This Week's Game
UW-Whitewater, 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, can wrap up sole possession of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship with a win at UW-Eau Claire, 4-4 and 2-3, at 3:00 Saturday, November 5 at Carson Park.

Last Year
UW-W won 45-0 October 16, 2010 before 4,500 fans in Carson Park.  Whitewater scored on five of its six possessions in the first half, with only the first drive of the game failing to produce points. At the Eau Claire 41, four plays, a Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) to Aaron Rusch (Hartford/Hartford) pass and three runs by Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) put the ball in the end zone for a 7-0 Whitewater lead.  The same combination resulted in a 14-0 lead with 3:06 left in the first quarter. Coppage then went in from 19 yards to bring Whitewater's lead 21-0 with 11:59 left in the second quarter. Eau Claire moved the ball from its own 20 to Whitewater's 38 on the following drive, but a fumble by tailback Matt Jaskowiak was recovered by UW-W on their own 35.  Eight plays and 5:06 later Rusch was on the other end of a pass for the first time in his career, hitting Jason Ford (Palatine, IL/Fremd) from ten yards out to put UW-W up 28-0.  Whitewater moved to the EC 20, but three incomplete passes brought Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) into the game, where he connected on a 37 yard field goal to make it 31-0 with 0:51 left in the half. The Warhawk defense contributed a score of its own in the third quarter, with Matt McCulloch who picked off an Austin Neu pass at the 42 and ran it in to make it 38-0 Whitewater. The final score, to be repetitive, again resulted from a Kris Rosholt (Reedsburg/Reedsburg) punt that was caught at the seven, and another three and out series.  The Warhawk offense began its drive at the EC 41, and three Antwan Anderson (Madison/Madison Memorial) rushes completed the scoring for the day.  Whitewater's defense limited the Blugolds to six first downs, 68 yards rushing on 28 attempts, and 82 yards passing.

The Series
UW-Whitewater's record all-time vs. UW-Eau Claire: 39-22
The current streak: UW-Whitewater has won the last 9 games
When it started: 1923, UW-Whitewater defeated UW-Eau Claire 26-6
Most points scored by UW-W: 70 in 1958
Most points scored by UW-EC: 39 in 1953
Most points combined:  84 (50-34 Whitewater win in 1997)
Shutouts by UW-W: 10
Shutouts by UW-EC: 4
Longest win streak by UW-W: 9 (2003 through Present)
Longest win streak by UW-EC: 5 (1998 through 2002)
Fewest points combined: 7 (UW-EC defeated UW-W 7-0 in 1976)

Purple Streak
The Warhawks currently have the longest winning streak in college football, in any division. UW-Whitewater has won 38 consecutive games. The Warhawks have also built streaks of 17 in a row on the road, 21 in a row at Perkins Stadium, 19 consecutive non-conference games, 22 WIAC games, and 10 in a row in the NCAA III playoffs.  UW-W's 38 game streak moves Whitewater into 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).

In the Polls
UW-W is ranked first in both Division III polls, the American Football Coaches Association and D3football.com.  UW-Eau Claire 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 65-3, including 27-1 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-EC's Todd Glaser is in his sixth year as the Blugolds' head coach and has compiled a 28-24-0 record. Like Leipold, Glaser played for the team he is coaching.  Glaser received WIAC Coach of the Year and WFCA College Coach of the Year honors in 2007.

UW-Eau Claire Notes
Eau Claire is coming off a 31-21 loss at Platteville.  The Blugolds scored first, leading 14-0 in the first quarter as Austin Neu threw TD passes to Jesse Linsmeyer and Mike O'Connell.  Neu threw a third scoring pass, this time to Alex Plaster, just before halftime to send UW-EC into the locker room with a 21-14 lead.  Platteville, which gave up 221 yards passing in the first half, held UW-EC to 84 yards passing in the second half, and minus four yards rushing, in their comeback.  Pioneer QB Nick Anderson threw for four touchdowns.  Key plays for UW-P included a blocked punt and a pickoff off a Neu pass in the end zone.  The Blugold defense was led by Andy Neumann and Sean Graham, both with nine tackles.

The Blugolds rack up more yards passing than anyone else in the WIAC, tops at 242.8 yards per game.  EC is also second in first downs and third down conversions.  On the other side of the ball UW-EC is the number one team in quarterback sacks (17 in 5 games), is second in the league in pass defense (178.6), second in total defense (324.2), and tied for second with Whitewater in turnover margin (0.4).  The Blugolds are also second in time of possession (31:22).

Blugold QB Austin Neu leads the WIAC in passing yards (242.8/game) and running back Joel Sweeney is fifth in the league in rushing (60.0/game, 3.4/attempt).  Mike O'Connell is the league's number three receiver (30 receptions for 3 TD's) and David Goodman is eighth (20, 1).  O'Connell is also second in receiving yards per game at 64.6.  Sean Graham, the sophomore linebacker who had the big game at Platteville, is second in the league with 50 tackles, and junior defensive lineman Jimmy Hall leads the WIAC in sacks (0.90/game).

Eau Claire is 26th in the D3 statistics in passing efficiency, and second in the WIAC to UW-Whitewater.  Neu is 25th in D3, and second to Whitewater's Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) in the WIAC. 

UW-Whitewater Notes
Whitewater clinched a share of the WIAC title with a 31-16 win over UW-Stevens Point in Perkins Stadium last Saturday, the Warhawks record-setting seventh consecutive year.  UW-W scored the first three times it had the ball, Point was also productive and UW-W led 21-16 at the half.  The Whitewater defense held the Pointers scoreless in the second half on just 93 total yards of offense.  Warhawk senior running back Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) carried the ball 29 times for 245 yards, breaking the school and WIAC career rushing mark formerly held by UW-W's Justin Beaver.  Coppage, the only back in WIAC history to rush for 1,000 yards all four seasons, upped his career total to 6,776 yards, the third highest total in the NCAA III record books.  It was the sixth 200 yard game in his career.

In the WIAC stats, UW-W is number one in scoring offense (33.8), rushing offense (231.8), rushing defense (99.6), total offense (456.4), total defense (288.4), pass efficiency, first downs, third down conversions, fewest sacks allowed (which should be an interesting match with EC's sack leading defense), kickoff coverage, and time of possession.  Coppage is the leading rusher (151.4) and scorer (12.0/game), Ryan Wenkman (Wisconsin Dells/Wisconsin Dells) leads in interceptions (4), Blanchard is number one in pass efficiency and total offense, Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) is tied for the lead in receptions (6.4/game) and sits atop the list for receiving yards (107.4/game), and Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) leads the league in kick scoring and is tied for the lead in PAT percentage (100.0).  Defensive end Casey Casper (Dousman/Kettle Moraine) is tied for third in sacks (0.7/game), and linebacker Cole Klotz (Elm Grove /New Berlin Eisenhower) and Casper are 3-4 in tackles for a loss. 

In the NCAA III statistics the Warhawks are among the top twenty in total offense, rushing defense, total defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, passing efficiency, and sacks allowed.  Coppage is ninth in rushing and twelfth in scoring, Blanchard fifth in pass efficiency, and Kindler tied for fourth in field goals.

Follow the Leaders
UW-Whitewater
Passing: Matt Blanchard (Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) 127-189, .672, 221.13/game, 14 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Levell Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) 178-1147, 137.63/game, 6.19/att., 15 TD
Receiving: Tyler Huber (North Prairie/Mukwonago) 41-738, 92.25/game, 18/att., 7 TD
Field Goals: Eric Kindler (Germantown/Germantown) 12-15
Punting: Kris Rosholt (Reedsburg/Reedsburg) 35-1265, 36.14 avg.
Defense: Kyle Wismer (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton) 39 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 passes broken up
                  Ryan Cortez (Palatine, IL/Palatine) 37 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up
                  Casey Casper (Dousman/Kettle Moraine) 37 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up
UW-Eau Claire
Passing: Austin Neu 231-150, .649, 239.8/game, 13 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Joel Sweeney 129-494, 61.2/game, 3.8/att., 7 TD
Receiving: Mike O'Connell 35-360, 45/game, 10.3/att., 3 TD
Field Goals: Josh Albrecht 7-9
Punting: Scott Burzynski 27-996, 36.9 avg.
Defense: Sean Graham 67 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up, 1                                                  passes defended

By the Numbers
UW-Whitewater
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 291 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-Eau Claire
Offensive Line (5 players) Averages: 292 Pounds
Defensive Line (3 players) Averages: 285 Pounds
Offense, Class Breakdown: 5 seniors, 5 juniors, 1 sophomores
Defense, Class Breakdown: 4 seniors, 5 juniors, 2 sophomores

Special Note
UW-W has clinched at least a tie for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship -- a record seventh straight title for the Warhawks.  Whitewater had shared the mark with UW-La Crosse, which won six consecutive crowns 1949-54.  The seven conference championships in a row also ties the Warhawks' wrestling team, which won seven titles between 1974 and 1980, for the longest streak by any UW-Whitewater intercollegiate sport.

What's Coming Up
The Warhawks will host UW-La Crosse for their last Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game Saturday, November 12 at 1:00 pm in Perkins Stadium. 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
UW-Whitewater football web site: http://uwwsports.com/index.aspx?tab=football&path=football
WIAC football web site: http://wiacsports.com/index.aspx?tab=football&path=football
Kevin Meinholz, UW-Eau Claire sports information: (715) 836-4184 or meinhoka@uwec.edu
UW-Eau Claire football web site: http://blugolds.com/sports/fball/index
NCAA III football web site: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/football/d3