The Warhawk football team, ranked second in the latest d3football.com poll, remains unbeaten this season after a 38-3 win over UW-Stout in Menomonie Saturday. Whitewater is now 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Blue Devils drop to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Box Score

The Warhawk defense stopped the first Blue Devil drive forcing a touchback just 3:11 into the game. UW-W would move the ball up the field with four first downs until a 21-yard pass from Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) to John Novak (Michigan City, IN/Michigan City) put the Warhawks ahead 6-0 halfway through the first quarter. The extra point attempt from placekicker Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) was good tying him for the Division III kick scoring record held by Mike Zimmerman of Mount Union College (2003-2005).

UW-W would continue to move the ball through the Blue Devil defense recording four more first downs to start the second quarter on a drive that continued from the first quarter. Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) finished the drive by punching the ball in from one yard out on a fourth and goal putting the Warhawks up 13-0. Schebler broke the Division III kick scoring record with the extra point to move the Whitewater lead to 14-0. 

On the next drive quarterback Donovan threw his first interception since the National Championship game against Mount Union last season. Donovan had not thrown an interception in his last 133 pass attempts. His stellar season is noted in his touchdown to interception ratio this season which is currently 12-1. Stout capitalized on the rare UW-W turnover with a field goal bringing the score to 14-3.

UW-W would run the clock down to just four seconds left in the half before putting another score on the board with a Donovan five-yard rushing touchdown. The score at the half was 21-3 with the Warhawks on top.

Whitewater scored on the first drive of the second half as Coppage got the call from five yards out for his second touchdown of the day.

The offense would again pound the ball down the field to get into field goal range for Schebler.  From 45 yards, Schebler made it look easy putting it through the uprights and widening the Warhawk lead to 31-3.

The Warhawks would finish out the scoring with Donovan's second passing touchdown of the game, this time for nine yards to Jordan Wells (Elgin, IL/Elgin) as the Warhawks put up seven more and put the game out of reach 38-3.

Whitewater has not lost to the Blue Devils since 2001 where they fell 25-28 in Menomonie. The Warhawks are now 41-10-2 against Stout all-time.

The Warhawk offense showed why they top the conference as Donovan went 23-30 with 260 passing yards, two passing and one rushing touchdown. The league's top rusher, Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park), pounded out 85 yards and two touchdowns of his own to bring his total to 13 on the season. Jordan Wells (Elgin, IL/Elgin) lead the way for recieving with seven catches for 70 yards and one touchdown. The offense was also 2-2 on fourth downs.

UW-W's defense kept their streak alive through today's game by not allowing Stout to score in the first quarter. So far in the six games Whitewater has played, no opponent has mustered a single point in the first quarter against the tough Warhawk defense.

Next week the Warhawks take on UW-River Falls at Perkins Stadium at 12 pm. The game is UW-Whitewater's Homecoming as well as the Hall of Fame game.

For additional information: Lance Leipold, UW-W Head Coach