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 first Perkins Stadium memory comes from former Daily Jefferson County Union sports writer and editor Jeff Seisser, who has been covering Warhawk Athletics for 30 years.
"On December 9, 2005, a snowstorm hit Whitewater and covered the field, which then froze the day before the NCAA DIII semifinal," Seisser wrote. "A day later, with snow still flying making the setting picturesque, the Warhawks beat Wesley College (Del.) 58-6 to reach the program's first Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl."
December 10, 2005 – UW-Whitewater 58, Wesley (Del.) 6 (NCAA Division III semifinal)
After posting their first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship since 1998, the Warhawks entered the postseason with high hopes under longtime head coach Bob Berezowitz.
After cruising to home victories over Central (Iowa) and St. John's (Minn.), the Warhawks were pushed to the limit in the quarterfinals at Linfield (Ore.), eventually pulling out a 44-41 win to punch their first ticket to the national semifinals as an NCAA Division III member.
Playing through the weather described by Seisser, and after a one-hour delay to prepare the field, UW-Whitewater led 37-0 at halftime and rolled to a 58-6 triumph in front of 5,480 fans at Perkins Stadium.
The Warhawks totaled 537 yards of offense, including 274 on the ground, and forced four Wesley turnovers, including a pick-six by Kyle Johnson in the first quarter.
Sophomore running back Justin Beaver registered 24 carries for 185 yards and two scores, and junior wide receiver Derek Stanley, an eventual NFL Draft pick, caught three passes – all touchdowns – for 135 yards. Junior quarterback Justin Jacobs threw for 188 yards and four touchdowns.
Following the win, Beaver told the Wisconsin State Journal, regarding the team's homefield advantage, "A lot of guys were talking about that before the game. This is just a backyard ballgame because of the snow and everybody was pretty jacked about that. Living in Wisconsin, everybody goes out when it's a couple feet of snow and plays football. We were looking forward to it."
Senior linebacker Robb Widuch led the UW-Whitewater defense with 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Junior defensive lineman Ryan Kleppe collected five stops, including three for a loss, and senior linebacker Collin Price added six tackles, including two for a loss.
Berezowitz told the Janesville Gazette following the game, "I thought about it and dreamed about it, but now it has become a reality. This is by far the highlight of my career."
The Warhawks advanced to the Stagg Bowl, where they were defeated 35-28 by Mount Union (Ohio) in Salem, Va., on Dec. 17, 2005.
