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Linfield Football Web Page
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AFCA Division III Top 25
Wartburg Game Recap (Dec. 6)
D3football.com All-Region Release (Dec. 8)
Free Student Tickets Flyer (PDF)
Saturday Parking Map (PDF)
 
The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team looks to clinch its ninth Stagg Bowl appearance in 10 years this Saturday as it takes on No. 10 Linfield (Ore.) at 2:30 p.m. in an NCAA Division III Playoffs semifinal at Perkins Stadium.
 
The contest is the second half of a Division III football doubleheader and will be streamed live on ESPN3. The game will not be broadcast by UWW-TV/Cable 19 in Whitewater.
 
Third-ranked Mount Union (Ohio) hosts No. 4 Wesley (Del.) in the other semifinal, which kicks off at 11 a.m. Central Time.
 
The Warhawks (13-0 overall) reached the semifinals with a come-from-behind 37-33 victory over fifth-ranked Warburg (Iowa) last week at Perkins Stadium. UW-Whitewater erased a 33-16 deficit in the fourth quarter with three touchdown drives and finished the contest with 575 total yards, its second highest output of the season.
 
Linfield (11-1) will make its first appearance in the national semifinals since 2009, when it was defeated by the Warhawks. The Wildcats downed No. 11 Widener (Pa.) 45-7 in last Saturday's quarterfinal.
 
Located in McMinnville, Ore., Linfield will make its third consecutive flight for a postseason game. The Wildcats upset No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor 31-28 in the second round, traveled to Chester, Pa., to take on Widener, and will travel to Whitewater this week.
 
With the three trips combined, Linfield will have traveled more than 14,000 miles round trip to compete in three rounds of the NCAA Playoffs.
 
Saturday's game is also a rematch of a 2013 quarterfinal, when the Warhawks recovered from a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to down the Wildcats 28-17. Combined with their 2009 semifinal showdown and 2005 quarterfinal (played in McMinnville), the contest marks the fourth time the two teams will face off in the postseason.
 
Senior quarterback Matt Behrendt (Westchester, IL/Nazareth Academy) leads the UW-Whitewater offense. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a first team d3football.com All-West Region selection, Behrendt is 238-of-374 for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns entering Saturday's semifinal. He ranks among national leaders in touchdowns, yards, passing efficiency (175.5) and yards per attempt (8.99).
 
Senior wide receivers Justin Howard (West Bend/Homestead) and Jake Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) are the Warhawks' top receiving threats. Howard, a first team All-WIAC pick, leads the team with 74 receptions for 1,050 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kumerow, who was tabbed first team All-WIAC and All-West Region, has 53 receptions for 928 yards and a conference-best 12 receiving touchdowns.
 
Junior running back Dennis Moore (Elgin, IL/Elgin), who ran for a game-changing 57-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter against Wartburg last Saturday, leads the team with 139 carries for 921 yards (6.6 ypc) and four touchdowns. Fellow junior Jordan Ratliffe (Milwaukee/Milwaukee Vincent), a second team all-league honoree, is next with 734 yards and a team-best nine rushing touchdowns.
 
The defense is led by a trio of first team all-region selections, one in each area of the field.
 
Junior defensive lineman Zach Franz (DeForest/DeForest Area) leads the unit up front with a team-high 10.0 tackles for loss, including six sacks, and a total of 31 stops. Senior Mykaell Bratchett (Milwaukee /Hope School), a second team all-conference honoree, paces the Warhawks with 6.5 sacks.
 
Junior linebacker Justin Dischler (Milwaukee/Pius XI) is the team's top tackler, entering Saturday with 85 stops, including 7.0 for a loss, and six forced fumbles, a figure that ranks among the top 10 in the nation. Sophomore Paul Foster (Janesville/Craig), a second team All-WIAC linebacker, is third on the team with 63 tackles.
 
Senior defensive back Brady Grayvold (Norway, MI/Norway), who was recently tabbed an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, leads the secondary in interceptions (7), pass breakups (8) and passes defended (15). Senior and second team all-region defensive back Marcus McLin (Delavan/Delavan-Darien) has 35 tackles and has recovered a pair of fumbles.
 
Linfield is led offensively by quarterback Sam Riddle, who enters Saturday with 2,638 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, as well as a team-high 479 rushing yards. Wide receiver Charlie Poppen is Riddle's top target, leading the team with 62 receptions for 1,027 yards and 15 touchdowns.
 
Defensive lineman Alex Hoff, an AFCA All-American, leads the Wildcats' defense. He leads the nation in tackles for loss (30.0) and sacks (17.0). Linebacker Jordan Giza, a second team all-region selection, leads the team with 56 tackles. Defensive tackle Jeremy Girod, another all-region honoree, enters Saturday with 29 tackles and five sacks.
 
For more information, visit the complete UW-Whitewater game notes.