Eastern Wayne Today

The Wayne State University football team is set to face Northern Michigan in the final game of the 2024 season, marking a significant occasion as it will also serve as Senior Day for the team. The Warriors are aiming to secure back-to-back victories for the first time since their five-game winning streak in 2019.

Northern Michigan, led by head coach Shane Richardson, enters this matchup without a win this season. Richardson, who previously coached at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, has an overall record of 0-21 with the Wildcats. Quarterback Aidan Hoard has completed 45-of-116 passes for 629 yards and has thrown four touchdowns across nine games.

The Wildcats' top receiver, Michael Love, stands out with 22 catches for 443 yards and five touchdowns this season. On the ground, Jahi Wood leads Northern Michigan with 559 rushing yards from 141 carries.

Wayne State's recent performances include notable achievements such as Griffin Milovanski setting a new school record with his 40th career field goal and John Rayba catching two touchdown passes against Grand Valley State. Additionally, Champion Edwards leads Wayne State in rushing yards among quarterbacks this season.

Wayne State holds a slight advantage over Northern Michigan in their historical matchups at home but trails overall in the all-time series between the teams.

As they prepare for Senior Day, Wayne State will honor eighteen players including Kaleb Coleman and Colin Gardner among others.

This game also highlights several individual accomplishments within the team: XaVior Tyus's consistent rushing efforts throughout the year and Manny Harris's versatility on both offense and special teams are notable mentions.

The Warriors have demonstrated strong defensive capabilities throughout the season by forcing eight fumbles and recovering seven. The team's schedule is considered one of the toughest nationally within Division II football due to opponents' winning percentages.

For fans wanting to follow live coverage of this concluding game against Northern Michigan or any other matches during this season - radio broadcasts continue through WDTK – The Patriot or online streaming via FloSports remains available. Veteran Detroit broadcaster Sean Baligian continues his tenure covering Warrior football alongside Brady Beedon providing color commentary.