Won-Lost: UW-Whitewater is 6-0 overall, 3-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-River Falls is 2-4 overall, 0-3 in the WIAC.

 

This Season: UW-W defeated Dickinson State 38-3 (currently 5-2), Midland Lutheran 58-0 (5-2), Puget Sound 42-7 (0-5), UW-Platteville 35-3 (3-3), UW-Eau Claire 38-14 (3-3), and UW-Stout 38-3 (4-2). The combined record of Whitewater's opponents is 20-17. Whitewater is 4-0 at home and 2-0 on the road. UW-RF lost to Saint John's 28-24 (7-0), beat Northwestern (MN) 20-17 (4-3), beat Alma 40-27 (3-3), lost to UW-Stout 13-12 (4-2) in overtime, lost to Oshkosh 31-29 (3-3), and lost to UW-La Crosse 49-47 (5-1) in three overtimes.  The UW-RF opposition has a combined record of 21-11. The Falcons are 1-2 at home and 1-2 on the road.

 

By the Numbers: UW-W's offensive line averages 281 pounds. It matches up against the UW-RF defensive line, which averages 224 pounds. On the other side of the ball, Whitewater's defensive front averages 266 pounds versus 258 for the UW-RF offensive line. Whitewater starts three seniors and one freshman on offense, and seven seniors and no freshmen on defense. River Falls starts two seniors and one freshman on offense, and seven seniors and no freshmen on defense.

 

The Series: UW-W leads the all-time series, which began in 1914, 29-18-3. The largest margin of victory for UW-W came in a 58-2 win in Whitewater in 1970, the season Perkins Stadium opened. This  is also the most points UW-W has scored against the Falcons. Whitewater's longest win streak is seven games, which is current. The Warhawks also went seven games without a loss from 1959-1970, but that string includes a 14-14 tie in 1973. River Falls' largest winning margin came in a 42-0 1989 win in River Falls. The most points the Falcons have scored came in a 52-28 win in Perkins Stadium in 1998. River Falls won four in a row 1990-1993. The most points the teams have combined to produce in a game was the 1998 game (80). The lowest scoring game in the series history was a 7-0 UW-RF win in 1915.

 

The Coaches: Whitewater's Lance Leipold, in his third season, is 33-3 overall and 16-1 in WIAC play. John O'Grady, the longest serving coach in the WIAC, is in his twenty-first season at UW-RF. He is 101-96-3 overall, 72-68-3 in league play. Leipold is 2-0 versus River Falls.

 

Home Sweet Home: Whitewater has a 33-1 record in Perkins Stadium since the start of the 2005 season. 

 

There's No “I” in Defense:   The UW-W defense, first in the WIAC in scoring defense (5.0), total defense (202.0), pass defense (117.0) and rushing defense (85.0), has not allowed an opponent to score in the first quarter this season.  But other than linebacker Lane Olson (Racine/Horlick) (tied for third in sacks, 0.7/game, and fumbles forced, tied for eighth 0.2) and DB Troney Shumpert (Milwaukee/Bay View) (tied for fourth in passes defended, 1.17/game) no Warhawk is among the top ten in a defensive category. 

 

King of the Hill (Tee): Placekicker Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) broke the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III kick scoring record in the win at Stout last weekend. Schebler, who has compiled 390 points in his career, passed former Mount Union kicker Mike Zimmerman (383, 2005-2007). At his current pace Schebler is within reach of the NCAA Football Championship Series record of 407 (Dan Carpenter, Montana, 2004-2007); the Division II mark of 420 (Jeff Glas, North Dakota, 2002-2005) and the Football Bowl Series record of 433 (Art Carmody, Louisville, 2004-2007). 

 

Rusch Stock Climbing: Junior wide receiver Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) is climbing up the Warhawk record charts.  Rusch has totaled 156 catches for 2,164 yards in his career. The receptions total is second all-time, just behind the 162 accumulated by Jim Leszczynski (2002-2005). Rusch is looking up at Joe Gerlach (2,250, 1979-82) for fourth place on the yards receiving list. Derek Stanley (2003-2006) is number one in receiving yards with 2,621.

 

(Not) New Balance: The Warhawk offense leads the WIAC in scoring (41.5), total offense (501.3), and rushing offense (209.3). Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) leads WIAC quarterbacks in passing efficiency, with 12 touchdowns, one interception, and a .752 completion percentage. Donovan's throwing is set up by (or vice versa) the running game. Sophomore tailback Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) leads the league in rushing at 134.8 yards per game, 6.5 yards per attempt. Coppage and Donovan are products of an offensive line that averages 5.5 yards per rushing attempt and has allowed just one sack this season.

 

Falcon Notes:  UW-RF is nine points away from being unbeaten this season. Their “worst” loss was a four-pointer (28-24) against the number five team in the NCAA III poll, Saint John's (MN). Then there was a 13-12 overtime loss at Stout, a two-pointer against UW-Oshkosh, and last week's 49-47 loss to La Crosse that went three overtimes. With four overtimes in their pocket the Falcons have already played almost the equivalent of an extra game.

 

UW-RF sophomore tailback Taylor Edwards, who hails from just down the road in Janesville, is right behind Coppage in the WIAC rushing stats with a 128.7 average. Edwards has two 200+ games to his credit, rushing 30-246 against Alma and 39-209 versus Stout. Last week Taylor carried a big load, lugging the ball 44 times for 142 yards and three TD's against La Crosse. Taylor headlines an offense that ranks second in the WIAC rushing, along with UW-W the only schools to average more than 200 yards per game. 

 

The Falcons lead the WIAC in red zone offense (88.5) and are number two in red zone defense. In fact, they switch places with UW-W in both categories. 

 

Senior linebacker Cole Lowell leads the defense, averaging 8.3 tackles per game, fifth in the WIAC. Senior linemen Derek Nette and Mike Larson have combined for twelve tackles behind the line of scrimmage, and are the Falcon leaders in sacks (2.5 and 2.0 respectively).

 

UW-RF and UW-L traded touchdowns three times in the OT's last Saturday. The Eagles completed a pass for a two point conversion on their third score to end the game. River Falls jumped ahead 10-0, but La Crosse led 27-24 in the fourth. RF kicker Drake Klatt hit a 46 yard field goal with 1:29 left to send the game into OT. It was, is, Klatt's first and only field goal of the season.

 

UW-RF also leads the WIAC in kickoff returns with a 20.8 yard average. 

 

National Polls: UW-W is ranked second by both the American Football Coaches Association (afca.com) and D3football.com (d3football.com). UW-RF is not ranked. UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point are both in the “others receiving votes” category of both polls.

 

Schedule/Tickets: UW-Whitewater will face UW-Stevens Point on the road October 31, a 1:00 kickoff. The Warhawks will wrap up their home schedule with UW-Oshkosh visiting Perkins Stadium November 7 at 1:00. The UW-W ticket office is located in the Connor University Center on the main campus mail and is open Monday-Friday during normal business hours. Tickets are also sold at the Perkins Stadium window on game day. Call (262) 472-2222 for ticket information.

 

 Re-Braodcast: The game will be re-broadcasted on FSN Wisconsin on October 27th at 7pm. Check your local listings for channel number.