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| d3photography.com file photo by Daryl Tessmann |
UW-Whitewater represented Division III proudly and the No. 1-ranked Warhawks extended their college football-best active winning streak to 35 consecutive games as they defeated the NAIA's No. 1 team, Morningside, 33-30.
Jordan Ratliffe finished a 75-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds left, as part of a second half in which he ran for 109 yards. He finished with a career-high 193 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries as the Warhawks improved to 3-0.
- Video: Highlight, Ratliffe scores winning TD
- Video: Ratliffe's postgame interview
- Video: Kevin Bullis talks postgame
- Video: D3, NAIA football gurus battle it out
"Coaches told me they were going to ride me all game," Ratliffe said. "Being a senior, I want to take that role, be a leader. I want the offense to run through me. I knew my O-line had me, my receivers had me. I didn't want to let my team down. I wanted them to have faith in me like I have faith in them."
The Warhawks had taken a 26-14 lead late in the third quarter on Ratliffe's first touchdown run of the game. But Morningside (2-1) scored 16 unanswered points to take a 30-26 lead with 4:19 left in the game. That included a 36-yard field goal for Jared Amundson that came after a fumble by Warhawk quarterback Chris Nelson put Morningside on the Whitewater 17-yard line.
But Whitewater, trailing for the first time in the ballgame, didn't miss a beat. Nelson hit Adam Korpela right away for a 32-yard pass to get the Warhawks into Morningside territory, Ratliffe moved the chains, then Nelson found Marcus Hudson for 11 yards for a first down to the 22 and tight end Brent Campbell caught a big pass down to the 8-yard line and Ratliffe ran it in from there on second down.
"At halftime our offensive line ... I have to give them the credit, because to me they grabbed it," said Warhawk coach Kevin Bullis. "They and Jordan Ratliffe kind of grabbed control of the tempo of that game. I think that's ultimately what set up the tempo at the end for our offense in throwing the ball well at the end of the game.
"That really ignited our defense, and our defense came out with the stop after that fumble. I think our offensive line kind of served as the ignition."
After suffering through two consecutive quarters with the wind and rain in their face, Morningside finally had it at their back in the fourth quarter. But the Mustangs only had the ball for for two and a half minutes, as Whitewater took home the victory.
Check out UW-Whitewater's game recap and more coverage below, including the game-winning touchdown, interviews with Ratliffe and Bullis and D3football.com's Pat Coleman and NAIA football guru Jason Dannelly's take on the game.