GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport football team will be looking to get back on track as they take on Wayne State on Saturday at 1 PM in Detroit.

●    It's hard to believe, but this Saturday will be the final road game of the season for Davenport football. They will make the trip to Detroit for a 1:00 PM clash against Wayne State at Tom Adams Field. After this one, Davenport plays their final four games of the season in Caledonia, Michigan at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. The Panthers are coming off a tough 16-14 loss against Michigan Tech, in which they dropped their first homecoming game ever (8-1). It was a defensive-minded contest and started off with back-and-forth interceptions on each team's first drive. MTU got a big contribution from Avery Kucharski, who nailed three field goals, including a 43-yarder to open the scoring. Mac VandenHout had a four-yard rushing score in the first quarter and Earnest Sanders hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Grant Thwaites in the fourth quarter. It was the first touchdown throw of his career. Wayne State traveled to No. 1 Ferris State and could not sustain any success against the Bulldogs in a 59-0 defeat. WSU managed just nine first downs and 110 total yards compared to 34 first downs and 640 total yards by FSU.
●    Austin Stief had a breakout game for the Panthers against the Huskies. He led the team with three tackles for a loss of 25 yards. In addition, he had five total tackles and two quarterback hurries. Kennedy Nelson also wreaked havoc in the backfield with 2.5 tackles for a loss of 20 yards, including a 16-yard sack. He finished with five tackles in the game. D'Angelo Bellamy led DU with eight tackles (six solo). The Panthers will need to solve their woes on third down this season. They were 3-of-13 against the Huskies and are 18-of-62 (29 percent) overall for the season. Turnovers became an issue for the first time all season against MTU. DU lost the ball three times with two interceptions and a fumble. They entered the game with just three giveaways all season. DU is allowing 183.8 yards per game rushing this season. The last time it was this high was during the 2021 season when the team had a 3-8 record and allowed 184.7 yards per game.
●    Wayne State is looking for their first win of the season, but they have also played the toughest schedule in Division II. The opposition is 23-5 to this point in the season. They battled current 6-0 Findlay on the road back on Sept. 13 and fell 7-3. The Oilers gained just 214 total yards, including 36 on the ground. Martell Williams has emerged as one of the best defensive talents in the league. He leads the GLIAC with 10.2 tackles per game and that number also ranks 14th in Division II. The defense has also been able to knock the ball loose and pounce on it. They lead the conference with seven fumble recoveries, which is also 16th in Division II. The rushing attack has been stymied this season to the tune of 52.2 yards per game. Wayne State has managed just two rushing touchdowns this season and have allowed eight. Champion Edwards has started in five of the six games at quarterback and poses a dual-threat option. He is 75-of-129 passing for 764 yards and three scores. He needs to cut down on the interceptions however with six. Justyz Tuggle has been the top target for the Warriors with 24 catches for 240 yards.
●    The Panthers lead the all-time series by a 4-3 margin and have won the last three meetings against Wayne State. The Panthers dropped three of the first four meetings in the series before the recent turnaround. In the last three wins, Davenport has outscored Wayne State by a 122-72 margin. DU had a dominant performance last trip to Detroit back in 2023 with a 32-3 victory. They also won 37-14 in their other meeting in 2018 at Wayne State. In last year's affair, Wayne State built a 19-12 lead at halftime in Caledonia. Davenport responded with 17 third-quarter points and outscored the Warriors 31-7 in the second half. The Panthers gained 470 yards on offense with a balanced attack of 240 on the ground and 230 through the air. D'Wan Mathis completed 5-of-8 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Champion Edwards threw for 104 yards and a TD and also rushed for 93 yards for the Warriors. Myren Harris had a big day with 156 rushing yards and two scores.

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