In an October showdown of undefeated WIAC contenders, an emotionally charged UW-Oshkosh Titan football team had outplayed UW-Whitewater to a 17-10 lead at halftime. As the halftime break was winding down, the Titans sprinted back on the field to the roar of an approving crowd. The officials made their way back on the field. The clock ran down to 0:00 and was reset to 15:00. There was only one thing missing. The UW-W football team. They still had not emerged from the locker room. The officials fixed their stare towards the corner of the end zone that was the visiting team entry point for JJ Keller Field. Finally, Coach Lance Leipold led his team to the brink of the field. Rather than continuing to walk on the field, he turned and faced his team. His team formed a line on either side of him and he slapped the hand of each and every member of the team as they took the field. It was obvious. This was a moment of truth; a challenge that would help define the Warhawks 2011 season.
UW-Oshkosh was to receive the ball to open the second half. Getting a stop was imperative. The Titans got a couple of first down on the strength of the legs of QB Nate Wara. They advanced the ball to their own 49. That's as far as they would advance before being forced to punt. After the punt was fair caught at the 23, the Warhawk offense took over determined to drive down the field and tie the game. And they were crisp. In 11 plays, the Hawks moved the ball to a first and ten at the UW-Oshkosh 20. The Titans called time out. UW-W had upped the tempo and the Titans were on their heels. On the next play Matt Blanchard faded back to pass. He saw a receiver breaking free near the goal line and threw. The pass was just a bit late. Oshkosh DB Charlie Stueck intercepted the pass. It was only the third interception of the year and fourth in Blanchard's UW-Whitewater career. It was very uncharacteristic of the Warhawk team to make this kind of a mistake. And it was one they would learn from. Led by a dominant defensive performance who shut out the Titans the rest of the game, UW-W went on to win the game 20-17.
A lot of football has been played since that sunny October afternoon in Oshkosh. In fact, since Blanchard's pass wound up in the hands of Stueck, the Warhawks have had 60 offensive possessions, not including possessions that were kneel down only to end a half or game. That's 60 meaningful possessions and 334 offensive snaps generating 179 points. All without one single turnover. That's over 21 quarters of turnover-free football for the offensive unit of the Warhawks.
Ball security and winning the turnover battle has been a key ingredient in Warhawks' post-season success. It is a well documented football fact that winning the turnover battle is one of the biggest single statistical advantages a team can have in winning a football game. And the offense knows that if they have perfect ball security, the likelihood of UW-W winning that key battle multiplies. Currrently, the Warhawks rank second in the nation in fewest turnovers with 8 all season. Certainly, over the past 5 weeks, no one has been better. As a point of reference, Salisbury University, the Warhawks' quarterfinal playoff opponent Saturday, ranks 73rd with 18.
There was a sense among most who attended the Whitewater-Oshkosh tilt on October 22nd, that the result would have post season implications. And it certainly has. What no one could have known is the supreme stretch of ball security the Warhawks' offense would demonstrate following that 3rd quarter interception. And if the offense can continue to be so protective, it is likely the Warhawks will secure a whole lot more than the just the football when the 2011 season ends.
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