DETROIT, Mich. – Under blustery and overcast conditions, Ohio Dominican's football team dropped to 0-3 with a 17-7 defeat Saturday afternoon against Wayne State in GLIAC action at Adams Field in Detroit.

Running back Mark Nichols (Pataskala, Ohio; pictured) led the ODU offense with 90 rushing yards, while safety Eisen Hardy (Pickerington, Ohio) had an interception and made 14 tackles, safety Jeff White (Gahanna, Ohio) made 11 tackles and linebacker Vincent Vasquez (Delray Beach, Florida), in his first career start, finished with 13.

The Warriors (3-1, 2-1 GLIAC) scored on the first possession of the second half to open up a 17-0 lead, but Ohio Dominican's offense answered. Wide receiver Tyler Purcell (Franklin, Ohio) fought off a defender and made a nifty 20-yard grab on the sideline, and Nichols, sprung by a block from quarterback Billy Griffin (Columbus, Ohio), went 36 yards down the far sideline and hurdled a tackler to the four. Two plays later, Griffin surged forward for the touchdown to cap off the eight-play, 75-yard drive.

The Warriors threatened to score on their next drive, but Vasquez made a huge play on fourth and goal at the one, knifing through the line and stuffing Josh Renel for a seven-yard loss. Ohio Dominican, largely on the strength of Nichols' running, moved again into Warrior territory before the drive stalled and kicker Chris Vortkamp came up short on a 54-yard field goal attempt with the wind at his back with 9:42 left.

ODU's defense stiffened again inside their own 20, forcing a turnover on downs with three minutes remaining, but Griffin's pass down the right sideline was picked off to end the comeback attempt.

An uneven first half saw ODU suffer another blocked punt, which led to a short TD drive for Wayne State, and the Panthers limited to 106 total yards on offense. The Panther defense bent by allowing 247 yards, but did not break as they limited the Warriors to three field goal attempts, two of which missed wide.

Wayne State needed to cover just 29 yards on its first drive after picking up the blocked punt deep in ODU territory, and Jessie Johnson scored from two yard out at the 8:29 mark. After an ODU punt, the Warriors again moved into Panther territory but had to settle for a 33-yard field goal to make it 10-0 late in the first quarter.

ODU's offense put together its best drive of the half early in the second quarter. Mike Noffsinger picked up 17 yards running around the right end, and Nichols converted a fourth-and-one run as the Panthers reached WSU's 22 yard line. But a fumbled snap pushed them back to the 28, and Vortkamp's field goal attempt from 45 yards was taken by the wind and smacked off the left upright.

Wayne State threatened to score twice more in the period, but Hardy thwarted one drive with an interception – his second of the season – and the Warriors missed a field goal as time expired in the half.

The Panthers play at Michigan Tech at 1 p.m. next Saturday.