Michigan Tech Rallies To Beat Wayne State, 23-20
Story and photo courtesy of MTU Athletics "I thought our team did a great job all the way around and I'm very proud of the effort our players gave today," Michigan Tech Head Coach Steve Olson said. "We had a good game plan and were able to execute a lot of different things in all three phases of the game. Offensively, I thought we had some big plays in the passing game and ran the ball very effectively. Special teams came through with a huge blocked punt that we were able to convert for the touchdown." Michigan Tech (3-4, 1-4 GLIAC) overcame a bit of a slow start in the first half as Wayne State (1-6, 0-4 GLIAC) opened up a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Warriors went 60 yards in 11 plays on their second possession of the game before the Huskies' defense halted the drive at their own 11-yard line . Paul Graham booted a 29-yard field goal with 6:08 to go in the first quarter to make it a 3-0 score. The Huskies were then able to find a rhythm offensively in the second quarter, churning up big yardage on the ground courtesy of freshman running back Jared Smith who went on to rack up 198 yards in his second career start. Tech was unable to connect on a field goal with just over six minutes to go in the second, but put a triple on the board on the final play of the half. The Huskies took over possession at their own 20-yard line with 2:56 to play until the break. Smith reeled off nine yards on the second play from scrimmage and then powered forward for two-yards to convert a first down. Tech's offense then dialed up a trick play as junior wide receiver Ben Hartley caught a lateral on the left side and fired the ball downfield to senior wide receiver Jacob Wenzlick for a 65-yard gain. Michigan Tech had deferred possession to start the game and got the ball first to open the third quarter. On a second and nine from the 39-yard line, sophomore quarterback Will Ark went to the air to find sophomore wide receiver Jordan Janssen for a 47-yard pass and catch. Tech's defense got the Warriors' offense off schedule on the ensuing possession, thanks to a big stop for a six-yard loss from senior defensive lineman Xavier Ciardo when he brought down running back Kyle Lewis on a 1st and 10 play. Wayne State eventually had to line up in punt formation facing a fourth and 16 from their own 31. Freshman linebacker John Paramski broke through the punt protection to block the kick, the first of his career. The ball rolled all the way back to the 11-yard line where freshman defensive back Kevin Lee picked it up and ran it into the end zone for the touchdown, giving the Huskies a 17-10 lead. The two teams exchanged field goals on the next two possessions of Saturday's game. Graham connected on a 26-yard kick with 4:20 to play in the third to draw the Warriors to within four at 17-13. The Huskies though were able to counter with a triple of their own to push the spread back to seven points. Wayne State got the ball back and put together a 13 play touchdown drive to tie the score at 20-20 with 7:27 left in the fourth. James Hill was able to turn the corner on a run to the left side, resulting in a two-yard touchdown for the Warriors. Hill had five carries in the drive that covered 56 yards. Michigan Tech rallied to slip back in front with Zeboor's third field goal of the afternoon. After the Wayne State kickoff sailed out of bounds, the Huskies found themselves with good field position at their own 35. On the first play from scrimmage, Smith bolted forward for 42 yards down to the Wayne State 23. He then picked up six more yards to position the ball at the 17, but the Huskies were unable to progress any further. Zeboor stepped out on the field again and powered a 34-yard kick through the uprights to make it a 23-20 score in favor of Tech. The Huskies defense then stepped up to shut down the Warriors on their final two possessions of the afternoon. Sophomore defensive lineman Nathan Beining sacked AmRhein for a 12-yard loss to force a punt. On what would be the last possession of the game for Wayne State, sophomore defensive lineman Jimmie Cannon notched his first sack of the year on a crucial second and five play which cost the Warriors six yards. The Huskies churned out a season high 236 yards rushing Saturday, with Smith picking up the bulk of that total with 198 yards on 26 carries. He averaged an impressive 7.6 yards per carry in his second career collegiate start. Ark completed seven passes for 47 yards while Hartley connected on one pass for 65 yards. Freshman defensive backs Tai Allen and Braxton Blackwell led the Huskies with nine stops apiece in the victory.
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