Spring Break
Fifth straight conference title within grasp for football team
Football team dominates Point, has control of WIAC
Ryan Krueger
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Sports
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UW-Whitewater remained undefeated after knocking off second-place UW-Stevens Point on the road in a showdown of conference heavyweights.
But now with another WIAC championship in sight all the attention is on UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater's next opponent.
The Titans (4-4, 2-3 WIAC) are in sixth place in the conference, but head coach Lance Leipold said no team can be overlooked.
"They're really a dangerous offensive football team," Leipold said. "They're going to come in here with a nothing-to-lose attitude and a wide-open offense, so right now we have to worry about getting this win Saturday."
There was little doubt about who the better team was last Saturday against the Pointers.
No UW-Whitewater player said revenge had a factor in the 41-12 victory, but the 'Hawks knew what had happened last year against UW-Stevens Point on Homecoming.
The Pointers came to Whitewater and handed the Warhawks a shocking 17-16 loss, which snapped their WIAC record-tying win streak at 25 conference games.
Every game is important, but there had to be some additional incentive on the line, or just plain revenge, when the 'Hawks traveled to Stevens Point to take on the Pointers once again.
"I'd probably be lying if I said there wasn't [extra motivation to beat them]," senior quarterback Jeff Donovan said. "Everyone in the back of their mind knew what happened last year."
Both teams were undefeated in conference play going into the game, so no extra motivation was really needed. It was just a flat-out crucial game for the 'Hawks.
"Not so much the fact of last year's game, was the fact that both teams were undefeated going into Saturday's game," Leipold said. "That's what really made it an important game."
The 'Hawks grabbed the momentum early from the Pointers (5-3, 4-1) and never looked back on their way to a 41-12 victory. More importantly, they never let the momentum turn back around.
On the 'Hawks first defensive series, senior defensive back Zack Christopherson picked off the first pass of the day.
The offense then came out and immediately posted a 7-0 lead with junior running back Antwan Anderson capping off a four-play 47 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
Although it is usually the game-plan, Leipold found the quick start significantly important in this game.
"We always want to try to start fast," Leipold said. "That's always been our goal, but to get a quick turnover like that ... It happened a little quicker than even we anticipated.
"They came out with a lot of energy as well and for us to get that first strike was important."
Sophomore running back Levell Coppage continued to be the big story. He scored three touchdowns and turned in a dominating 199 yards rushing on 23 carries, including a 68-yard touchdown run which is the longest rushing play of the season for the 'Hawks.
"I think really Levell made some big plays early and took the pressure off of us," Donovan said. "He's just unbelievable.
"Personally, to me, he took that game over in that first quarter. We called his number and he delivered."
Donovan was the other side of the 'Hawks potent balanced-attack offense Saturday. He threw for 178 yards on 16 of 27 passing, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to junior wide receiver Aaron Rusch.
Coppage's play and statistical outputs can be so incredible, even overwhelming at times, that it can be easy to overlook how impressive Donovan has been this season. He currently leads the WIAC in completion percentage, completing over 72 percent of his passes.
"I think Jeff's play this season, in a lot of ways, gets overlooked," Leipold said. "He's been so steady, that it sometimes gets taken for granted.
"We need Jeff to play well, as well, for us to win a championship. But Jeff has done an outstanding job at running the offense," he added.
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