UW-Whitewater closed out their second-to-last regular season game with a convincing 51-10 win over the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds on Saturday at Perkins Stadium. It was cold all afternoon, and by the time the fourth quarter hit, snow started coming down while the Warhawks were already in full control.
Both teams opened the game with punts before Whitewater finally clicked on its second drive. Sophomore quarterback Justin Klinkner and the backfield helped push the ball downfield, but the Warhawks had to settle for a field goal to go up 3-0. Eau Claire answered with a good drive, eventually tying the game at 3-3.
From that point forward, the momentum completely swung toward Whitewater. Junior running back Ty Schultz sparked the offense, exploding for a 67-yard touchdown to put the Warhawks up 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
On defense, it was challenging for the Blugolds to get things going. Senior defensive back Kaden Sleets grabbed the first interception of the day, setting up a seven-play drive and another Schultz touchdown for the Warhawks. Soon after, senior linebacker Ethan Gallagher picked one off as well, giving Whitewater great field position. Schultz scored again, completing a first-half hat trick and stretching the lead to 24-3.
This comfortable lead led Whitewater to air out the ball. Klinkner connected to freshman wide receiver Jacques Brooks for a 41-yard touchdown. This was Klinkner’s 15th passing touchdown on the year, and Brooks’ third straight game with 50 or more receiving yards.
The Warhawks added more points onto the board with a 43-yard field goal to make the score 34-3. This was freshman Hunter Lizska’s longest kick of the season.
The Warhawks and Blugolds also played a game of copy cat, with Klinkner throwing an interception, but sophomore defensive back Efrein Ramirez getting the possession right back with an interception of his own.
Klinkner used this opportunity to get a rushing touchdown before the halftime clock winded down with a score of 41-3.
Eau Claire briefly built momentum in the third quarter, forcing a punt along with recovering a fumble. This momentum would allow the Blugolds to run in their only touchdown of the day, putting them in the double digits 41-10. Whitewater responded with another field goal, and spent the rest of the quarter chewing the clock.
Once the snow picked up in the fourth quarter, Whitewater shut the door. After an Eau Claire punt, Whitewater went on to drill another field goal, along with Schultz hammering in his fourth touchdown of the game. At the end of an Eau Claire eight-minute drive, junior defensive back Ashton Maney sealed the game with the team’s fourth interception, which allowed the Warhawks to get into victory formation with the score being 51-10.
With defensive depth, talented ball carriers and smart play-callers, the Warhawks look scary when they catch a groove. Behind Schultz’s touchdowns, multiple defensive takeaways and steady special teams play, the Warhawks put together one of their most complete games of the season.
The team will prepare for the playoffs as they sit just out of the top ten in national rankings. They will face UW-Oshkosh in their final regular season game at Titan Stadium Nov. 15, where they look to reach their eighth win of the year.
