Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Warhawks win closest game since 2008

It is not often the UW-Whitewater football team is tested throughout an entire game, but in Saturday’s matchup between the top two teams in the WIAC, the game was decided on a late field goal by Eric Kindler, which gave the Warhawks a 20-17 edge.

Their three-point win was the closest margin of victory since Sept. 13, 2008, a span of 48 wins.

Junior Ryan Wenkman pulls down an interception in the team’s 20-17 win over UW-Oshkosh. The Titans gave the Warhawks their toughest game in three years. Photo submitted by UW-Oshkosh Sports Information

The ’Hawks game winning drive started with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter with the score tied 17-17, starting on its own 20-yard line.

After nine consecutive rushes, including a 47-yard rush by Levell Coppage that brought the ’Hawks to the three-yard line, they were in prime position to take the lead.

“I think all in all, everyone felt really confident,” quarterback Matt Blanchard said. “Even though we were tested, I think everyone felt confident and it’s just a tradition we have. On that game winning drive, we stayed composed and picked up some third downs, then Levell busted out that long run.”

With that 47-yard run, Coppage moved within 54 rushing yards of breaking Justin Beaver’s UW-Whitewater and WIAC career record.

After being stuffed three times on the one yard line, Kindler hit a 17-yard field goal to put the ’Hawks ahead 20-17 with 1:18 left to play.

The Titans didn’t go away easily, driving to the ’Hawks 37-yard line until Casey Casper sacked the Titans’ quarterback Nate Wara with little time remaining, forcing them to throw a hail-mary.

“We needed to make a play and I think they threw it down the field and we made the play in the endzone,” senior Jared Kiesow said. “We needed to step up [that series] and we made plays.”

The Warhawks got off to another slow start, being held scoreless in the first quarter. Trailing the Titans 3-0, the ’Hawks took their first lead with the first play of the second quarter after 23-yard touchdown run by Blanchard.

Blanchard rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries.

“This game we wanted to put some pressure on the defense through our quarterback run game and fortunately I had the abilities to execute those plays,” Blanchard said. “The offensive line did a great job blocking them and it was something we needed to do to win the game.”

After a Kindler field goal and two more Titan scores, the ’Hawks found themselves down 17-10 at halftime, the first time they have been down at half this season.

“Coach just said it’s going to take all of us to get this win and it did,” Blanchard said. “Some guys went down and people had to step up and play and it’s just one of those games where every person on the team had an impact on the game, it was cool.”

The ’Hawks tied it up after an eight-yard touchdown pass to Jason Ford with just over three minutes left to play in the third quarter, while the defense managed to play with more intensity in the second half, allowing no points.

“Oshkosh put together a pretty good scheme with their option and they kind of did things a little bit differently than we thought so we just made some adjustments and executed them,” Kiesow said. “You could tell the energy kind of shifted in the second half. We felt like we were In more control.”

The ’Hawks will host UW-Stevens Point at 1 p.m. Saturday for the Homecoming game.

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Founded 1901
Warhawks win closest game since 2008