Wisconsin-Whitewater 45, Illinois Wesleyan 7 - Box Score, Nov. 28
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WHITEWATER, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan football team was ousted from the NCAA Division III football playoffs, suffering a 45-7 loss at Wisconsin-Whitewater on Saturday, November 28. The Titans’ season ends at 10-2, tying a record for most wins in a single season.
The Warhawks scored first just 1:36 into the game on a 5-yard pass from Jeff Donovan to Jason Ford. The TD was set up when Paul Wick intercepted a
Kraig Ladd pass on the third play of the game and returned it 32 yards to the Titans’ 7 yard line. Jeff Schebler added the extra point to make the score 7-0.
Whitewater scored again with 9:07 to play in the first half when Donovan found Jordan Wells on a 4-yard pass play, culminating a four-play, 50-yard drive. Schebler’s kick made the score 14-0.
Illinois Wesleyan got on the board with 3:07 to play before intermission when Ladd found
Eli Williams down the sideline with a 42-yard pass play for a touchdown.
Dennis Zic added the extra point to close the gap to 14-7.
But the Warhawks ended a five-play, 49-yard drive with a 46 yard field goal by Schebel with no time left on the clock to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room.
Whitewater scored on their first possession of the second half, marching 71 yards on nine plays and going in on an 11-yard run by Levell Coppage. Schebler’s kick made the score 24-7.
A trio of Titan tacklers stopped a Warhawk rusher
The Warhawks went ahead 31-7 with 2:10 to play in the third quarter after recovering a Titan fumble on the IWU 31 and Donovan passed to Adam Brandeis for a 33 yard score and Schebler kicked his fourth extra point.
\Wisconsin-Whitewater added another rushing touchdown with 9:32 left to play when Coppage ran in from six yards out and again with 3:17 to play when Anderson scampered in from four yards away. Schebler added kicks after both scores to make it 45-7..
The Titans amassed 206 yards in the game, 176 by passing and only 30 via the rush while the Warhawks compiled 507 total yards, 271 in the air and 236 on the ground.
Ladd completed 17-of-31 for 170 yards with the one TD and three interceptions.
Donovan was 21-of-28 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and Coppage led the ground game with 188 yards on 32 carries.