The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team heads to Belton, Texas for another Top 25 matchup this Saturday as the #4 Warhawks take on the Crusaders of #19 Mary Hardin-Baylor. Kickoff at Crusader Stadium is scheduled for noon.
The Warhawks moved up four spots after last week's 56-28 win over No. 9 (formerly No. 4) Saint John's to fourth in the latest D3football.com poll. The Cru dropped seven spots to #19 after suffering a 35-16 loss at Trinity (TX).
LAST TIME OUT
For the second consecutive week, UW-Whitewater posted over 500 yards of total offense and dominated their opponent in the second half en route to Saturday's 56-28 win. Tamir Thomas (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls), one of the nation's top rushers, registered four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in a single game for the third time in his career. Jason Ceniti (Madison, Wis./Madison Memorial) took over the quarterback role after an early injury to Alec Ogden (Marshall, Wis./Monona Grove) to post career marks in completions, yards, passing touchdowns, total touchdowns and longest pass.
UW-Whitewater's defense stepped up in the second half limiting momentum for the Johnnies. Hawk Heffner (Grafton, Wis./Grafton) bolstered the defense with nine tackles and joined on a sack for a loss of nine yards. Matt Burba (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Huntley) consistently broke through the line to put the pressure on the SJU quarterback with three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for a loss of 23 yards.
The Warhawks enjoyed a fantastic crowd of over 15,000 in the team's home-opener at Perkins Stadium last week. This week, they'll enter Crusader Stadium for UMHB's home-opener.
UMHB'S LATEST
Mary Hardin-Baylor put up 16 in the second quarter but never led in a 36-16 loss at Trinity. UMHB has opened the season on a two-game skid for the first time since 1999. The Cru registered 291 yards of offense, 231 through the air as Isaac Phe was 18-31 for 231 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in his first start for UMHB. Kenneth Miller Jr. and Kennth Cormier Jr., UMHB's tandem in the backfield, combined for 101 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.
Phe's top target was TJ Rone with 33 yards on four catches. Jerry Cephus hauled in four catches for 88 yards.
Defensively, Durand Hill registered 11 tackles including a tackle for a loss. Myles Terry posted seven tackles, four for a loss including two sacks for a loss of 10 yards in the game.
SERIES
This is the tenth meeting between these two powerhouses. UWW picked up a thrilling 28-24 win at The Perk in the second game of the season a year ago. This is the first time the Warhawks will visit Belton, Texas since ending the Cru's season in the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2019.
ON THE AIR
Saturday's game will air live online on UMHB's streaming portal. The contest can be heard on 105.9 FM The Hog in the Whitewater area, or online at www.1059thehog.com.
