The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opens Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play this Saturday, Oct. 1, at eighth-ranked UW-Platteville. Saturday's game is the 22nd annual George Chryst Bowl for the Miner's Axe.


Saturday's game will be broadcast live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area or online at 940wfaw.com. Live statistics and live video will also be available.

The Warhawks (3-0 overall) thwarted a fourth-quarter drive with a one-possession lead on an interception and scored an insurance touchdown with 9:49 to play in a 31-17 victory over Morningside (Iowa), the No. 2 ranked team in the NAIA. UW-Whitewater forced four turnovers defensively and totaled 498 yards on offense, including a season-high 316 through the air, for its 27th straight home win.

UW-Whitewater remained at No. 2 in both the D3football.com Top 25 and the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches Poll. The team garnered two first-place votes from D3football.com and one 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.

UW-Platteville (3-0), ranked eighth by D3football.com and ninth by the AFCA, wrapped up its non-conference season with an impressive 56-0 victory at Lakeland, a 2015 NCAA Playoffs qualifier. The Pioneers totaled 656 yards of total offense, including a balance of 340 passing and 316 rushing, and allowed only 160 yards while forcing four turnovers defensively. UW-Platteville held the ball for more than 38 minutes and tallied 28 points in the third quarter alone.

SERIES
 

Saturday's game is the 109th meeting between the two teams and the 22nd edition of the George Chryst Bowl in honor of former Pioneers coach George Chryst. Last season, UW-Whitewater held UW-Platteville to minus-2 yards rushing on 26 carries, the lowest number allowed in one game since 2011, en route to a 17-7 victory in front of a school and conference record crowd of 15,287 at Perkins Stadium. Chris Nelson (Twin Lakes/Wilmot Union) threw for 149 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Warhawks to their 11th consecutive win over the Pioneers.

WHAT'S NEXT
 

The Warhawks fifth-ranked UW-Oshkosh next Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. during Family Fest at UW-Whitewater. The contest will be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and on UWW-TV.

NOTABLE
 

• The Warhawks have won their last 14 WIAC openers, with the last loss coming against UW-River Falls by a 34-31 score on Sept. 29, 2001, at Perkins Stadium. UW-Whitewater holds a 73-4 record in league regular season games over the last decade, good for a .948 winning percentage.
   
• UW-Whitewater wrapped up its non-conference season on a 13-game winning streak in regular season non-conference contests, with its last loss coming in 2012.