UW-Whitewater is one step away from advancing to the Stagg Bowl for the first time since 2014

To say the NCAA Division III football playoffs were turned upside down in recent weeks is putting it mildly. The Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds didn’t make it to the semifinals.

UW-Whitewater had its say in the madness last weekend when it traveled to second-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor and knocked off the defending national champion by a 26-7 score, ending the Crusaders' 27-game winning streak. That victory gave the No. 7 Warhawks (12-1) a 2 p.m. home game in the semifinals Saturday against No. 8 St. John’s (Minnesota) with a chance to get back to the Stagg Bowl for the first time since 2014.

“It’s a great surprise to get back here,” said head coach Kevin Bullis, looking to lead Whitewater to the title game for the first time since taking over in 2015. “Our stadium guys had pretty much buttoned up the stadium for games (figuring remaining matchups would be on the road). Now, we’ve got to get it all back out. There’s nothing like playing at home.”

Many folks figured the Stagg Bowl would be another Mount Union vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor clash, as in the previous two seasons. But the top-ranked Purple Raiders got knocked off at home in the second round by North Central (Illinois), which will play Muhlenberg in the other semifinal Saturday.

St. John’s took care of No. 3 Wheaton (Illinois) on the road last Saturday in a crazy 34-33 game that came down to a late missed extra point after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Offensive lineman Jake Hibben spiked the ball after carrying for a rare touchdown with nine seconds remaining, drawing the penalty, and Wheaton’s kicker missed two extra-point attempts (there were offsetting penalties on the first one).

“To me, St. John’s won that game,” Bullis said of the wild finish. “There were many, many plays that happened. Everybody is kind of fixated on one. In all reality, St. John’s did a fantastic job of playing their game.

“In the end, a young man made a mistake and got a 15-yard penalty. There was still an opportunity to execute at the end and St. John’s brought pressure and was able to win that game. That’s the way I look at it.”

The Warhawks’ defense did a magnificent job shutting down Mary Hardin-Baylor's high-powered offense, holding the "Cru" to 140 total yards, including minus-3 rushing. That unit will be challenged again by the passing game of St. John’s (12-1) and quarterback Jackson Erdmann, the Gagliardi Trophy winner as the country’s top Division III player in 2018 as a junior.

Erdmann passed for 407 yards and five touchdowns in the shootout win over Wheaton.

“He’s an amazing quarterback, one of the best I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Bullis said. “Ultimately, what we’ve got to be able to do – you’re never going to be able to stop a player like that – but we do have to try to slow him down. The biggest piece is we’ve got to make sure not to give him long touchdown passes.

“We’re going to have to make them execute, and try to be disruptive to him and their passing attack. It’s something special, what they’re doing. They did it last year, too.”

Whitewater lost lineman Mackenzie Balanganayi, the WIAC defensive player of the year, to a knee injury in the first round of the playoffs against Monmouth, but Jordan Brand and others on the front line have picked up the slack. That group will be tested again because if the Warhawks don’t get pressure on Erdmann, he could pick them apart.

“To me, Jordan personifies what our defensive line has done with that type of loss,” Bullis said. “Everybody has grabbed one more piece of rope on that line, and I think Jordan’s grabbed a bigger piece of rope.”

The Warhawks depend on a balanced offensive attack, with three tailbacks sharing the load. Junior Alex Peete has rushed for 987 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jarrod Ware, a fifth-year senior who sat out all but two games in 2018 with a foot injury, did the heavy lifting against Mary Hardin-Baylor, carrying for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Ronny Ponick, whom Bullis calls “The Hammer,” does the punishing running inside.

“Our goal was to keep Alex healthy,” Bullis said of sharing time at tailback. “We’ve had three great running backs. They are different types of runners. It’s easier for defenses when you have the same kind of tailbacks.”

Whitewater also has an efficient passing game, led by quarterback Max Meylor, who replaced starter Zach Oles at the outset of the playoffs. Meylor completed 10 of 12 passes for 119 yards and rushed for a touchdown against Mary Hardin-Baylor, and has many dangerous receivers including Ryan Wisniewski and Derek Kumerow, younger brother of Green Bay wideout Jake Kumerow, a former Warhawks star.

“We’re very fortunate,” Bullis said. “We have a well-rounded team. Alex Peete was a preseason All-American. In my book, he’s a postseason All-American. We have a resounding amount of talent, and that’s not even talking about our offensive line. That, to me, is what it’s all about.”

From 2005-14, Whitewater went to the Stagg Bowl nine times, playing Mount Union each year and winning six national titles. The Warhawks haven’t been back since coach Lance Leipold departed to become coach at the University at Buffalo, but Bullis has them one step away from another, perhaps unexpected appearance.

Of playing the semifinal at home, Bullis said, “It’s huge. One of the biggest things that we do is try to keep the normalcy of our process. That’s tough to do when you’re getting on a plane.

"When you can be at home and play in your own stadium, you can’t ever take that for granted. It does nothing but add to the experience and add to our preparation.”