northwood, 21-11

Football runs past Northwood, 21-11: The 18th-ranked Wayne State football team (3-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) handed the Northwood Timberwolves its first loss of the season Sept. 29 with a 21-11 road victory.

This is the third consecutive victory for the Warriors after starting the season off with a loss.

“First of all we’re playing good defense,” said Warriors head coach Paul Winters, speaking of how WSU has won its last three contests. “The offense has stepped up recently and we’ve been able to run the football. I think it’s just kind of every phase coming together.”

Northwood (4-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) put the first points on the board with a 28-yard field goal.

Junior running back Toney Davis gave the Warriors a 7-3 lead with a three-yard touchdown run. The score was the culmination of a five-play, 75-yard drive. Senior quarterback Mickey Mohner completed a 51-yard pass to junior wide receiver Dominique Maybanks to set up the score.

“He played well,” Winters said, speaking of Toney Davis and his 162 yards on 29 carries. “He ran hard, he ran tough. His strength wore their defense out. [It was a] really good game for him.”

The Timberwolves drove down the field on the ensuing possession, but the drive stalled in the red zone. They were kept scoreless as kicker Alex Faust missed the field goal attempt.

WSU kicker Stefan Terleckyj missed a field goal attempt as well on the ensuing possession for the Warriors.

Northwood drove down the field and again the Warriors defense kept the Timberwolves off the board. On first-and-goal at the WSU eight-yard line, Northwood coughed the ball up as senior defensive tackle Zach Houghton forced a fumble.

But the Warriors weren't able to turn the turnover into points as Northwood forced WSU to punt the ball.

Sophomore cornerback Gerren DuHart forced another Northwood turnover, recording his second career interception.

WSU made the Timberwolves pay for their mistake as senior wide receiver Steve Conway caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mohner. It was Conway's first reception for a touchdown at WSU and his first collegiate touchdown reception since Sept. 27, 2008, when he was at Albion College, according to wsuathletics.com.

The Warriors held a 14-3 lead at the half.

On the Timberwolves first possession of the second-half and inside the red zone, WSU sophomore linebacker Nores Fradi jarred the ball loose when he sacked Northwood quarterback Aaron Shavers. Fradi also recovered the fumble.

Fradi forced fumble and recovery were the Warriors’ ninth forced fumble and fifth recovery of the season.

“We always stress strips and trying to get the ball out,” Winters said. “I think that’s just the coaches’ emphasis [on stripping the ball].”

Mohner and the rest of the Warriors' offense went 74-yards down the field on a 13-play drive. The drive ended with an 11-yard touchdown run from Davis, giving WSU an 18-point lead.

Davis' second rushing touchdown of the game moved him into second place on the WSU all-time rushing touchdowns list with 38, as well as the WSU career points chart with 234 points scored, according to wsuathletics.com.

After punting on its ensuing possession, Northwood followed that with a nine-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass. It cut the Warriors' lead to 21-11 with eight minutes left in the game after a successful two-point conversion.

The touchdown was Northwood’s first of the game, as it only converted on two of its five chances in the red zone.

“The defense, they were obviously challenged against a good football team,” Winters said. “They made plays when they had to. Our team speed helped us because their quarterback was really fast and I think as the field narrowed, it kind of put him in a little box and that helped us.”

The Warriors burned over five minutes off the clock before being forced to punt the ball.

Northwood turned the ball over on downs after three consecutive incomplete passes and a sack on fourth down.

Northwood forced and recovered a fumble at its own four-yard line with 1:24 remaining. After picking up two first downs, the Timberwolves turned the ball over on downs, with a sack on fourth down by WSU junior linebacker Moe Davenport.

The Warriors head home to Adams Field for a noon matchup with Hillsdale College next Saturday.

“Hillsdale is a really smart team,” Winters said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes so [we] have to be sound. They’re a good football team.”