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Submit Your Favorite Perkins Stadium Memory
 
As part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of Perkins Stadium, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Intercollegiate Athletics presents the "Perkins Stadium at 50" series Presented by UW Credit Union, a look at some of the most memorable moments and games in the history of the stadium.
 
Our third Perkins Stadium memory comes from Dr. Paul Plinske, who served as Director of Athletics at UW-Whitewater from 2004-13.
 
The Warhawks defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) 16-7 in an NCAA Division III Championship semifinal at Perkins Stadium on December 8, 2007.
 
"This game was highly intense in bitterly cold weather, but the victory pushed the Warhawks to their first football national title a week later," Plinske said.
 
December 8, 2007 – UW-Whitewater 16, Mary Hardin-Baylor 7 (NCAA Division III semifinal)
 
Coming off two consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III national championship game, the Warhawks set themselves up for a third straight Stagg Bowl appearance on their home field with a national semifinal showdown against Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas). The game was the second between the two teams in 2007, with UW-W defeating UMHB 41-14 on Oct. 27 at Perkins Stadium.
 
The rematch was much more tightly contested, but the end result was the same.
 
After the Crusaders scored late in the first quarter to take the lead, UW-Whitewater took the advantage for good early in the second and pitched a shutout over the final 47-plus minutes of regulation to punch its ticket to Salem, Va.
 
In a defensive struggle that featured a combined 17 punts between the two teams, Neil Mrkvicka's 25-yard touchdown catch from Danny Jones with 13:40 to play in the second quarter proved to be the difference.
 
Jeff Schebler recorded a 39-yard field goal with 2:31 left in regulation to make it a two-possession game, and the Warhawk defense forced UMHB to turn the ball over on downs after an incompletion, a second-down sack by Ryan Ogrizovich, another incompletion and a stop by Ben Farley on a fourth-down pass.
 
AJ Raebel totaled 13 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, to lead the defense. Jace Rindahl collected 12 stops, and Farley registered eight tackles and the game's only turnover, an interception inside the UW-Whitewater 10-yard line late in the first half that halted a potential go-ahead drive by the Crusaders.
 
The defense also made a stop midway through the third quarter, when Mary Hardin-Baylor had first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. The drive ended with a botched snap on a field goal attempt.
 
"I think that was one of the first times we stopped someone on the goal line," defensive back Gabe Schultz told the Wisconsin State Journal following the game. "We made big plays and took over when they got close."
 
Jones passed for 126 yards and one score, and rushed for a team-best 87 yards, including a 62-yard run that set up Schebler's late field goal.
 
"We called it (the running play) once earlier in the game, and I had gotten out there too fast," Jones told the Janesville Gazette. "So the coaches told me to slow play it and set them up, and that's what I did.
 
"I died at the end of the run, but we got enough for the field goal."
 
Justin Beaver ran for 60 yards, and Mrkvicka caught three passes for 54 yards.
 
The Warhawks went on to win their first-ever national championship, defeating Mount Union 31-21 in the Stagg Bowl one week later.