revised 12/4/09 ...UW-Whitewater will host Wittenberg University in a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III third round, quarterfinal, playoff game Saturday, December 5 at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium on the UW-W campus. For complete information see UW-W Championship Central.
Won-Loss: UW-Whitewater is 12-0 overall. UW-W earned its NCAA berth by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record. Wittenberg is 12-0 overall, winning the North Coast Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record.
This Season: UW-W defeated Dickinson State 38-3 (currently 7-3), Midland Lutheran 58-0 (6-5), Puget Sound 42-7 (0-9), UW-Platteville 35-3 (3-7), UW-Eau Claire 38-14 (6-4), UW-Stout 38-3 (8-2), UW-River Falls 38-14 (3-7), UW-Stevens Point 41-12 (7-3), UW-Oshkosh 40-7 (4-6), UW-La Crosse 58-21 (5-5), Lakeland College 70-7 (6-5) and Illinois Wesleyan University (10-2) last Saturday. Whitewater is 8-0 at home and 4-0 on the road. Whitewater's opponents compiled a 65-58 mark, a winning percentage of .528. Wittenberg defeated Olivet College 37-6 (0-10), Washington University 46-0 (4-6), Ohio Wesleyan 20-0 (3-7), Hiram 70-7(0-10), Earlham 42-3 (5-5), Wabash 10-7 (9-2), Carnegie Mellon 28-7 (5-5), Denison 41-7 (3-7), Allegheny 52-10 (8-2), Wooster 42-6 (5-5), Mount St. Joseph 42-14 (9-2) and Trine 34-17(10-2). The Tigers are 7-0 at home, 5-0 on the road. Tiger opponents compiled a 61-63 record, a winning percentage of .492.
By the Numbers:UW-W's offensive line averages 281 pounds. It matches up with Wittenberg's defensive line that averages 240 pounds. On the other side of the ball, the UW-W defensive front averages 267 pounds versus a Wittenberg offensive line that averages 270. UW-W starts three seniors and no freshmen on offense, and seven seniors and no freshmen on defense. Wittenberg starts six seniors and no freshmen on offense, and four seniors and no freshmen on defense.
Attention Ben Bernanke, Geithner; The Fed should be so balanced. Wittenberg has rushed for 2,746 yards and passed for 2,723. The Tigers have five receivers in double figures and three running backs averaging at least 5.5 yards per carry. Whitewater has rushed for 2,941 yards and passed for 3,073. The Warhawks have six receivers in double figures and four back that average at least 5.3 yards per carry.
The Series: Although the teams have never met the Warhawks have fond memories of Wittenberg. The UW-W men's basketball team defeated Centre College in the semifinals and Trenton State University (now The College of New Jersey) in the championship game of the NCAA III men's basketball final four, hosted by Wittenberg.
The Series 2: Wittenberg beat Wabash College 10-7 October 17 at Wabash. Wabash lost to Illinois Wesleyan 41-35 in the first round of the playoffs. Whitewater defeated Illinois Wesleyan 45-7 last week. (This is the same kind of logic that says Emporia State should be the BCS champion because of the comparison game, who beat who beat who ...).
The Coaches: Whitewater's Lance Leipold, in his third season, is 39-3 overall and 19-1 in WIAC play. Wittenberg head coach Joe Finchman, in his fourteenth season with the Titans, holds a record of 114-29 and 78-14 in NCAC play.
Whitewater Last Week: UW-W defeated Illinois Wesleyan 45-7 in Whitewater. It was 14-7 in the first quarter and just 21-7 at halftime, but the Warhawks added 14 points in the third and fourth quarters. UW-W rolled up 507 yards of offense and gave up 206, just 30 on the ground. Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) rushed 32 times for 188 yards, and Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) completed 21-28 for 271 yards and three TD's. Donovan completed passes for nine different receivers.
In the Polls: UW-Whitewater was ranked second in the final regular season poll by both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association. Wittenberg was ranked twelfth by D3 and eleventh in the AFCA poll.
Mirror, Mirror …: These two teams are so much alike they could switch uniforms at half and no one would know the difference. For those who arrive fashionably late for the noon kickoff they probably won't miss any scoring. UW-Whitewater has given up seven points in the first quarter all year -- and so has Wittenberg. Wittenberg is number one in Division III in total defense (172.7), number one in scoring defense (7.0), third in pass efficiency defense, and sixth in rushing defense (67.4). UW-Whitewater is third in scoring defense (8.2) and fourth in total defense (233.5).
On the other side of the coin, Whitewater is fourth in total offense (501.2), fourth in scoring offense (45.1) and third in pass efficiency. Wittenberg is eleventh in total offense (455.8) and fifteenth in scoring (38.7).
As you would expect from two of the final eight teams in the playoffs, both teams have individuals ranked in the national stats. What is most striking (or predictable, depending on coaching philosophy) is that teams that have combined to go 24-0 and rank highly in every team statistic don't have more players listed. WU QB Aaron Huffman is seventh in passing efficiency, DE Eddie Valery is tied for third in sacks (1.29/game) and tied for sixteenth in tackles for a loss ((1.75). Warhawk TB Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) is third in rushing (147.0) and first in scoring (14.5/game), and QB Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) is third in passing efficiency.
Wittenberg Last Week: Wittenberg got out front with a 7-0 first quarter lead, then boosted the margin with a 20-point second quarter to lead 27-7 at the half. WU punted just once in the game and controlled the ball for almost 39 minutes. TB Corey Weber rushed 34 times for 204 yards, and Aaron Huffman went 16-22 for 208 yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers had six tackles for a loss in the game, two by Verley.
Been There, Done That: Whitewater has been in the playoffs five consecutive years, advancing to the championship game in the previous four. Wittenberg had a successful run in the 70's. The Tigers won NCAA III titles in 1973 and 1975, and finished second in 1978 and 1979.
Winning Ways: UW-W is 67-5 overall since the kickoff of the 2005 season and 39-1 vs. WIAC opponents since 2005. At Perkins Stadium UW-W is 15-3 all time in the playoffs, 14-0 since 2005. Overall they have won 37 of their last 38 in Perkins Stadium.
Tickets/Schedule: The Whitewater-Wittenberg winner will match up with the winner of St. Thomas MN-Linfield game. IF UW-W wins December 5 it would host a semifinal game December 12 at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium. If UW-W advances information will be posted on the UW-W athletics web site, www.uwwsports.com, by noon Monday. The UW-W ticket office, located in the Connor University Center on the main campus mall, can be reached at 262-472-2222. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $4 for senior citizens/students. Parking is additional fee of $4.
2009 in the Record Books:
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Receiving (Career)
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Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) – 2,472 career receiving yards
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1. Derek Stanley (2003-06)...............................2,621
-Holds WIAC record as well
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2. Jim Leszczynski (2002-05) ..........................2,547
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3. Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) (2007-present) .......................2,472
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Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford)– 180 career receptions (UW-W All-time leader)
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1. Jeff Gosa (1973-76) .........................................276
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2. Theo Blanco (1985-87) ....................................254
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3. Scott Frederickson (1986-89) ..........................233
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4. Jason Leonard (2000-03) .................................218
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5. Chuck Braun (1978-81) .....................................199
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6. Scott Burnoski (2001-04) ..................................195
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7. Cody Childs (2003-06) .....................................193
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8. Doug Krueger (1973-76) ...................................192
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9. Brian Gallick (2003-06) .....................................190
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10. Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) (2007-present) .............................180
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Rushing (Career)
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1. Justin Beaver (2004-07)....................................... 6,584
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2. Chad Wurth (2000-03)............................. ...4,301
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3. Travis Talton (1987-91)....................................... 3,783
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4. Spencer Johnson (1992-94)………………….3,739
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5. George Rainey (1984-87)…………………….3,385
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6. Eddie McKennie (1994-97)…………………..3,354
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8. John Damato (1995-97) …………………….2,852
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9. Mike R. Miller (1981-84)……………………...2,693
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10. Bill Roper (1971-73)…………………………..2,254
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Rushing (Season)
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Holds UW-W and WIAC TD record in a season with a total of 29 TD
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1. Justin Beaver (2007)………………………….. 2,455
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2. Justin Beaver (2005…………………………...2,420
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4. Spencer Johnson (1994)……………………... 1,697
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5. Travis Talton (1988)…………………………... 1,599
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6. George Rainey (1987)………………………… 1,567
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7. John Damato (1997)…………………………... 1,474
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8. Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) (2008)...................................1,461
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Passing (Career)
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1. Justin Jacobs (2003-06)......................................80
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2. Ty Grovesteen (1996-98)…………………………. 48
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3. Bob Berezowitz (1963-66)………………………… 44
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Passing (Season)
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1. Justin Jacobs (2006)...........................................36
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2. Justin Jacobs (2005)....................................... .35
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3. Bob Berezowitz (1966)...................................... 27
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4. Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) (2009)………………….............. .25
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Defense (Career)
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1. Tony Azarian (1977-80)................................... 31
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2. Tom Stuebe (1977-79)..................................... 31
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3. Ryan Kleppe (2003-06)................................... 30
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4. Ryan Ogrizovich (2004-07)............................. 23
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TEAM RECORDS…SEASON
Most Touchdowns: 83 in 2005
--Currently have 73
Most Points: 617 in 2005
--Currently have 541, our 617 is WIAC record
Most Yards Rushing: 3,288 in 2005
--Currently have 2,941, WIAC record is 4,034--River Falls, 2000
Most Yards Passing: 4,079 in 2005
--Currently have 3,073, WIAC record is 5,248--Stevens Point, 1987
Most Pass Attempts: 482 in 2005
--Currently have 305, WIAC record is 685--Stevens Point, 1987
Most Pass Completions: 250 in 2005
--Currently have 226, WIAC record is 340--Stevens Point, 1987
Most First Downs: 359 in 2005
--Currently have 280, our 359 in 05 is the WIAC record
Most First Downs Rushing: 163 in 2007
--Currently have 132
Most First Downs Passing: 162 in 2005
--Currently have 139
Most Total Offense: 7,367 in 2005
--Currently have 6,014
Best Rushing Average: 6.11 in 1997
--Currently have 5.73
Best Passing Percentage: .625 in 1979
--Currently is .732
Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) – Davenport, IA/Assumption Height: 6' Weight: 182
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Year
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Pat Made/Attempt
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Field Goal
Made/Attempt
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1-19
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20-29
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30-39
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40-49
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50+
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2006
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68/70
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181/212
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0/0
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10/11
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6/7
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2/2
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0/1
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2007
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36/37
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213/274
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0/0
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6/7
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9/9
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4/8
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2/3
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2008
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58/64
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225/296
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4/4
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4/4
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9/13
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5/8
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0/0
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2009
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71/73
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107/118
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1/1
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2/2
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4/5
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3/3
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0/0
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Career
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215/226
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71/88
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5/5
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22/24
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28/34
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14/21
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2/4
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27 yds, 34 yds, 37yds, 36 yds, 42 yds, 28 yds, 23 yds, 27 yds, 37 yds, 39 yds, 29 yds, 27 yds, 24 yds, 23 yds, 49 yds, 25 yds, 24 yds, 36 yds
2 50 yds, 23 yds, 32 yds
3 35 yds, 29 yds, 52 yds, 21 yds, 42 yds, 33 yds, 41 yds, 52 yds, 34 yds, 23 yds, 46 yds, 31 yds, 37 yds, 40 yds, 32 yds, 35 yds, 22 yds, 29 yds, 25 yds, 39 yds, 32 yds
4 21 yds, 42 yds, 43 yds, 50 yds, 42 yds, 41 yds
5 26 yds, 35 yds, 20 yds, 47 yds, 45 yds, 18 yds, 34 yds, 18 yds, 31 yds, 19 yds, 42 yds, 24 yds, 46 yds, 36 yds, 19 yds, 32 yds, 41 yds, 36 yds, 38 yds, 25 yds, 21 yds, 31 yds
647 yds,39 yds, 34 yds, 42 yds, 33 yds, 42 yds, 39 yds
7 23 yds, 40 yds, 32 yds, 45 yds, 35 yds, 18 yds, 22 yds, 35 yds, 39 yds, 46 yds
8 33 yds
UW-Whitewater Records
Career Extra Points Attempted (236) First
Career Extra Points Made (225) First
Career Field Goals Attempted (88) First
Career Field Goals Made (71) First
2006 Season Extra Points Attempted (70) Second
2008 Season Extra Points Attempted (64) Fourth
2009 Season Extra Points Attempted (73) Second
2007 Season Extra Points Attempted (37) Tenth
2006 Season Extra Points Made (68) Second
2008 Season Extra Points Made (58) Fourth
2009 Season Extra Points Made (71) Second
2007 Season Extra Points Made (34) Ninth
2006 Field Goals Attempted (21) Fourth
2007 Field Goals Attempted (27) Second
2008 Field Goals Attempted (29) First
2006 Field Goals Made (18) Third
2007 Field Goals Made (21) Second
2008 Field Goals Made (22) First
2009 Field Goals Made (10) Tied for Eighth
All Time Longest Field Goal (52 yds) Tied First,September 15, 2007 vs. St. Cloud State University
All Time Longest Field Goal (52 yds) Tied First, October 13, 2007 vs. UW-Oshkosh
All Time Longest Field Goal (49 yds) Seventh, December 09, 2006 vs. Wesley College
WIAC Records
All WIAC – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Career Points Scored (446) First
Career Field Goals Attempted (88) First
Career Field Goals Made (71) First
Career Extra Points Made (225) First
2008 Season Points Scored (124) Fifth
2007 Season Points Scored (99) Twenty-Fifth
2006 Season Points Scored (122) Seventh
2008 Season Field Goals Attempted (29) First
2007 Season Field Goals Attempted (27) Third
2006 Season Field Goals Attempted (21) Seventh
2008 Season Field Goals Made (22) First
2007 Season Field Goals Made (21) Second
2006 Season Field Goals Made (18) Fourth
2009 Season Extra Points Made (71) Second
2008 Season Extra Points Made (58) Fourth
2007 Season Extra Points Made (36) Twenty-Fifth
2006 Season Extra Points Made (68) Second
2007 Longest Field Goal Made (52) Tied Third accomplished twice
NCAA Division III kick scoring record holder (446), previously held by Art Carmody (433) of Louisville (2004-2007)
First all-time in kick scoring for all NCAA divisions -
Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) (446)
