The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defense, second in NCAA Division III scoring statistics, held UW-Platteville 30 points under the Pioneers’ season average in a 35-16 Homecoming win before 12,028 fans in Perkins Stadium Saturday.
Sophomore running back Jordan Ratliffe rushed for a season high 175 yards and sophomore receiver Joe Worth caught three Matt Behrendt touchdown passes for the Warhawks, ranked sixth by D3football.com and now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-Platteville, eighth in the D3 poll, suffers its first loss and is 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the WIAC.
Platteville, which came into the game sixth in Division III at 519.6 yards per game, totaled 271 against Whitewater. The Pioneers’ previous low output of the season was 378 yards in a win over UW-Stevens Point. Whitewater’s defense also caused five turnovers, the most by UW-Platteville this season, and limited Platteville to 15 yards rushing on 13 attempts.
Whitewater took the opening kick from their own 25 to Platteville’s 15 in nine plays. Facing a first and ten from the 15, Behrendt hit Jake Kumerow inside the five, and while fighting for end zone Kumerow fumbled. Pioneer defensive back Rob Austin scooped up the ball and took it 48 yards to the Whitewater 48. On the next play, Pioneer QB John Kelly’s pass was batted by Warhawk defensive end Loussaint Minett and intercepted by Zach Franz.
The next possession was also terminated by turnover, as Behrendt’s pass was picked off by UW-P defensive back Jason Flagg at the Pioneer 30 and returned 70 yards for the score. It was Behrendt’s first interception of the season, ending a streak of 226 throws without a pick. Minett blocked the extra point and Platteville led 6-0 with 10:19 left in the first quarter.
After Whitewater went three and out Platteville took advantage of good field position, starting at UW-W’s 49, adding a Zach Litchfield 47 yard field goal at 6:49 for a 9-0 lead.
Whitewater responded with a nine play, 60 yard drive and ended with Behrendt hitting Worth with an 11 yard pass to pull within 9-7 after Eric Kindler’s extra point with 2:40 still remaining in the first.
The Warhawks took the lead with an eleven play, 83 yard drive in the second quarter. Ratliffe accounted for 34 yards on four rushes and Behrendt went 3-4, capped by an eight yard strike to Justin Howard that made it 14-9 with 7:56 in the half after Kindler’s kick.
After Platteville’s next possession totaled minus ten yards on three plays, UW-W took over on its 44. Behrendt and Worth teamed up for their second score of the day, a three yard pass with 4:11 left in the half to increase the Warhawk lead. A fake extra point attempt, with senior wide receiver Zach Howard passing to Worth out of a kicking formation, gave UW-W a 22-9 lead at the half. UW-W linebacker Josh Williams ended Platteville’s last drive of the half with the Warhawks second interception.
Platteville came out of the locker room with a seven play drive that covered 72 yards, narrowing the gap to 22-16 at the 12:50 mark. Kelly went 5-5, accounting for all 72 yards of the drive, with his 13 yard pass to Russell Martin making it 22-16 after Litchfield’s PAT.
With UW-P looking for the go ahead score the next time they had the ball, the drive short circuited when UW-W sophomore DB Ryan Winske intercepted Kelly’s pass, Kelly’s third interception of the day, and returned it 26 yards to the Platteville 18. Kindler made it a two score margin, 25-16, with a 30 yard field goal at 5:22 in the third.
In the fourth quarter Kindler’s 35 yard punt rolled dead at the Platteville ten. On the next play, Kelly went deep but was picked off by Andrew Keister at the Whitewater 48 and returned to the Platteville six yard line. It was Keister’s second interception of the season, with his returns totaling 134 yards. Behrendt hit Worth with a six yard scoring play, their third TD connection of the day, on Whitewater’s first play after the turnover. Kindler’s kick made it 32-16 with 10:17 left in the game.
Kindler’s second field goal of the game, this one from 28 yards out, ended the scoring at 35-16 with 2:35 on the clock.
The Warhawk defense ended Platteville’s last series with Winske’s second interception of the day.
Behrendt went 24-33 for 193 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception. Worth caught eight of those passes for 64 yards and the three scores, plus the conversion. Ratliffe, who’s previous best was 139 yards against UW-Eau Claire, had his third 100-plus yard rushing day of the season. Kelly, ninth in passing yards in NCAA III stats, went 22-46 for 244 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. Wide receiver Paul Reit caught six Kelly passes for 60 yards, and Andy Puccini led UW-P with 33 yards on eight carries. Zilbar led Pioneer defenders with 17 tackles, plus a sack and two tackles for a loss — the largest total by a Warhawk opponent this season. Williams topped the UW-W defense with seven tackles, a sack, one tackle for a loss and the interception.
The attendance figure of 12,028 is the third largest in school history. The only gatherings larger were 12,318 versus UW-Oshkosh last year and 12,189 against UW-Stout in 2010. UW-Whitewater has finished among the top three schools in Division III of the NCAA the last five years.
UW-Whitewater will travel to UW-Stevens Point Saturday, Nov. 9 and close the regular season Nov. 16 at home versus UW-River Falls.
