UW-Whitewater head coach Kevin Bullis expects to be tested in playoff opener

The Warhawks earned a share of the WIAC title last Saturday with a dominant 79-10 victory over UW-Stevens Point. It was the fourth straight season (2020 was canceled because of COVID-19) UW-Whitewater was a conference champion.

“That’s pretty cool for those seniors,” Warhawks head coach Kevin Bullis said. “I told them, ‘For you guys to change that (WIAC titles) number on top of the grandstand four times, it’s pretty damn cool.’

“That’s something to be proud of, especially in this conference. This conference is nuts. It’s an awesome conference to be part of.”

And it’s a reflection of the job Bullis, who is only the fourth head football coach at UW-Whitewater in 60-plus years—and his staff have done in his six seasons leading the program.

“It’s all of us,” he said. “It is.”

The staff is preparing the 8-2 squad for its first-round NCAA Division III playoff matchup. The Warhawks, ranked No. 8 in the latest D3football.com poll, play Aurora (Illinois) College, which is 40th in the D3football.com poll, at Perkins Stadium at noon Saturday.

Unlike the 14 previous first-round playoff victories—all at Perkins Stadium—that the Warhawks have won by an average score of 49.6-10.5, Bullis expects a dogfight against the visiting Spartans, who are on a nine-game winning streak.

“They are the best first-round opponent we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Bullis, who joined Lance Leipold’s staff in 2008. “They’re very good.”

Don Beebe, the former Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers wide receiver, is the head coach at Aurora. His Spartan squad is averaging 50 points a game while limiting opponents to 12.

“They run a pro-style offense,” Bullis said. “They run the ball; they throw the ball very efficiently.”

Tailback Jhe’Quay Chretin, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior, has averaged 6.7 yards a carry while gaining 1,184 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns.

“He might be the star of their offense,” Bullis said. He is something. He’s physical and fast.”

Spartans quarterback Josh Swanson, 6-2, 200-pound senior, has completed 186 of 307 passes for 2,705 yards and an eye-opening 43 touchdowns.

His favorite target is 5-10, 190-pound Trey Madsen who has 54 catches for 781 yards and 15 scores. Two other Aurora receivers have more than 500 yards receiving.

“Their offense is like all seniors,” Bullis said. “So you know they’re going to execute.

“They’re going to be excited as heck to jump into the ‘Perk’ on Saturday.”

Bullis and his staff will have their team ready. They have been here and done that every season but two since 2005.

Bullis, who is 78-18 since he took over from Leipold as head coach in 2015, gave away an inside secret that has led to some of his success.

“Anybody that is going to be a head football coach,” he said, “hire people that are smarter than you.”

There must be many “smart” coaches in the football office at Whitewater.