All WIAC Football Team

Hot off the presses out of the WIAC home page:

MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) announced today the Football All-Time Team that will be recognized in conjunction with the conference’s upcoming Centennial Celebration. All-Time Teams are being selected in those men’s and women’s sports that have been classified as “championship” sports at some point during the conference’s 100-year history. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year. 

Football All-Time Team
Name	School	Years Participated	Hometown (High School)*
Brent Allen	UW-Whitewater	2004-07	Mukwonago, Wis.
Bill Barwick	UW-Whitewater	1973-75	Beloit, Wis. (Memorial)
Kirk Baumgartner	UW-Stevens Point	1986-89	Colby, Wis.
Justin Beaver	UW-Whitewater	2004-07	Palmyra, Wis. (Palmyra-Eagle)
Tony Beckham	UW-Stout	1998-2001	Ocala, Fla. (Forest)
Wil Beech	UW-Eau Claire	1984-87	Milwaukee, Wis. (Pius)
Willie Berzinski	UW-La Crosse	1952-55	Arcadia, Wis.
Chuck Braun	UW-Stevens Point	1978-81	Athens, Wis.
Joe Bullis	UW-Stout	1975-76, 78-79	Lake Geneva, Wis. (Badger)
Jim Byrne	UW-La Crosse	1980-83	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Luke Bundgaard	UW-Stout	2000-03	Weyerhaeuser, Wis. (Bruce)
Chris Charnish	UW-Platteville	1967-70	Milwaukee, Wis. (Pius)
Levell Coppage	UW-Whitewater	2008-11	Oak Park, Ill.
Greg Corning	UW-River Falls	1984-87	McFarland, Wis.
Al Equi	UW-Whitewater	1966-67	Glenbard, Ill. (East)
Reed Giordana	UW-Stevens Point	1974-77	Kaukauna, Wis.
Eric Halverson	UW-La Crosse	1993-96	Tomahawk, Wis.
Mike Hintz	UW-Platteville	1984-87	Waukesha, Wis. (South)
Justin Jacobs	UW-Whitewater	2002-05	Sun Prairie, Wis.
Jared Jenkins	UW-Stevens Point	2007-10	Milwaukee, Wis. (Rufus King)
Spencer Johnson	UW-Whitewater	1992-94	Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Ryan Kleppe	UW-Whitewater	2003-06	Mount Horeb, Wis.
Ben Knepper	UW-Stout	2000-03	Rice Lake, Wis.
Scott Krause	UW-Stevens Point	2000-03	Waunakee, Wis.
Clint Kriewaldt	UW-Stevens Point	1995-98	Shiocton, Wis.
Craig Kusick	UW-La Crosse	1993-95	Apple Valley, Minn. (Eagan)
Derrick LeVake	UW-Whitewater	1995-97	West Allis, Wis. (Central)
Mike March	UW-Eau Claire	1979-82	Antigo, Wis.
Mike Maslowski	UW-La Crosse	1993-96	Thorp, Wis.
Mike Miller	UW-Whitewater	1982-84	Madison, Wis. (Memorial)
Andy Moriarty	UW-Oshkosh	2003-07	Mequon, Wis. (Homestead)
Tom Newberry	UW-La Crosse	1982-85	Onalaska, Wis.
Ted Pretasky	UW-La Crosse	1985-88	Holmen, Wis.
A.J. Raebel	UW-Whitewater	2003-06	Cary Grove, Ill.
Claire Rasmussen	UW-Oshkosh	1966-69	Green Lake, Wis.
Jace Rindahl	UW-Whitewater	2005-08	Cambridge, Wis.
Barry Rose	UW-Stevens Point	1988-91	Baldwin, Wis. (Baldwin-Woodville)
Aaron Rusch	UW-Whitewater	2008-10	Hartford, Wis.
Max Sakellaris	UW-Whitewater	2003-06	Oak Park, Ill.
Jeff Schebler	UW-Whitewater	2006-09	Davenport, Iowa (Assumption)
Bill Schroeder	UW-La Crosse	1993	Sheboygan, Wis. (South)
Randy Simpson	UW-Stevens Point	1991-94	Phillips, Wis.
Gerard Sonsalla	UW-River Falls	1978-81	Arcadia, Wis.
Darrell Souhrada	UW-Eau Claire	1998-2001	Riceville, Iowa
John Stanek	UW-La Crosse	1972-75	La Crosse, Wis. (Aquinas)
Derek Stanley	UW-Whitewater	2003-06	Verona, Wis.
Doug Sutherland	UW-Superior	1966-69	Superior, Wis. (Central)
Jim Van Gorden	UW-Eau Claire	1961-64	Eau Claire, Wis. (Memorial)
Roger Vann	UW-Eau Claire	1978-81	South Bend, Ind. (La Salle)
Jim Walters	UW-Whitewater	1969-73	Pottsville, Pa.
Matt Weber	UW-Whitewater	2008-10	Oregon, Wis.
Lee Weigel	UW-Eau Claire	1982-85	Marshfield, Wis.
Joel Williams	UW-La Crosse	1976-78	Miami, Fla. (North)
Football All-Time Coach:  Roger Harring (UW-La Crosse) (1969-99)
*Indicates hometown and high school while attending school

WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner remarked that this has been an extremely difficult process given the 100-year span and incomparable success the conference has experienced in most of its sports. Karner noted that in some sports, even achieving All-American status didn’t necessarily guarantee an athlete a spot on the team. He also acknowledged that while disagreement is inherent and expected whenever there is a selection of an all-time anything (be it a team, restaurant or movie), the conference nonetheless felt it important to recognize student-athletes and coaches who have contributed to the success of the most accomplished Division III conference in NCAA history.
The student-athlete representation on each team has relied heavily on input provided by the sports information director from each of the nine WIAC campuses, while the process for selecting the head coach(es) for each team also includes input from a panel of media representatives. The number of individuals selected per team varies depending upon the nature of the sport itself as well as the number of years the sport has/had been sponsored within the conference.
The conference has also elected to establish a special “legacy” category to recognize those student-athletes and coaches who had extremely accomplished careers but competed during an era(s) when the compilation of statistical data was spotty at best and/or the style of play at that time does not translate for comparative purposes to the stats prevalent in the modern era. The WIAC “Legacy Team” will also be named at a later date.
All-Time Team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet to be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on August 4, 2012.

Stagg Bowl XXXIX - Mount Union Purple Raiders

If you listened carefully you could have almost heard the collective annoyed "sighs" of DIII fans, while simultaneously rolling their eyes when discovering who emerged from the semifinals to meet in Stagg Bowl - for the seventh straight season. The fact is, I can't blame the fans who desire new blood in the Stagg Bowl. It's easy to offer up suggestions like "Why can't those two programs just move up to DII already?" Or "Why do the Purple Raiders always get to play home games during the playoffs." It has also been suggested to put both teams on the same side of the bracket to guarantee a different outcome. If a tournament is designed to have the two best programs face each other at the end of the season...then it succeeded. I think we all can agree on that. I say rather than trying to change the end result through legislation, fix it by proving to the DIII world that these two programs are beatable. Both UMU's and UWW's time will come to an end (sooner or later). Just like it eventually did for Wittenburg, Ithaca, Augustana, Rowan, La Crosse and (most recently) St. John's. The law of averages will eventually prevail, however it appears it takes a little longer for some.

The Purple Raiders entered the playoffs winning the Ohio Athletic Conference and received the Pool A automatic bid. Like Whitewater, Mount Union got to the Stagg Bowl with an undefeated 14-0 record, and is currently ranked No. 2 in the D3football.com poll. As far as common opponents go, both programs faced Oshkosh earlier in the season. The Raiders won convincingly at home against the Titans 41-17, while the Whitewater narrowly escaped at Oshkosh 20-17. So does that mean Mount Union is 21 points better than Whitewater? Lets just say I don't think any self-respected Mount Union fan will spot a Whitewater fan 21 points if a bet was placed. The Purple Raiders will be going for its 11th Stagg Bowl title since winning its first in 1993. This 18-year stretch for the Purple Raiders has been the best sports dynasty we've witnessed this side of the Harlem Globetrotters.



Mount Union Running Back Jeremy Murray

This year, compared to previous seasons, Mount doesn't have its typical prolific offense that makes defensive coordinators cry at night. That's probably because this is the first time since 2004 that the Raiders don't have a NFL caliber wide receiver running circles around defenses. Don't get me wrong, their offense still manages to put up nearly 39 points per game. I'm just saying Mount's offense in previous seasons has been like a 12 (on a scale of 10), and now they're just a nine (out of 10). Most schools could only dream of being a nine. Like last season quarterback Neal Seaman led this offense through the better part of the season. Only to get banged up, and turn the signal-calling duties over to Matt Piloto. This year Seaman and Piloto shared duties during the regular season, only to have Piloto emerge as the primary QB when Seaman went down. The junior, Piloto, has thrown for 2068 yards thus far and has tossed 20 touchdowns (with seven ints). What makes this offense tick is the legs of Jeremy Murray. The junior rushed for 1671 yards along with scoring 22 total touchdowns this year. Murray was named First-Team All OAC as he led the conference in rushing. Despite missing some time earlier in the playoffs with an injury, Murray has looked great in the semi and quarterfinals. He rushed for 152 yards against Wabash, then put up 120 on Wesley last weekend. Thanks to ESPN3 I was able to watch Murray against Wesley. He is very quick and bounced off would-be tacklers throughout the game. One last skill position player worth mentioning is preseason All-American Jasper Collins. The wide receiver missed four-plus games (if you include the Capital game) during the regular season, but came back in time for the second round of the playoffs. Collins absolutely tore apart Wesley catching nine balls for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He did a great job of finding the holes in Wesley's secondary throughout the game last weekend. On the season, this First-Team All-Conference wideout has 776 receiving yards on 58 receptions for 13 touchdowns with only playing in ten games this year.



Purple Raiders' Defensive Back Nick Driskill

With all but three defensive starters listed on the All-OAC list this year (1st team, 2nd team or honorable mention), it's no secret that the Purple Raiders have an outstanding defense. When it comes to defensive backs, it's hard to find someone with the same abilities as Mount Union's Nick Driskill. However, the Warhawks did have to go up against La Crosse's Derek Dreher (twice) who, like Driskill, was named to the 2011 AFCA Coaches All-American team as a DB. Driskill was also awarded the Lee J. Tressel Award, which is given to the OAC's most outstanding defensive back. On the season the junior accumulated a team high 105 tackles, along with four interceptions, nine pass breakups, 6.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Driskill is extremely skilled at attacking and swarming to the ball. It'll be a huge challenge for Whitewater to keep him off the ball carrier. The Raiders' defensive line is led by First-Team All-OAC defensive lineman Charles Dieuseul. The junior leads the team with 9.5 sacks on the season, and is the second leading tackler with 74. Mount Union plays the unique 4-2-5 base defense to perfection. Not too many programs stick with only two linebackers in its formation. But when you are athletic and fast like the Purple Raiders, you can more than make this defensive style affective. The entire team has very good sideline-to-sideline speed, preventing running backs from turning the corner and taking the ball up field. As usual it's going to be a great matchup to see the speed and athleticism of the Mount Union defense go up against the speed and athleticism of Levell Coppage.


2011 Statistics (National Rank)

Mount Union Rushing Offense: 238.93 ypg (21)
Whitewater Rushing Defense: 90.57 ypg (12)

Mount Union Passing Offense: 212.64 ypg (86)
Whitewater Passing Defense: 163.07 ypg (50)

Mount Union Total Offense: 451.57 ypg (20)
Whitewater Total Defense: 253.64 ypg (14)

Mount Union Rushing Defense: 72.29 ypg (3)
Whitewater Rushing Offense: 229.00 ypg (25)

Mount Union Passing Defense: 130.50 ypg (7)
Whitewater Passing Offense: 206.57 ypg (96)

Mount Union Total Defense: 202.79 ypg (2)
Whitewater Total Offense: 435.57 ypg (28)

Whitewater's Stagg Bowl Games
2005 - Mount Union over UWW, 35-28
2006 - Mount Union over UWW, 35-16
2007 - UWW over Mount Union 31-21
2008 - Mount Union over UWW, 31-26
2009 - UWW over Mount Union, 38-28
2010 - UWW over Mount Union, 31-21

Looks like most of the DIII fan base expects Whitewater to take home its fourth Stagg Bowl title. But I'm not ready to rule out Mount Union quite yet. I remember back in 2007 when Whitewater was heavy underdogs against an extremely talented Mount team, and the Warhawks managed to pull one out for its first Stagg Bowl title. Over the past few seasons it seems Whitewater builds off of beating strong-playoff competition to get themselves the Bronze and Walnut, while Mount Union gets the easy road to Salem. However, this year, it seems the roles are reversed. Mount Union actually had the tougher road to the Stagg Bowl, while Whitewater was barely tested (outside of maybe St. Thomas) in the playoffs. We'll see if the tougher road pays dividends for the Purple Raiders as it did for Whitewater in the past. I think UWW is playing its best football of the year right now all while staying healthy. Mount, on the other hand, is a tad dinged up at some key positions, but is playing very well through them. I have to believe the Warhawks will win this game. The outcome will be something close to the final score of the 2007 and 2010 Stagg Bowl game - probably even closer. This one is for bragging rights, the pivotal game seven is on its way!

Fourth-Round Matchup - St. Thomas Tommies

When looking at the brackets, when they were released not quite a month ago, it was hard not to imagine these two teams meeting in the semi-finals. St. Thomas will be the first undefeated team Whitewater will face this post season. With a 13-0 record the Tommies won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and were awarded an automatic Pool A playoff bid. For comparison purposes, it's nice to see that Whitewater and St. Thomas share a common opponent this year. However, both teams manage to win that game convincingly. St. Thomas beat River Falls 45-22, while Whitewater beat them 42-10. Both games were at played at River Falls. So what does that boil down to? Absolutely nothing. In fact, very little was revealed when looking at each team's River Falls game on who might have an edge. At first glance these two teams are almost mirror images of each other. Both are very strong upfront on both sides of the ball, both have athletic/mobile quarterbacks and both teams are extremely balanced in all aspects of the game.



St. Thomas Wide Receiver Fritz Waldvogel



The 2011 Gagliardi Trophy finalist, Fritz Waldvogel, is the Tommies' standout player on offense. The 5'9" senior wide receiver raked in just about every possible award he could in his four years. Besides being a Gagliardi finalist, he's also been awarded All-MIAC, MIAC MVP, All-Region and All-American (soon to be). He's been one of the better wide receivers in Division III this season - this side of Michael Zweifel. Waldvogel has 72 receptions on the year, totaling 1193 yards along with 17 total touchdowns. What he lacks in height, he more than makes up for in skill and speed. Waldvogel is extremely explosive and dangerous when he gets his hands on the ball, as demonstrated when he also takes the field as the team's kick and punt returner. Equally as talented, but at a less glamorous position is Tommies' offensive lineman Dan Chapman. Chapman was awarded with the Mike Stam Award, which is given to the MIAC's top lineman. Along side Chapman, two other lineman were named to the all conference team (Curtis James - 1st Team, and Chad Vandergriff - 2nd Team). UST's massive offensive line did take a blow last week when starter Jason Flesher was carted off the field in the win over St. John Fisher. It's unclear if he'll be able to go this week, but we wish him the best. I can spend all day talking about their offense, but I wanted to quickly mention two other very talent athletes at the skills position. Quarterback Dakota Tracy (1st Team All-MIAC) is a very capable signal caller and is proficient both in and out of the pocket. Look for him to keep the Whitewater linebackers busy this weekend. The 5'10" senior has thrown for 2213 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions so far this year. He is also the team's second leading rusher with 437 yards on the season. There's also running back Colin Tobin, who leads the conference in rushing. The senior - also 1st Team All-MIAC - averages better than 121 yards per game and has 22 rushing touchdowns on the season. The three-headed monster of Tracy, Tobin and Waldvogel have been doing some serious damage to defenses all year long. It's going to take a very strong game from the Warhawk's defense to slow down this team that's been averaging over 40 points per game.



Tommie Linebacker Tony Danna

 It might be hard to believe, but as good as the offense has been this year, St. Thomas' defense has been arguably better. The Tommies rank third in the country, giving up a measly 9.38 points per game. UST's defense consists of three All-Region players (LB Tony Danna -1st team, DT Danny Kane -2nd team and CB Chinni Oji - 3rd team), along with four others that made the all-conference team. Needless to say they had a good season considering over 63 percent of its starting defense received all-conference accolades (either first or second team). Danna is the anchor of the Tommie defense with 17 tackles for loss, four sacks and five pass breakups this year. The senior leads the team with 58 tackles (45 solo), and I have a funny suspicion he would have a lot more if he played all four quarters each game. UST's front seven have been setting up shop in the opponents' backfield quite often this year. The Tommies rank sixth in the country averaging over 3.5 sacks per game. This is a defense that accumulated three shutouts this season. During a particular seven-game stretch (10/1 - 11/19) the Tommies allowed just 29 total points. That's barely over four points per game during that time frame. Whitewater's offense has been known to wear defenses down throughout the duration of a game. After an abundance of pounding away at an opponent, eventually the defense will break. That's where UWW breaks off big plays to put the game away. With that being said they will have their work cut out for them this weekend if they want to wear down this Tommie defense.

2011 Statistics (National Rank)

St. Thomas Rushing Offense: 235.62 ypg (22)
Whitewater Rushing Defense: 86.0 ypg (11)

St. Thomas Passing Offense: 206.31 ypg (97)
Whitewater Passing Defense: 170.69 ypg (64)

St. Thomas Total Offense: 441.92 ypg (28)
Whitewater Total Defense: 256.69 ypg (14)

St. Thomas Rushing Defense: 47.85 ypg (1)
Whitewater Rushing Offense: 233.31 ypg (24)

St. Thomas Passing Defense: 158.23 ypg (37)
Whitewater Passing Offense: 208.69 ypg (91)

St. Thomas Total Defense: 206.08 ypg (3)
Whitewater Total Offense: 442.0 ypg (26)

Whitewater's Fourth-Round Games (Since 2005)
2005 - UWW over Wesley, 58-6
2006 - UWW over Wesley, 44-7
2007 - UWW over Mary Harden-Baylor 16-7
2008 - UWW over Mary Harden-Baylor, 39-13
2009 - UWW over Linfield, 27-17
2010 - UWW over Wesley, 27-7

There's one more interesting stat I wanted to post before I wrapped this up. I always thought there would be a game where Whitewater's ample amount of penalties taken might actually cost them a victory. I thought this weekend might be that day considering all the fire power St. Thomas has to take advantage of a penalty-happy team. What I found astonished me when looking at each of the four remaining teams in the playoffs and the amount of penalties committed. It's rare to say that Whitewater has an advantage over other teams when talking about penalties committed. I figured this would be one glaring weakness for the Warhawks, but as the numbers suggest it's practically a rare advantage:

Fewest Penalties Per Game (out of 239 D3 programs)
UWW: 6.38 (143rd in D3), 58.62 yards per game
Mount Union: 7.08 (180th), 56.15 yards per game
UST: 7.54 (198th), 71.23 yards per game
Wesley: 9.08 (231st), 85.08 yards per game

I believe this game will have a similar outcome to Whitewater's 2007 semi-final game against Mary Harden-Baylor. This will be a low-scoring defensive battle, where one big play on offense could determine who goes to Salem. In a low scoring game, field position and special teams could very well determine the outcome. If that's the case, that'll play right into the hands of St. Thomas considering they have an all-region punter (Garrett Maloney), an all-region kicker (Tim Albright) and all-region kick returner (Waldvogel). Unlike previous years, I don't think there is a clear-cut favorite on who's going to make it to the Stagg Bowl this year. That goes both semi-final games, even with Whitewater and Mount Union in the field of four. The next two games on Saturday should be a thing of beauty for DIII fans everywhere. Except if you're a fan of the two losing teams.....

Stevens Point's John Miech Steps Down

(from the Stevens Point athletics website)

John Miech steps down as head football coach
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Athletic Department announced today that John Miech, winningest coach in Pointer football history, has decided to step down as head coach to pursue other football opportunities.

Defensive coordinator Tom Journell will take over head coaching duties, effective immediately. Student-athletes along with the coaching staff were informed of Miech's decision at a team meeting held earlier today.

“Coach Miech has been an asset, not only to the Pointer football team, but to the entire University,” said Director of Athletics Daron Montgomery. “His impact on this program is one that should not be measured by all the winning seasons on the field, but more for the difference John made in the lives of young people. Everyone who knows Coach Miech knows that making a difference is what John tried to do in every aspect of his job.”

Miech, who spent 24 seasons at the helm of the UW-Stevens Point football program and 30 years overall on the sidelines at Point, will remain on staff as a lecturer in the School of Physical Education and Athletic Training through the end of the academic year.

“To all players past and present, thank you for coming to UWSP,” said Miech. “It has been an honor to coach you. To all the assistant coaches whom I have had the privilege to work with, your dedication and work ethic has made UWSP one of the top teams in the best conference in the country.”

Miech's association with Pointer football began in 1972 when he first joined the program as an offensive lineman, providing protection for the nation's top passing offense in both 1973 and 1974.  He received his B.S. degree in Business and Economics in 1975 and shortly thereafter moved on to coach at Stephen F. Austin State University (Texas) as a graduate assistant, where he would go on to earn a master's degree in Health and Physical Education.

Miech returned to Wisconsin in 1979 and served as the head coach at Whitnall High School and then Jefferson High School for three seasons each before returning to UW-Stevens Point in 1985 as defensive coordinator. In three seasons, his defenses allowed an average of just over 275 yards per game and four yards per play, statistics that led the conference.

He assumed the role of head coach of the Pointers in 1988 and over 24 seasons amassed a 156-83-2 record, ranking fourth on the all-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins list. His 156 career wins is the most all-time in school history. Miech was just two wins away from tying Whitewater's Bob Berezowitz for third all time in the WIAC. In the history of the WIAC only five coaches have coached in more seasons that Miech has.
 
Miech posted 21 seasons with a .500 or better record during his 24 years. He won four WIAC championships and earned Coach of the Year accolades three times (1998, 2001, 2008).

Along the way, he developed more than 60 players who went on to play professionally, including a dozen who saw action in the NFL, CFL, AFL and European leagues. Most notable among them was Clint Kriewaldt, who was drafted in the sixth round by the Detroit Lions in 1999 and played in the 2006 Super Bowl as a member of the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Others include Barry Rose, who had stints with both the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos; Kirk Baumgartner, a draft choice of the Green Bay Packers; and Pete Lucas, a draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons. Most recently, Jared Jenkins (Milwaukee/Rufus King), a member of the 2010 UW-Stevens Point squad, was a free agent member of the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams organizations.

“I would like to thank Don Amiot and Frank O'Brien, former athletic directors, for being great mentors, win or lose,” said Miech. “I also want to thank my wife Sheila, who has always been there to help me keep life and football in perspective. Lastly, a huge thank you to my two sons, Ryan and Jessie, who have sacrificed the most for our success at UWSP by sharing their father with the thousands of student-athletes who called their father 'Coach'.”


THE MIECH FILE
*22 NCAA All-Americans
*10 players that have gone on to play in the NFL
*124 First Team All-WIAC honorees
*Six WIAC Players of the Year
*Three NCAA Playoff appearances (1999, 2001, 2008)
*2005 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee
 Year     Overall        WIAC2011         4-6              2-5
2010         7-3              5-2
2009         7-3              6-1
2008         9-2              6-1
2007         6-4              3-4
2006         6-4              4-3
2005         4-6              3-4
2004         6-4              4-3
2003         8-2              5-2
2002         6-4              4-3
2001         8-3              5-2
2000         2-8              1-6
1999         9-2              6-1
1998         7-2              5-2
1997         6-4              3-4
1996         6-3              4-3
1995         8-2              5-2
1994         7-3              5-2
1993         8-2              6-1
1992         5-4              4-3
1991       6-3-1             6-2
1990         6-4              4-4
1989       8-2-1           6-1-1
1988         7-4              5-3
24 yrs  156-83-2     107-64-1

Third-Round Matchup - Salisbury University

With the NCAA's realignment of this year's playoff bracket, the Warhawks will be facing a rare east region program in the quarterfinals. Salisbury University Sea Gulls bring an 11-1 record into Whitewater, as they finished the regular season ranked 10th in the country (D3football.com). Which is the fourth highest ranking among one-loss teams. Their lone loss this year came back in week nine, when they fell on the road to Wesley, 14-23. The Sea Gulls entered the playoffs by receiving an automatic Pool A bid after running the table and winning the Empire 8 conference with a 7-0 record. This was Salisbury's inaugural season as an E8 conference member. In 2010, they were a part of the Atlantic Central Football Conference before the ACFC inevitably shut down at the end of last year (lack of participants). When they closed up shop the ACFC only had four members, which didn't meet the NCAA minimum to be awarded an automatic bid. If the ACFC still remained, and Salisbury was still a member, there would be no guarantee that the Sea Gulls would have even made the field of 32 this season. Wesley would have still received the one Pool B bid, while the Sea Gulls could do nothing but sit and pray for a Pool C at-large bid. Needless to say, the move to the E8 was in Salisbury's best interest.



Salisbury Junior QB Dan Griffin



For the third time in three playoff games this year, Whitewater will be facing a player who was a conference offensive player of the year. This time around it will be the E8's Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Dan Griffin. The junior is the cornerstone of the team's very dangerous triple-option offense. Griffin accounted for 27 touchdowns (13 passing, 14 rushing) and became the school's first 1,000-yard passer since 1998. During the regular season Griffin had a 239.77 pass efficiency rating without throwing a single interception. He also rushed for 623 yards on the year. Salisbury doesn't pass very often, in fact Griffin has only attempted 82 passes on the year (including the playoffs). That's under seven attempts per game. However, throwing the ball down field isn't what the Sea Gulls are all about. Salisbury utilizes the triple option better than just about anyone in the country, averaging over 362 yards per game. Its leading rusher is First Team All-Conference running back Randal Smedley who averages 91 ypg. Including Griffin, the Sea Gulls have three players with over 800 rushing yards on the season - all averaging over five yards per carry. After a few offensive option-running possessions, it's very easy for defenses to creep up and begin to over commit to stop the run. Once that happens, a simple play-action pass will catch defenses out of position as they become very vulnerable for a pass over the top. Including the playoffs, Griffin has only 46 completions, as 15 of those were for TDs - which is a pretty remarkable ratio. The Sea Gulls' offensive line consists of three all-conference lineman, including 6'8" 320lb left guard Alex Smith who fans will probably be able to spot from the perking lot. This is an offense that the Warhawks haven't seen in quite some time. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the abundance of miss-directions, fake hand offs, and play actions this weekend.



Sea Gulls Sophomore DB Andre Carter



With an offensive style that Salisbury brings to each game, it's easy to incorrectly over look the Sea Gulls' defense. Its 3-4 defensive scheme is centered around First Team All-Conference linebacker Jamey McClendon. The senior leads the E8 with 6.5 sacks this season, and is second on the team with 87 total tackles. The secondary is led by another First Team All-E8 player in Chris Everett. The junior defensive back leads the team with 95 total tackles and eight pass breakups. Another player that Warhawk quarterback Matt Blanchard will have to account for at all times is defensive back Andre Carter. The First Team All-Conference sophomore leads the Empire 8 with seven interceptions this year. This is a very strong defense, as six of the 11 defensive starters made either the first or second all-conference team. The Sea Gulls have been extremely stout against the run, giving up just over three yards per carry. I'm sure Salisbury's front seven will be watching plenty of film on Levell Coppage this week. If the Sea Gulls can keep Coppage in check and prevent the offense from picking up first downs, they will give themselves a great opportunity to advance to the semifinals.  

One interesting stat that stands out to me is Salisbury's special teams, specifically its field goal unit. They are 3 for 7 on the year in field goals, with a long of only 30 yards and are 0-3 beyond 30 yards. I suppose if you average more than 40 points per game, and over seven yards per play, who needs a field goal unit....right? If the Sea Gulls find themselves in a 4th down situation, with the ball between Whitewater's 20-35 yard line, I would look for Salisbury to go for it just about every time. Especially with this game being played in late November in the state of Wisconsin - not exactly field-goal friendly weather. An early look at the forecast indicates a high in the mid 30s with a 30 percent chance of a rain/snow mixture in Whitewater, WI. It wouldn't be playoff time in Whitewater without some extreme weather conditions. I am right?!

2011 Statistics (National Rank)

Salisbury Rushing Offense: 364.8 ypg (2)
Whitewater Rushing Defense: 72.8 ypg (4)

Salisbury Passing Offense: 101.2 ypg (226)
Whitewater Passing Defense: 180.8 ypg (86)

Salisbury Total Offense: 466.0 ypg (12)
Whitewater Total Defense: 253.7 ypg (14)

Salisbury Rushing Defense: 135.4 ypg (75)
Whitewater Rushing Offense: 230.0 ypg (25)

Salisbury Passing Defense: 169.3 ypg (57)
Whitewater Passing Offense: 214.9 ypg (85)

Salisbury Total Defense: 304.7 ypg (45)
Whitewater Total Offense: 444.9 ypg (24)

Whitewater's Third-Round Games (Since 2005)
2005 - UWW over Linfield, 44-41
2006 - UWW over St. John's, 17-14
2007 - UWW over Wabash, 47-7
2008 - UWW over Wartburg, 34-17
2009 - UWW over Wittenberg, 31-13
2010 - UWW over North Central, 20-10

What interests me the most is Salisbury's number two nationally-ranked rushing offense going up against Whitewater's number four ranked rushing defense - needless to say something must give this Saturday. For the hell of it I took a closer look at Salisbury's October loss against Wesley. Similar to Whitewater, Wesley has the sixth ranked rushing defense, and gave up 14 points and only 226 rushing yards to the Sea Gulls that Saturday afternoon. That's 140 fewer yards than Salisbury's season average. On paper, it's easy to say Whitewater is more than capable of replicating that defensive effort. Then again, many didn't give Wabash a chance against North Central last week (including myself), and the Little Giants proved many wrong. That's why we play the game, you never know what's going to happen. If I had to guess, I think this quarter-final game will have a similar outcome to the Wartburg game in 2008...in Whitewater's favor.

Second Round Matchup - Franklin College

Looking back over the past 12 months there isn't a team that's more familiar with Whitewater than the Franklin College Grizzlies. This will be the third time the Warhawks have faced Franklin in the past 17 games. The first of the three meetings was in the first round of the 2010 playoffs, when Whitewater won 52-21 in Whitewater. Then in the Warhawks' second game of this season UWW won, at Franklin, 45-0. However, after the huge defeat earlier this year the Grizzlies have went on to win nine straight, including last week's first-round playoff win over Thomas More, 24-21. Franklin finished the regular season with a 10-1 record, and was a perfect 8-0 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. By winning the HCAC, Franklin was awarded the automatic Pool A playoff bid to get into the postseason. During this nine-game win streak Franklin has been on a tear, outscoring its opponents by an average of 26 points. A lot of people will just say, "Yea, but look who its competition is (or lack there of)...especially playing in the HCAC." Which is true, but good teams are suppose to destroy lesser opponents, which is exactly what the Grizzlies have been doing.




Franklin's sophomore QB Johnny West



Like usual, the Grizzlies' offensive is led by its quarterback. After Franklin's All-American QBs Chad Rupp and Kyle Ray, Johnny West seems to be filling in perfectly as the "next great Franklin quarterback." At only a sophomore, West was selected as the 2011 HCAC Offensive MVP for throwing for 3,144 yards and 30 touchdowns during the regular season. West had a 152.3 passing efficiency rating along with a HCAC-best 314.4 passing yards per game (6th best in Division III) in the regular season. One area of concern for the Grizzlies' QB has been his 14 interceptions this year. Only five quarterbacks in the country have thrown more INTs than West. I guess that comes with the territory when you attempt the fifth most passes in DIII (421 total attempts). West has a pair of First-Team All HCAC receivers in his arsenal that he's been using to burn teams down field with. Kyle Linville has been averaging over 100 receiving yards per game along with 11 touchdowns during the regular. The junior lead the HCAC in both categories. West's second option has been Logan Worley, averaging over 63 ypg and was second in the HCAC with 10 touchdowns. Considering how frequent Franklin drops back to pass this year, the offensive line has been doing a fairly descent job protecting its QB. The Grizzlies rank 49th in the country in Sacks Allowed with 1.18 per game. The line has been led by Nick Shultz and Colin Gallagher, both First Team All-HCAC. Being a predominate passing team, senior running back Reece Craig is only getting about 12 rushes per game, and has 694 yards in the regular season. I would believe Craig's running lanes are opened up with the constant threat of Franklin's aerial attack this year.



Grizzlies' senior defensive lineman David O'Rourke (43)



Franklin's 3-4 defensive scheme is centered around this season's HCAC Defensive MVP, David O'Rourke. The senior 6'2" 240lb defensive lineman led his conference with nine sacks, and finished fourth in the HCAC with 11 tackles for loss. As a team, Franklin is ranked fifth in the conference in total defense (359.3 ypg) and second in scoring defense (22.3 ppg). Along with O'Rourke, there are six other Grizzlies that made All-HCAC including Wes Kaminski (DL), Zach Ruark (DB), Zack Corpe (DB), Jordan Segner (LB), Scott Moore (LB) and Tyler Huls (DB). Both Ruark and Huls lead the team with three interceptions a piece. The 6'0" 205lb sophomore Moore leads the team with 86 total tackles (60 solo) and seven pass break-ups. Along with O'Rourke, Moore has spent a good deal of time in the opponents' backfield this year with 10 tackles for loss. Despite the inundation of individual awards on defense, I was surprised by the Grizzlies' fifth-ranked defense (out of nine) in its conference. However, that might have something to do with Franklin playing Whitewater earlier in the season where they gave up 473 yards. But still, I expected better defensive numbers from Franklin.



One thing that impressed me about the Grizzlies' fans is that they don't mess around when it comes to tailgating. You know you're serious about pregame parking lot festivities when you have your own T-shirts. I remember last season in the 2010 playoffs when the Grizzlies came to Whitewater. There were one or two huge custom-made grills that had to have been towed all the way from Franklin, IN. That's over 300 miles with grill attached to you trailer hitch!!!! Until that day I thought I had a sweet gas grill that folds up and stows nicely in my trunk. That was until I saw this beastly thing from Franklin that looks like it cooked those ribs that Fred Flintstone ordered at the Bedrock Drive-In. One of those grills was painted blue with a sweet Franklin symbol on the side of it. After gawking at this thing for what seemed like an hour, I sheepishly looked down at my grill which, in comparison, now looked like I was cooking my burgers in glofied pizza oven.

2011 Statistics (National Rank)

Franklin Rushing Offense: 157.0 ypg (102)
Whitewater Rushing Defense: 79.9 ypg (9)

Franklin Passing Offense: 314.3 ypg (7)
Whitewater Passing Defense: 178.3 ypg (81)

Franklin Total Offense: 471.3 ypg (11)
Whitewater Total Defense: 258.2 ypg (15)

Franklin Rushing Defense: 142.2 ypg (97)
Whitewater Rushing Offense: 231.7 ypg (23)

Franklin Passing Defense: 206.7 ypg (157)
Whitewater Passing Offense: 221.4 ypg (76)

Franklin Total Defense: 349.0 ypg (123)
Whitewater Total Offense: 453.4 ypg (21)

Whitewater's Second-Round Games (Since 2005)
2005 - UWW over St. John's, 34-7
2006 - UWW over La Crosse, 24-21
2007 - UWW over North Central, 59-28
2008 - UWW over Willamette, 30-27
2009 - UWW over Illinois Wesleyan, 45-7
2010 - UWW over Trine, 45-31

If the Warhawks can keep this high-powered Franklin offense in check - like they did earlier in the season - Whitewater should find themselves moving on to the next round. Considering how mediocre the Grizzlies' defense has been this year, I don't see how they are going to slow down Levell Coppage and Matt Blanchard on Saturday. Pound the rock, eat up the clock, keep West off the field, then onto the third round the Warhawks go. I believe this game should play out similar to the 2007 second-round game against NCC.

2011 All WIAC Team

Player of the Year: Levell Coppage of Whitewater
George Chryst Coach of the Year: Lance Leipold of Whitewater
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Greg Klingelhutz of River Falls
First Team Offense
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Weight, Hometown (High School)
Jake Wiederholt, Platteville, Senior, Tight End, 6-6, 266, Fennimore, Wis.
Matt Blanchard, Whitewater, Senior, Quarterback, 6-3, 225, Lake Zurich, Ill.
Levell Coppage, Whitewater, Senior, Running Back, 5-9, 190, Oak Park, Ill.
Taylor Edwards, River Falls, Senior, Running Back, 6-1, 208, Janesville, Wis. (Parker)
Ben Hertrampf, La Crosse, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-11, 210, Fennimore, Wis.
Garrie Fox, Oshkosh, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 185, Madison, Wis. (Edgewood)
Tyler Huber, Whitewater, Junior, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 195, Mukwonago, Wis. (North Prairie)
Joel Yogerst, River Falls, Senior, All-Purpose, 5-11, 223, Richfield, Wis. (Slinger)
Logan Allemand, Whitewater, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 311, Kenosha, Wis. (Tremper)
Tyler Butzler, Stout, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 310, Tomah, Wis.
Grant Malmquist, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-6, 295, Middleton, Wis.
John Nicholas, Oshkosh, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 285, Oneida, Wis. (Seymour)
Matt Withrow, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-4, 281, Platteville, Wis.
Eric Allen, Oshkosh, Senior, Center, 5-10, 285, Markesan, Wis.
Christian Hallingstad, La Crosse, Junior, Punter, 5-10, 170, Cumberland, Wis. (Rice Lake)
Eric Kindler, Whitewater, Sophomore, Kicker, 6-0, 179, Germantown, Wis.
Greg Klingelhutz, River Falls, Senior, Return Specialist, 5-9, 188, Chanhassen, Minn. (Holy Family)

Second Team Offense
Austin Goetsch, Eau Claire, Junior, Tight End, 6-1, 227, Waunakee, Wis.
Nate Wara, Oshkosh, Junior, Quarterback, 6-2, 205, Oshkosh, Wis. (North)
Eric Brown, Stout, Junior, Running Back, 5-10, 195, St. Paul, Minn. (Arlington)
Cole Myhra, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Running Back, 5-11, 205, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Darin Blaser, Platteville, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-3, 197, Aledo, Ill.
David Goodman, Eau Claire, Senior, Wide Receiver, 6-1, 182, Neenah, Wis.
Justin Budiac, Oshkosh, Senior, All-Purpose, 5-8, 190, Mukwonago, Wis.
Adam Cook, Platteville, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 260, Morrison, Ill.
Colton Friemuth, Platteville, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-4, 248, South Beloit, Ill. (North Boone)
Joe Gottmer, River Falls, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-1, 270, Hayward, Wis.
Ryan Olson, Whitewater, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 294, Stoughton, Wis.
Ben Pagel, La Crosse, Junior, Offensive Line, 5-11, 270, Appleton, Wis. (East)
Grant Weltzin, Stout, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 260, Cadott, Wis.
Paul Santi, Eau Claire, Junior, Center, 6-1, 282, Kingsford, Mich.
Zak Brinkman, Platteville, Senior, Punter, 6-2, 214, Cassville, Wis.
Zach Litchfield, Platteville, Sophomore, Kicker, 6-1, 206, Waupaca, Wis.
Charlie Weissman, Oshkosh, Senior, Return Specialist, 6-0, 205, Colgate (Hartford)

Honorable Mention Offense
Jason Ford, Whitewater, Senior, Tight End, 6-2, 245, Palatine, Ill. (Fremd)
Mike Mullins, Stevens Point, Senior, Tight End, 6-4, 230, Appleton, Wis. (East)
Josh Peterson, Stout, Junior, Tight End, 6-3, 225, Cedar Grove, Wis. (Cedar Grove-Belgium)
Austin Neu, Eau Claire, Junior, Quarterback, 6-1, 200, Iron Ridge, Wis. (Hustisford)
Tony Bilderback, La Crosse, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, 6-3, 195, Whitewater, Wis.
Mike O’Connell, Eau Claire, Junior, Wide Receiver, 5-10, 168, Eau Claire, Wis. (Regis)
John Wahlstrom, River Falls, Junior, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 177, Hastings, Minn.
Caleb Voss, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 195, Van Dyne, Wis. (Winnebago Lutheran)
David Goebel, Stout, Sophomore, All-Purpose, 6-2, 230, Minnetonka, Minn.
Bernie Tamsett, Whitewater, Junior, All-Purpose, 6-0, 225, Waterford, Wis. (Union)
Lee Vlasak, Platteville, Junior, All-Purpose, 5-11, 212, Blanchardville, Wis. (Pecatonica)
Brandon Peter, Oshkosh, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-2, 275, Allenton, Wis. (Kewaskum)
Ross Schulz, La Crosse, Junior, Offensive Line, 6-5, 300, Bloomington, Minn. (Kennedy)
Joe Gerber, Stout, Junior, Center, 6-2, 255, Minneapolis, Minn. (Totino-Grace)
Kris Rosholt, Whitewater, Senior, Punter, 6-4, 231, Reedsburg, Wis.
Jered Fohrman, Stevens Point, Senior, Kicker, 5-10, 185, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
Chad Roscoe, Platteville, Senior, Return Specialist, 5-6, 170, Aurora, Ill. (Central Catholic)

First Team Defense
Casey Casper, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 250, Dousman, Wis. (Kettle Moraine)
Jimmy Hall, Eau Claire, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-4, 268, Howards Grove, Wis.
Ryan Immel, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-4, 225, Lomira, Wis.
Corey Marks, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 240, New Lenox, Ill. (Lincoln-Way Central)
Vince Sciano, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-5, 235, Greendale, Wis.
Greg Arnold, Whitewater, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 240, Big Bend, Wis. (Mukwonago)
Taylor Goodman, Oshkosh, Junior, Linebacker, 6-0, 220, South Wayne, Wis. (Black Hawk)
Ryan Pearcy, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, 5-11, 205, Plover, Wis. (SPASH)
Nick Snyder, Platteville, Junior, Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Mt. Morris, Ill. (Oregon)
Derek Dreher, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-2, 205, Verona, Wis.
Ryan McWethy, Platteville, Junior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 215, Oregon, Ill.
Joe Mleziva, Stevens Point, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 205, Casco (Luxemburg-Casco)
Noah Timm, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-11, 177, Two Rivers, Wis.

Second Team Defense
Brent Aaron, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 285, Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton)
Jake Hohlstein, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-1, 280, Portage, Wis.
Jake Keeser, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-0, 240, Fort Atkinson, Wis.
Nicholas Matthews, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 290, Brookfield, Wis. (Central)
Andrew Thompson, Oshkosh, Junior, Defensive Line, 6-3, 240, Greendale, Wis.
Ryan Cortez, Whitewater, Sophomore, Linebacker, 6-0, 210, Palatine, Ill.
Trevor Fiege, Stout, Senior, Linebacker, 5-10, 215, Menomonie, Wis.
Jack Leahy, La Crosse, Junior, Linebacker, 6-0, 210, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Andy Neumann, Eau Claire, Senior, Linebacker, 6-1, 228, Germantown, Wis.
Jack Breese, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 200, Kewaskum, Wis.
Aaron Kobes, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 210, Two Rivers, Wis. (Mishicot)
Charlie Stueck, Oshkosh, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-9, 185, Clintonville, Wis.
Ryan Wenkman, Whitewater, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 184, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Honorable Mention Defense
Ryan Bartsch, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Line, 6-0, 230, Cameron, Wis.
Sean Graham, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Linebacker, 6-0, 207, Hales Corners, Wis. (Whitnall)
Curtis Krump, Stevens Point, Senior, Linebacker, 6-0, 225, Hankinson, N.D.
Nate Smits, River Falls, Junior, Linebacker, 6-2, 208, Hudson, Wis.
Jacob Zilbar, Platteville, Freshman, Linebacker, 6-0, 208, Tampa, Fla. (Armwood)
Matt Ainsworth, River Falls, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-1, 175, Maple Grove, Minn. (Osseo)
Jason Brenner, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 190, Menomonie, Wis.
Colton Zimmerman, Stevens Point, Junior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 185, Iola, Wis. (Iola-Scandinavia)

All-Sportsmanship Team
Ben Van Geffen, Eau Claire, Senior, Offensive Line, 5-10, 273, Shiocton, Wis.
Bret Galligan, La Crosse, Senior, Defensive Line, 5-11, 250, Campbellsport, Wis.
Wesley Price, Oshkosh, Senior, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 185, San Mateo, Calif. (Hillsdale)
Nick Anderson, Platteville, Junior, Quarterback, 6-4, 208, Sycamore, Ill.
John Schimenz, River Falls, Junior, Running Back, 5-8, 192, Brown Deer, Wis.
Mahamdou Barti, Stevens Point, Senior, Offensive Line, 6-3, 290, Oshkosh, Wis. (North)
Jason Brenner, Stout, Senior, Defensive Back, 6-0, 190, Menomonie, Wis.
Jared Kiesow, Whitewater, Senior, Defensive Back, 5-10, 186, Horicon, Wis.

First-Round Matchup - Albion College

Albion College

The Albion Britons finished its regular season with a 6-4 record, while going 6-0 in the MIAA. The Britons put an end to Trine's three-year conference championship run, dating back to 2008. Albion's last trip to the post season was back in 2005 after they won the MIAA. However, they lost in the first round to Wabash (20-38). I was interested to learn that Albion has a Stagg Bowl victory under its belt when they beat Washington and Jefferson (38-15) in 1994 for the national championship. To get to the Stagg Bowl they knocked off defending national champs Mount Union in the semifinals.

This season Albion ran the table in its conference, but failed to record a win against non-conference opponents. This was partly because the Britons filled out its 2011 schedule by booking matchups against competitive programs in Wheaton, Stevens Point and DePauw. I was very impressed they went down that road rather than scheduling "cream puff" programs to enhance its win total. Their other remaining non conference game was at a Division I FCS Butler team - which is a non-scholarship team in case you're wondering. Butler football is a member of the Pioneer Football League, which doesn't offer up scholarships. For WIAC fans it's easy to spot the common opponent that Albion and Whitewater shared this year. When Stevens Point traveled to Albion earlier in the season, the Britons lost to the Pointers 14-3, while the Warhawks beat them 31-16 in Whitewater.



Clinton Orr #30

What Levell Coppage is to Whitewater, Clinton Orr has been the same to Albion the past couple of seasons. The Britons are a team that's led by their All-American running back in Orr. In 2010, the sophomore was named Third Team All American with an impressive 1396 yards rushing and scoring 16 total touchdowns. Going into the 2011 season he, along with Coppage, was as a preseason First Team All American. Orr went on to finish this regular season rushing for 1000 yards, scoring seven total touchdowns and was named the MIAA Offensive MVP. However, against Stevens Point, Orr was held to just 19 yards on 15 carries, while Coppage had 245 yards on 29 carries against the same defense. This should put things in perspective for you on the level of competition Orr faces in the MIAA, compared to what Coppage deals with in the WIAC.

Lorenzo Reese

On defense, the Britons have two very talented and athletic corners that have given the MIAA fits all season long. The secondary is led by another All American in cornerback Chris Greenwood. Last year, as a junior, Greenwood was named Second Team All American. At the start of the 2011 season the senior was named preseason First Team All American. During the regular season this year Greenwood accumulated 26.5 total tackles, two interceptions (one returned for a TD), six pass deflections and was name the MIAA Defensive MVP. Greenwood's counterpart at the other cornerback position is Lorenzo Reese, who has been having an outstanding season of his own. He leads the team with five interceptions and seven pass deflections. Reese was named second team all-MIAA.

2011 Statistics (National Rank)
Albion Rushing Offense: 138.2 ypg (143)
Whitewater Rushing Defense: 82.9 ypg (10)

Albion Passing Offense: 226.3 ypg (71)
Whitewater Passing Defense: 176.5 ypg (80)

Albion Total Offense: 364.5 ypg (99)
Whitewater Total Defense: 259.4 ypg (18)

Albion Rushing Defense: 101 ypg (25)
Whitewater Rushing Offense: 228.9 ypg (24)

Albion Passing Defense: 199.9 ypg (141)
Whitewater Passing Offense: 222.3 ypg (75)

Albion Total Defense: 300.9 ypg (43)
Whitewater Total Offense: 451.2 ypg (24)

Whitewater's First-Round Games (Since 2005)
2005 - UWW over Central, 34-14
2006 - UWW over St. Norbert, 59-17
2007 - UWW over Capital, 34-14
2008 - UWW over St. John's, 37-7
2009 - UWW over Lakeland, 70-7
2010 - UWW over Franklin, 52-21

When this is all said and done, I believe this 2011 First-round game will fall into the St. John's category as far as margin of win.

PLAYOFFS!!!!!

With the playoff brackets released this past Sunday afternoon, it came as no surprise on where the WIAC teams fell (or didn't fall). By winning the WIAC, Whitewater became the lone WIAC representative in this year's playoff field for the third straight season with an automatic Pool A bid. Stevens Point, in 2008, was the last WIAC team not named Whitewater to make the playoffs. With the season winding down, it appeared Oshkosh had a golden opportunity for a Pool C bid, but an upset loss at home against La Crosse crushed their post-season hopes. Looking at the teams that received at-large bids this year, it would have been a lock for a two-loss Titans team to get in - if only they would have beaten the Eagles. I'm almost certain of this considering  the selection committee gave one of the six Pool C spots to a two-loss St. John Fisher team. The Cardinals' two losses were against Hobart and Salisbury, both of which made the field on 32. St. John Fisher's resume would have paled in comparison to Oshkosh's, as its only two losses would have been against Mount Union and Whitewater. Not to mention Oshkosh had the stronger strength of schedule and competes in a tougher conference. St. John Fisher should be making a Thank You card out to coach Joel Dettwiler of La Crosse.
 

Looks like the NCAA is opening up its pocket book a little more this postseason, as they undoubtedly will be spending a bit more than usual for teams' traveling expenses. In the past, the committee has done its best grouping teams together that are in close proximity of each other when creating a regional quadrant. For instance, the teams in the East all usually fall in the same region/quadrant, so traveling expenses is kept to a minimum. The same can be said for the North, West and South in previous years. This year it appears teams from the East are sprinkled all over the bracket to the point where there is no longer a clear cut North, East, South and West region anymore. Also, in this new realignment, the bracket seems to tilt towards Mount Union's side when looking at the distribution of the top 10 nationally ranked teams. On one side of the bracket there are the following top 10 teams: Mount Union (2), Mary Hardin-Baylor (4), Linfield (5), North Central (6), Wesley (7), Cal Lutheran (8) and Wabash (9). While the other side just has Whitewater (1), St. Thomas (3) and Salisbury (10). If I'm a Mount fan I would be complaining almost as much as Whitewater fans did last season when they got hosed by getting a number two seed.



Offensive line at the 2010 Stagg Bowl

This is Whitewater's seventh straight trip to the post season. The Warhawks were rewarded with the number one overall seed, and was placed in a region that gives them a great opportunity to make it back to the semi-finals. I say that because the programs they typically face in the playoffs, before the Stagg Bowl, are all positioned on the other side of the bracket this year. I'm referring to teams like: NCC, Wabash, Linfield, Mary Hardin-Baylor, NCC and Wesley. These are all very good teams UWW doesn't have to worry about - unless they meet in Salem, Va. I believe this is a huge break for Lance Leipold's team. In my opinion, this season's Whitewater squad hasn't looked quite as dominant as previous years' teams. So, if they did have to play two or three teams from the list of programs above, I'm not confident UWW can get by them this time around. Then again, Mount Union has been very unMount-like in its past couple of games too. Can this be attributed to other programs finally catching up to them, or is it the fact that both UWW and UMU seem to be battling through some key injuries? I think it's more to do with the latter, however NCC and St. Thomas are two programs on the rise to look out for the next few years. Plus, Whitewater has a brand new offensive line this year that has played fairly well. However, it's almost impossible to ask them to replicate last season's line that consisted of two All Americans, so I'm probably being a little hard on them. This season the offensive line has only given up five QB sacks on the year. That may be a little misleading considering if it wasn't for the elusiveness of athletic quarterback Matt Blanchard, that number maybe a bit higher. At times the senior seems to scrambling a lot more this year than he had to last season, which was expected from a young offensive line.

Given the success the Warhawks have experienced the past six post-seasons, you can't help but look at potential matchups down the road. After Albion, it appears the Warhawks might have to face an all-too familiar Franklin team. Leipold faced the Grizzlies in the first round of last year's playoffs, as well as earlier this year in a regular season game. Both games UWW won convincingly. If Whitewater advances to the quarterfinals, the Warhawks will most likely face Kean (12th in the polls) or Salisbury (10th). I'm leaning towards Kean, since the Cougars are battle tested with wins over Wesley, Montclair State and Cortland State this year. However, Salisbury does bring a very dangerous triple option that UWW hasn't seen yet. Then in the semi-finals it might be safe to assume that St. Thomas will come out of it's region, even if they have to win at Delaware Valley to advance. This will be a very tough game for the Warhawks. The Tommies have been showing signs of becoming the next "purple power" in DIII football (along side UWW and UMU). A win at Whitewater and a trip to the Stagg Bowl, might just put them in that discussion.

On a side note, heading into the playoffs this year, the WIAC has the second highest winning percentage (32-13 .711) in the post season, right behind Mount Union OAC.

Inside the Box Scores

WIAC Matchups

Weekly Wrap-Up
Just when you think you have La Crosse figured out, something like this happens. After winning in Oshkosh two weeks ago, you think it would be safe to assume they could handle a winless River Falls team at home, right? WRONG!!! The Eagles now becomes "that" team, like Eau Claire was last season, in giving the Falcons it first win of the season. You have to give River Falls' coach Matt Walker and his boys a lot of credit though. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, they put together an epic 96-yard touchdown drive to tie the game to force overtime. The Falcons won in OT, 28-21. In Eau Claire, Whitewater won an out-right WIAC title beating the Blugolds, 37-22. The Warhawks' Levell Coppage rushed for 236 yards in the game, giving him over 1000 yards rushing against Eau Claire in his career. Platteville won in Menomonie, 27-17, which I dubbed the Game of the Week this time a week ago. The Pioneers scored three touchdowns on its first four possessions, which was more than enough to beat Stout. Finally, in Stevens Point, Oshkosh's offense took two-weeks worth of frustration out on the Pointers. The Titans unleashed 684 yards of total offense, while scoring 38 point as they won, 38-24. On a side note, all WIAC road teams won last week for the first time all season.

Game of the Week

River Falls Falcons (1-8, 1-5)                                              Eau Claire Blugolds (4-5, 2-2)

                     
                               VS





Falcons

River Falls played, far and away, it best game of the season last week. I'm not just saying that because they won, but that definitely helped. The Falcons' quarterback B.J. Letourneau (WIAC's Offensive Player of the Week) had career highs in passing yards (257) and touchdowns thrown (3) Saturday against La Crosse. Including a HUGE 96-yard touchdown drive to tie up the game and force over time. That game-winning drive came out of nowhere considering the Falcons rank just about last in all most all offensive categories. I had no idea coach Walker had it in his team to accomplish that - on the road, no less. We all know about Taylor Edwards and their running game, as the senior has been one of the premier backs in the WIAC this season. But, in fact, it's been River Falls' passing game thats gaining confidence late in the season. Letourneau has now thrown for over 220 yards in each of the last three games. Which is a definite improvement, considering he only threw for over 160 yards once in his first five games. Also, during this three-game stretch, the senior has thrown for five touchdowns, compared to only three over his first five games. Other than Letourneau, cornerback Mike Cano and kicker Chad Blair were also named WIAC Players of the Week (defense and special teams). Cano had two picks and eight tackles (seven solo). His second interception came in overtime to seal the win. Blair earned his honors by kicking four extra points. Four extra points? Must have been a slow day for special teams around the WIAC. That's like me being named employee of the week because I showed up to work on time. Moving on......If coach Walker can continue with his program's new-found success in the passing game, then that will make it that much easier for Edwards to tear apart the defense. I expect Edwards to have a big Senior Day this weekend. The Blugolds come to River Falls with the third worst rushing defense in the WIAC, giving up over 173 yards per game. On defense, despite giving up the second most rushing yards, River Falls might be able to slow down the Blugolds' ground game as Eau Claire ranks dead last in rushing in the WIAC. The bad news is River Falls is at the bottom of the conference in defensive passing yards. Which could be a disaster considering the Blugolds offer up the best passing offense in the WIAC. If the Falcons want to make it two in a row, they must get Edwards going with the rushing attack, eat up the clock, and keep Eau Claire's high-powered passing offense on the sideline - where they can't score.

Blugolds

I really expected Eau Claire to finish towards the top of the WIAC this season. I knew they had the capability with their passing attack, however its running game really underachieved this season. Maybe they are a year away from putting it all together and making a run at a conference title, as many of their key offensive position players will be returning next season. After starting the season winning three of its first four, they have now dropped four of its last five games. I would think they have a good chance at finishing the year as a .500 team, considering they already beat River Falls 38-17 earlier in the season. It was Senior Day last season in River Falls when the Blugolds handed River Falls it first, and only, win of the year in 2010. I highly doubt coach Todd Glaser will let his seniors down on Eau Claire's Senior Day this year. As long as he has Austin Neu slinging the ball down the field, Glaser should win this game Saturday. Neu is finishing up a great junior season, he leads the WIAC in passing with almost 250 yards per game. The Blugolds also have three different players in the top 10 in receptions per game: Mike O'Connell (4.4), David Goodman (3.89) and Austin Goetsch (3.78). Unfortunately, this has been an extremely one-dimensional offense all season long. A part from being the top passing offense in the conference, Glaser's team ranks in the WIAC cellar in rushing. However, this week they might find that passing the ball may open up running lanes for big Joel Sweeney and Matt Olson. Plus, it certainly helps that River Falls gives up over 183 rushing yards per game. For a team that passes the ball with such efficiency, it's no wonder that Eau Claire is second in the conference in converting third downs. They do so at a rate of 45.4 percent per game. Although, on defense, they haven't been fairing quite as well. The defense has been allowing opposing offensives to pick up 47.5 percent of its third downs, worst among WIAC teams. This game consists of two of the worst scoring defenses in the conference this season, which could make for a high-scoring affair. River Falls gives up over 34 ppg, while Eau Claire has been allowing over 23 ppg. If this game comes down to a shoot out, it could play right into the hands of Eau Claire. Coach Glaser has the sort of offense that can advance the ball down the field with ease, and strike quickly.

Stevens Point Pointers (4-5, 2-4) @ Platteville Pioneers (6-3, 4-2)
The Pioneers have a great opportunity to solidify itself as the number two team in the conference. This program has shown, when healthy, they can put a very strong football team onto the field each Saturday. Platteville can close out its season with four consecutive wins against a Stevens Point team that desperately would like to finish .500 on the year. As I mentioned numerous times previously on my blog, the Pointers started out the year with high expectations, as they were ranked 23rd in the country in week one. With a loss last week against Oshkosh, they guaranteed themselves a losing conference record. One interesting aspect of the game will be how Platteville responds if Stevens Point enters it red zone. The Pioneers own the WIAC's best red zone defense. They allow teams to only score 68 percent of the time when opponents cross its 20-yard line. However, the Pointers bring the conference's best red zone offense to the game, as they score 87 percent of the time. I'll be interested to see which side gives.

La Crosse Eagles (3-6, 3-4) @ Whitewater Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0)
To start the season it was interesting to see that these two programs were selected to play each other twice. Of course, that was based on the effort to save on traveling costs, as each WIAC team would have to play a conference opponent as a non-conference game. It's interesting because these two are considered each other's rival. Coincidence that these two were scheduled to play twice? Probably not. The Warhawks won the first meeting to start the season, 26-7 in La Crosse. It's tough to tell which Jekyll and Hyde football team will show up in Whitewater. The La Crosse team that won at Oshkosh, or the La Crosse team that lost at home against winless River Falls? Regardless, Eagles running back Ben Hertrampf will be suited up as he's slowly been climbing the rushing leaderboard. The sophomore is now third in the WIAC, averaging over 102 yards per game. It'll be an intriguing matchup against a Warhawk team that gives up only 84 yards per game on the ground - best in the WIAC. Even though the Warhawks already have the outright conference title in hand, they prefer to finish the regular season undefeated to possibly ensure themselves home field throughout the playoffs.

Stout Blue Devils (5-4, 3-3) @ Oshkosh Titans (6-3, 4-2)
Even though over the past few weeks the Blue Devils' defense has come to life, they are going to have its hands full against a dangerous Oshkosh offense Saturday. Titans' quarterback Nate Wara is third in the WIAC with 13 touchdowns thrown, as well as fourth in the conference in rushing with 63.8 yards per game. Wara's favorite target has been the athletic wide receiver Garrie Fox. The senior is second in the conference averaging close to 62 yards per game. Stout relies heavily on it defense to win games, as the offense has scored the least amount of points in the WIAC (16.1 ppg). When the defense is on its game its tough for opponents to get on the scoreboard this season. However, this year Clayt Birmingham's defense has been a little inconsistent. They show glimpses of greatness at times, as well as being very passive. The program currently ranks third-to-last in total defense giving up almost 371 yards per game. Birmingham's boys will need to play their best defense game of the year to knock the Titans this weekend.

Here's to the final week of WIAC football, hope it's a good one....Cheers!