The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team continues its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference road swing this Saturday, Oct. 29, at UW-River Falls at 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.

Saturday's game can be heard live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area and online at 940wfaw.com. Fans can also track live statistics and watch live video online courtesy of UW-River Falls.

The Warhawks scored in each quarter and controlled the ball for more than 18 minutes in the second half to limit a comeback opportunity by UW-Stevens Point in a 38-0 victory on the road last Saturday. UW-Whitewater's defense limited the Pointers to 59 yards rushing on 30 carries and forced three turnovers, while the offense posted 215 yards on the ground at a 5.2 yards-per-carry clip.

The Warhawks remained at No. 3 in the D3football.com Top 25, earning 563 points from pollsters, and at No. 3 in the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches Poll, garnering 1,211 points. UW-Whitewater trails only No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio) in both polls. The Warhawks were ranked fourth by Lindy's, Street & Smith and D3football.com entering the new season. 

UW-River Falls, which was picked to finish eighth in the WIAC in a preseason poll, rolled up 611 yards of total offense and 38 first downs, but the defense surrendered 682 yards, including 591 through the air, in a 63-49 loss last Saturday in River Falls. The two teams combined for 56 points in the second quarter alone and 28 more in each of the last two periods. Ben Backman threw for 493 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score.

SERIES

UW-Whitewater has won each of the last 17 meetings against UW-River Falls and leads the all-time series, 37-20-2. Last season, the Warhawks scored 37 unanswered points to start the game and totaled 268 rushing yards in a 44-7 win on Oct. 20, 2018, at Perkins Stadium. Alex Peete (Ringwood, Ill./Johnsburg), Ronny Ponick (Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd) and Cole Wilber (Mission Viejo, Calif./Dana Hills) each rushed for a touchdown to lead the offense. Jacob Erbs (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) tallied seven tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, to pace the defense.

NOTABLE

• The Warhawks are starting strong and finishing strong during games this season, outscoring opponents by a combined 90-10 in the first and fourth quarters, including a 38-3 margin in the first and a 52-7 spread in the fourth. The team continued that trend last Saturday at UW-Stevens Point, outscoring the Pointers 7-0 in the first quarter and 17-0 in the fourth.
• Senior linebacker Jacob Erbs (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) ripped the ball from UW-Stevens Point quarterback Matt Urmanski near midfield and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. UW-W last returned a fumble for a touchdown in 2015, when Jordan Strasburg returned one 24 yards for a score against UW-Eau Claire.