The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opens the 2019 regular season this Saturday, Sept. 7, against Dubuque (Iowa), a member of the American Rivers Conference for a non-conference affair at 2 p.m. at Perkins Stadium. Prior to the game, national recording artist Jesse McCartney will perform live across the street from Perkins Stadium and UW-Whitewater will recognize its 2019 senior class. 

The first 2,000 students to attend Saturday's game will receive a free t-shirt courtesy of DLK Enterprises.

Saturday's game can be watched live on UWW-TV on channel 100.1 on campus and Spectrum channel 989 in the Whitewater area, or online. It can also be heard live on KOOL 106.5 FM WKCH in the Whitewater area or online at 940wfaw.com. Fans can track live statistics here.

The Warhawks enter the new campaign after finishing the 2018 year with the program's 36th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, the program's 11th trip to the national semifinals and a 13-1 record. Head coach Kevin Bullis, a two-time WIAC Coach of the Year and a winner of 44 games in his first four seasons, returns at the helm of the program.

The Warhawks are ranked fourth by Lindy's, Street & Smith and D3football.com entering the new season. UW-Whitewater garnered 555 points from D3football.com voters to mark their 13th consecutive appearance among the website's preseason top 15.

Dubuque is picked to tie for second in the American Rivers Conference in 2019 after finishing in the same spot in the standings a season ago and posting a 7-3 record, including a 6-2 league mark. The Spartans return six starters on offense, including 2017 first team all-conference running back Dwayne Allen Jr. (1,098 yards, 7 TDs), and six defensive starters, including linebacker Marshon Crowder (60 tackles, 13.5 TFLs) and defensive back Blaze Barista (57 tackles, 5 INTs).

SERIES

UW-Whitewater leads the all time series between the two teams, 3-0. The Warhawks scored 31 unanswered points after a tightly-contested first quarter to emerge with a 38-6 road win on Sept. 1, 2018, in Dubuque. Alex Peete (Ringwood, Ill./Johnsburg) tied a program record with four rushing touchdowns, while Ryan Wisniewski (Sparta, Wis./Sparta) caught four passes for 134 yards and one score.

NOTABLE

• UW-Whitewater's non-conference schedule features three teams who finished .500 or better in 2018 - Dubuque (7-3), Concordia-Moorhead (5-5) and NAIA national quarterfinalist St. Xavier (9-4). The Warhawks defeated Dubuque and Concordia-Moorhead last season, avenging a 2017 loss against the Cobbers in Moorhead, Minn. UW-W last faced St. Xavier in 2008, posting a 24-9 victory at Perkins Stadium.
• 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.