Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
The No. 2 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team tallied 24 first-half points Saturday afternoon en route to a 24-2 victory over UW-Stevens Point on Homecoming in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference affair in front of a crowd of 10,364 at Perkins Stadium.
The Warhawks (7-0 overall, 4-0 WIAC) held the ball for more than 20 minutes in a dominating first half and forced three turnovers in the game to win their 29th straight contest at Perkins Stadium, one shy of tying a school record.
Sophomore running back Drew Patterson continued his impressive rookie campaign, tallying 190 total yards, including 150 on the ground, and two receiving touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Cole Wilber completed 16-of-35 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Canton Larson posted six receptions for 48 yards, and senior wide receiver Marcus Hudson contributed five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Senior linebacker Paul Foster, senior defensive back Vince Mason, junior linebacker Matt Seitz and sophomore linebacker Bryce Leszczynski registered five tackles apiece to lead the defense. Sophomore defensive back Famus Hasty recorded three of the team's 11 passes broken up.
After coming up empty on a 22-play, 92-yard drive that took seven minutes in the first quarter, UW-Whitewater forced the first turnover of the game as Bailey Breunig picked off Kyle Larson at the Pointers' 47-yard line with 3:36 left in the period.
Seven plays later, Wilber threw a screen pass to Patterson, who ran untouched into the end zone from 26 yards out to give the Warhawks a 7-0 lead with 1:42 remaining.
UW-Whitewater forced a pair of three-and-outs by UW-Stevens Point (4-3, 1-3) to set up a five-yard touchdown pass on a fade route from Wilber to Hudson with 9:46 left in the second quarter.
After a Pointer punt, the Warhawks added to their lead as junior kicker Will Meyer hit a 42-yard field goal with 3:53 left in the half to cap an 11-play, 57-yard drive.
UW-Whitewater forced another punt, which sophomore Mitchell Dess returned nine yards to the UW-Stevens Point 37-yard line.
Five plays later, the Warhawks moved to a 24-0 advantage as Wilber hit Patterson on another screen, this time from 14 yards out, with 1:12 on the clock.
The Pointers drove inside the UW-Whitewater 30-yard line on the next drive, but the Warhawks forced a turnover on downs just before the end of the half.
UW-Stevens Point got on the board on a safety with 3:27 to play in the third quarter.
Interceptions by Mason and sophomore defensive back Joey Caravello sandwiched a fourth-and-goal defensive stop over the next 13 minutes of game action.
The Pointers drove into UW-Whitewater territory again in the closing minutes of the game, but the Warhawks held on a fourth-and-five thanks to a sack by junior defensive lineman Harry Green and sophomore linebacker Beau Martin.
At halftime, fans welcomed back members of the 1966 team on the 50th anniversary of its NAIA national runner-up finish and WIAC championship.
UW-Whitewater continues WIAC play next Saturday, Oct. 29, at UW-Eau Claire. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.