Last season, the UW-Whitewater football team narrowly defeated John Carroll University in their season opener, escaping the Blue Streaks 27-23. A circus-like catch from wide receiver Nick Wind allowed the Warhawks to take the lead with 39 seconds remaining.
This season, the Warhawks changed the narrative in a significant way. The team took down the Blue Streaks 34-7 on Senior Day Sept. 7.
“It’s a testament to our preparation and how much better we executed this year,” senior quarterback Jason Ceniti said. “Five days of preparation, five days of meetings, five days of watching tape, that level really showed this Saturday.”
After receiving the ball to start the game, the Warhawks lived up to the “pound the rock” motto, handing the ball off to senior running back Tamir Thomas seven times, eventually resulting in a one-yard rushing touchdown. Back-to-back sacks by the Warhawks halted the Blue Streaks’ drive to just three plays.
“You want sacks and turnovers, explosive plays, and those are big plays for the defense,” head coach Jace Rindahl said. “Defensive coaches made a great call. Then the players executed.”
Running back Brian Stanton followed the punt with a 56-yard rushing touchdown of his own. The sophomore from Plainfield, Illinois, finished the game with 123 rushing yards, a career-best number.
“[The game] really gave me a boost in confidence knowing that I can do it,” Stanton said. “I knew that this was coming, and it seems like this was my game to show that I’m here.”
The Warhawk defense bent the next two drives, but never broke, forcing a turnover on downs and recovering a fumble in Warhawk territory. Stanton’s second-straight breakaway run set up a 28-yard field goal from senior Jackson Fox, his first career collegiate field goal, extending the lead to 17-0.
“Defensively, [JCU] had two new hires, and going off of what the coordinator did at his last school, we were going in blind,” Ceniti said. “But the best teams adjust, and that’s what we did today.”
After forcing a Blue Streak punt, the Warhawk offense switched to pass-heavy play with 1:35 left in the first half. Despite the switch, they remained just as strong, eventually getting Thomas in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. His touchdown would be the last of the half, giving the Warhawks a first-half 24-0 shutout.
The trend of stout defense continued in the third quarter, with the Warhawks forcing another turnover on downs, a three-and-out, and an interception by senior linebacker Kamrin Hutt. Offensively, the Warhawks also could not score despite getting to the one-yard line on the first drive of the half.
“We spun our tires a little bit in the third quarter,” Rindahl said.
On the opening play of the fourth quarter, that offensive drought ended with Ceniti getting his first touchdown of the season on an 11-yard pass to Wind. Despite the rushing attack being on full display, Ceniti threw for 153 yards in the first week-one start of his career.
“[Ceniti] is so committed to this team and his teammates, and he’s worked so hard at football that we love having him as our leader,” Rindahl said. “I thought No. 14 had a heck of a game.”
One more field goal from Fox extended the shutout to a 34-point lead. The shutout was intact until one second remained, where JCU quarterback Nick Semptimphelter found fellow Division I FCS transfer Tyren Montgomery in the end zone. The shutout would have been the Blue Streaks’ first offensive shutout since 2007.
“We have been nice to keep that zero on the board,” senior defensive back Kyle Koelblinger said. “But the guys are battling out there.”
With an emotional week in the Warhawk athletics’ community due to the passing of senior Kara Welsh and former student athlete Chris Davis Sr., Rindahl hopes that the team’s win provided happiness in the athletic department.
“We were playing for the community of Whitewater, the university, the athletic department, [and] the gymnastics team,” Rindahl said. “Hopefully we put some smiles on people’s faces for a few hours today.”
Non-conference play continues for the Warhawks next week as they take on Division II Roosevelt University Sept. 14. They return home Sept. 21 to face off against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
