Box Score: UW-Whitewater 17, UW-Stout 10
WHITEWATER - After pulling to within seven points, UW-Stout kept alive a chance to upend defending national champion UW-Whitewater, but the Blue Devils came up just short in a 17-10 loss at Perkins Stadium Saturday.
Trailing by the eventual final score, Stout's defensive back Brock Stimson (Sr, Lakeville, Minn) intercepted a pass on the Stout 42 to stop the Warhawks from an opportunity to take a two touchdown lead. The ensuing drive died, and Stout punted to the Whitewater 18. The Stout defense held the Warhawks on a three-and-out.
The Blue Devils (5-4, 3-3) began their drive on their own 31, but penalties hurt them - and helped them. On a fourth and 17, Whitewater (8-1, 5-1) was flagged for defensive holding to give Stout new life with a first down on the Stout 34.
Quarterback Kyle Provos (Jr, Brooklyn Park, Minn) attempted nine consecutive passes, completing six to get to the Whitewater 19 with six seconds left. A final toss by Provos into the end zone fell incomplete.
The game didn't look like it had the makings of a nailbiter early, as the Warhawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half on an eight yard run by quarterback Bruce Langer in the first quarter and a Langer to Aaron Rusch 39-yard pass play in the second quarter. Whitewater extended the lead to 17-0 with a 46-yard Jeff Schebler field goal early in the third quarter.
The Blue Devils finally got onto the board on a 26 yard field goal by Kyle Martin (Jr, Hubertus) after getting as close as the Whitewater nine yard line.
Stout scored in the fourth quarter, again after forcing the Warhawks to go three-and-out, this time on the Whitewater six yard line. After the punt, the Blue Devils started their drive on the Whitewater 36 and Provos completed the drive with a two yard pass to Nate Schoenecker (Jr, Watkins, Minn), his first touchdown as a Blue Devil.
The Warhawks controlled the first half, tallying 196 total yards to 88 for Stout. But the Blue Devils turned it around in the second half as Stout out-yarded Whitewater 315-236. Provos completed 16-of-39 passes for 170 yards, with tight end John Sherman (Jr, Cokato, Minn) grabbing four passes for 64 yards, his best day as a Blue Devil. Stout had 145 yards rushing with Craig Warminski (Fr, Stanley) tallying 57. Defensive end Marcus Ball (Jr, Austin, Minn) collected another sack to run his season total to 12, two shy of the school record.
The Warhawks had 166 yards passing, 70 rushing. Stout held the conference's leading rusher, Levell Coppage, to 61 yards. Rusch hauled in five passes for 105 yards for the bulk of the Warhawks' yards. Langer completed 8-of-22 passes for 166 yards.
The loss knocked Stout out of any chances to lay claim to at least a share of the conference title. A Stout win today over Whitewater and a UW-Eau Claire win today over UW-Stevens Point could have made the conference crown a possibility.
Stout will close out the season Saturday, Nov. 15 when they host UW-Eau Claire at 1 p.m.
