Road Warriors: Wayne State wins again on road, advances to Div. II title game

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- 'Bama bound. That's the buzz phrase for Wayne State these days. The Warriors' defense held steady when it mattered most in a 21-14 victory over Winston-Salem State in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II football playoffs Saturday.

The win puts Wayne State (12-3) in the national championship game in Florence, Ala., against Pittsburg State (12-1) on Saturday at 11 a.m.

"When I recruited a lot of these guys, I told them that we would compete for a national championship," said coach Paul Winters. "Now they can see that everything has come together. We're going to play for a national championship."

The defense, led by safety Jeremy Jones, put on a stellar display at crucial moments. Winston-Salem State's normally potent offense came up empty on three trips inside the red zone. However, the most crucial stop for WSU came during the closing moments.

The defense, led by safety Jeremy Jones, put on a stellar display at crucial moments. Winston-Salem State's normally potent offense came up empty on three trips inside the red zone. However, the most crucial stop for WSU came during the closing moments.

READ MORE



WSSU's mole-hill mistakes became mountains

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Winston-Salem State came up empty shortly before a full moon rose over Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday. The ground game ran out of time, and frantic passes hit the ground, and the drive for a national championship died right there on the dormant Bermuda grass surrounded by an asphalt racetrack.

Wayne State, the last seed in the last regional revealed on selection day, won 21-14 and booked a trip to Alabama for the NCAA Division II title game. The Rams altered their season-long plans at the end of the finest season in school history — 13 wins and just one final defeat.

They lamented the slipped tackles and bobbled catches and the molehill mistakes that eventually seemed like mountains. Connell Maynor, their detail-conscious coach, tipped a gracious cap to relentless Wayne State. He also remembered every blown chance, including quarterback Kameron Smith's fumble at his 16-yard line, which teed up the Warriors' third score.

"We had three dropped touchdowns," Maynor said. "The plays were there to be made, but the guys just didn't make the plays when they had to."

READ MORE 

SEE ESPN3 REPLAY OF GAME: CLICK HERE