UW-Stevens Point knocked UW--Whitewater from the ranks of the unbeaten, defeating the second ranked Warhawks 17-16 on a two-point conversion with fifteen seconds left. The Pointers' win also ended Whitewater's Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record-tying win streak at twenty-five games, and UW-W's WIAC record home field win streak at twenty-seven games.
Box Score
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The game started as many others had over the last several years, with the Warhawks scoring on the second play of the game. Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) hit Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) with a 33-yard TD strike, but UW-W did not convert the kick, which may have been an omen.
The Pointers cut the margin in half, using nine plays to set up a 20-yard Ryan Graboski at 9:56 in the first quarter.
Whitewater dodged a bullet on its next possession, coughing up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff which UW-SP recovered at Whitewater's 31. Point marched to the two yard line, had first and goal, but the Warhawk defense stopped four running plays to keep the score 6-3.
The Pointer defense, with the help of two Whitewater penalties, held UW-W deep in its own zone, forcing a punt that ended up with UW-SP at Whitewater's 26. After three incompletions Ryan Graboski tied the game with a 43-yard field goal with 4:02 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter Warhawk defensive back Paul Wick (Franklin/Franklin) picked off a Jared Beckwith pass and returned it to the SP 49. Three plays later freshman running back Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) went 35 yards, the longest play from scrimmage by either team in the game, and Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) added the PAT to give the 13-6 lead with 7:10 left in the half. That would be the last scoring until the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter Point again capitalized on Whitewater penalties, with two Warhawk miscues contributing to a five-play 38-yard drive that ended with Graboski's third field goal of the day, this time from 22 yards, making it 13-9 Whitewater.
Whitewater answered with a 79-yard drive of its own, with Schebler connecting from 19 yards to put the Warhawks up 16-9 with 4:49 left in the game.
The Pointers started their next possession on their own 23, advanced to the 45, but Wick's second pick of the day, with 3:16 left in the game, seemed to seal the UW-SP's fate.
UW-SP got another shot however, after Whitewater went three and out, and Point returned a punt to its own 16 with 1:33 on the clock. Jared Beckwith completed five passes, all to Jared Jenkins, to put the Pointers in the end zone with just 15 seconds left. Three time outs later (two by UW-W), the Pointers lineup for a two-point conversion, and Beckwith connected with Jenkins again on a diving catch in the right corner of the end zone for the 17-16 lead, and the win.
UW-Whitewater may look closely at the schedule next year, since its last two Homecoming losses have come to UW-Stevens Point. The last time Whitewater lost to UW-SP was 2004, by a 15-12 score, in Whitewater's Homecoming game. Whitewater is 7-7 all-time in Homecoming games against the Pointers.
The loss is Whitewater's first in WIAC play since the last game in the 2004 season, 35-10 to UW-La Crosse, and the first at Perkins Stadium since that same game. Whitewater ties UW-La Crosse for the longest winning streak in conference history with twenty-five consecutive conference wins. UW-L actually won twenty-five straight conference games from 1949-1954, then tied a game, and won three more to cap an unbeaten streak at twenty-nine games.
Whitewater, 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the WIAC, will host UW-Eau Claire Saturday, November 1 at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium. That contest is not a WIAC game, because the two teams met earlier this season in Eau Claire, with Whitewater winning 16-14. The second game became a scheduling necessity when neither team could fill its ten game schedule. UW-Stevens Point is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC.
After Eau Claire, Whitewater will close the home schedule against UW-Stout November 8 and then end the regular season November 15 at UW-Platteville.
For additional information:
Lance Leipold, UW-W head coach phone: 262-472-1453
UW-W football website
