UW-Whitewater will host Illinois Wesleyan in a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III second round playoff game Saturday, November 28 at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium on the UW-W campus.
Won-Loss: UW-Whitewater is 11-0 overall. UW-W earned its NCAA berth by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record. Illinois Wesleyan went 10-1 overall, winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a 6-1 record to earn the school's first automatic bid.
This Season: UW-W defeated Dickinson State 38-3 (currently 7-3), Midland Lutheran 58-0 (6-5), Puget Sound 42-7 (0-9), UW-Platteville 35-3 (3-7), UW-Eau Claire 38-14 (6-4), UW-Stout 38-3 (8-2), UW-River Falls 38-14 (3-7), UW-Stevens Point 41-12 (7-3), UW-Oshkosh 40-7 (4-6), UW-La Crosse 58-21 (5-5), and last Saturday defeating -Lakeland College 70-7 (6-4) . Whitewater is 7-0 at home and 4-0 on the road. Whitewater's opponents compiled a 55-55 mark. Illinois Wesleyan defeated Hope College 28-25 (3-7), Alma College 43-7 (5-5), Aurora University 52-8 (4-6), Carthage College 42-16 (7-3), lost to Millikin University 19-13 (6-4), defeated Augustana College 7-0 (6-4), Elmhurst College 20-7( 4-6), North Central College 28-22 in OT (8-2), Wheaton College 20-17 (7-3), North Park University 49-0 (1-9), and Wabash College 41-35 in 2OT (9-2). Illinois Wesleyan 5-1 at home and 5-0 on the road. Illinois Wesleyan's opponents combined for a record of 60-53.
By the Numbers (Football AARP): UW-W's offensive line averages 280 pounds. It matches up with the Titans' defensive line that averages 245 pounds. On the other side of the ball, the UW-W defensive front averages 267 pounds versus an Illinois Wesleyan offensive line that averages 280. UW-W starts three seniors and no freshmen on offense, and seven seniors and no freshmen on defense. Illinois Wesleyan starts nine seniors and no freshmen on offense, and eight seniors and no freshmen on defense.
The Un-Series: There is no series. This is the first time these schools have met in football.
The Coaches: Whitewater's Lance Leipold, in his third season, is 38-3 overall and 19-1 in WIAC play. Illinois Wesleyan head coach Norm Each, in his 22nd season with the Titans, holds a record of 132-77-1 and 95-60-1 in CCIW play.
Whitewater Last Week: The Warhawks gave up their first points in the first quarter this season on a Lakeland touchdown, but that is being picky if you're looking for a problem in UW-W's 70-7 win. The starters played the first half and only the NCAA roster limit kept UW-W from substituting a complete third team.
Climbing the Charts, with a Bullet: Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford), UW-W's career leader in receptions with 173, is third in career yards with 2.389. Jim Leszczynski (2002-2005) is in second with 2.547. Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park)'s 27 rushing TD's this season is the WIAC record. He has rushed for 1,576 yards, fifth best season total in the UW-W record book. Travis Talton (1988) is fourth at 1,599, and Spencer Johnson (1994) is third with 1,697. Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East) has 39 TD tosses in his career for fourth place in the school book, with the coach that recruited him, Bob Berezowitz (1963-66) in third with 44. Donovan's 22 TD's this season is also fourth, with Brez in third with 27 (1966). DL Anthony White (Milwaukee/Bay View) is tied for fifth in career sacks with 19, with Ryan Ogrizovich (2004-2007) third with 23. As a team, Whitewater is way ahead of the school record pace for pass completion percentage. The record of .625 was set in 1979, but this year's team has a .729 completion rate. A big reason for that is an offensive line that has allowed just three sacks this season, which would also be a school record if the category existed. Jeff Schebler (Davenport, IA/Assumption) became the all-time, all division NCAA kick scoring leader with ten PAT's against Lakeland. Schebler has 437 points, surpassing the previous record of 433 by Art Carmody of Louisville (2004-2007).
Pitcher's Duel (or FB Equivalent): If you want to see points scored this game might not be up your alley. The Titan defense is fourth in total defense (226.9 yards/game), tenth in rushing (74.0) and thirteenth in scoring (14.0) in Division III. The Warhawks are third in scoring defense (8.27), sixth in total yards (236.0), twenty-second in rush defense (86.1), and twenty-fourth in pass defense (149.9). Six members of the IWU defense earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin first team honors. The group included DB's P.J. Cummings and Roman Hunter, linemen Max Brooks and Ryan Jenkins, and linebacker Don Rogers. Linebacker Nick Nikolich, the team's leading tackler along with 14 tackles for a loss and six sacks was the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year. Cummings, just a sophomore On the UW-W side, LB Kyle Supianoski (Tama, IA/South), DL Anthony White (Milwaukee/Bay View), and DB Troney Shumpert (Milwaukee/Bay View) were All-WIAC first team.
Home Run Derby (or FB Equivalent): Whitewater's offense is fourth in scoring (45.1), fourth in yards (500.6) and fourteenth in rushing (245.9). Six Warhawks were named first team all-conference, including linemen Matt Weber (Oregon/Oregon), Robbie Ustruck (West Allis/Hale) and Garth Coats (Evansville/Evansville); QB Jeff Donovan (Wauwatosa/East), RB Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park), and WR Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford). Donovan was chosen the WIAC Player of the Year. In a head scratcher IWU did not have any offensive players named first team all-conference. The Titans averaged 4.4 yards per rush as a team, and TB Eli Williams averages 5.3 with 856 yards. The two-headed monster at QB, Kraig Ladd and Brien Rooney both complete more than 60% of their passes and totaled 28 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Receivers Chris Messina and Jack Scalcucci had 54 and 53 catches, respectively; were both in double figures per catch, and combined for 19 TD's.
Not Exactly Arbitron (the Ratings Game): UW-Whitewater played two teams this season that are mentioned in national polls. UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout are both among the “others receiving votes” in the D3football.com poll, and UW-Stout is in the AFCA's “others”. IWU beat North Central (17, 18), and Carthage and Wheaton (“others” in both polls).
Wesleyan Last Week: Appropriate for a game in the heart of the Midwest, it was a barn-burner. IWU defeated Wabash College 41-35 in double overtime in Bloomington. Wesleyan led 7-0 after one quarter, 21-14 at halftime, and 21-20 after three. Wabash finally took the lead with 13:31 left, using a pass play for a two point conversion to go up 28-21. IWU tied it with 6:20 left and kicked the tying PAT. Both teams scored TD's and kicked the PAT in the first OT when they started at the opponent's 25.. IWU stopped Wabash and then, after a penalty set them back to the 30, scored on a Kraig Ladd to Jack Scalcucci pass. The teams combined for 49 first downs, 584 yards passing and 256 yards rushing. There were only seven punts in the game.
Whitewater Last Week: Lakeland tied the game 7-7 with a first quarter touchdown, the only first quarter points allowed by UW-W this season, but that is nit-picking. UW-W averaged 7.5 yards per rush, rushed for 16 first downs to one for Lakeland, and rushed for seven TD's. Whitewater did not turn the ball over or allow a sack. UW-W raised its record to 14-3 in NCAA III playoff games in Perkins Stadium, 13-0 since the start of the 2005 playoffs.
Tickets/Schedule: The Whitewater-Illinois Wesleyan winner will match up with the winner of Trine and Wittenberg. If UW-Whitewater wins November 28 it will play at home December 5 in a quarterfinal that will kick off at 12:00 in Perkins Stadium. The UW-W ticket office, located in the Connor University Center on the main campus mall, can be reached at 262-472-2222. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $4 for senior citizens/students. Parking is $4.
