The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opens the 2018 regular season this Saturday, Sept. 1, at Dubuque (Iowa), a member of the American Rivers Conference (formerly Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), for a non-conference affair at 6 p.m.


Saturday's game can be heard live in the Whitewater area on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH, or online at 940wfaw.com. The contest can be viewed live here, and live stats can be followed here.

The Warhawks enter the new campaign after finishing the 2017 year on a six-game winning streak en route to a 7-3 mark, including a 6-1 record in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and a final ranking of No. 23 in the D3football.com. Head coach Kevin Bullis, the 2016 WIAC Coach of the Year and a winner of 31 games in his first three seasons, returns at the helm of the program.

The Warhawks are ranked sixth by Street & Smith and 12th by D3football.com entering the new season. UW-Whitewater garnered 322 points from D3football.com voters to mark their 12th consecutive appearance among the website's preseason top 15.

Dubuque is picked to finish third in the American Rivers Conference in 2018 after finishing 6-4 overall and 4-4 in the league last season. The Spartans return six starters on offense, including 2017 first team all-conference running back Dwayne Allen (1,238 yards, 10 touchdowns), and five defensive starters, including linebacker Chad Marsh (62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss).

SERIES

UW-Whitewater leads the all time series between the two teams, 2-0. The Warhawks tallied 19 points to emerge victorious in each meeting, posting a 19-0 victory in 1939 and a 19-6 triumph in 1986. 

NOTABLE

• The Warhawks' most recent game against an American Rivers Conference opponent was against Wartburg on Dec. 6, 2014, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Playoffs. UW-Whitewater trailed 33-16 entering the fourth quarter before scoring 21 unanswered points for a thrilling 37-33 victory at Perkins Stadium.
• UW-Whitewater looks to start a new streak of season-opening wins after seeing its 13-game streak snapped last season in a 17-10 setback at Illinois Wesleyan. The Warhawks had also won 13 consecutive non-conference, regular season contests prior to that loss.
• Dubuque head coach Stan Zwiefel was a member of the Warhawks' coaching staff for 16 years as an offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He helped the team reach the Stagg Bowl in each of his final two seasons (2005, 2006) before taking the same position at Minnesota State-Mankato in 2007. Zwiefel was hired at Dubuque prior to the 2009 season.