The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team, ranked No. 3 in the nation by D3football.com, will open its 2017 season, the 124th in program history, this Saturday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m. at Illinois Wesleyan, a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, in a non-conference affair at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, Ill.


Saturday's game will be broadcast live online by Illinois Wesleyan. Fans can listen to the game live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area or online at 940wfaw.com, and follow live stats online.

The Warhawks enter the new campaign after capturing the program's 35th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and reaching the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons. The team returns 10 offensive starters, three defensive starters and one specialist from a year ago. Head coach Kevin Bullis, the 2016 WIAC George Chryst Coach of the Year, returns for his third season at the helm of the program.

The Warhawks are ranked third in both Street & Smith's preseason national rankings and the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 and 15th in Lindy's Sports Division III Top 25. In the D3football.com poll, UW-Whitewater garnered four first-place votes and 561 points, only nine shy of No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), which received three first-place votes. Mary Hardin Baylor (Texas) is No. 1 with 16 first-place votes and 606 points.

Illinois Wesleyan is picked to finish third in the CCIW after posting a 7-2 mark in 2016, including a five-game winning streak to close out the season. Offensively, the Titans return their entire starting offensive line and quarterback Brandon Bauer. Defensive back Brinton Wilkey Jr. and defensive lineman Justin Krzeczkowski, both All-CCIW selections last season, lead the defense.

SERIES

UW-Whitewater leads the all time series against Illinois Wesleyan, 1-0. The Warhawks downed the Titans 45-7 in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Nov. 28, 2009, at Perkins Stadium.

NEXT UP

The Warhawks visit Concordia-Moorhead, a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, next Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m.

NOTABLE

• UW-Whitewater has won 13 straight season-opening games, a streak that dates back to 2004. The Warhawks were last defeated in their first contest of the season on Sept. 6, 2003, in a 40-17 setback at Mount Union.
• UW-Whitewater has also won 13 consecutive regular season non-conference games dating back to 2012. The Warhawks' most recent non-conference regular season loss was a 7-6 setback against Buffalo State on Sept. 15, 2012.