Box Score

In the team's first ever Friday night game, the number one nationally-ranked UW-Whitewater football team ran its record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 42-21 win over UW-Stout, 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the WIAC, before 6,209 fans in Perkins Stadium in Whitewater.  The win, under the "Friday night lights" kept several streaks alive for the Warhawks, most notably the nation's longest consecutive win streak, which now stands at 36.  The team has also won its last 24 games played at Perkins Stadium, its last 20 WIAC contests, and ten straight against the Blue Devils.

Photo Gallery (Provided by Crystal Meyer, available for purchase)

UW-Stout received the opening kickoff of the game and was forced to punt after losing six yards on three offensive plays.  UW-Whitewater wasted no time and recorded the game's first score with 9:29 left in the first quarter.  Quarterback Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) found tight end Jason Ford (Palatine, IL/Fremd) on the goal line for a three-yard touchdown pass to lead 7-0. 

The Blue Devils converted on fourth and short on the Warhawks' 37 yard-line on their second possession and again on fourth down, four plays later on the 27 yard-line with a 9-yard pitch to running back Eric Brown.  The Blue Devils were rewarded for their resolve two plays later when quarterback Ross Carey tied the game at 7-7 with a four-yard touchdown run with 2:17 to play in the first quarter.

On their first possession of the second quarter the Warhawks took advantage of an 11-yard punt by UW-Stout to begin a UW-W drive at the Whitewater 47.  Four plays later the Warhawks took the lead 14-7 thanks to a four-yard touchdown run by Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) at 9:22.  

Shortly afterwards the Blue Devils were backed up inside their own 25, and then committed a false start on third and long.  After the penalty, linebacker Kyle Wismer (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) charged through the line to bat down a Carey pass to force the Blue Devils to punt.  With 8:12 left in the half Whitewater took possession at their own 30 yard-line.  Five plays later Blanchard found Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) alone in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown pass, set up by a 25-yard completion to Cory Robinson (Cambridge/Cambridge) on the previous play.

Following another Blue Devil punt, the Warhawks received the ball on their own 30-yard line with 3:28 to play in the half.  The team dug itself into a hole after a pair of penalties to make it second and 23, but was bailed out by a 37-yard catch by Luke Menzel (Sheboygan Falls/Oostburg), who followed that up with another reception, this time for 25 yards, again from Blanchard.  A holding penalty made it first and 20, but Coppage took it in for the score from 23 yards out to make it 28-7 with 1:33 left in the half.

UW-W and Blanchard had just 24 yards passing in the first quarter when the game was tied 7-7, but 171 in the second quarter when UW-W outscored the Blue Devils 21-0.

The third quarter belonged to the Blue Devils as they scored on their first two possessions in the second half.  Carey hooked up with Trevor Morning on a 39-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-14 with 7:06 remaining in the third quarter, to break a run of twenty-one consecutive points by Whitewater.

After the teams traded punts, the Blue Devils scored again.  Carey hooked up with Morning for his second touchdown on a 45-yard pass to make it 28-21 with 0:32 left in the third quarter. 

The Warhawks responded on their next drive, which covered 73 yards in five plays in 2:18, with a 26-yard touchdown run by Coppage to make it 35-21 with 13:15 in the fourth quarter.  The score was set up by an 18-yard catch by Menzel on the previous play.

Whitewater's defense shut down the Stout offense from that point on preventing any more scores and coming up with a pair of interceptions to put the game away.  Ryan Cortez (Palatine, IL/Palatine) had the first interception with just over six minutes to play at the Blue Devils' 25.  Two plays later Blanchard hooked up with Bernie Tamsett (Waterford/Waterford Union) for a nine yard touchdown to conclude the scoring, 42-21 with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils saw their next drive end with the second interception, this time by Ryan Wenkman (Wisconsin Dells/Wisconsin Dells).

The Warhawks racked up 539 yards of total offense.  Blanchard finished 20-28 with 294 yards, tying his season high, also accomplished in the third game of the season, and three touchdowns.  Coppage ended his night with 139 yards (for those counting, now 185 shy of Justin Beaver's school and WIAC career record of 6,584) and three touchdowns on 22 carries.  Menzel had a personal season high of 153 yards on 7 catches, just three yards shy of Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago)'s team best 156 yards in a game.  Casey Casper (Dousman/Kettle Moraine) recorded eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss.  Cortez finished with seven tackles, one tackle for a loss, and an interception.  Stout's Carey went 18-32 for 213 yards, with two touchdowns and two picks.  Tight end Josh Peterson had 5 catches for 47 yards.  Blue Devil defensive back Aaron Kobes had 11 tackles, 7 of them solo, and one tackle for a loss to lead both teams.

Saturday, October 22nd, the Warhawks play at 1:30 p.m. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin against UW-Oshkosh.