Sophomore tailback Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) rushed for 386 yards to lead second-ranked UW-Whitewater to a 38-14 win over UW-Eau Claire in Perkins Stadium Saturday afternoon.
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Coppage rushed the ball 42 times, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. The total is a UW-W school record, breaking the mark of 286 by Justin Beaver, accomplished against UW-La Crosse in 2006. The yardage total is second highest all-time in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, behind only a 391 yard game by Andrew Mocadlo of UW-La Crosse versus UW-Stout in 2003.
The Whitewater defense stopped the Blugolds on fourth down attempts in Whitewater territory on UW-EC's first two drives. After the second stop, UW-W went 72 yards in seven plays, senior quarterback Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) hit junior wideout Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) with a four yard scoring pass.
The Whitewater offense also scored the next time it had the ball, with Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) adding to his school and WIAC scoring record with a 32-yard field goal. Schebler scored eight points in the game, putting him one point away from tying the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III kick scoring record of 383 held by Mike Zimmerman of Mount Union College (2003-2005).
Warhawk defensive tackle Wesley Hicks (Milwaukee/Vincent) sacked UW-EC QB Kyle Paulson, forcing a fumble that Whitewater's Justin Ankley (Kenosha/Bradford) recovered at the EC 19. Coppage scored on the first play putting UW-W ahead 17-0 at 11:48 in the second.
Eau Claire took advantage of a Coppage fumble at the EC 3, moving the ball 97 yards in ten plays to score with 5.7 seconds left on a Paulson to David Goodman 37 yard pass. Whitewater blocked the point after and the teams went in to the locker room with Whitewater leading 17-6.
EC sophomore linebacker Andy Neumann stripped the ball from Coppage at midfield on the second play of the second half, returning the ball to the Blugold offense. UW-EC's eight play drive included a crucial fourth and four conversion with a 26 yard pass completion from Paulson to Spencer Kehoe. Paulson connected with Brett Schreiner for seven yards to make it 17-12, and Paulson hit Kehoe with the two point conversion to make it 17-14 at 11:17 in the third.
From that point on Whitewater scored 21 unanswered points.
The first score came on a 20 yard rush by Coppage, ending a seven play 85-yard drive. Schebler's PAT made it 24-14 with 3:09 in the third.
Whitewater's next score was again provided by Coppage, this time from 27 yards out. That drive covered 62 yards in four plays, 54 provided by Coppage on two rushes. Whitewater led 31-14 at the end of the third quarter.
Eau Claire had a first and goal at the Whitewater five in the fourth period, but facing a fourth and one UW-W defensive back Troney Shumpert (Milwaukee/Bay View) knocked down the pass in the end zone and Whitewater took over. The Warhawks moved the ball 99 yards in 19 plays, 12 of them rushes by Coppage, for the final score. Antwan Anderson (Madison/Madison Memorial) scored from three yards out to end the drive.
Whitewater's offense rushed for 402 yards and averaged 8.2 per carry. Four Warhawks, defensive back Paul Wick (Franklin/Franklin), linebackers Kyle Supianoski (Tama, IA/South) and Lane Olson (Racine/Horlick), and defensive end Jon Baldwin (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond Burton) had seven tackles apiece for the UW-W defense. Olson added a forced fumble and a pass break up.
Eau Claire's Paulson rushed for 52 yards, but he ran for 55 yards on the second play of the game for the Blugolds longest play of the day. He also completed 26-37 for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Schreiner was on the other end of seven Paulson passes for 36 yards, and Goodman pulled down four for 55 yards. On defense, it was Neumann who had a game high ten tackles and the fumble recovery.
Whitewater, now 5-0 and 2-0 in the WIAC, will travel to UW-Stout for a 3:00 kickoff in Menomonie. The Warhawks' next home game will be October 24 with UW-River Falls visiting Perkins Stadium for Homecoming and a 3:00 kickoff. UW-EC is 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the WIAC.
For additional information: Lance Leipold, UW-W coach
