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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.
The 2005 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team posted the program's first-ever home win in the NCAA Division III Playoffs, defeating a familiar opponent at Perkins Stadium on Nov. 19, 2005.
The Warhawks recorded a 34-14 triumph over Central (Iowa), which the team had faced in two of its first four postseason appearances. UW-W defeated Central 41-18 in the NAIA national semifinals on Nov. 19, 1966, while the Dutch knocked off the Warhawks 16-13 in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals on Nov. 26, 1988.
The team's 2005 playoff win over Central was the team's second in the first round as a Division III member. The 1988 team recorded the first.
Read about both wins below.
2005 Warhawks Post First NCAA Postseason Home Win
UW-Whitewater raced out to a 24-0 advantage less than 25 minutes into regulation and didn't look back on its way to a 34-14 win in its first postseason game since 1997.
The Warhawks outgained the Dutch 422-242 in total yards, including 261-79 on the ground, and forced four turnovers.
Justin Beaver collected 32 carries for 182 yards and one touchdown, while Justin Jacobs passed for 161 yards and two scores. Derek Stanley and Neil Mrkvicka each caught a touchdown pass.
Mike Chaulk kicked a pair of field goals, including a 43-yarder with 5:59 left in the third quarter.
Kyle Johnson and Derek Brown led the defense with seven tackles apiece. Two of Johnson's seven stops were for a loss of yardage, and Brown forced a pair of turnovers with a forced fumble and an interception.
Andy Murray registered a pair of interceptions, including one returned for 80 yards and a touchdown with 5:44 on the clock in the second quarter.
"I just read the quarterback who was sitting on the tight end and I stepped in front," Murray told the Janesville Gazette following the game. "I think the play was the turning point of the game because if they score then it was a ten point game."
UW-Whitewater went on to defeat St. John's (Minn.) in the second round and eventually reach its first-ever Stagg Bowl.
1988 Warhawks Win NCAA First-Round Thriller on the Road
Playing in the program's first postseason game since the school became a member of NCAA Division III, UW-Whitewater rose to the challenge.
Trailing 21-10 entering the fourth quarter, the Warhawks tallied 19 unanswered points and stopped a potential game-tying two-point conversion with one second remaining in the game for a 29-27 victory at Simpson (Iowa) on Nov. 19, 1988.
Travis Talton, who posted 24 carries for 133 yards, scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with 14:42 on the clock to start UW-W's fourth-quarter rally.
The Warhawks took a one-point lead on the ensuing possession. Following an interception by Todd Van Doren, Tim Ganoung caught a 48-yard touchdown from Jeff Olsen with 11:25 remaining.
After a three-and-out forced the Redmen to punt, Tim LeMonds capped a 10-play, 60-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run to give the team a 29-21 advantage with 6:20 to play.
Simpson drove 65 yards inside the UW-Whitewater 15-yard line on the next drive, but the defense forced a turnover on downs.
After a punt by the Warhawks, the Redmen scored with one second remaining on a 39-yard pass, but the two-point conversion failed to give UW-W its first-ever postseason NCAA win.
Van Doran totaled 17 tackles to lead the defense, and Dave Haluska added 11 tackles and one interception. Jim Jaworski recorded nine stops, and Keith Alexander, Brian Ripp and Dick Schuh registered eight tackles apiece.
Dave Emond's 47-yard field goal with 4:16 to play in the first quarter put UW-Whitewater on the board. Talton's 19-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter gave the Warhawks a 10-7 lead.
The Redmen found the end zone late in both the second and third quarters for a 21-10 advantage, setting the stage for UW-W's fourth-quarter comeback.
The Warhawks' offense piled up 399 yards of total offense, including 232 rushing yards, and averaged 6.9 yards per play. The defense held Simpson to 375 yards and 4.4 yards per play.
The win sent UW-Whitewater to the national quarterfinals, where it was edged 16-13 by Central (Iowa). (Note: The NCAA Playoffs included 16 teams until the field was increased to 28 in 1999, then to 32 in 2005.)
