Aaron Vehling

WHITEWATER – UW-Whitewater’s senior running back Chad Wurth found more than one way to aggravate the Blugolds Saturday at Perkins Field.

He was able to rack up 153 yards on 34 carries en route to becoming Whitewater’s all-time leading rusher with 3,899 rushing yards. Wurth also was able to score eight points for the team, but he never crossed the goal line.

Instead, he ended up kicking five extra points and a field goal to help put the Warhawks in sole possession of the WIAC with a 45-7 win over Eau Claire.

Despite the Blugold’s (3-3, 2-2 WIAC) five-game winning streak over Whitewater since 1997, Eau Claire was unable to find any rhythm against the Warhawks (6-1, 4-0). Whitewater came into the game ranked 21 in the D3football.com national poll.

“(Whitewater) was fired up to play us,” coach Todd Hoffner said. “You got to give them lots of credit.”

Wurth was not the only thing to give Eau Claire trouble. The Warhawks gave the Blugolds a first-hand taste of why they possess the best turnover margin in the league after forcing five turnovers during the game.

Senior wide receiver Matt Evensen said Eau Claire usually gets fired up for games with a lot on the line, but the ‘Golds didn’t come out to play like the team they are capable of being.

Two colossal factors in the first half came down to momentum and field position. On the first drive, Eau Claire gained it after stopping Whitewater on its own 44-yard line. After that, however, the Warhawks stole the momentum on a 57-yard punt return that set up Whitewater’s first score.

Hoffner said the first stop was big for Eau Claire, but the punt return was a major factor in the game.

“Without that punt return, we were in the game,” he said. “From that point on, it was downhill for us.”

On Eau Claire’s next possession, sophomore wide receiver Darin Krzyzanowski fumbled on the first play and gave Whitewater the ball on the Blugold 25-yard line. Eau Claire was able to dodge its mistake by blocking the field goal attempt, but the Warhawks were only warming up.

The Warhawks struck again before the first quarter expired on a six play, 43-yard drive to lead by 14.

Deep into the second quarter, a theme that plagued the ‘Golds the previous week against Stevens Point came back to haunt the team as Eau Claire struggled to find its rhythm.

After going 3-and-out twice and suffering an interception, the Blugolds were finally able to march down the field. By that time, however, Whitewater had added two more scores, leading 28-0. A blocked kick by the Warhawks before halftime kept Eau Claire scoreless as both teams went into the locker room.

“We came out flat again,” junior quarterback Nels Fredrickson said. “We didn’t have a look of urgency. We just had a breakdown, and they took advantage of it.”

As the third quarter began, Eau Claire came out fired up with Fredrickson completing passes of seven and 17 yards to march down to the Whitewater 18-yard line. On the next play, the pocket collapsed around Fredrickson, forcing him to keep the ball low and take off running. He weaved through a sea of purple to find the endzone and put the Blugolds on the board with 13:08 remaining in the third.

“I just had to get into the endzone,” Fredrickson said. “It gave us a chance to comeback.”

That score, however, would be the only one Eau Claire would earn throughout the remainder of the game. Whitewater answered back quickly on a seven play, 73-yard drive in a little more than three minutes.

Hoffner said that in the second half, the Blugolds showed a little life, but Whitewater’s next drive was damaging.

“The wind went right back out of our sails,” he said.

Junior tight end Don Kahl led in receiving with five catches for 69 yards. Fredrickson finished the game going 12-for-27 for 154 yards and two interceptions. Junior quarterback Jeremy Darnell went 9-for-13 for 112 yards and one interception.

With this loss, Eau Claire’s hopes of contending for the WIAC are bleak, but Evensen said the conference is still up for grabs.

“Now, (the title) is not so much in our hands,” Evensen said. “We just have to take it one game at a time.”

The Blugolds will take on UW-Platteville at 1 p.m. Saturday at Carson Park.

“We need to play for pride right now,” Hoffner said. “We got to use home field to our advantage.”