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Box Score
The No. 15 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team overcame an early double-digit deficit but was unable to grab the lead in the second half Saturday during a 25-17 setback at Concordia Moorhead in a non-conference affair at Jake Christiansen Stadium in Moorhead, Minn.
The Warhawks, who are off to the program's first 0-2 start since 1999, drove deep inside Concordia territory trailing by eight late in the contest. Junior quarterback
Cole Wilber (Dana Point, Calif./Dana Hills) threw four times to junior wide receiver
Jarrod Ware (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) on the drive, and a pair of runs by sophomore
Josh Ringelberg (Greendale, Wis./Greendale) gave the team a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
UW-Whitewater was stopped by the Cobbers (2-0) on consecutive plays, and Concordia ran out the clock to pick up the win.
Wilber finished 21-of-36 for 241 yards and two touchdowns, while junior running back
Drew Patterson (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) led the ground attack with 69 yards on 19 carries. Ware finished with career highs in receptions (9) and receiving yards (123).
Junior linebacker
Bryce Leszczynski (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) totaled a career-best 17 tackles to lead the defense, and sophomore linebacker
Matt Anderson (Rockford, Ill./Lutheran) contributed a career-high 10 stops. Senior linebacker
Matt Seitz (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) and sophomore linebacker
Jacob Erbs (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) tallied eight tackles apiece.
The Warhawks outgained Concordia 363-336 but were stymied by three turnovers and 11 penalties for 70 yards.
The Cobber scored 10 first-quarter points behind a 15-play, 75-yard drive to start the contest and a field goal following a UW-Whitewater turnover deep in Warhawk territory.
Freshman kicker
Wojciech Gasienica (Norridge, Ill./Ridgewood) put UW-Whitewater on the board with a 23-yard field goal to complete a 15-play, 60-yard drive with 12:35 to play in the second quarter.
The Warhawks tied the contest early in the third quarter as Wilber hit Ware for a 26-yard strike, taking advantage of a short field after a 41-yard kickoff return by junior
Justin Prostinak (Milwaukee, Wis./Lake Country Lutheran).
Concordia took the lead for good less than one minute later, converting a 71-yard run and a two-point conversion for an 18-10 advantage with 12:15 on the clock in the period.
The two teams exchanged punts before Wilber hit junior wide receiver
Mitchell Dess (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) for a six-yard score on third down. Gasienica's extra point made it 18-17 with 4:54 to play in the third.
The UW-Whitewater defense came up with a fourth-down stop early in the fourth quarter deep in its own territory before the teams exchanged punts again.
After two penalties put the Warhawks back at their own 4-yard line, a fumble gave the Cobbers the ball at the UW-W 8-yard line. Two plays later, Concordia took an eight-point lead with 9:58 remaining.
Two more punts were exchanged to set up UW-Whitewater's final drive.
The Warhawks close the non-conference portion of the regular season next Saturday at Washington-St. Louis. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
