12-6 Book to Upload - UW-Whitewater Athletics

Football Coaches Association polls this week. UW-Oshkosh is ranked 20 th in the D3football.com poll and
24 th in the American Football Coaches Association poll. This will be the first time that UW-W has met a
ranked opponent in a WIAC game since September 13, 2008 when the #2 Warhawks traveled to #12
UW-Eau Claire, winning 16-14.
The Coaches
Whitewater’s Lance Leipold is in his fifth year as head coach of the Warhawks and has compiled a record
of 63-3, including 25-1 in the WIAC. In his first head coaching opportunity, Leipold has earned national
Division III coach of the year honors three out of the four years and was named WIAC Coach of the Year
the last two. Pat Cerroni is in his fifth season as head coach of the Titans. Cerroni has coached UW-
Oshkosh to four wins in each of the last three seasons. In 2007, his first season as head coach, he led
the Titans to a record of 7-3 and a third place finish in the WIAC. Cerroni joined the team as an assistant
coach in 2000.
UW-Oshkosh Notes
UW-Oshkosh is following Whitewater’s lead. In 2002 and 2003 UW-W’s Bob Berezowitz needed to know
what it would take to move up from four league championships in the 90’s to national stature. 44-21 and
40-17 losses to national champion Mount Union proved to be valuable “lessons”. Oshkosh coach Pat
Cerrone talked to Berezowitz, and his Titans scheduled Mount Union and lost in Alliance, Ohio 41-17
September 10. Lesson learned.
Oshkosh won 24-3 at Platteville last week. Justin Budiac rushed for two first half touchdowns (82, 1) and
backup QB Nick Olla added a short TD run. It was the fewest points yielded by UW-O since 2006, and
Platteville’s lowest scoring output in 22 games.
Last week’s performance propelled the Titan defense to number one in scoring defense in the WIAC
(8.7), taking over for UW-W, in second at 15.0. The Titans also share the WIAC lead, with Whitewater, in
rushing offense (224.0), are second in scoring offense (29.7), second in total offense (420.0), number one
in total defense (241.0), first in pass efficiency, first in opponent first downs, first in opponent third down
conversions (.265) and fourth down conversions (.200), tied for first in red zone offense, first in red zone
defense, and second in pass efficiency defense. Compare this with the UW-W list, below, and it is
apparent why these teams are 1-2 in the standings.
One of the interesting developments with Titan football has been the influence of former UW-River Falls
head coach John O’Grady, now a Titan assistant, on the offense. UW-O runs a multiple option offense
that appears to be adept at running with Cole Myhra (71.3 per game, 6.3 per carry) and Budiac (60.0, 6.9)
joining QB Nate Wara in what can be a triple option attack. But that isn’t the only option. Wara is also
completing almost 60% of his passes (.596) for 134.3 yards per game, with senior wide receiver Garrie
Fox averaging 17.9 yards per catch.
Taylor Goodman, now a junior, is among the league leaders in tackles averaging 7.7 per game, and
sophomore safety Ryan Stefaniak is second in the league in sacks (1.0/game) and tops the WIAC with
2.17 tackles for a loss per game.
UW-Whitewater Notes
UW-W defeated UW-Stout 42-21 last Friday. The game was a rollercoaster ride. The teams were tied 7-
7 in the first quarter, but Whitewater pushed the margin to 28-7 at halftime. Stout scored twice in the third
quarter to pull within 28-21, but the Warhawks closed out the game with two TD’s in the fourth quarter.
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