Related Links:
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats
Live Audio (courtesy of WKCH – Kool 106.5 FM)
Live Video
UW-Eau Claire Football Web Page
D3football.com
AFCA Division III Top 25
 
The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team concludes its final two-game road stretch of the season Saturday at UW-Eau Claire in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference affair scheduled for 2 p.m. at Carson Park.
 
The Warhawks, the nation's top-ranked team according to D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association, aim for their 23rd straight victory, a streak that now spans over three seasons. The team's 22 consecutive wins are tied for the second-longest streak in all of college football.
 
With a win in either of the next two games, UW-Whitewater coach Lance Leipold would pick up his 100th career win faster than any coach in NCAA history at all levels. If the Warhawks defeat the Blugolds Saturday, he'll have reached the milestone in just 106 games. Gil Dobie, who coached five different teams from 1906-39, currently holds the record, reaching 100 wins in 108 contests (100-5-3).
 
"The most important thing about this game is that we win this game to stay on track to compete for a conference championship," Leipold said. "Though flattering, the focus needs to remain on winning the game."
 
UW-Whitewater scored 21 second-quarter points and posted its second shutout of the year in a 37-0 triumph at UW-Stout last Saturday in Menomonie, Wis.
 
Senior defensive back Brady Grayvold (Norway, MI/Norway), who was eventually named to the D3football.com Team of the Week, tallied two interceptions, including a 45-yard return for a touchdown to star the scoring late in the first quarter for the Warhawks. He also tied for the team lead with six tackles to lead the defense, which forced four turnovers and allowed just 242 total yards, including 73 on the ground.
 
"It's big for Brady or any of our guys to get turnovers, especially when they create quick points," Leipold said. "(The interception returned for a touchdown) helped spark and ignite that game."
 
Junior linebacker Spencer Jacque (Cedar Grove /Cedar Grove) added six tackles, while junior linebacker Justin Dischler (Milwaukee/Pius XI) and junior defensive back Ryan Winske (Omro/Omro) contributed five stops apiece.
 
Senior defensive lineman Mykaell Bratchett (Milwaukee /Hope School), junior defensive lineman Zach Franz (DeForest/DeForest Area) and sophomore defensive lineman Tim Regan (Algonquin, IL/HD Jacobs) each recorded a sack.
 
Senior wide receiver Justin Howard (West Bend/Homestead) and junior running back Dennis Moore (Elgin, IL/Elgin) each registered career performances to lead the offense. Howard totaled seven receptions for a career-high 124 yards and a touchdown, while Moore posted career bests in carries (14) and yards (94) to lead the running game.
 
Senior quarterback Matt Behrendt (Westchester, IL/Nazareth Academy) completed 21-of-29 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak of attempts without an interception to 349.
 
Senior wide receiver Jake Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) added his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving effort, finishing with seven catches for 113 yards and a score.
 
Freshman kicker Will Meyer (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) knocked in three field goals, including a career-long 38-yard make, all in the second half.
 
UW-Whitewater continues to lead the conference in several statistical categories. The team paces the league and ranks among the top 10 in NCAA Division III in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, total defense, rushing defense, red zone defense, completion percentage, sacks allowed and team passing efficiency.
 
The Warhawks are one of seven teams who have yet to throw an interception. The team finished with just one a season ago.
 
Behrendt leads the WIAC and ranks third in the nation in completion percentage (75.7). He also leads the conference in passing efficiency at 193.8, a mark that also stands fifth in the country.
 
Kumerow leads the league in receiving touchdowns (8) and scoring (9.6 points per game), and is second with 117.4 receiving yards per affair. Junior running back Nick Patterson (Sussex/Hamilton) is at the top of the WIAC with six rushing touchdowns.
 
Grayvold leads the conference in interceptions per game (0.6), while Bratchett and Franz each rank among league leaders in tackles for loss per contest at 1.3 and 1.1, respectively.
 
Senior defensive back Marcus McLin (Delavan/Delavan-Darien) currently leads the WIAC and ranks eighth in the nation with 17.7 yards per punt return.
 
UW-Eau Claire (0-5, 0-2) has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation so far. All five of the Blugolds' opponents have been ranked in the D3football.com Top 25 at some point during the season.
 
UW-Eau Claire was within two possessions to start the fourth quarter at then-No. 16 UW-Stevens Point last Saturday before surrendering a pair of touchdowns in the final period en route to a 30-3 setback.
 
Despite holding the ball for more than 33 minutes, the Blugolds were stymied by nine penalties for 93 yards and a third-down efficiency of just 29 percent (5-of-17).
 
UW-Eau Claire's offense averages 5.4 points and 244.8 total yards per game. The Blugolds lead the WIAC and rank seventh in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage (72.7 percent).
 
Senior quarterback Mark Munger enters Saturday's game 80-of-148 passing for 607 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Korey Jacobson leads the receiving corps with 27 receptions for 161 yards, while Chris Cummings lead the team with 178 receiving yards at a team-best 13.7 yards per reception.
 
"I'm impressed with Munger," Leipold said. "He's a competitive guy. He scrambles and keeps plays alive. He's trying to make something happen and spark his football team."
 
Jake Neis (55 carries, 161 yards, 1 TD) and Riley Gebelein (30 carries, 148 yards) lead the rushing attack.
 
The Blugolds' defense allows an average of 29.8 points and 387.8 yards per affair. UW-Eau Claire paces the conference and ranks second nationally in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on just 45 percent (9-of-20) of possessions inside its 20-yard line.
 
Linebacker Erik Hulman leads the team and ranks fourth in the WIAC with 45 tackles. Defensive back Thurgood Dennis leads the conference with 1.6 passes defended per game.
 
Defensive linemen Jake Safstrom and Jayden Dobbs lead the Blugolds up front with 6.0 and 5.5 tackles for loss, respectively. Safstrom leads the team with 4.0 sacks.