UW-W Athletics earn another honor!

UW-W Athletics earn another honor!

Friday, September 30, 2011

WIAC PROJECTIONS

UW-Eau Claire at UW-Stout
The Blugolds are likely licking their chops at prospect of facing a Blue Devils team that gave up 370 yards rushing and 56 points last week.    Eau Claire has shown a balanced offense and minimized mistakes the last two weeks.  UW-S has averaged less than 17 points a game and will have a hard time keeping up.  But Stout has considered themselves an upper echelon WIAC team since 2009 and fought hard to get there.  Embarrassed, prideful teams can be very dangerous.  This one may surprise most.

UW-Stout 30
UW-Eau Claire  27


UW-RiverFalls at UW-Oshkosh
The Titans exploded for TD runs of 46, 52, and 61 yards on their way to a 56-10 romp over UW-Stout last week.  UW-RF is 0-3 having given up at least 38 points in each game.  UW-O just has too much firepower for the Falcons.

UW-Oshkosh 45
UW-River Falls 20


UW-Stevens Point at UW-LaCrosse
Both of these teams have played pretty good defense for the most part this year, but have struggled mightily offensively.  UW-SP averages only 8.3 points per game.  The Pointers average only 2.7 yards per carry on the ground, yet have allowed QB Casey Barnes to attempt only 38 passes in 3 games.  Point has not scored a point in either the first or fourth quarter.  The Eagles have gained only 2.3 yards per rush and have given up 12 QB sacks in averaging only 13.7 points per game.  The difference is UW-SP has won 2 of three games while the Eagles have gotten off to an 0-3 start.  The Eagles return home for the first time since September 3rd determined to get the first win of the Joel Dettwiler era.  Point has a superior ability to pressure the QB and defend the pass. UW-L can be thrown against, but Coach Meich is determined to bring Barnes and his inexperienced receiving corps along slowly.  He will likely open up the offense just enough.

UW-Stevens Point 16
UW-LaCrosse 13


UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater
The Pioneers have been impressive defensively, allowing only 10.8 points per game.  However, it is looking like 3 of their 4 opponents have highly suspect offenses.  QB Nick Anderson appears to be out.  5'10", sophomore Bryce Corrigan is the likely replacement.  The Pioneers need a big game out of RB Lee Vlasic and Corrigan must be effective enough to create balance for the Pioneers to stay close to the high powered Warhawks.  The UW-P defense should come in confident, but as many teams have found out, UW-W is a different animal.  One of the Warhawks' strengths is their ability to maintain their daily focus on getting better.  Coming off a bye, timing could be an issue for UW-W early in the game.  On the other hand, they will be really anxious to compete after not having a game last week.  Already 1-0 in the WIAC, a Platteville  upset of the defending National Champions would rank among the biggest wins in the long, storied history of the school.  And the Pioneers know it.  Remember, there is always that "any given Saturday".   But then there are all the rest of them....

UW-Whitewater 48
UW-Platteville 7



Thursday, September 29, 2011

UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater: The Match-Ups

     The UW-Whitewater Warhawks begin their quest for their seventh consecutive  WIAC championship on Saturday as they host the UW-Platteville Pioneers Saturday afternoon at 2:00.  The Pioneers enter the contest with a 1-0 conference mark after defeating the LaCrosse Eagles, 17-14 last week.  The Pioneers are 2-1 overall, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of nationally ranked Wheaton College by a score of 23-14.  This is the second road game for UW-P, who won in Stevens Point 26-3 on September 10th.
   UW-W enters WIAC play with a 3-0 record, having outscored their opponents 125 to 21.  Last season, the Warhawks outgained the Pioneers 637 yards to 184 in beating the Pioneers in Platteville, 49-17.

    The Pioneers Offense vs The Warhawks Defense

    The Pioneers head into the game with a 60/40 run pass ratio this season.  Last week's LaCrosse game is probably an indicator of how they will try to attack a good defensive team in a competitive game. The game was within one score until just over two minutes remained.  The Pioneers ran the ball 36 times and passed 35.  In their lone defeat, the Pioneers trailed most of the second half, a good part of it by two scores. They still maintained their balance for the game, rushing 30 times and throwing the ball 32.  The seasonal 60/40 run pass ratio was created by playing from the lead in their other two games.  
    A major setback for the Pioneers is the probable unavailability of QB Nick Anderson for this contest due to injury.  Anderson has completed 60.2% of his passes for 609 yards and 5 TD's this year. He has also gained 227 yards rushing (35.7% of the Pioneer's total rushing yardage), averaging 6.1 yards per attempt.  6'0" Sophomore Bryce Corrigan is expected to replace Anderson.  The two split time last week against LaCrosse, but Anderson is not listed on the two-deep roster for the UW-W game.  Last week, Corrigan completed 12 of 20 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.  Corrigan hit wide receiver Jeff Bracken for a 65 yard first quarter touchdown.  His other 19 passes netted a total of only 81 yards. 
    Leading the rushing attack is junior Lee Vlasic. Vlasic has averaged 71.5 yards per game rushing, but only 3.2 yards per carry.  If indeed Anderson does not play, will be more important than ever for Vlasic to get untracked on Saturday.  If the offense become one dimensional, it could become disastrous for the Pioneers.  Corrigan is not nearly as mobile or experienced as Anderson. UW-W has a fast, ball hawking defense that has taken the ball away nine times in 3 games.  The challenge of beating them with a backup quarterback will be enormous.
    Leading receiver Darin Blaser (19 receptions for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns) is another Pioneer who is not showing up on the 2 Deep Roster for the UW-W game. If Blaser doesn't play, it will be another blow to the Pioneer offense.  Jeff Bracken and Aaron Loferski are the other top UW-P receivers with 16 and 13 receptions respectfully
    The Warhawks enter the game allowing only 64.3 yards rushing per game and 2.2 yards per carry.  Moving the ball through the air has not been easy for opponents either as the Hawks have held opponents to a completion percentage of  39.5% and picked off 4 passes.  UW-W has sacked the quarterback 7 times in 4 games.  
    The good news for the Pioneers is that UW-W has given up a TD every time a team has entered the red zone this year.  The bad news is a team has penetrated the red zone against them only one time in three games.  The Pioneers have been very efficient in the red zone, scoring TD's on 73% of their trips and scoring on 82%.  
     While UW-W will likely be the best defense the Pioneers have faced this year, UW-P should be helped by their experience against Wheaton College, a high level defense and UW-LaCrosse, a representative defense.  

The Warhawks Offense vs The Pioneers Defense

     The Warhawks come into the WIAC opener having gained over 1400 yards and scored 41.7 points per game over 3 games.  The balanced UW-W attack has generated 729 yards on the ground and 736 through the air.  In limited playing time, All-American running back Levell Coppage has gained 114.7 yards per game, 6.4 yards per carry, and 5 touchdowns.  Primary backup Desmin Ward has pitched in 65.3 yards per game on 5.8 yards per carry and 4 touchdowns.  The Pioneer defense has been stingy against the run, giving up only 304 yards in four games and 2.3 yards per carry.  Their 3-4 defense features a veteran linebacking corps of three seniors and leading tackler Nick Snyder, a jr.  The quick defensive line of the Pioneers has a starting group of two sophomores and a junior.  The starting defensive line for the Pioneers weighs a relatively light 231pounds per player.  
    Quarterback Matt Blanchard runs the show for the Warhawks.  He has completed 68.3% of his passes for 670 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Blanchard is exceptional in taking care of the football. Since becoming the starting QB for UW-W on September 4, 2010, he has thrown 26 TD passes and 1 interception in 288 passes.  The Warhawks starting receivers Tyler Huber (9 catches, 201 yds, 2 TD) and Luke Menzel (12 catches, 144 yards) will test a UW-P defense that has allowed a completion percentage of 54.9%.  The opportunistic Pioneer defense has intercepted 6 passes and allowed only 2 touchdown passes.  UW-P has allowed 194.5 yards per game through the air.  Other options for Blanchard include mammoth tight end (6 catches for 72 yards) and fullback Bernie Tamsett (7 catches for 65 yards and a TD). 

Special Teams
    As far as special teams, the return units are posting nearly identical numbers for each team.  The number that sticks out in terms of coverage is Platteville's average kickoff return allowed yardage of only 15.9 yards per return.  UW-W punter Kris Rosholt has continued his strong punting, averaging 39 yards per punt, with 6 of his 12 punts having been down inside the 20.  UW-P punter Zac Brinkman has averaged 34.8 yards per punt, with 8 of his 24 punts being downed inside the 20.  FG kicker Eric Kindler has made 7 of 9 FG attempts, with a long of 45 yards for the Warhawks. UW-P kicker Zach Lichtfield has made 3 of 4 FG attempts, with a long of 45 yards.  


    



Saturday, September 24, 2011

WIAC PROJECTIONS: Saturday, September 24

UW-LaCrosse at UW-Platteville
The Eagles visit Pioneer Stadium coming off a well-deserved bye week after playing defending national champ UW-W in week 1 and enduring a grueling bus ride to Texas to face UMHB in week 2.  Platteville will be playing with confidence in spite of their loss to Wheaton last week.  UW-L must step up offensively to get the road win.

UW-Platteville 24
UW-LaCrosse 14


UW-River Falls at UW-Eau Claire
These two teams combined for 87 points and over 1,000 yards in the season finale last year.  Signs are pointing to them both getting their offense in gear in 2011 as well.  Could be another wild one.

UW-Eau Claire  38
UW-River Falls  31


UW-Stevens Point at Albion
The Pointers have not gotten untracked at all yet this season.  Albion enters conference play next week with a legitimate opportunity to unseat Trine for the Conference championship.  However, the MIAA is not the WIAC.

UW-Stevens Point 35
Albion 10

Thursday, September 22, 2011

WIAC THURSDAY NIGHT PROJECTION

UW-Oshkosh at UW-Stout
The Titans return to Menomonee, which was the site of a disappointing ending to their 2010 campaign.  In last year's season finale, the Titans led 14-6 in the 3rd quarter when RB Craig Warminski and the Blue Devils offensive line took over the game.  Stout scored 22 unanswered points and rushed for 280 yards in a 28-14 victory.  Warminski is gone, but 4 starting offensive lineman return for UW-Stout.  This one breaks down fairly easily.  Behind standout QB Nate Wara, UW-O should score points because the Blue Devils defense appears vulnerable against the pass.  It will come down to whether or not UW-O can stop the run.  The Titans did a decent job stopping the run against Mount Union and an excellent job against Central.  However, the Titans ranked 7th in the WIAC against the run last year and were wore down by the offensive line they face tonight.  

UW-Stout 27
UW-Oshkosh 24

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

From the Sideline to the End Zone

With less than two minutes to play in the first half of the 2010 Stagg Bowl, UW-W lined up on Mount Union's 31 yard line. The Purple Raiders led 21-17 and the Warhawks had driven 46 yards in 6 plays. Both teams were fighting to go into the lead at half time.  Lee Brekke dropped back and threw deep down the left seam, a Warhawk receiver went high into the air and made a twisting, athletic catch over the defender and tumbled into the end zone, allowing Whitewater to play from the lead the rest of the game.  It had to be Adam Brandes, who made a name for himself at UW-W making catches no one had ever seen before. Or was it all time reception leader Aaron Rusch? Turns out, it was neither. As #2 got up after the catch, many in Salem Stadium were undoubtedly scurrying through their game program. Tyler Huber, 6'2" sophomore out of Mukwanago High School.  Other than those close to the UW-W program, few knew of Huber.  After all, heading into the Stagg Bowl, he had only four catches for 53 yards all year long.  With senior standouts Brandes and Rusch getting most of the wide out targets, there are only so many passes to go around.  And yet when called upon in the biggest game of the year, Huber made the play.  From the sideline to the end zone.
     In many ways, Huber and his story provide a prototypical example of the level to which UW-W football has elevated.   Entering the 2011 season, UW-W had only 11 starters returning from last year's National Championship team.  Many could read vulnerability into that statistic. It's a given that every year is a new year and each team must establish it's own identity. Nothing is assured. However, it's also a mistake to look at a statistic like "11 Starters Returning"and assume that means the 2011 brand of the team will be less than the 2010 version.  More to prove? Yes. More questions?  Absolutely.  A lesser team? Not necessarily.
      Fast forward to September 17, 2011. Huber, playing against Campbellsville University, who possesses one of the fastest secondaries UW-W will face all year, caught 3 passes for 122 yards, including TD catches of 54 and 64 yards.  On both TD receptions, he pulled away from the speedy Tiger secondary.  For the season, Huber has caught 9 passes for 201 yards (22.3 ypc) and 3 touchdowns.
      Simply because Huber toiled in the shadows of Brandes and Rusch, he was unknown to the casual observer.  But unknown does not equal untalented.  The fact is that Huber is a superior athlete who has been working hard since arriving on the UW-W campus.  From the bleachers, fans saw #2 on the back of his jersey and if they noticed him at all, they noticed he spent more time on the sideline than on the field.  However, if fans were to see him without a number, working in the weight room or undergoing physical testing, they would have an entirely different perspective.   Huber's workout numbers are off the charts for a D3 athlete.  The 6'2" wide receiver put up 26 reps on the bench press, timed at 4.1 in the pro agility, leapt 10.75 in the standing broad jump (next best on the team was 10.41), and his vertical leap was measured at 39 inches.
      And Huber is not alone in trying to replace the departed wide receivers.  Sophomore Luke Menzel leads the team in receptions with 12.  Senior Cory Robinson has caught 6 passes for 101 yards and a TD. Junior Shane Covington has caught 3 passes for 51 yards, and sophomore Steve Morris has caught 3 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.  Robinson is back after not playing football last year.  Covington is getting assimilated after being a defensive back last year, and the gifted Morris (A Wisconsin Coaches Association All State quarterback and WIAA Player of the Year as a senior at Racine Park High School) continues to learn and grow into the wide receiver position.
     The offensive line is another position with high turnover since last season.  UW-W returns only one starter from 2010.  Logan Allemand, starter at right guard last year, has been moved to left tackle.  Joining him on the left side is junior guard Jimmy Norris, who did step in and start at times last year.  The starting center this year is junior Grant Poenitsch.  The whole new right side of the offensive line is comprised of junior guard Joe Hansen and senior tackle Ryan Olson, who did share snaps with Grant Murray last year.
     The O-Line has a tough act to follow as last year's group included First Team All-American Matt Weber, along with Robbie Ustruck and Matt Gawronski who both earned All-West Region recognition. While a new offensive line always takes time to develop, the early results are encouraging.  The top two running backs, Levell Coppage and Desmin Ward (who have the lion's share of carries while the starting line is in the game) are averaging 6.4 and 5.8 yards per carry respectfully.  The duo has also scored 9 combined rushing touchdowns over the first three games.  The offensive line has given up only two sacks in three games, both of which came in the second half of lopsided games.
     On defense, the Warhawks must replace five players in the front seven, all of whom received All-Conference recognition.  On the defensive line, senior Casey Casper is the only starter from the 2010 Stagg Bowl.  However, the front of Casper, senior Jake Keeser,  junior  Jake Hohlstein,  and sophomore Louis Minett are off to a great start and seem to form a formidable front. Juniors Johan Lorenzo and Anthony Dowery, along with senior Zach Cook will help form a deep rotation.
     Senior Greg Arnold is the only returning linebacker.  However Saturday's starting combination of Arnold, junior Jaren Borland, and sophomore Kyle Wismer are rotated with a deep group of athletic backers including sophomores Cole Klotz, Ryan Cortez, and Bryan Spakowcz.  Talented junior Josh Williams is recovering from an injury and has not played this year.
     In the three preseason games, the front seven has anchored down to the tune of allowing only 193 yards rushing and 2.2 yards per carry.  The Warhawks also have seven sacks in three games.
     In the defensive backfield, starters Ryan Wenkman (jr) and Jarod Kiesow (sr) return.  For most of the fall, starting with them has been Jesse Hamilton (sr) and Noah Timm (jr).  The Warhawks have been very strong against the pass, allowing a completion percentage of just 39.5% and a total of 126 yards per game.  The Warhawks have yielded two TD passes and intercepted four passes.
      By most any measure, the preseason has been very successful.  UW-W has outscored it's three opponents 125-21.  Probably more importantly, the coaches have given a high priority to rotating players and developing valuable depth.  For example, All-American running back Levell Coppage has only 42.5% of the running backs' 127 carries. There seemed to be a continual flow of players coming into the games throughout the preseason.  Most importantly of all, the Warhawks are 3-0 and seem to be heading into WIAC play on October 1st  reasonably healthy.
     As is the case every season, there are players being given their first real opportunity to make an impact on game day.  And as the season unfolds, the 2011 Warhawks will be forming their own identity. While established players like Blanchard, Coppage, and Arnold will be counted on to carry the load, the performance of those new to the stage will go a long way toward determining how far this team goes.  And maybe, just maybe,  one of the numbers that fans are used to seeing on the sideline,  will turn up in the end zone.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Recipe For Disaster


On Sunday, September 25th UW-Platteville Coach Mike Emendorfer and his staff will check on the players who have bumps and bruises from the Pioneers' game against UW-LaCrosse, review and grade the game film, and work feverishly at putting together the ingredients of their plan of attack for their October 1st game against UW-Whitewater.   Undoubtedly, much time will be spent on both how to slow down QB Matt Blanchard and All-American running back Levell Coppage.  The offensive coaches will study the Warhawks and try to develop a plan to move the ball against a stingy Warhawk defense. However,  any game plan to beat UW-Whitewater will have to start with taking care of the football on offense and staying gap disciplined on defense.  If those pieces aren't in place, the Warhawks will quickly render the rest of the blueprint immaterial. And then on game day, there is the matter of executing the game plan. Planning to beat UW-Whitewater has it's challenges. Actually doing it is a different challenge altogether.  Beating UW-W means more than having a good plan to stop them, maintaining gap discipline, and taking care of the football. Unless the game is one of those rare "anything can happen" Saturdays, winning against Whitewater means winning the battle of the line of scrimmage.  And that is the epitome of "easier said than done" in Division III football.

The staff at Campbellsville University, 17th ranked nationally in the NAIA Coaches Poll heading into last Saturday's game against UW-W, found that out the hard way for the second consecutive year.  

"We feel like we can go in there and match up with them in the skill positions,” CU head coach Perry Thomas said before the game. “We thought we did last year. If it wasn't for a couple of miscues early, we could have made it a competitive ballgame."

How well CU matched up with UW-W at the skill positions is debatable given the Warhawks gashed the Tigers for 7 touchdowns, 5 of which were plays of 48 yards or longer.  CU  certainly didn't match up too well with Tyler Huber, who caught TD passes of 54 and 64 yards. And although Campbellsville may have the fastest players at the skill positions UW-W will see this side of Salem, speed alone couldn't prevent them from giving up 431 yards in the first half or losing the game 54-14. 

Two of the hallmarks of UW-Whitewater teams over the past several years are superior line play and precise and disciplined execution.  And while an occasional speedy receiver will get behind the last line of the UW-W defense,  very seldom does this team get gashed by their own lack of gap discipline.  If planning for a team as talented and disciplined as Whitewater is a headache, executing the plan on game day is downright concussive.  The Tigers found that out up close and personal for the second consecutive year.  Because the factors are interrelated, it's hard to dissect what went wrong first for CU. But a culmination of factors proved to be a recipe for disaster for Campbellsvile and resulted in a relatively easy victory for the Warhawks:
Turning the Ball Over
In any football game, turnovers will decrease the likelihood of victory dramatically. Against a team as dangerous as UW-W, it almost assures being blown out.  The cost of a single turnover is perilously high in terms of giving up a possession, giving UW-W an extra possession, and yielding precious field position. Looking at the percentage of Warhawk drives that end up as a score (UW-W scored in 9 of 13 possessions in the first 3 quarters Saturday), giving them extra possessions is deadly.  
Lack of Gap Discipline
On both Desmin Ward's 48 yard touchdown run and Levell Coppage's 60 yard burst, Campbellsville helped create the huge gaps by failing to collectively maintain their defensive gaps.  Perhaps sensing they were outmanned on the line of scrimmage, too often they took unnecessary risks and over-committed to a specific direction prematurely, abandoning their gap and creating holes in their line of defense.  With UW-W's astute coaching and scouting aptitude, these tendencies will invariably get exploited on game day.  It does take discipline to maintain your gap when your team is getting beaten at the line of scrimmage. And there is certainly no evidence that gap discipline alone would have led to a close game.  But the fact is that the Warhawks made CU pay dearly for their lack of gap discipline.
Losing the Battle of the Line of Scrimmage
UW-W won the battle of the trenches convincingly on both sides of the ball. Had the Tigers truly matched up evenly with the skill position players of the Warhawks, this game still would not have been close.  The talent and execution level of the offensive and defensive fronts of Whitewater was simply too much for the Tigers.  Winning and losing these up front battles is  the biggest determiner of victory and defeat. While people rightfully point to turnovers as the biggest key to victory in a football game, more often than not, turnovers are not an accident. Winning the line of scrimmage battle creates pressure. Pressure creates turnovers. Even "unforced" turnovers are more often committed by the team that has been losing the battle of the line of scrimmage. Winning the battle at the line of scrimmage wears down the opponent and forces them into the cardinal sins of football, turning the ball over and failure to maintain gap discipline.  

On October 1st, Platteville will bring in an ultra talented quarterback and some other very talented football players to take on the Warhawks in Perkins Stadium.  Coach Emendorfer will  have them prepared with a solid game plan.  They will play smart and they will play hard.  The outcome will likely come down to the trenches.  If the offensive line can impose it's will on the Pioneers, Blanchard, Coppage, and a host of gifted wide receivers will have their opportunities for big plays.  If the defensive front of UW-W can maintain a stout defensive front and apply pressure, the Warhawks will create opportunities for turnovers.  If Whitewater plays like Whitewater by taking care of the football and maintaining gap control, it will be very hard for the Pioneers to pull off the upset. However, if the Pioneers do the same, the October 1st clash should be a good one.  But if the Pioneers are dominated up front, the best laid plans can unravel quickly.  And if they begin turning the ball over on offense or abandoning their gaps on defense, they will find themselves, like Campbellsville,  stirring a recipe for disaster.

Friday, September 16, 2011

WIAC PROJECTIONS WEEK 3

Wheaton College at UW-Platteville
The Thunder will be running into a 2-0 Pioneer team brimming with confidence after their surprisingly easy 26-3 victory over UW-Stevens Point.  The Pioneers have not given up a TD in either of their first two games.  Last year, UW-P was playing right with Wheaton when the wheels came off and they were stampeded 51-20.  This one has the feel of a much closer game and if the Thunder doesn't improve from last week's performance against Albion, they will find themselves on the short end.  Wheaton's talented defensive ends could provide the difference against the relatively inexperienced Pioneer offensive tackles.

Wheaton College 27
UW-Platteville  21


UW-River Falls at Trine
A year ago Trine beat Manchester and Bluffton by a combined 117 points and averaged 7.0 yards per carry, gaining 661 yards in 94 carries before taking on the Falcons.  Against those same opponents this year, the Thunder  won by a combined margin of 25 points and gained 203 yards rushing in 87 attempts for 2.3 yards per carry. In last year's contest, the Thunder rolled for 338 yards rushing in pulling away from a halftime tie to a 35-14 victory.  In the first half last week, UW-RF held St. Thomas to 57 yards rushing in the first half before wearing down in the second half.  Could this be two teams headed in opposite directions?

UW-River Falls 23
Trine 20


Campbellsville University at UW-Whitewater
Campbellsville comes in 2-0, riding big defensive plays to wins over two ranked NAIA teams.  In the Tigers' 30-14 win over Union College, four interceptions and a forced fumble propelled the victory. Last week, the Tigers blocked three kicks and returned a two point conversion attempt turnover for a score late, edging #18 Cumberland University 30-27.  The Tigers have great teams speed, which tends to force mistakes against lesser teams.  However, UW-W prides itself in mistake free, fundamentally sound football.  While this will be a good test, especially for the skill position players of the Warhawks, it is not likely Campbellsville will be able to hold up in the interior lines over four quarters.  If the Tigers' play mistake free, it's possible they could keep it reasonably close, at least for awhile.

UW-Whitewater 41
Campbellsville University 13

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

D3 Top 25 Fan Poll Week 3

Re-Working it. Should be released later today.

Monday, September 12, 2011

UW-W Preseason Questions and Answers

As the UW-W Whitewater Warhawks prepare for their third and final pre-season game, some interesting, if not conclusive, answers seem to be forming to a number of questions surrounding the season:

1. How well will the pre-season slate prepare the Warhawks for the rest of the season? The simple answer is, better than last year.  For the second consecutive year, the Hawks opened against a team playing their first game for a new head coach. However, it is obvious UW-LaCrosse was far more prepared for the challenge than Adrian College was a year ago.  Although neither opponent was able to generate much offensively, Adrian offered no semblance of an offensive threat at all.  Their starting tailback gained only 1.5 ypc in 12 carries against the Warhawks, while Eagle back Lee Lauters gained 89 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry, albeit much of the damage was done late in the game. The line play of the WIAC school was much stronger than Adrian and undoubtedly gave the young Warhawk fronts good experience against a representative group.  There is almost no comparison in the second game opponents. Franklin, ranked #21 by d3football.com presented a legitimate passing game and threw the ball 36 times. The Grizzlies presented far greater experience for the UW-W defense and pass defense in particular than 2010 opponent Dakota State, which offered no resistance offensively or defensively.  
           While the third opponent, Campbellsville University, is the same as last year, they are a team that expects to be improved. Campbellsville was the only team to test the UW-W secondary at all last pre-season and they are expected to again on Saturday, as they bring with them All-American candidate Stan Warrenhuffman.  
           All in all, the experience of playing another WIAC school, and the far stronger tests for the UW-W pass defense should serve the Warhawks well as they head into their conference opener in two weeks against UW-Platteville.  

2.  How good will the offensive line be this year after being hit hard by graduation? Again, nothing conclusive can be gained after two games.  The story will be written over he course of the season.  However, there are certainly encouraging signs.  In two games, the Warhawks have gained 484 yards in 99 carries, for a 4.8 yards per carry average. A year ago, with a veteran offensive line returning, UW-W rushed for 646 yards in 90 carries after 2 games. However, it's hard to overstate the difference in competition levels.  It should be noted also, that UW-W is developing the running backs behind All-American Levell Coppage.  Coppage only has 39% of the total Warhawk carries so far.  If the line continues to come together and improve each week, there's nothing to suggest they won't be a very good line by the end of the season. 

3.  How will the pass defense come together.  Once again, all signs are positive through two games.  In 57 drop backs, the Warhawks have four sacks and allowed only a 47.2 completion percentage.  In addition, the Warhawks have three interceptions and have allowed only 99 yards per game passing.  The Warhawks have allowed a paltry 3.7 yards per pass.

4.  Do the Warhawks have what it takes to make it to Salem a seventh consecutive time? Stay tuned.  

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Warhawks Set the Bar

There are goals and then there are dreams.  When Adrian College backed out of the second year of a two year agreement to play UW-Whitewater, Franklin coach Mike Leonard jumped on the opportunity.  "Why not show your college what a national champion looks like?" said Leonard.  "If you want to compete with the best, why not play the best?'' Certainly, exposing a program and its supporters to a championship level program with the intent of learning what it takes to compete for a championship is a worthy goal. It is a part of the approach UW-Whitewater used to rise to national prominence. 

Coach Leonard allowed himself to dream just a little, too.  "If we win this thing, I just might retire" joked Leonard.  "That's how big it would be.  It would just do wonders for our program, for our recruiting.  There are so many positives that would come out of it." When the Grizzlies held UW-W scoreless on their first two drives Saturday afternoon, Leonard's dream seemed alive and well.  But as it turns out, the dream of an upset was relatively short lived, but the goal of exposing his program to championship level football was more than accomplished.

UW-W lined up for their third possession in a scoreless game with 5:21 left in the first quarter.  Three plays later, UW-W elected to go for a first down on fourth and one from their own 41 yard line. Quarterback Matt Blanchard ran for two yards and a first down. Having moved the chains, the Warhawks moved to the Grizzlies' 25 yard line when Blanchard hit a wide open Steve Morris on the left side for a 25 yard TD pass.  As it turns out, this drive was the first of five consecutive touchdown drives in the first half for the Warhawks.  Two rushing touchdowns each by Desmin Ward and Levell Coppage propelled UW-Whitewater to a 35-0 halftime lead.  The UW-W defense was dominant in the first half as they held Franklin College to 118 yards and 6 first downs. A fumble recovery by Ryan Wenkman and an interception by Ryan Cortez killed two of the Grizzlies first half drives.  Both takeaways led to Warhawk touchdowns. 

The Warhawks' defense continued their dominant play in the second half.  Four second half possessions by the Grizzlies ended with two punts and two Warhawk takeaways.  On the first possession of the second half, UW-W took over at their own 39 after a 29 yard kickoff return by Shane Covington.  The Warhawks drove to the Grizzlies two on the strength of four Blanchard completions for 35 yards and five Desmin Ward rushes for 24 yards.  Blanchard connected with Bernie Tamsett on a two yard TD pass and UW-W led 42-0 with 10:46 remaining in the 3rd quarter.  The rest of the way, Lee Brekke replaced Blanchard at quarterback and the Warhawks pulled in the reigns, running on 23 of their final 31 plays, with Eric Kindler providing the final 45-0 margin with a 31 yard field goal.

The Warhawks held a 473-198 edge in total yardage.  UW-W had 27 first downs and averaged 5.8 yards on their 82 offensive plays.  Franklin College finished with 12 first downs and averaged 3.1 yards per play.  Part of the focus of the UW-W coaching staff this week undoubtedly was to limit penalties after being flagged 9 times for 85 yards a week ago.  They cut down their penalty total to 5 for 45 yards.  Uncharacteristically, the Warhawks did fumble twice, losing one inside Franklin's red zone. 

By any measure, Whitewater's venture into Indiana was a successful one.  The Warhawks shut out the 21st ranked team in the nation who averaged 45.6 points a game a year ago and scored 49 points last week. The Warhawk running game rushed for 307 yards, paced by Levell Coppage with 119 yards and Desmin Ward with 71 yards.  Matt Blanchard completed 13 of 18 passes for 128 yards and 2 TD's, while Lee Brekke chipped in 4 of 7 for 38 yards.  And while UW-W's 45-0 whitewashing may have denied the fulfillment of a coach's dream, they certainly did their part in exposing his program's supporters to championship level football.

WIAC PROJECTIONS

UW-Eau Claire at St. John’s
Failing to finish Eau Claire last year spun the Johnnie’s season in the wrong direction. The Bluegolds hoping to avoid an 0-2 start, but Collegeville won’t be an easy place to get the win.

St. John’s 27  UW-Eau Claire 21




UW-LaCrosse at UMHB
The Indians, oh, Eagles, made the long bus trip to Belton, TX in the middle of the night, Thursday night. Probably the bigger challenge to overcome will be the Mary Hardin-Baylor defense. The team speed of the Eagles’ defense should help them stay with the Crusaders (or Tigers) for awhile, but this figures to be a huge challenge.

UMHB 35  UW-LaCrosse 10


UW-Oshkosh at Mount Union
The Titans impressed in their win against Central last week and did well in putting up 28 points in last year’s contest. Mount Union’s defense is notorious for being much better at the end of the season than the beginning of the season. If Oshkosh’s defense can hold up, this one will be interesting. It’s those darn if’s that get you every time…

Mount Union 35
UW-Oshkosh 17

UW-Platteville at UW-Stevens Point
When the dust settles on the 2011 season, there is going to be more than one team who rue’s the day the WIAC mandated intra-conference non-conference games. The Pointers and Pioneers could be two of them.

Coming off an impressive win on a long road trip, Point could be primed for an upset. Platteville has a veteran defense and a talented QB. The question is whether their offensive line can generate anything against a strong UW-SP front.

UW Stevens Point 24
UW Platteville 10


St. Thomas at River Falls
If the Tommies don’t play better than they did last week, they will go the way of North Central.  However, the Falcons aren’t yet ready to pull off an upset of this stature.

St. Thomas 31
UW-River Falls 14


UW-Stout at Jamestown
The Blue Devils have won each of the last 3 seasons, but the margin has gotten smaller and smaller. Last year, it took a last second field goal. Is this the year Jamestown overtakes them? Nahhhh

UW-Stout 27
Jamestown 17


UW-Whitewater at Frankin
The Warhawks will look to control the ball to keep it out of the hands of the pass happy Grizzlies. The UW-W formula of 4 quarters of pounding could take a toll. Sophomore QB Jonny West, making his second start, will find the UW-W’s defense a much stiffer challenge than Valpo. After last year’s playoff loss, the Griz don’t particularly need a measuring stick.  They get one anyway.

UW-Whitewater 38
Franklin 17

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What the Numbers Say

By now, UW-W Coach Lance Leipold and his staff have broken down the game video of Saturday evening's 26-7 victory over arch rival LaCrosse and finalized the game plan for Franklin College.  While the game and end zone view videos are invaluable tools in helping coaches evaluate performance, techniques, and alignments, some assumptions of overall performance can be gleaned from studying the statistical results of a contest.  Here is a capsule of some of the numbers from Saturday night, what story those numbers told, and what it all may mean for the Warhawks' prospects this season:

FINAL SCORE: UW-W 26  UW-LaCrosse 7
Unlike some games, the final score in this one probably is pretty indicative of how this one played out.  While the win was convincing, it was not quite a blow out.  The defense was relatively dominant, while the offense moved the ball freely, but failed to cap off enough drives with touchdowns to blow out the Eagles. All that being said, the Eagles never really appeared to be a threat to win the game, probably because of the inability of their offense to sustain much of anything.

ERIC KINDLER: 4 for 4 on FG attempts.
Call this Kindler's anti-Campbellsville performance.  In last year's 3rd pre-conference game, Kindler went 0-4 in Campbellsville, KY.  That performance shook the confidence of Warhawk nation in the kicking game. However, Kindler proved himself reliable the rest of the season making 14 of 17 after that visit to Kentucky.  This performance bodes well both for Kindler's confidence and his chances of being a real threat for the Warhawks in 2011.  

MATT BLANCHARD: 18-30-0 for 248 yards.
Blanchard did not throw a TD pass, but he did complete 4 passes of 20+ yards to 4 different receivers.  Blanchard threw at a 60% clip after completing a 72.4% clip a year ago.  The lower percentages is probably a function of working with new receivers and not should not be a concern.  Overall, Blanchard spread the ball around, completing passes to 8 different receivers.  His main target, especially to move the chains was Luke Menze (6 receptions).   However, Blanchard also utilized TE Jason Ford very effectively, completing 5 passes to the senior defensive end for 62 yards, with a long of 32 yards.

LEVELL COPPAGE: 21 Carries for 121 Yards and a TD
While his numbers were certainly solid, they were a bit un-Coppage like in that his long gain was "only" 15 yards.  However, Coach Lance Leipold was pleased with the play of his revamped offensive line. "I'm pleased. I will have to check the film and the end zone film, but they must have blitzed 95% of the time. And for their (the offensive line's) first game together, I'm pleased" Leipold said after the game. Getting experience against a WIAC defense will likely be a huge benefit to this group.

RUN DEFENSE: 15 Carries for 89 Yards.
Starting running back Lee Lauters did a nice job against the Warhawk defense, running for 5.9 yards per carry.  It  should be noted that he had runs of 20, 11, and 21 yards in three of his last five carries of the game, all in the second half when many defensive players were being moved in and out of the game. But nonetheless, the UW-W coaches will undoubtedly be expecting the defense to be more stout against the run as the season progresses.

PASS DEFENSE: 7-17-1 for 40 yards and 1 first down.
Clearly, the pass defense was on their game.  The Eagles could really muster next to nothing through the air. The defensive backs held LaCrosse wide receivers to 4 catches for 39 yards.  UW-W's linebackers did a great job on  the ancillary receivers as they held Lauters to 1 catch for (-2) yards and tight end Trevor Hutson to 1 catch for 3 yards.  In Addition, the defense generated 3 quarterback sacks, totaling 32 yards in losses.  The pass defense will undoubtedly be tested far more in their September 17th game at Franklin College.

KRIS ROSHOLT: 5 Punts for a 42.6 yard average and 4 punts inside the 20.
Rosholt picks up right where he left off last year. His ability to hang a long punt with excellent hang time only to drop with a neutral bounce is rare and exceptional.  Rosholt is a major field position weapon for the Warhawks.

SEASON RECORD: 1-0
The objective of any pre-season game is to come out healthy and with a victory. Although injuries aren't always made public, the victory certainly appears to be a solid start to the 2011 season. In addition, many new starters and backups received excellent experience playing in a hostile environment.  While the coaches no doubt discovered "coaching points" as they broke down the film, the numbers certainly point to a good start to the season for the Warhawks. 
D3 Top 25 Fan Poll Week 2

TEAM  (1st place votes)       PTS   (last week's rating)
1. UW-Whitewater (12)       348            (1)
2.  Mount Union (2)                 338            (2)
3.  Wesley                                 316            (4)
4. St. Thomas                           292            (5)
5. Mary Hardin-Baylor           289            (6)
6. Linfield                                 261            (9)
7. Bethel                                   258            (7)
8. Wheaton                              243            (8)
9. Ohio Northern                    198            (11)
10. Hardin-Simmons              196            (16)
11. North Central                   185             (4)
12. Wartburg                          156             (12)
13. Montclair State                154             (13)
14. Cortland State                 144             (15)
15. Cal Lutheran                   130             (17)
16. Thomas More                  128             (14)
17. UW-Stevens Point           100             (22)
18. Wabash                              92             (20)
19. Wittenberg                        90             (21)
20. Redlands                           84              (U)
21. Alfred                                83              (18)
22. St. John's                          80              (23)
23. Trine                                 70              (19)
24. Coe                                    67              (10)
25. Franklin                           60              (25)

Also receiving votes: Baldwin Wallace (34), Delaware Valley (26), Hampden-Sydney (19), Louisiana College (15),  Elmhurst (13), Illinois Wesleyan (13), UW-Oshkosh (12), Pacific Lutheran (12), Salisbury (11), Willamette (7), Washington and Lee (6), UW-LaCrosse (5), Rowan (4), UW-Platteville (3), Adrian (2), Lycoming (2), St. John Fisher(2), Johns Hopkins (1), Washington University (1).



Saturday, September 3, 2011

"Next Man Up" more than a cliche at UW-W

When the UW-Whitewater Warhawks take the field tonight at UW-LaCrosse, there will be many questions waiting to be answered at a number of positions. Will the offensive and defensive lines be able to be the powerhouse units they have been in the past after being hit hard by graduation? Will the wide receivers be able to sustain the loss of Aaron Rusch and Adam Brandes? Will injuries to Aaron Samplawski, Steve McCollom, and Josh Williams derail the 2011 season before it even gets started? Many questions, no answers. Yet. 


However, a look at the history of the UW-W football program may give some insight as to what to expect. 


When Bob Berezowitz  assumed the reigns of the UW-Whitewater football program after the 1984 season, he accomplished what he had set out to do 20 years earlier.  As a star catcher on the Warhawks baseball team and quarterback on the football team, "Brez" had career path options in both sports he loved so much. 


"I had a chance to go to Georgia to play baseball for three months, to work out down there during spring training," said Berezowitz, an All-America catcher and quarterback at UW-Whitewater at the time.

"I saw the number of people involved in professional baseball and realized that in order to get to the major leagues, there was an awful long road to go down. It wasn't worth it.
"After that, I remember telling people, After I graduate, I'm going to be the head football coach at Whitewater.' "
Berezowitz knew all too well he was succeeding UW-Whitewater's all time winningest football coach, Forrest Perkins.  He played quarterback for Perkins and led the Warhawks to the NAIA national championship game in 1966.  Undaunted by the challenge of following Perkins, Berezowitz was the next man up. All he did was coach 22 years, win 68% of his games, win 8 conference championship, win 6 Coach of the Year honors, and establish UW-W as a national football power taking his final two teams to the Stagg Bowl.  

Enter Lance Leipold. Like Berezowitz, Leipold is a former Warhawks quarterback, playing for both Perkins and Berezowitz.  Leipold still holds the UW-W all time record for attempts, completions, and passing yards in a game.  In taking the job, Leipold took stewardship of a program that had been successful for 50 years. It was also a program with huge expectations. Although a "national championship or bust" mentality is never really appropriate at the intercollegiate level, Leipold was walking into a situation that comes as close to that as one can get. After all,  with two consecutive national championship game appearances, where else could he take the program and be considered a success?  So he's won three of them. So far...
In 60 games as a head coach at UW-W, Coach Leipold is 57-3.  He has a record of 27-1 in the nation's strongest Division III conference. He is unbeaten against every conference school except Stevens Point.  His other two losses were against D2 St. Cloud State and perennial power Mount Union. He has won conference championships all four years along with the three national championships. He is on pace to be the most successful coach in terms of wins and losses, well, anywhere ever. When Coach Berezowitz retired, there was reason for some angst among Warhawk fans. It's always a huge unknown when a new man takes over for a long time coach. Count the angst unwarranted. Leipold was the next man up.


"Next man up" has been a mentality at UW-W among players for a long time. The phrase simply refers to the high expectation that roster or positional turnover within the team will not lead to a lowering of standards. The next man up simply has an opportunity to be the one to fulfill the standard.  Too many players over too many positions have stepped up during the history of Warhawks football to begin to chronicle them all. A few of the recent examples include:
QB Justin Jacobs departs after leading UW-W to 2 consecutive Stagg Bowls. Enter Danny Jones. Jones departs after quarterbacking the national championship victory over Mount Union in 2007. Enter Jeff Donovan. Donovan departs after quarterbacking UW-W to two Stagg Bowl appearances, including the national championship victory in 2009. Enter Matt Blanchard. Blanchard is injured after completing over 72% of his passes and leading UW-W to an unbeaten regular season record in 2010. Enter Lee Brekke who QB'd the Warhawks on their unbeaten playoff run and Stagg Bowl championship over Mount Union. Justin Beaver departs after breaking nearly every school record a running back can hold. Enter Levell Coppage who, if he stays healthy, may well break all of them.
The story of the 2011 Warhawks will begun being written this evening in LaCrosse. If the UW-W tradition holds true this season, there will be new names making impact plays and bearing the same standard of Warhawk football. And those new to a prominent role in 2011 have a golden opportunity to join the others that went before them as the "next man up."

Friday, September 2, 2011

2011 Week 1 WIAC PROJECTIONS

Black Hills State at UW-Stout
The Blue Devils lost star power, but much of WIAC’s #2 rated defense returns as does 2 year starting QB Ross Carey.  Stout will remember last year’s embarrassing loss. It won’t happen again.

UW-Stout 24  
Black Hills State 7


Buena Vista at UW-Platteville
Buena Vista fumbled 7 times (losing 4) and threw three interceptions in Platteville’s rout last year. Coach Anderson is emphasizing ball protection in camp and if successful, that could keep BVU in it longer. But the Pioneers are the superior team.

UW-Platteville 21
Buena Visa  6


UW-Eau Claire at Bethel (TN)
Each team rushed for over 200yards in last year’s wild 35-31 Eau Claire victory.  Both teams return nearly their entire offensive units.  These two teams have opened each of the last three years, with the Bluegolds coming out on top each time. 

UW Eau Claire 28
Bethel (TN)     24


Central at UW-Oshkosh
Last year, Central was able to win the battle of the line of scrimmage out-gaining the Titans 440 to 295 and winning the time of possession battle by 16 minutes in a 34-28 victory.  With both teams returning most of their offensive weapons, the key will be whether the Oshkosh veteran defensive line can do a better job of getting the defense off the field against a Central offensive line who returns only 2 starters.  The Titans kept it close last year with TD drives of 22 and 34 yards after a takeaway and a long kickoff return. They would probably need similar fortune to win this one.

Central 35
UW-Oshkosh 21

UW-Stevens Point at Willamette
Both teams come in having lost major offensive weapons.  Last year Point jumped out to a 14-0 lead before being overwhelmed by the unique “fly” offense in a 33-14 loss. UW-SP coach John Miech is banking on film of last year’s game helping enormously in preparation.  He is extremely pleased with how the team is executing in training camp. Will it all be enough?

Willamette 28
UW-Stevens Point 23


UW-Whitewater at UW-LaCrosse
Optimism reigns as Coach Joel Dettwiler takes over the proud Eagle program. However, installing completely new systems takes time.  UW-W hopes to answer some questions as they reload for another run at the National Championship.  The young UW-W offensive line would really have to struggle for this one to remain close.

UW-Whitewater 31
UW-LaCrosse     10