This Week's Game
UW-Whitewater, 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will host UW-Stevens Point, 4-3 and 2-2, at 1:00 Saturday, October 29 at Perkins Stadium.

Last Year
UW-W won 27-14 October 30, 2010 before 11,448 fans in Perkins Stadium.  A Jake Hohlstein (Portage/Portage) fumble recovery on the Pointers' 38, and 36 yards of Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) broke the scoreless tie.  UW-W's defense also led to the second score, with Jake Keeser (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) picking up a fumble at the UW-SP six yard line.  Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) and Bernie Tamsett (Waterford/Waterford Union) combined on a six yard passing play to go into the lockerroom with a 14-0 lead.  Midway through the third quarter Warhawk defensive back Steve McCollom (Farmington, MI/Shrine) picked off a pass to give the Whitewater offense the ball at the Pointer 38.  Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) took an end around play to the one and Coppage scored on a one yard run to make it 21-0 midway through the third.  UW-SP got on the board with a Jake Swank to Anthony Aker 60 yard pass play to make it 21-7.  Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) booted a 19 yard field goal to put UW-W up 24-7, but Point' running back Keith Ingram's 47 yard run was the key play on a drive that cut Whitewater's lead to 24-14 at the end of three.  Kindler added another FG in the fourth for the final score.  Coppage rushed 38 times for 179 yards, and receivers Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) (5-57) and Adam Brandes (Burlington/Catholic Central) (4-93) kept defenders honest.  Max Ford (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park River Forest) led the UW-W defense with six tackles, a sack and one tackle for a loss.  UW-SP's Swank went 10-30, with six caught by Jared Jenkins.  Ingram wound up with 80 yards on seven carries.  Point DB Joe Mleziva led both team with 14 tackles, nine of them solo.

The Series
UW-Whitewater's record all-time vs. UW-Stevens Point: 56-30
The current streak: UW-Whitewater has won the last 2 games
When it started: 1895, UW-Whitewater defeated UW-Stevens Point 10-0
Most points scored by UW-W: 54 in 1923 and 1971
Most points scored by UW-SP: 60 in 2003
Most points combined:  90 (60-30 Point win in 2003)
Shutouts by UW-W: 12
Shutouts by UW-SP: 3
Longest win streak by UW-W: 9 (1968 through 1976)
Longest win streak by UW-SP: 3 (multiple times)
Fewest points combined: 2 (UW-W defeated UW-SP 2-0 in 1932)

Purple Streak
The Warhawks currently have the longest winning streak in college football, in any division. UW-Whitewater has won 37 consecutive games. The Warhawks have also built streaks of 17 in a row on the road, 20 in a row at Perkins Stadium, 19 consecutive non-conference games, 21 WIAC games, and 10 in a row in the NCAA III playoffs.  UW-W's 37 game streak is tied for the sixth longest ever in NCAA football.  Mount Union holds the first and second spot with strings of 55 (2000-2003) and 54 (1996-99) games.  The University of Oklahoma is next at 40 (1953-57), followed by Division II Grand Valley State with 40 (2005-2007).  The University of Washington is in fifth place with 39 (1908-1914). There is a logjam in sixth, with UW-W joined by Mount Union (2005-2007), Augustana (1983-85), and Yale twice (1890-93 and 1897-89).

Homecoming ... Not in My House
UW-Whitewater is 63-22-1 in Homecoming games.  Going back eleven years, the Pointers have been UW-W's Homecoming opponent four times, the most recent in 2008 when the Pointers upset the defending NCAA III champion 17-16 in Whitewater.  Whitewater's best record versus an opponent is 10-0 vs. Platteville, followed by 11-2 vs. Oshkosh.  Just one opponent holds the upper hand at Homecoming, Saint Ambrose College, 1-2-1.   UW-SP has been the opponent in more UW-W Homecoming games than any other opponent, 14 times. 

In the Polls
UW-W is ranked first in both Division III polls, the American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com.  UW-Stevens Point is not ranked.

The Coaches
Whitewater's Lance Leipold is in his fifth year as head coach of the Warhawks and has compiled a record of 64-3, including 26-1 in the WIAC.  In his first head coaching opportunity, Leipold has earned national Division III coach of the year honors three out of the four years and was named WIAC Coach of the Year the last two.  UW-SP's John Miech is the dean of WIAC football coaches.  In his twenty-fourth year as the Pointers' head coach, Miech has compiled a 156-81-2 record. Like Leipold, Miech played for the team he is coaching.  Miech trails only Roger Harring, Forrest Perkins and Bob Berezowitz in a list of WIAC football wins.

UW-Stevens Point Notes
The Pointers came from ten points down, scoring on Mitch Beau's quarterback sneak with 15 seconds left in the game to win at Eau Claire, 28-24, last Saturday.  The UW-SP defense sacked Blugold QB Austin Neu four times.    Beau went 11-19 for 252 yards with three touchdowns.  Lineman Justin Scary with eleven tackles, two and a half for a loss, and one and a half sacks.

UW-SP is coming off back-to-back wins, with the Eau Claire victory preceded by a 31-10 home field win over UW-River Falls.  In the WIAC stats UW-SP is second in scoring defense (17.4), second in total defense (320.1), and second in punting.  Punter Brandon Matznick is second in the WIAC with a 39.5 average, which also ranks 19th in this week's NCAA Division III statistics. Another aspect of UW-SP's special team prowess, the Pointers are twenty-sixth in Division III in net punting.  Defensive back Joe Mleziiva is among WIAC leaders with three interceptions, and DB Marc Young has two picks.  Senior linebacker Curtis Krump is ninth in the WIAC with 7.6 tackles per game.  On the other side of the ball, wide receiver Marc Young is ninth in the league in receiving yards, averaging 48.9 per game.

UW-SP, 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the WIAC, could easily see those numbers improve or go south.  Four of the Pointers' games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

UW-Whitewater Notes
UW-W went into the lion's den in Oshkosh and came out with a 20-17 win last week.  It was the smallest margin of victory in Whitewater's win streak.  An Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) field goal with 1:18 left was the difference.  That field goal was set up by a 47 yard run by Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park), who was the focus of the Titan defense.  He carried the ball 28 times for 131 yards.  It marked the 37th 100+ rushing game for the senior, moving Coppage past Mount Union's Nate Kmic, who accumulated 36 in his career.  Former Warhawk Justin Beaver piled up 34 100+ games. Oshkosh averaged 7.9 yards per rush in the first half, but Whitewater's defense made the adjustment and kept the Titans off the scoreboard in the second half. 

Coppage, with 6530 yards in his career, has moved within 54 yards of breaking Beaver's school and WIAC record of 6584.  Beaver is currently third in the NCAA III record book, behind Kmic 8,074 (2005-2008) and R.J. Bowers of Grove City College (1997-2000) at 7,353.

In the latest NCAA III stats, UW-W is thirteenth in total offense (475.29), eighth in sacks allowed (8 this season), and seventh in passing efficiency.  Coppage is 19th in rushing (122.3), Blanchard is fourth in passing efficiency, and Kindler is tied for sixth in field goals (1.57/game).  The Warhawk defense is fourteenth in total defense (245.1), thirteenth in scoring defense (11.86), thirteenth in rushing defense (88.14), and fourteenth in pass efficiency defense.  In seventeen categories of statistics compiled by the NCAA, UW-W is the WIAC leader thirteen times. 

Follow the Leaders
UW-Whitewater
Passing: Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) 115-165, .697, 230.86/game, 13 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) 149-889, 122.29/game, 5.87/att., 12 TD
Receiving: Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) 37-642, 91.71/game, 17.35/att., 6 TD
Field Goals: Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) 11-14
Punting: Kris Rosholt (Reedsburg/Reedsburg) 27-1002, 37.11 avg.
Defense: Kyle Wismer (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) 36 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 passes broken up
                  Greg Arnold (Big Bend/Mukwonago) 35 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss
UW-Stevens Point
Passing: Casey Barnes 51-88, .580, 96.8/game, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Cory Filsakowski 103-367, 46.1/game, 3.1/att., 4 TD
Receiving: Marc Young 25-342, 48.9/game, 13.7/att., 3 TD
Field Goals: Jared Fohrman 7-11
Punting: Brandon Matznick 42-1657, 39.5 avg.
Defense: Joe Mleziva 57 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 1 pass broken up, 4 passes defended
                  Curtis Krump 53 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble forced

By the Numbers
UW-Whitewater
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 287 Pounds
Defensive Line (4 players) Averages: 252 Pounds
Offense, Class Breakdown: 6 seniors, 5 juniors
Defense, Class Breakdown: 5 seniors, 3 juniors, 3 sophomores
UW-Stevens Point
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 292 Pounds
Defensive Line (4 players) Averages: 256 Pounds
Offense, Class Breakdown: 6 seniors, 2 juniors, 3 sophomores
Defense, Class Breakdown: 6 seniors, 2 juniors, 2 sophomores, 1 freshman

Special Note
The 2011 Athletics Hall of Fame class will be honored Saturday. The group will be introduced at halftime of the football game, with the formal induction taking place at a banquet Saturday night.

What's Coming Up
The Warhawks will travel to UW-Eau Claire for a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest Saturday, November 5 at 3:00 pm. Tickets for UW-W home games are sold at the University Center ticket office Monday-Friday during normal business hours. Tickets are also sold at Perkins Stadium on game day. Call 262-472-2222 for ticket information.

For More Info
Tom Fick, UW-W sports information: 262-472-1147 or fickt@uww.edu WIAC football web site: http://wiacsports.com/index.aspx?tab=football&path=football
Mitch Capelle, UW-Stevens Point sports information: 715-346-2840 or mcapelle@uwsp.edu
UW-Stevens Point football web site: http://athletics.uwsp.edu/index.aspx?path=football
NCAA III football web site: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/football/d3