It was a close game throughout but the Warhawks prevailed in their Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener with a 16-14 win over UW-Eau Claire at Carson Park Saturday, upping UW-W's conference win streak to twenty-two games, dating back to the final game of the 2004 season. Both teams were ranked going into this weekend's game, the Warhawks were number two in the country and the Blugolds were number twelve. Both of Whitewater's wins this season have come against ranked teams, having opened the season with a 24-9 win over Saint Xavier College (IL), ranked ninth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, last week at Perkins Stadium.
Box Score
The Warhawks (2-0) and the Blugolds (1-1) will play again this season on November 1. The second meeting between the two teams will not count toward the WIAC standings.
The Warhawks got on the board first with a thirty-five yard field goal by
Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption).
Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) went 5 for 7 on the fifty-nine yard drive while
Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) rushed for thirty yards on five carries.
Another field goal by Schebler in the second quarter, this one of thirty yards, gave the 'Hawks a 6-0 lead. The two field goals by Schebler was the only scoring for either team in the first half.
The Warhawks started the second half with the ball but an interception gave the Blugolds the ball on the Warhawk five-yard line. A one yard touchdown run by Cory Sartorelli on the third play of the drive, followed by a successful extra point, gave UW-Eau Claire their first lead of the game, 7-6.
Two possessions later the Warhawks answered with their first touchdown of the game on a two-yard rush by Coppage, his first career rushing touchdown. A Schebler extra point gave the Warhawks the 13-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Yet another Schebler field goal, this one of forty-seven yards, with 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, gave the Warhawks a narrow 16-7 lead.
The Blugolds answered with a twelve play, 74 yard drive to score on a Kyle Paulson twelve yard pass to Spencer Kehoe. The ensuing extra point was good to tighten the game to 16-14.
The following Warhawk drive was stifled as the 'Hawks went three and out and had to punt the ball back to UW-EC with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Blugolds faced a third and seventeen on what would have been a game winning drive when Paulson was picked off by
Matt McCulloch (Janesville/Parker). The Warhawks successfully ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Donovan was 17-for-28 for 134 yards.
Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) was on the receiving end of eight of those tosses by Donovan and recorded 53 yards. Coppage carried the ball 42 times for 220 yards.
The Warhawks recorded 26 first downs to Eau Claire's 15. UW-W also controlled time of possession, holding on to the ball for just over twelve more minutes than the Blugolds.
The Warhawks have an open date next Saturday, September 20, and return to action when they travel to Tacoma, Washington to face the University of Puget Sound on September 27. UW-W's next home game is on October 4 against UW-La Crosse at 1:00 at Perkins Stadium. The game is also Family Day for the Warhawks.
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