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The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will travel out of the state for the second straight week and head to The College of New Jersey for a 1 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) non-conference contest Saturday at Lions Field in Ewing, N.J.
 
The Warhawks (2-0 overall) look to finish the non-league regular season slate undefeated for the fifth time in the last six years. Since the start of the 2005 season, UW-Whitewater is 27-2 (.931 winning percentage) in regular season, non-conference affairs.
 
"We want to finish this non-conference portion of our season undefeated, keep taking the necessary steps to be a well-rounded football team, cut down on some mistakes, play a little bit more physical on both sides of the ball and execute on offense," UW-Whitewater coach Lance Leipold said. "There are small things we have to continue to address week by week."
 
The team is set to depart Thursday and arrive in Harrisburg, Pa., that evening before heading the rest of the way Friday. In total, the Warhawks will spend approximately 15 hours on the bus.
 
"It's part of what we have to go through," Leipold said regarding the rigors of traveling a long distance for the second consecutive week. "It's something we have to embrace if we want to be a good football team this year. We're fortunate that The College of New Jersey wanted to schedule these games. We've got to make the trip go as smoothly as possible and make sure we're ready for kickoff on Saturday."
 
On Saturday, the Warhawks piled up 548 yards of total offense, including 298 on the ground, and held Franklin (Ind.) to 70 yards of offense in the second half en route to a 42-13 victory.
 
After trailing 13-7 following a Grizzlies touchdown with 54 seconds to play in the first quarter, UW-Whitewater registered 35 unanswered points, including 21 in the third quarter, and forced a pair of Franklin turnovers in the second half.
 
The Warhawks averaged 8.6 yards per play and were boosted by a potent, balanced rushing attack. Three of the team's running backs – juniors Nick Patterson (Sussex/Hamilton), Dennis Moore (Elgin, IL/Elgin) and senior Ryan Givens (Milwaukee/Milwaukee Riverside) – averaged more than 10 yards per carry. Patterson paced the team with 141 yards and a touchdown on 12 rushes. Moore and Givens registered 86 and 76 yards, respectively, with Givens tallying a 34-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
 
Senior quarterback Matt Behrendt (Westchester, IL/Nazareth Academy) and senior wide receiver Jake Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) connected for three touchdowns through the air. Behrendt finished 19-of-25 for 224 yards and four scores, while Kumerow totaled nine receptions for 128 yards.
 
Junior wide receiver Joe Worth (Hartford/Hartford Union) accounted for the team's other touchdown, putting UW-Whitewater ahead for good with a 16-yard scoring catch with 9:41 to play in the second quarter.
 
Senior defensive lineman Mykaell Bratchett (Milwaukee /Hope School) was a force at the line of scrimmage, posting seven tackles, including two sacks, and 2.5 total tackles for a loss. Senior defensive back Zach Nellis (Waupaca/Waupaca) led the team with eight stops.
 
Senior defensive back Brady Grayvold (Norway, MI/Norway), who set a school record with nine interceptions a season ago, and junior linebacker Justin Dischler (Milwaukee/Pius XI) each recorded an interception after halftime to help stall the Grizzlies' comeback attempts.
 
The game's momentum seemed to shift following the defense's goal line stand late in the second quarter, when the Warhawks stuffed the Grizzlies' fourth down attempt from the 1-yard line.
 
"I was most pleased that we were able to answer their scores quickly, and that we didn't panic," Leipold said. "Our defense and our defensive coaches settled the guys down, and from that point on we played shutout football."
 
TCNJ (1-1) enters Saturday's game following a 17-13 comeback win at FDU-Florham last Friday. The Lions scored 17 unanswered points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and ran out the clock with under two minutes to play following an FDU-Florham touchdown.
 
Despite being outgained in total yards, the Lions held a 19-11 advantage in first downs and held the ball for nearly 20 minutes in the second half. TCNJ grinded out 154 yards through the air and 61 yards on the ground.
 
Running backs Khani Glover and Frank Fuccello each ran for a touchdown to lead the Lions. Kicker Colin Cazzetta booted a 29-yard field goal just over midway through the second quarter to put the team on the board.
 
Linebackers Sean Kley and Matthew Fleck paced the defense with seven tackles apiece. As a team, TCNJ totaled 11 tackles for a loss of a total of 34 yards.
 
The Lions are led under center by sophomore quarterback Michael Marchesano, a first-year starter. Marchesano enters Saturday's game passing 31-of-71 with 260 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jeff Mattonelli leads the receiving corps with 11 receptions for 95 yards.
 
Four players have carried 12 or more times for TCNJ, including running back Victor Scalici, who leads the team with 55 yards.
 
Defensively, the Lions are led by their four starting linebackers, who each have 10 tackles or more. Fleck leads the unit with 18 stops and an interception. Zack Vasilenko is second with 12 tackles, and also has an interception.
 
"(TCNJ) was a top 15 team in the nation defensively last year, and I know they're going to be well-coached and play hard," Leipold said. "I know they're trying to build their program the right way. We know they'll have their team ready and excited for kickoff."