Today's Game
UW-W closes the 2011 regular season with the annual Senior Day and Shrine Game.  Seniors and the Shrine honoree will be introduced at the game.
 
Last Year
Wait a minute, didn't we see the Eagles before?  With the new WIAC schedule in place, playing a conference opponent twice with one of the two games counting as the league tilt, the Warhawks and Eagles met at Harring Veterans Memorial Stadium in the first game of this season.  This week's contest is the one that counts in the league standings.  As both coaches would point out, there has been a lot of water under the bridge since that meeting.
 
Whitewater won the opener, 26-7.  The Warhawks' opening drive resulted in an Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) 36-yard field goal, and Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park)'s one yard run on the second possession made it 10-0.  Late in the second quarter, facing a third and eight at their 18, Louissaint Minett picked off a Mike Butterfield pass.  Kindler converted from 33 yards to make it 13-0 with 2:07 in the half.  UW-W's defense forced a three and out, and the resulting field position allowed Kindler to make it 16-0 with a 41-yarder with 18 seconds left.  Whitewater held La Crosse to two first downs and 63 yards of offense in the half.  UW-W took the second half kickoff 65 yards in 15 plays, covering 7:45, with Kindler kicking his school record tying fourth FG of the day, this time from 36 yards, to put UW-W up 19-0.  Desmin Ward (Milwaukee/Hamilton) punched in a fourth quarter TD for the Warhawks, 26-0, and Butterfield ran it in from seven yards out for the Eagles' score in the fourth.  The Whitewater defense held La Crosse to 119 yards.  Blanchard went 18-30 for 248 yards, five of those to Luke Menzel (Sheboygan Falls/Oostburg).  Coppage rushed 21 times to 108 yards.  Lee Lauters led UW-L with 89 yards on 15 carries, and DB Jack Leahy's 12 tackles, including three for a loss, led both teams.
 
In the Polls
UW-W is ranked number one in both the AFCA III poll and by D3football.com.  UW-L is not ranked.
 
Purple Streak
The Warhawks have the longest winning streak in college football, 39 games.  The 39 wins ties the University of Washington (1908-1914) for the fifth longest win streak in NCAA history.  The Warhawks have also built streaks of 18 in a row on the road, 21 in a row at Perkins Stadium, 19 consecutive non-conference games, 23 WIAC games, and 10 in a row in the NCAA III playoffs.
 
The Coaches
Whitewater's Lance Leipold is in his fifth year as head coach of the Warhawks and has compiled a record of 66-3, including 28-1 in the WIAC.   In his first head coaching opportunity, Leipold has earned national Division III coach of the year honors three out of the four years and was named WIAC Coach of the Year the last two. Joel Detwiler is in his first year, taking over for Larry Terry February 7th in time for late recruiting and spring practice.  An Oregon, Wisconsin native and 1997 UW-Platteville graduate, Detwiler coached the last seven years at Wartburg College, including the last three as defensive coordinator.  Wartburg went 57-18 and won three league titles while Detwiler was on the staff.
 
UW- La Crosse Notes (3-6 overall, 2-4 WIAC)
UW-L was edged by UW-River Falls in La Crosse last week, 28-21 in overtime.  The Eagles went 88 yards in eight plays, with Andy Sires hitting Tony Bilderback with a 21 yard pass to jump in front.  Another Sires to Bilderback pass made it 14-0 in the first and, after a B.J. Letourneau to Brady Hannigan 23 yard pass cut RF's deficit to 14-7 at the half.  A Ben Hertrampf 59 yard run put UW-L's lead back at 14, 21-7, but Letourneau passed for 17 yards to Joel Yogerst to trim that back to 21-14.  Letourneau's third TD pass of the game, this time to Jon Manke, ended a 96 yard drive with 0:54 left and knotted the game.  In OT the Falcons used four plays to score a touchdown, while the Eagles' attempt to tie it was ended with an interception.   Hertrampf rushed 22 times for 199 yards and Bilderback caught six passes for 80 yards.  RF totaled 404 yards of offense, La Crosse 338.  The teams combined for 18 punts.
 
UW-L is third in a couple of team categories in the WIAC stats.  The Eagles are third in rushing defense (144.1), third in opponent third down conversions (37.3), and tied for third in fewest penalties (37.1).  Hertrampf's big game last week moved him to third in rushing (102.4/game, 6.9/attempt), and he's third in scoring (6.8/game).   Junior Jack Welch leads the league in punt returns (9.5/attempt) and Christian Hallingstad is number one in punting (42.3).  La Crosse also has three defenders among the top ten tacklers in the WIAC, with junior DB Matthew Buswell fourth (8.6/game), junior linebacker Jack Leahy tied for fifth (8.4), and junior DB Jake Meckstroth tied for tenth (7.6).
 
UW-L has one of the best punt teams in D3.  The Eagles are 26th in net punting (34.6) and Hallingstad is third with his 42.3 average.  Hertrampf has risen to 39th in rushing.
 
UW-Whitewater Notes (9-0, 6-0)
UW-W earned sole possession of the WIAC title, a record seventh in a row, with a 37-22 win at Eau Claire.  Noah Timm (Two Rivers/Two Rivers)'s interception ended EC's opening drive on the goal line, and Whitewater turned it around and went 98 yards, Coppage carrying nine times for 79 of those yards, for a 7-0 lead.  EC responded with an 82 yard drive of their own to tie it 7-7.  Timm picked off another Blugold pass and returned it to the EC 24, and Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) connected with Cory Robinson (Cambridge/Cambridge) for a 14-7 Whitewater lead.  Again EC came back, and again Timm spoiled their plans, blocking a FG attempt.   A kickoff return of 65 yards by Steve Morris (Racine /Horlick), longest of the season for WW, put the ball deep in EC territory and it took two Coppage runs to make it 21-7.  Eau Claire used just 1:15 to cover 63 yards, with Austin Neu hitting David Goodman for a 49 yard score.  An exchange backed the Blugolds up, and facing a fourth and one deep in their zone a punt snap went over the punter's head for a safety, 23-14 in the third.  Blanchard to Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) for 32 yards put WW up 30-14, and Blanchard's fourth TD toss of the day, to Bernie Tamsett (Waterford/Waterford Union), pushed it to 37-14.  Two long pass plays led to EC's final score, and they passed for the two point conversion.  EC gained 399 yards to 393 for WW, and led in first downs 18-16 -- but had three turnovers.
 
UW-W is number one in the WIAC stats in scoring offense (36.8), rushing offense (242.9), total offense (460.0), pass efficiency, first downs (196), third down conversions (47.5), sacks allowed (5), scoring defense (13.4), rushing defense (84.4), total defense (268.0), opponent first downs (134), opponent third down conversions (34.4), opponent fourth down conversions (20.0), sacks (22), kickoff returns (22.6), turnover margin (1.33), time of possession (34:08), and kickoff coverage.   On the offensive side of the ball Warhawk players at the top of the league include Coppage in rushing (148.6/game) and scoring (10.7), Blanchard in pass efficiency, Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) in receiving yards per game (86.7), and Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) in field goals (1.33/game), FG percentage (75.0) and PAT percentage (97.6).  Over on defense, Noah Timm (Two Rivers/Two Rivers) is number one in interceptions (5) and passes defended.  DL Casey Casper (Dousman/Kettle Moraine) is fifth in sacks (0.5/game), and Ryan Wenkman (Wisconsin Dells/Wisconsin Dells) is tied for sixth and Sam Overton (Milwaukee/Riverside) tied for ninth in passes defended.
 
Warhawk notations among the top twenty in the NCAA III stats include 19th in total offense, 11th in rushing defense, 20th in total defense, 17th in scoring defense, 12th in turnover margin, 7th in passing efficiency, and 7th in sacks allowed.  Coppage is fifth in rushing and tied for 16th in scoring, Blanchard fifth in pass efficiency, Timm tied for 13th in interceptions, and Kindler tied for ninth in field goals.

The Series
UW-Whitewater's record all-time against UW-La Crosse: 27-32
The Current Streak: Whitewater won last seven games.
When it started: 1917, UW-La Crosse defeated UW-Whitewater 0-59
Most points scored by UW-W: 60 in 1987
Most points scored by UW-L: 59 in 1917
Shutouts by UW-W: 3
Shutouts by UW-L:  8
Longest Win Streak by UW-W: 7
Longest Win Streak by UW-L: 5
Fewest points, combined: 6 (6-0 in 1967, excludes forfeits)
 
Follow the Leaders
UW-Whitewater
Passing: Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) 137-204, .671, 207.11/game, 18 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) 1386, 148.56/game, 6.23/att, 16 TD
Receiving: Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) 44-780, 86.67/game, 17.73/att, 8 TD
Field Goals: Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) 12-16
Punting: Kris Rosholt (Reedsburg/Reedsburg) 37-1340, 36.22 avg
Defense: Cole Klotz (Elm Grove /New Berlin Eisenhower) 40 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss. Kyle Wismer (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) 39 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 passes broken up
 
UW-La Crosse
Passing: Mike Butterfield 88-164, .537, 143.2/game, 6 TD,  5 INT
Rushing: Ben Hertrampf 834, 102.4/game, 6.9/att, 8 TD
Receiving: Tony Bilderback 30-475, 52.8/game, 15.8/att, 4 TD
Field Goals: Justin Huinker 4-11
Punting: Christian Hallingstad 59-2496, 42.3 avg
Defense: Matthew Buswell 77 tackles, 1 pass broken up, 1 pass defended. Jack Leahy 76 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 broken up pass, 1 pass defended.
 
By Numbers
UW-Whitewater
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 291.6 pounds
Defensive Line (4 players) Averages: 252.5 pounds
Offense, Class Breakdown: two seniors, three juniors
Defense, Class Breakdown: two seniors, one junior, one sophomore
UW-La Crosse
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 273 pounds
Defensive Line (4 players) Averages: 242.5 pounds
Offense, Class Breakdown: 3 juniors, 1 sophomore, 1 freshman
Defense, Class Breakdown: 3 seniors, 1 freshman
 
What's Coming Up
UW-Whitewater earns an automatic berth in the NCAA III championship playoff as the WIAC champion.  The Warhawks will know by Monday morning where the quest for a NCAA III championship begins.  The NCAA will stream the selection show  live at http://www.ncaa.com/championships/football/d3 at 5:00 pm Sunday.