Defending Champs Open Playoffs at Home, Host Franklin
UW-Whitewater, the defending NCAA III champions, defeated Franklin College 52-21 in the first round of the NCAA III playoffs Saturday at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater, Wis. The Warhawks, 11-0, will host Trine University, 11-0, Saturday, November 27 at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium.
The first score of the game started with the Whitewater
defense. Noah
Timm picked off a Kyle Ray pass and returned it to the 25
of Franklin. Three plays later Lee
Brekke connected with Aaron
Rusch on a ten yard scoring play.
Franklin responded immediately, their next drive covering 57 yards
in eight plays. Ray hit Kyle Linville for 26 yards for the
tying score at 4:14.
The next score came at 6:00 in the second quarter, with UW-W
junior Levell
Coppage running 55 yards to put the Warhawks up 14-7.
Ray and Linville hooked up again to knot the score at 14-14, this
on a 51 yard pass with 3:12 left in the half.
Not content to run out the clock, UW-W went 70 yards on 10 plays,
with 45 of the yards coming on Brekke to Rusch passes, one for a 15
yard TD to send the Warhawks into the locker room leading
21-14.
Whitewater took the second half kickoff, and helped by Corey Knapp
30 yard kickoff return, required just two plays, the second a 54
yard Brekke to Adam
Brandes touchdown to give UW-W a 28-14 lead at the 14:13
mark in the third.
The next time the Warhawk offense took the field it had the ball
at the Franklin 30 yard line as the result of a 12 yard punt.
Eric
Kindler booted a 31 yard field goal to boost Whitewater's
margin to 31-14 with 11:44 left in the third.
Late in the third Franklin put together its final drive of the
day, covering 50 yards in 11 plays. Ray passed to Matt
Zimich, seven yards, for the Grizzlie's score. Ray accounted
for 40 of the yards on the drive, hitting 5-7 passes for 34 yards
and rushing once for six yards.
Whitewater took the ensuing kickoff, with Knapp going 39 yards
with the return, and covered the remaining 50 yards in five
plays. Brekke and Rusch connected for their third TD of the
day, 23 yards, to make it 38-21 Whitewater.
The Warhawk defense set up the next score, on Franklin's next
possession, with UW-W linebacker Lane
Olson forcing a fumble that teammate Greg
Arnold picked up and returned 33 yards to the Franklin
31.
The Warhawk drive that followed resulted in Coppage scoring from
13 yards out to make it 45-21 with 11:29 left in the game.
Again, Whitewater's defense set up the offense, with Matt
McCulloch picking off Ray and returning the ball to the Franklin
32. Eight plays later Booker
Stanley ended the scoring with a five yard touchdown
run.
The game featured a couple of statistical oddities. UW-W
quarterbacks had been sacked just three times all season coming in
to the game, but the Grizzlie defense recorded three sacks
Saturday. And Franklin QB Kyle Ray had thrown just six
interceptions in the ten previous games, but was picked off three
times by the Warhawks.
The team stats also told a story. Whitewater rushed for 157,
134 of those by Coppage, and the Warhawk defense limited Franklin
to minus 11 yards on 26 carries. (The second lowest total
allowed by the Whitewater defense. UW-Platteville had minus
12 September 30.) Admittedly some of those minus yards
came on sacks (college rules), because Franklin definitely came in
planning on throwing the ball. The Grizzlies attempted 72
passes, completed 40 for 373 yards. Zimich caught 17 of Ray's
throws for 171 yards and the touchdown.
Whitewater's Brekke, who was making his first collegiate start and
who had only thrown two passes this season, started the game in
place of injured Matt Blanchard. You would not have known
that watching Brekke go 23-30 for 292 yards, four touchdowns
and no interceptions. Brekke and Rusch combined for 12
receptions for 169 yards and the three scores. Rusch moved in
to third place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
career records with 3,562 yards receiving, moving past Jeff Gosa of
UW-Stevens Point , 3,509 from 1973-76. Rusch also moved
in to fourth place in the league record book for touchdowns
receiving, now with 31.
Brandes' one TD Saturday moved him into tenth place in the school
record book with 18 career TD pass catches.
In addition to his fumble recovery Arnold had two sacks, six
tackles and a pass breakup for UW-W. Linebacker Teddy Henkle
had nine tackles, one sack and a pass breakup for Franklin.
Trine, champions of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic
Association, defeated DePauw University 45-35 in their first round
matchup. UW-W and Trine have only met once on the football
field, with UW-W defeating (then) Tri-State University 38-0
September 27, 2003 at Tri-State.
