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Dynamic duo: Coppage, Anderson do damage

Sour grapes apparently are just not UW-Whitewater junior running back Antwan Anderson's type of fruit.

While filling in for injured starting running back Levell Coppage a year ago, Anderson had 816 rushing yards in the 2008 postseason to help Whitewater make its fourth straight trip to the Stagg Bowl.

But Anderson's "coming-out party" still wasn't enough to beat out Coppage for the starting tailback position this season.

While many athletes would revolt or even threaten to transfer, Anderson quietly assumed his roles as a change-of-pace running back and special-teams member.

"I understood why the coaches choose Levell, because the zone offense is typically more for a shifty type of running back," Anderson said of Whitewater's zone-blocking scheme. "With me being a power back, I understood that the coaches are going to do what they need to do to win games and play the people that are best-suited for the offense."

That rare level of maturity has impressed Whitewater coach Lance Leipold, whose 14-0 team goes against Mount Union, Ohio, for the fifth straight year in the NCAA Division III national championship game at 10 a.m. (CST) Saturday.

"I can't say enough about Anderson," the third-year coach said. "To watch him have that level of success in the postseason and then see how he's handled his role on the team now in taking a back seat to Levell, there never once has been any frustration.

"He's ready to go. He loves his special-teams' responsibilities, and all those other things are really just impressive."

Anderson's acceptance of a lesser role has helped set up one of the deepest running attacks in Division III.

Coppage is the feature back who jukes and jives past defenses in the form of 1,996 rushing yards and a school single-season record 32 touchdowns, while Anderson plows through defenses at the rate of 5.2 yards per carry.

"It's a lot different when you throw one of us out there at another team," Coppage said. "When I'm out there, they're used to seeing something different. But when Antwan is out there, he's going right at them. So it puts the defense off balance, not knowing what they're going to throw at them."

Coppage has been putting defenses off balance since he started playing for the Warhawks. Last season, with questions surrounding the program about who would be the heir-apparent to Whitewater's all-time leading rusher, Justin Beaver, the baby-faced freshman rolled up 1,513 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.

In just two seasons, Coppage already has broken Beaver's school touchdown record of 44 with an impressive 53 scores. The sophomore runner also blew past Beaver's Whitewater single-game rushing yardage record of 286 with a jaw-dropping 386-yard effort against UW-Eau Claire.

"Levell has no business playing in D3 football," Warhawk quarterback Jeff Donovan said. "He's a special talent. Some of the runs you see, I just kind of chuckle and think, ‘How are you going to stop that?' I think he was gift that we got him here."

The only thing that has stopped Coppage was an ankle injury that occurred in the third quarter of the Whitewater's NCAA Division III first-round playoff game against St. John's (Minn) last season.

With Coppage out of the game, and Whitewater clinging to a narrow 9-7 lead, Anderson jumped off the bench and notched a 43-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game. Whitewater went on to win 37-7 over the Johnnies and rode Anderson's momentum into the Stagg Bowl.

"I was a little surprised that I performed so well," Anderson said. "But I knew I could do it, and the coaches had faith in me. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had me as a backup to Levell.''

Anderson didn't miss a beat against Mount Union, either. Although his team fell short against the Purple Raiders, the sophomore runner rolled up 121 yards and two touchdowns.

This season both running backs are healthy and poised to lead the Whitewater to a second Stagg Bowl championship.

"We just have to go out there and play our game that we're capable of," Anderson said. "If it happens in the end, then it happens in the end. Hopefully, we're on top."