UWW Football Claims Outright WIAC Title with Undefeated Regular Season

Posted on: November 14, 2026

EAU CLAIRE, WI — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team claimed the outright 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship and finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record for the first time since 2021. The Warhawks dominated UW-Eau Claire at Carson Park, finishing the game on a 28-0 run to defeat the Blugolds 42-7. UWW finished with 435 yards of offense, including 224 rushing yards, and held UW-Eau Claire to 209 total yards.

UWW set the tone early, with a grueling opening possession. The Warhawks went 70 yards in 11 plays to control the game for the first 6-minutes. Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) capped off the drive with a 1-yard rush to put the first score on the board.

The defense forced a three-and-out on the Blugold’s first series, and UWW drove back into the red zone on its next possession. However, a blocked field goal kept the Warhawks off the board.

The Warhawks forced another UW-Eau Claire punt and generated some movement before the end of the first quarter with runs by Tommy Novotny (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette) of nine and 18 yards. Klinkner made a 28-yard completion to Luke Roeder (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville) to reach the Blugolds’ three-yard line as the first quarter ended with UWW ahead 7-0.

For the very first play of the second quarter, Klinkner found Joseph Ware Jr. (Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West) for a 3-yard touchdown, and Urban’s extra point put UWW ahead 14-0.

UW-Eau Claire answered with a 15-play, 77-yard drive that included four third-down conversions and ended with Ayden Helder’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Matt Kuczaj at 6:49 to make it 14-7. That would be the only score of the game for the Blugolds, with a near complete shut-out by the Warhawks the rest of the way.

The Warhawks responded to the Blugolds score in just two plays, with Novotny breaking a 54-yard touchdown run at 5:55 before Urban’s kick pushed the lead to 21-7. With the rush, Novotny reached six games this season with 100-yards or more rushing.

Karsten Libby (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) broke up a third-down pass to force a punt on UW-Eau Claire’s next series, and although UWW later moved into UW-Eau Claire territory, the second quarter ended with UWW ahead 21-7.

Libby came up big to start the second half, ending the Blugold’s opening drive with an interception.

After the interception Klinkner found Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) for a 25-yard touchdown at 10:41, to make it 28-7.

UW-Eau Claire moved into UWW territory on the next possession, but Noah Moris (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove) recovered a fumble at the UWW45 for back-to-back turnovers. The Warhawks followed with an eight-play, 55-yard drive capped by Klinkner’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Rinaldi at 1:57.

Drew Kortz (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) and Walker Powers (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) broke up passes on the next Blugold series, Vasey returned the punt 32 yards to the UWEC29, and Klinkner’s 20-yard completion to Roeder moved UWW to the UWEC9 as the third quarter ended with a 35-7 lead.

Already in the red zone to start the fourth quarter, UWW finished the drive when Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) scored on fourth-and-1 from the 1 at 12:55 and Urban’s extra point made it 42-7.

The Warhawk defense didn’t allow UW-Eau Claire to generate anything late, with Ben Bielawski (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove North) breaking up one pass and recording a quarterback hurry another before Jayden Daniel’s (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) third-down sack led to a turnover on downs at the Eau Claire 47-yard line with 9:03 left.

After the teams traded punts, UWW took over at its own 42 at 5:53 and closed the game with an eight-play, 36-yard possession that included first-down runs by Tommy Lutz (Grafton, Wis./Grafton) and Jayveon Gold (Milwaukee, Wis./Whitnall). The final kneel-down ended a scoreless closing stretch after the early touchdown, sealing UWW’s 42-7 win.

Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) completed 16 of 21 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns and added 42 rushing yards with two scores on 13 carries. Novotny rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries and added one reception. Vasey caught four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown and added 33 yards on two punt returns. Libby recorded a team-high eight tackles and added an interception with a 15-yard return.

With the win, the Warhawks wrap up the 2026 regular season with a 10-0 record, the first since 2021. UW-Whitewater won the outright WIAC Championship and was given the Automatic Qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for 4 PM on Sunday, November 15th and will be available on ncaa.com. The Stagg Bowl LII [the 2026 NCAA Division III Football Championship] will be held on January 3, 2027 at Salem Stadium in Salem, VA. There will be a 40‑team single‑elimination playoff; the final game is the national championship.

For more information visit uwwsports.com and Warhawk Football social media on the UWW Football post-season schedule.