UW-W Athletics earn another honor!

UW-W Athletics earn another honor!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010 Game-A-Day Review: 

September 4, 2010  


Adrian College at UW-Whitewater

The Warhawks opened the 2010 season by hosting the Adrian College Bulldogs on a sunny 72 degree Saturday afternoon in Perkins Stadium.  After a scoreless first quarter, first-time starting quarterback Matt Blanchard led UW-W to a 12-0 halftime lead by throwing one TD pass and running for another.  Although the Warhawks led by only 12 (having missed both extra points),  the Bulldogs did not appear to be much of a threat as they gained only 75 yards and had only four first downs in the first half.  The Warhawks added three more 2nd half touchdowns and an Eric Kindler field goal to polish off the 35-0 shutout.

Blanchard finished a spectacular debut with 19 completions in 25 attempts for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He also gained 46 yards rushing and another score.

Defensively, the Warhawks held Adrian to 162 total yards and 10 first downs.  While the Warhawk offense piled up 472 yards of total offense.  


The Bulldogs finished with a 5-5 overall record in 2010.  They finished 4-2 and tied for second place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Adrian has informed UW-W that they do not intend to honor the 2nd year of their two year contract between the two schools.  





SCORING SUMMARY  ADRIAN -UWW  
2nd 11:37 UWW  Adam Brandes 17 yd pass from Matt Blanchard (Stephen Guelff kick failed) 
      5 plays, 44 yards, TOP 2:05 0 - 6 
02:58 UWW  Matt Blanchard 6 yd run (Stephen Guelff kick failed) 
      8 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:44 0 - 12 
3rd 06:13 UWW  Adam Brandes 26 yd pass from Matt Blanchard (Stephen Guelff kick failed) 
      7 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:59 0 - 18 
01:02 UWW  Aaron Rusch 5 yd run (Eric Kindler kick) 
      7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:13 0 - 25 
4th 12:35 UWW  Eric Kindler 24 yd field goal 
      6 plays, 17 yards, TOP 2:15 0 - 28 
04:37 UWW  Booker Stanley 3 yd run (Eric Kindler kick) 
      6 plays, 79 yards, TOP 2:21 0 - 35 


Kickoff time: 12:00  • End of Game: 2:30  • Total elapsed time: 2:30
Referee: Gene Van Galder •  Umpire: Mark Braden  •  Linesman: Todd Wittlinger •  Line judge: Tom Bier  •  Back judge: Tom Wohleber  •  Field judge: Tim Duffy  •  Side judge: Kent Holmquist  •  Scorer: UW-W SI  •
Temperature: 72  • Wind: slight  • Weather: sunny
season opener for both teams ... UW-W ranked number one in
two preseason polls for NCAA III, second in the other ...
UW-W defending D3 champion



Team Statistics (Final) 

 Team Totals ADRIAN UWW 
FIRST DOWNS 10 24 
   Rushing 
   Passing 13 
   Penalty 
NET YARDS RUSHING 74 183 
   Rushing Attempts 41 37 
   Average Per Rush 1.8 4.9 
   Rushing Touchdowns 
   Yards Gained Rushing 110 183 
   Yards Lost Rushing 36 
NET YARDS PASSING 88 289 
   Completions-Attempts-Int 14-21-1 19-25-0 
   Average Per Attempt 4.2 11.6 
   Average Per Completion 6.3 15.2 
   Passing Touchdowns 
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 162 472 
   Total offense plays 62 62 
   Average Gain Per Play 2.6 7.6 
Fumbles: Number-Lost 1-0 2-2 
Penalties: Number-Yards 8-84 6-57 
PUNTS-YARDS 8-242 2-99 
   Average Yards Per Punt 30.2 49.5 
   Net Yards Per Punt 26.8 46.0 
   Inside 20 
   50+ Yards 
   Touchbacks 
   Fair catch 
KICKOFFS-YARDS 1-64 7-377 
   Average Yards Per Kickoff 64.0 53.9 
   Net Yards Per Kickoff 33.0 37.1 
   Touchbacks 
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 2-7-0 2-28-0 
   Average Per Return 3.5 14.0 
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 5-77-0 1-31-0 
   Average Per Return 15.4 31.0 
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 0-0-0 1-10-0 
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 0-0-0 0-0-0 
Miscellaneous Yards 
Possession Time 34:18 25:42 
   1st Quarter 9:37 5:23 
   2nd Quarter 9:44 5:16 
   3rd Quarter 6:23 8:37 
   4th Quarter 8:34 6:26 
Third-Down Conversions 5 of 16 4 of 9 
Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 2 1 of 2 
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 0-1 5-5 
   Touchdowns 0-1 4-5 
   Field goals 0-1 1-5 
Sacks By: Number-Yards 0-0 2-19 
PAT Kicks 0-0 2-5 
Field Goals 0-1 1-1 

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Game A Day Season Review Starts December 30!


Beginning Thursday, December 30, UWWfootball.com will be looking at "A Game a Day" in reviewing the 2010 Warhawk Championship Season.  


We will provide a capsule commentary and key statistics of all 15 Warhawk victories.   December 30, we will be kicking it all off with a  look at the Warhawks'  September 4, 2010 dismantling of Adrian College. 

Saturday, December 25, 2010



10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
                                                  Luke 2: 10-12


16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
 2 Thessalonians 3:16


Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Final 2010 D3 Top 25 Fan Poll


1.  UW-Whitewater (13)             325
2.  Mount Union                          311
3.  North Central                        298
4.  Wesley                                    288
5.  UMHB                                    261
6.  Bethel                                     255
7.  St. Thomas                             245
8.  Trine                                      229
9.  Linfield                                  220
10.  Ohio Northern                    208
11.  Wheaton                              193
12.  Alfred                                  157
13.  Delaware Valley                 138
14.  Thomas More                     137
15.  Wartburg                            130
16.  Coe                                       111
17.  Cortland State                    106
18.  Montclair State                  103
19.  Franklin                                89
20.  Pacific Lutheran                  74
21.  California Lutheran            73
22.  Wittenberg                           65
23.  Hardin-Simmons                 62
24.  Rowan                                   59
25.  Hampden-Sydney                32


Also receiving votes:  Central (23), DePauw (14), Wabash (9), Endicott (6), Washington and Lee (2), Salisbury (1), UW-Stevens Point (1). 

Monday, December 20, 2010

Warhawks too much for Mount Union


The UW-Whitewater Warhawks proved too much for the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders Saturday.  Too much strength up front. Too much second half defense. Too much Levell Coppage.  As a result, UW-Whitewater won their second straight national championship with a convincing 31-21 victory over Mount Union in Salem, VA. For those in the Warhawks' program and their fans, it couldn't have been a better ending to a phenomenal season. 


Stagg Bowl XXXVIII was marked by backup quarterbacks, big plays, turnovers, momentum shifts, and one monumental moment that would define both teams' 2010 season.


UW-W jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 4:35 left in the first quarter when Levell Coppage took a handoff 5 yards deep in the back field. He broke left against a Raider defense that was slanting to his right. He broke sharply upfield off LT Robby Ustruck's left hip and angled sharply toward the right pylon. He showed incredible burst as he was touched only by a diving Nick Driskill on his way to a 54 yard touchdown run.  


Eric Kindler added a 30 yard field goal to give the Warhawks a 10-0 lead with 12:59 left in the first half.  


However, the Purple Raiders dominated the next 3:54, to the tune of a 21 point blitz that would keep Mount Union in the game until the late stages. Sophomore quarterback Matt Piloto, starting his first collegiate game, hit Kyle Miller with a 39 yard pass to get the Purple Raiders on the board. The conversation tightened the game to 10-7. 


Just seconds later,  defensive end  Lambert Budzinski, reached up and intercepted a Lee Brekke pass and returned it all the way to the UW-W four yard line.  Running back Jeremy Murray scored two plays later and Mount Union led 14-10.  After forcing a UW-W punt, the Raiders struck again. Piloto hit Cecil Shorts, who had gotten behind behind the Warhawk secondary, for a 58 yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the second quarter.  


Trailing 21-10, UW-W punched back. Levell Coppage broke contain while sweeping left to an 11 yard TD, completing a 65 yard drive and narrowing the Mount lead to 21-17.  After 3 Piloto passes fell incomplete, the Raiders were forced to punt and the Warhawks took over at their own 23.  Whitewater scored just 55 seconds later when Lee Brekke connected with a twisting Tyler Huber, who made his 5th catch of the year, a 31 yard touchdown with 1:01 left in the half.  UW-W took a 24-21 lead into the locker room.   


 The defenses took over in the second half.  Neither team was able to score a point until the clock inched under the three minute mark. At that point, the UW-W had stopped the Raiders on eight consecutive drives since their second quarter outburst.  The stops were marked with shut down run defense, pressure on Piloto, and superb plays made in coverage.  Two drives were ended by Steve McCollom. The junior DB intercepted a Piloto pass and forced and recovered a Cecil Shorts fumble. 


UW-W faced a crucial third down with six yards to go with the ball resting on the 25 yard line.  With the game on the line, the Warhawks weren't going to try to fool anyone.  Levell Coppage had gotten the call on 10 of the previous 11 Warhawk offensive plays after Lee Brekke threw interceptions on each of his last two third quarter passes.  There was no doubt in anyone's mind. With the game on the line, UW-W was going to go Coppage. And Mount Union knew it.  


When UW-W lined up, they faced a 7 man line and all 11 Raider defenders within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.  The Warhawks lined up with a double tight end formation. Adam Brandes flanked out to the right side. Fullback Bernie Tamsett lined up in the slot right and motioned left before the snap. Coppage lined up 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage on the left hashmark.  Coppage took the straight ahead handoff 5 yards deep. The All-American running back juked two steps left, then darted back right. By the time he hit the line of scrimmage he was back on the hash and bursting through the hole between LG Matt Weber and center Mark Gawronski.  On the right side, RT Grant Murray and RG Logan Allemand executed a devastating combination block that knocked the defensive tackle two yards off the ball.  Allemand brilliantly came off the block, came to his left and took out linebacker Sam Kershaw just as he was about to meet Coppage in the hole.  Coppage blew past Kershaw and was off to the races. Coppage sprinted the 75 yards to the end zone. 


The play was vintage Coppage and vintage UW-Whitewater.  With the National Championship at stake, UW-Whitewater stuck to their plan.  Since the quarterfinals, UW-W rode a ball hawking, run stopping defense and power running attack to victory.  The question loomed whether that would be enough to win it all.  


The defense certainly did its part. They held Mount Union to 45 yards rushing on 1.7 yards per carry. They took the ball away 5 times. They held the powerful Mount Union offense scoreless over the last 36:50 of the game.


As Coppage separated himself from the Mount defense, UW-W was separating itself from the rest of the D3 field.  UW-W never tried to surprise anyone. They came into Salem, VA having practically announced to the world how they would play this game against the most storied program in D3 history.  And there was nothing Mount Union could do about it.  UW-W was simply too much. And now,  the 2010 Warhawks are National Champions.  It doesn't get any better than that. 



Saturday, December 18, 2010

UW-Whitewater Warhawks

2010 National Champions!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Stagg Bowl XXXVIII Preview
For the sixth consecutive year, the UW-Whitewater Warhawks will play the University of Mount Union (formerly Mount Union College) for the NCAA Division 3 National Championship.  The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl kicks off at 2:30 PM Central Time on Saturday, December 18, and will be covered live by ESPNU.  


 GAME ANALYSIS:


Mount Union Passing Game
Two words that have occupied large portions of defensive game planning sessions all year long: Cecil Shorts.  Shorts is, by most accounts, the most athletic D3 player in the country.  Shorts, a 6'2" 210 lb senior from Cleveland's Collinwood High School, has caught 63 passes for 1106 yards and 17 touchdowns.  All this was accomplished in 11 games as Shorts missed three with an injury.  He is capable of ripping off a big play at any time. He presents a huge challenge to a UW-W secondary that has been susceptible to the big play this year. 


When the defense rotates to take away Shorts,  Mount Union is capable of making them pay.  6'6" tight end Kyle Miller has 58 receptions for 801 yards and six touchdowns. He provides a huge target over the middle and possesses excellent speed and hands.  He has been lining up as a wide out in recent weeks, causing further matchup problems for secondaries.  Sophomore Jasper Collins has 60 receptions for 824 yards and two touchdowns.  Junior Brandon Brown is another compliment to Shorts.  Also 6'2", the junior has caught 37 balls for 423 yards and three touchdowns.  


The question mark for Mount's passing game this week will be the quarterback situation. Sophomore Neal Seaman has started every game for the Purple Raiders.  However, he sprained an ankle trying to make a tackle on an interception return last week and is questionable for Saturday's game.  If Seaman cannot go, sophomore Matt Piloto will make his first collegiate start.  Piloto, a 6'6" Lemon Bay High School product out of Rotondo West, FL, possesses a strong arm, but accuracy can sometimes be an issue.  


Whoever starts at quarterback for the Purple Raiders,  his protection by the offensive line will be one of the keys to the game.  Mount QB's have been sacked 20 times this year.  Saturday, the offensive line will face their biggest challenge of the season.  If UW-W, who has sacked the QB 48 times this year, succeeds in harassing either Seaman or Piloto, the advantage will tilt decisively in UW-W's favor as Mount Union's greatest advantage of the afternoon, their receiving corps, will be neutralized.


Mount Union Running Game
Leading rusher Jeremy Murray has rushed for 122.4 yards per game, a 5.3 yard average, and 20 touchdowns.  He has fumbled 5 times and the Raiders lost each of them.  Murray, a sophomore, is a solid, hard-charging back, but he lacks the breakaway speed and shiftiness of the elite D3 running backs that these two teams often bring to the table.  Wes Ryder,  a 5'11" 230 lb fullback, is an excellent blocker and averages 6.1 ypc for his 62 carries.  Look for backup running back Zac Lemmon and WR Cecil Shorts to each carry some of the load on the ground.  


The #2 ranked UW-W rushing defense will be an enormous challenge for the Mount rushing attack.  The Warhawks allow 1.7 yards per rush and 46.7 yards per game.  If the Purple Raiders can establish a running game, it could be a great day offensively for Mount Union.  A good running game would go a long ways towards minimizing the UW-W pash rush and allow whoever starts at QB to develop a rhythm.  However, if the Warhawks succeed in making Mount one dimensional, life will be very difficult for the Purple Raiders as the D-Line will be pinning their ears back and going after the quarterback.  


Whitewater Passing Game
Like Mount Union, the Warhawks have a question as to who will start at quarterback as well.  Matt Blanchard, who started every regular season game, has taken a good share of the snaps in practice this week.  He has done more than he has since injuring his thumb in the final regular season game.  However, Lee Brekke had led UW-W to four straight playoff victories.  There are two significant differences between Blanchard and Brekke.  Blanchard is a much greater threat to pull the ball down and run.  Although Brekke has more mobility than he is sometimes given credit for, he will hang in the pocket longer.  Blanchard is also spectacular when it comes to taking care of the football. Blanchard rarely makes a poor read and threw only 1 interception in 225 pass attempts.  Brekke is an accurate passer, but occasionally lets one go he wishes he could have back.  It only happens a couple of times a game, which is excellent by any standard.  But it is a couple of times more a game than it happens to Blanchard.  


All time leading UW-W receiver Aaron Rusch will be playing in his 60th collegiate game on Saturday.  Rusch has caught 87 passes for 1027 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Adam Brandes, a 6'3" senior,  has caught 60 passes for 1126 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Brandes averages 18.8 yards per catch.  While neither Brandes nor Rusch possess world class speed, both have excellent hands and run superior routes.   


The Warhawks offensive line has done an impeccable job of protecting the quarterback this season.  They have yielded just eight sacks all season.  More than that, they have given up few hurries.  More often than not, both UW-W quarterbacks have been able to survey the field and get the ball to the open receiver.  They face a fast and athletic Mount Union defensive front.  The Raiders have sacked the quarterback 48 times, led by DE Lambert Budzinski's 17.5 sacks. 


If the Warhawks hope to win their third national championship in four years, they must have a balanced attack.  If their offensive line can protect the quarterback, their receivers will be able to get open.  If UW-W loses this battle up front, they become one-dimensional and things will get much tougher for Levell Copppage and the UW-W running game.  


Whitewater Running Game
 Four the fourth time this post-season, the Warhawks face a defense ranked in the top 10 in the nation against the run. North Central (5th), Franklin (6th), Wesley (7th), and now Mount Union (9th) have certainly provided a challenge to the powerful UW-W rushing attack.  Levell Coppage leads the Warhawks ground game with 1808 yards,  on 6.1 ypc, and 22 TD's.  Backing up Coppage is Booker Stanley (684, 6.5, 7) and Antwan Anderson (785, 5.5, 6).  Coppage, one of the elite talents in the nation, can break a game open on one play.  The offensive line and Coppage appear to get stronger as the game wears on.  The entire post season, UW-W has built it's success on pounding the run patiently and wearing out the opposing defense.  The ability to run the football is probably more vital to UW-W success this year than in years past.  If Mount Union controls the line of scrimmage and stops the Warhawk running game, then they will be able to limit UW-W's point production.  If they are able to do it for a full 60 minutes, they will be the first.  


Special Teams
UW-W field goal kicker Eric Kindler has made 14 of his last 15 attempts after starting the season 0-6.  His season long is 44 yards.  He is 6-6 in the playoffs.  UMU's Tyler Almeida is 16-19.  


The Warhawks' Kris Rosholt averages 39 yards per punt.  He has placed 22 inside the 20, has 7 punts over 50 yards, and has 5 touchbacks.  The Purple Raiders' Brandon Mathie has punted 23 times, has an average of 36.0 yards,  has 10 inside the 20 with 4 touchbacks.


A key to the game will be UW-W's ability to control the return game of the Purple Raiders. Cecil Shorts and Chaz Jordan form a dangerous duo on the kickoff return.  Jordan averages 30.6 yards per return and Cecil Shorts averages 28.3 yards per return.  The Warhawks had trouble covering kickoffs last week at Wesley.  Shorts also averages 16.1 yards per punt return, ranking 9th in the nation.  It will be important for Rosholt to continue to get his excellent hang time on punts to limit Shorts.  


Projection
Mount Union's best chance at winning is to try to get off to a fast start.  If they could get out to a two or three score lead, they could force UW-W out of their game plan and force them to take some chances.  UW-W will work hard to wear down the Purple Raiders with physical play on both sides of the ball.  UW-W is steeled by a challenging playoff run.  They will be perfectly comfortable entering the fourth quarter in a one score game either way. Mount has not been tested in that way this year.  The big stage has produced big plays between these two teams in the past and tomorrow should be no different.  Look for the Warhawks formula to hold up as they ride a late turnover to defend their national championship.


UW-Whitewater 34
Mount Union 27

My Stagg Bowl Score Projection will be posted on D3football.com's Daily Dose this morning.  Check back on uwwfootball.com later today for a pre-game analysis.  

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Rapid Response


Much has been written and will continue to be written about the 2010 UW-Whitewater football team.  A veteran offensive line that dominates the line of scrimmage.  A ball hawking defensive unit that continually takes over games in the fourth quarter.  The best running back in the country.  A starting QB who compiled a stunning 21/1 TD to interception ratio before being injured in the last regular season game.  A backup QB who never started a game and then went 4-0 against two Top 4 Gagliardi Trophy candidates, and defenses ranked first and third in the nation in total defense. 


Momentum plays a huge role in the outcome of a football game.  UW-W flat out refuses to give it's opponent much sustained momentum.   One of the most impressive attributes about the 2010 Warhawks is their collective ability to respond to an opponent's score.  Whitewater has allowed 21 TD's and 3 Field goals this year.  To look at what happened after each of those scores, tells a story about the character and ability of this team.  Here is a statistical breakdown of how UW-W responded to giving up a score:


Two scores were at the end of 70-7 and 49-17 blowouts.  


Of the 22 remaining scores allowed, UW-W was the next team to score 21 times! Only in the first half "Trine Track Meet" did UW-W give up two consecutive scores. And what happened after that second consecutive Trine score? UW-W took just 1:47 to respond on a four yard Levell Coppage TD run.  


Fourteen of Whitewater's 21 responding scores came less than four minutes after giving up points.  Thirteen of the 21 responding scores came in less than three minutes of the opponent's score. Usually, a scoring play either seizes or neutralizes the momentum of a football game.  Two consecutive scores almost always seizes and sustains that momentum.  Often the character of a football team can be revealed by how the team responds to a challenge.  In 21 of 22 occasions, UW-W has responded to an opponent's score, with one of it's own.  


The Warhawks have not had the type of team that consistently wins games in blowout fashion like perennial Stagg Bowl opponent Mount Union.  But in playing through some contested battles, UW-W has developed character that will serve them well against the Purple Raiders.  And while both teams have much that can be written about, the Stagg Bowl will likely become a battle of wills between two very talented teams.  Don't be surprised to see the Hawks respond.  They have been doing it all year long.  
  

Monday, December 13, 2010

Semi-Final Review


The UW-Whitewater Warhawks defeated Wesley College, the NCAA's #1 seed, at Dover, Delaware on Saturday, December 11th.  The Warhawks advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl against the University of Mount Union on Saturday, December 18th, at 2:30 PM Central Time.  The game will be televised on ESPNU.  


Here is a review of the key factors in Whitewater's Semi-Final win over Wesley:


Defensive Key: Pressure
The Warhawks harassed Wolverine QB Justin Sottilare into five interceptions that killed the Wolverines hopes for a national championship.  The Hawks also got to Sottilare for 4 sacks.  Sottilare finished the day completing 24 of 44 passes. Throughout the afternoon, Sottilare was forced to throw the ball earlier than he wanted, often leading to an incompletion or an interception.  In addition, the Warhawks flew to the ball and defeated blocks at the line of scrimmage to hold Wesley to (-7) yards rushing.  The dominance at the line of scrimmage was decisive, especially for a national semi-final matchup.  The front seven of UW-W established the tempo all day long, leaving Wesley with unmanageable 3rd downs and little opportunity to develop a rhythm.  Things would have been even worse for the Wolverines, but UW-W didn't recover any of their four fumbles. 


Offensive Key: Balance
The Warhawks, directed by sophomore QB Lee Brekke, generated enough from the passing game to keep the Wolverines honest.  Although Brekke threw only 19 passes, he completed 13 of them, with 9 achieving first downs.  Brekke also hit Adam Brandes for a 35 yard 2nd quarter touchdown.  Whitewater once again deployed a power running game which was effective and served to wear down it's opponent.  The Warhawks pounded the ball 41 times for 172 yards and 2 TD's. Levell Coppage led the way with 146 yards and both TD's.  The offensive line continues to be dominant.  They gave Brekke adequate time to throw all day and they kept pounding Wesley's defensive front all afternoon long to keep the running game strong.  


Other Semi-Finals Notes:
The Warhawks held Wesley to 249 yards of total offense, more than 200 yards under their season average.


Kris Rosholt's hanging punts led to (-3) punt return yards.  Rosholt once again placed one inside the 10.


Eric Kindler nailed both of his FG attempts. It's getting harder and harder to remember his last miss.


While the pressure was great, it does appear the UW-W secondary is making good progress.


Booker Stanley ran hard in his nine attempts in relief of Coppage.  


Once again, the UW-W second half adjustments were impeccable. 


NOTE:  Check back Wednesday, when I discuss a little talked about attribute of the 2010 Hawks





Sunday, December 12, 2010

Stagg Bowl Bound Again!


The UW-Whitewater Warhawks have earned their sixth consecutive trip to the D3 National Championship Game in Salem, VA with a 27-7 victory over the Wesley College Wolverines.  


The Stagg Bowl will be televised on ESPNU at 2:30 PM Central Time. 

This week at UWWfootball.com, we will have:


1. A perspective of the Whitewater-Wesley Semi-finals.
2. A look at "How Each Team Can Win" 
3. A Stagg Bowl projection and writeup. 


Have a great week.


Go Warhawks!



Saturday, December 11, 2010

GAMEDAY!

How about a little "Knute" to get us in the mood for today's semi-final game? The following is from Pre-game speeches.com:


It was halftime of the 1928 Army vs. Notre Dame Game that legendary head coach Knute Rockne gave his "win one for the Gipper" speech to his beleaguered players. Notre Dame was having one of its worst season's on record and Rockne was trying to salvage what he could of the season. He told his players about the tragic death of George Gipp, a great Notre Dame player. Many historians doubt that Rockne's version of Gipp's last words was true. None the less, Notre Dame did win the game against Army that memorable day.

This speech became ingrained in popular culture after its recreation in the 1940 movie, Knute Rockne- All American. The phrase "Win one for the Gipper" became a permanent fixture in American society. Here is the transcript of the dialogue from the movie...

Knute Rockne: 
Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say.
Played a great game...all of you. Great game.
(He tries to smile.)
I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all.
(Rockne pauses and says quietly.)
I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years --
None of you ever knew George Gipp.
It was long before your time.

But you know what a tradition he is at Notre Dame...
(There is gentle, faraway look in his eyes as he recalls the boy's words.)
And the last thing he said to me -- "Rock," he said -
"sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the
breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there
with all they got and win just one for the Gipper...
(Knute's eyes become misty and his voice is unsteady as he finishes.)
I don't know where I'll be then, Rock", he said - "but
I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

(There is a hushed stillness as Rockne and the crowd of boys look at each other. In the midst of this tense silence,
Rockne quietly says "Alright," to the men beside him, and his chair is wheeled slowly out of the dressing room.)

A Player:
Well, what are we waiting for?

With a single roar, the players throw off their blankets and rush through the doorway. An out-manned Notre Dame went on to beat a powerful Army team 12-6.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Semi-Final Projections


Mount Union 31
Bethel   6                 (USee Special)
Not enough offense for Bethel to hang with Mount.


UW-Whitewater 24
Wesley College   14
UW-W grinds out another fourth quarter win.





Thursday, December 9, 2010

Meet: The Wesley Wolverines


The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks flew to Dover, DE Thursday evening for the National Championship Semi-Final game at 11:00 AM Central time on Saturday against the 13-0 Wesley Wolverines.  The Wolverines are the number one overall seed in the tournament. UW-Whitewater has been ranked number one in the nation by D3football.com all season long.  Here is a look at the Wolverines:


Coach
Head Coach Mike Drass is serving in his 18th year as Head Coach and 20th year overall for Wesley College.  His career record is 156-44-1.  He has won 5 of the past 6 Atlantic Central Football Conference Coach of the Year awards.  Under his leadership, Wesley College has advanced to the National Semi-Final round 3 times in the past 5 years.  


Offense
Up front the Wolverines are led by Anthony West, a 6'2" 307 pound Senior and 6'1" 266 pound sophomore, Tim Putman.  West and Putman both collected first team all-ACFC honors this year.  Joining them up front are second team selections James Buettner, a 6'6" 282 pound junior and sophomore Brian Cranmer, who is listed at 6'2" and 273 pounds.  Rounding out the starting offensive line is Ben McDonald, a 6'4" 250 pound Junior.  This unit has paved the way for the nation's 42nd ranked rushing offense and yielded only 11 sacks all season.  


Junior QB Justin Sottilare took over the reigns of the Wolverine offense just three plays into the season, when Shane McSweeny went down with a season-ending knee injury.  Sottilare has fit into the role just fine, throwing for 3128 yards and 37 TD's.  Sottilare was named the Atlantic Central Football Conference Co-Player of the Year.  He is ranked 4th in the nation in passing efficiency.  


Sophomore tailback Brandon Wright carries the load on the ground for Wesley.  Wright has gained 1072 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. Wright averages 5.8 yards per carry.  Wright is a physical runner, who is listed at 202 pounds with 4.5 speed in the 40 yard dash.   Askia Jahad (5.8 ypc) is the backup. Chris Cummings, the backup QB, can also be expected to get some carries.  Overall, Wesley averages 193.8 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry.  


Ellis Krout, a 6'4", 200 pound senior from Dallas, TX is the top receiving threat for the Wolverines.  Krout has caught 58 balls for 1041 yards (17.9 ypc) and 18 TD's.  He provides Sottilare with a potent red zone target and has the speed to get deep as well.  Leonard Stevensen is the number 2 receiver with 40 catches (16.6 ypc) for 664 yards and 8 TD's.
   


Defense
Defensive End Chris Mayes, a 6'3" 253 pound junior, provides rare speed and explosion to the Wolverine defense.  Mayes has 17 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. Mayes was the ACFC 2010 Defensive Player of the Year and the 2009 D3football.com South Region Defensive Player of the Year.  Also anchoring the defensive front are  first team all-ACFC honorees  Paul Gilstrop, a 5'10" 272 pound junior defensive tackle and Jeffrey Dorsey, a 6'2" 252 pound senior defensive end. 


Mike Asiedu, a 6'3" 221 pound junior and Jeff Morgan, a 6'2" 222 pound junior lead the Wesley linebacking unit.   Asiedu and Morgan are the top two Wesley tacklers and each were named to the all-ACFC first team defensive unit.  


Senior Aaron Benson and Marcus Wilson lead the defensive backs.  Each were also first team all conference selections.  Wilson leads the Wolverines with 7 interceptions.  


Wesley currently leads the nation in total defense and is ranked 5th Nationally in scoring defense.  The Wolverines have allowed opponents 192.83 yards per game and 11.22 points per game.


Special Teams
Placekicker Dan Tryon has made 13-20 field goals attempts, with a long of 46 yards.  Punter John Smicklo has averaged 37.3 yards per punt with 10 punts placed inside the 20 and no touchbacks.  In the return game, the Wolverines have averaged 17.6 yards on kickoff returns and allowed an average of 18.1 yards per return.  In the punting game, Wesley is averaging 9.7 yards per return and allowing an average of 10.4 yards.  











Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Patience, Poise, and Power


Most UW-W fans would agree that the 2010 edition of the Warhawks football team has been patient.  In fact, far more patient than most fans.  During the regular season, this has not been much of an issue.  When a team outscores their opponents by an average margin of 34 points per game, they don't exactly test the patience of their fan base.  In fact, the atmosphere at Perkins Stadium has often been pretty laid back, especially early in the game. It was interesting to observe the Warhawks gain 5 yards on a rushing play and hear a louder cheer from the opposing fans than the Warhawk fans.  Spoiled? Probably.  Confident? Most certainly.


However, as we moved to the third week of November, the Road to Salem began.  The Warhawks hosted 24th ranked Franklin College.  Over the previous four years, UW-W had beaten their first round opponents by an average of over 38 points per game.  On a beautiful afternoon, most Warhawk fans expected a similar result.  However, Franklin hung around the entire first half as UW-W led only 21-14 at halftime. While most Warhawk backers probably weren't concerned about losing, they were most definitely wondering why the game was so close.  However, UW-W took just over 3 minutes of the third quarter to assume control of the game as they scored ten quick points to push their lead to 17 points.  The Hawks then cruised to a 31 point victory.


In the second round, UW-W hosted their second straight Gagliardi finalist QB as Eric Watt and Trine University came to town.  The first half resembled a track meet as teams traded scores with UW-W taking a harrowing 31-24 lead into the half.  Trine scored the only points in the third quarter, taking advantage of a rare UW-W turnover and the Warhawk fans looked on nervously as their team went into the fourth quarter tied 31-31.  However, the fourth quarter was all Whitewater, as UW-W controlled the ball for all but 2:47 of the fourth quarter. Levell Coppage scored on a pair of 9 yard scoring runs as UW-W advanced to the third round.


In the Quarter Finals, UW-W took to the road against the #1 Regional seed, North Central College. In a hard fought defensive game, UW-W trailed 10-7 after 3 quarters.  Once again Warhawk fans saw their patience tested.  But once again, UW-W dominated the fourth quarter as they outscored the Cardinals 13-0 to secure a 20-10 victory and advance to the national semi-finals for the sixth consecutive year.


In analyzing the playoff personality of this years' Warhawks, three traits have emerged.  


Patience
With the injury to starting QB Matt Blanchard, Lee Brekke has made his first three collegiate starts in these playoffs.  Although UW-W hasn't curtailed their game plan entirely, there has been a subtle change to the UW-W offense. While the Hawks still strive for balance, they have been running plays that have exposed them to less risk than the relative wide open offense led by Blanchard.  They have preferred a patient approach to the quick strike attack, at least since the first half of the Trine game.  It appears that UW-W is confident that as long as they play their game and don't make mistakes, they will win the battle over 60 minutes.


Poise
As hard as they may be on the fans, the players seem to be thriving on the close games.  The energy level, the body language, the animation, the execution, and the intensity shown by this team as the 2nd half wears on is impressive on every level.  Performance during crunch time has defined many athletes and many teams.  This UW-W team is impervious to pressure.  In fact, they appear to thrive on it.  This trend over the last three weeks will serve them very, very well over the next two.  


Power
Sixty minutes of football is a long time. Especially against UW-W.  For sixty minutes, UW-W just keeps banging.  Physical. Every series. Every play. Every player. For sixty minutes.  Three consecutive Top 25 teams have succumbed to the sixty minute brand of football played by UW-W.  People reading box scores won't be impressed.  However, people watching the games realize that UW-W has SO MUCH more left in the tank than their opponents for the entire fourth quarter.  Running plays that gained 1 or 2 yards in the first half, begin to open for 4, 5, or 6 yards.  Offensive lines who held up reasonably well in the first half, begin to be overwhelmed as the 2nd half wears on.  As a result, quarterbacks who had time to throw in the first half become rushed into mistakes by the fourth quarter.  And running backs and receivers who have been hit hard the whole game, begin to drop passes and lose possession of the ball in the late stages.  Fatigue is very hard to play through. Especially against UW-W, who tends to go in for the kill when the opponent has softened.  


The Warhawks personality and style may not show dominance in the box score.  And it may test the patience of the fans.  But at the end of the day, it makes for a football team that is very hard to beat.  And one statistic does shine brightly.  UW-W has outscored their three Top 25 playoff opponents 48-0 in the fourth quarter.  As a result the Warhawks find themselves in the National Semi-Finals.  Again.