UW-Whitewater celebrated a gritty 21-14 victory over the No. 17 UW-Oshkosh Titans on Saturday in front of a record-breaking crowd of 21,233 fans at Family Fest. The win was as gritty as it was historic, breaking the previous NCAA Division III attendance record for a game on a college campus, which the Warhawks set just a year ago.
True freshman cornerback Paul Kim made the most of his first collegiate start, leading the defense with seven tackles and a critical fourth-quarter sack. Kim’s clutch performance highlighted a defensive effort that sometimes struggled to contain the big plays, but made crucial stops when it mattered most.
“I thought it was pretty good,” Kim said about his performance. “There are some mistakes I need to fix, and I’ll work on that next week in practice. But I stuck to the game plan and just tried to do my job.”
Kim’s biggest play came in the fourth quarter; with the Titans threatening to close the gap, Kim blitzed off the edge and delivered a huge sack, forcing a fumble that shifted momentum.
“We got the signal, and I saw the receiver motion, and then I knew it was my time to go,” Kim said. “The quarterback kept the ball, and I just took the opportunity, hit him, and forced the fumble.”
Despite some big defensive moments, the Warhawks allowed the Titans to stay in the game with some missed tackles and blown assignments. Head coach Jace Rindahl acknowledged the need for improvement on that side of the ball.
“There were a lot of repeated errors or plays they kept having success with,” Rindahl said. “If you’re a good defense, you learn and you don’t let yourself get beat twice in the same way. We missed a few tackles and lost contain on some blitzes. Those things we’ve got to clean up, and I think our guys will.”
Offensively, the Warhawks leaned on senior running back Tamir Thomas, who returned after missing the previous game due to injury. Thomas rushed for 123 yards and a crucial 16-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Warhawks a two-score cushion.
“It felt great being back,” Thomas said. “Sitting out for three weeks was tough mentally, but I was always ready. I knew my body was right, and I was ready to get out there and just play football again.”
Thomas’ touchdown run, combined with other touchdown runs from quarterback Jason Ceniti and tight end/fullback Drake Martin, helped seal the victory. Ceniti, who was sidelined for much of the game against Mary Hardin-Baylor, was efficient in running the offense, though the game plan was focused more on the ground game.
“We got the points we needed and found a way to win,” Rindahl said about Ceniti’s performance. “We finished the game with the offense on the field. He’s the one managing things, and I’m proud of him for his role today.”
Ceniti deflected all the praise toward the Warhawks’ overall effort and the record-breaking crowd, which provided a massive boost throughout the game.
“That’s why we come here,” Ceniti said. “We love the atmosphere and the fan base. The WIAC is always tough, and it’s going to be a battle every week, but having that kind of support behind us makes a difference.”
Thomas also reflected on the crowd’s importance to the team’s energy, especially in a tough conference like the WIAC.
“The WIAC has never been easy since I’ve been here,” Thomas said. “But when you have so many teams competing at a high level, it makes it more fun. You’ve got to stay on your toes and be prepared every week.
With the victory, UW-Whitewater improves to 3-1 on the season, and a 1-0 start to WIAC play. The Warhawks will now focus on the rest of their tough conference schedule. Next week they travel to Menominee to take on UW-Stout at 2:05 p.m.
For now, they can celebrate their record-breaking victory, a game that not only showcased the team’s resilience, but also once more cemented Perkins Stadium’s status as one of the premier environments in all of Division III football.
