The No. 1/2 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will continue play in the NCAA Division III Playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 26, at noon against No. 17/20 Wittenberg (Ohio), an automatic qualifier out of the North Coast Athletic Conference, in a second round contest at Perkins Stadium.


Saturday's game can be watched live on UWW-TV, which is found on channel 100 on campus, channel 989 for Charter Digital customers in southern Wisconsin or online. The contest can be heard live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area or online at 940wfaw.com. Fans can also track live statistics.

The Warhawks (11-0 overall) scored the first 28 points of the game en route to a 45-27 victory over Lakeland in the first round last Saturday. UW-Whitewater rushed for 263 yards and held the Muskies to 27 yards on the ground. The win was the team's 31st consecutive at Perkins Stadium, a school record, and the program's 32nd straight at home in the postseason.

UW-Whitewater is currently ranked No. 1 in the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the D3football.com Top 25. The team garnered five first-place votes from D3football.com voters and 24 from the AFCA. The Warhawks were ranked second in Lindy's Sports Division III Preseason Top 25 and third in both The Sporting News' preseason national rankings and the D3football.com Preseason Top 25.

Wittenberg (10-1) punched its ticket to the second round with a dramatic 33-30 victory at No. 14 Thomas More (Ky.) in four overtimes, the longest game in NCAA Division III postseason history. With the game tied at 24-24 at the end of regulation, the two teams exchanged made field goals in the first two overtimes, then each had field goal attempts blocked in the third overtime. After a missed field goal by Thomas More to start the fourth OT, the Tigers' Will Gingery hit a 37-yarder to end the contest.

SERIES

Saturday's game is the second meeting between the two teams. UW-Whitewater won the only previous meeting by a score of 31-13 in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NCAA Playoffs on Dec. 5, 2009. The Warhawks held a 14-13 halftime lead before tallying 17 unanswered points in the second half, all in the last 16 minutes of regulation. Levell Coppage led UW-Whiteawter with 123 yards and a touchdown, and Jeff Donovan threw for a pair of touchdowns.

NEXT UP

The winner of Saturday's game will move on to the quarterfinal round to face the winner of No. 18 Wesley (Del.) at No. 6 John Carroll (Ohio). Game time and location will be announced following the conclusion of the second round games.

NOTABLE

• The Warhawks hold a 48-8 record all time in the postseason, good for an .857 winning percentage.
• UW-Whitewater is 10-1 all time in NCAA Division III Playoffs second round contests, with the only blemish coming in 1988, a 17-13 setback against Central (Iowa).