Coppage's swagger and rhythm returns

It was one of the burning questions in the offseason.

How would head coach Lance Leipold split time between two of the most talented running backs in all of Division III?

And who would be the starter?

Would it be Levell Coppage, the 2008 WIAC rushing leader, or Antwan Anderson, a 1,000-yard rusher who carried the load when Coppage was out with an ankle injury during the postseason last year?

As the Warhawks (4-0, 1-0 WIAC) enter their second conference game against UW-Eau Claire (2-2, 0-1) and their fourth straight home game at 3 p.m. Saturday, that question seems to be answered.

After posting his second straight 100-yard rushing game, Coppage has become the featured tailback once again - a year after he earned All-American honors as a freshman.

"We definitely wanted to get him on track," Leipold said. "That's the one thing when you have two backs and you're trying to get carries for both; I think we were probably making it more difficult for him to get into that rhythm."

In last Saturday's 35-3 drubbing of UW-Platteville in the team's conference opener, Coppage was certainly in a rhythm.

He rushed for a season-high 166 yards and posted four touchdowns, tying a UW-Whitewater record.

But this is not how it was suppose to be since Anderson - who emerged onto the national scene after posting four 100-yard rushing games and a 200-yard one in last year's postseason - has been sidelined with a right leg injury for the last two weeks.

And Anderson's injury has prevented the 'Hawks from using the duo interchangeably like it had planned, despite having an improved passing game behind quarterback Jeff Donovan.

"I love it when he's there, because we can throw different things at [defenses]," Coppage said. "Teams can't just key on me. They have to worry about two. I'm just waiting for 'Twan to get healthy so we can get it going."

But just as Anderson picked up the slack when Coppage went down in the team's first playoff game against St. John's last year, the sophomore has stepped up.

Coppage had only 49 rushing yards, was fourth on the team in rushing through two games and had 33 attempts.

Two games later, however, he leads the 'Hawks with 338 yards and has a WIAC-leading nine touchdowns.

He also rushed for a season-high 27 times in Saturday's breakout game.

"He had three really good weeks of practice showing kind of the Levell Coppage of last year prior to that ankle injury," Leipold said. "He's starting to show those cuts and moves."

And he showed them on his runs of 25 and 35 yards, respectively, that propelled the 'Hawks to a 14-0 after the first quarter against UW-Platteville.

"The only difference is probably the carries," Coppage said about his role. "The first couple games I was getting two carries a series, maybe one carry. Once I get more carries the better I feel and it's easier to run the ball."

When asked after the game last Saturday if it could be a problem splitting time between the two, Leipold didn't want to make predictions.

"That will have be addressed when we get into that situation," Leipold said.

While the status of Anderson - who was suited up, but had his right leg wrapped up last week - is still unknown, the status of UW- Eau Claire's star running back is not in question.

Senior Cory Sartorelli is the second leading rusher in the conference averaging 104.5 yards per game and is tied with Coppage with most touchdowns on the season.

But he was held to 52 yards in the team's 48-33 loss at UW-Stevens Point last week.

Senior outside linebacker Lane Olson isn't worried about Sartorelli.

"Coach Borland, our defensive coordinator, will come up with a great plan," Olson said. "[And we'll] hit the running back in the mouth right away so he doesn't even want to run the ball."