12-6 Book to Upload - UW-Whitewater Athletics

The tailgate will be followed by the game where the number one ranked Warhawks will take on
number twenty-four Franklin College at Faught Stadium (101 Branigin Boulevard) at 1:00 pm (Eastern
Standard Time).
#1 Warhawks Travel to #21 Franklin
9/7/2011
Into the grizzlies’ den. Or make that, Grizzlies’ den. UW-Whitewater, 1-0 and ranked first in the
D3footbal.com poll, travels to Franklin, Indiana to face Franklin College, 1-0 and ranked twenty-first, for a
12:00 (CT) kickoff in Faught Stadium in Branigan Athletic Field.
The game will be audio streamed, video streamed, and broadcast on WKCH, 106.5 FM.
UW-W has planned a special tailgate event for the Franklin game. Fans interested in attending please
Kat Bastien (262-472-7031; bastienk@uww.edu).
The game is a rematch of a 2010 NCAA III playoff first round game that UW-W won 52-21. The names
on the front of the jerseys may be all that is the same as last year. First, this one is in Franklin, not
Perkins Stadium. Second, both coaches will point out that this is a regular season game -- and a nonconference
contest at that. It is another opportunity for both coaches to prepare their teams for the start
of their conference season. Finally, the cast has changed considerably. UW-W has just eight starters
back from the team that took the field last November. Franklin starts twelve sophomores and two
freshmen.
Be that as it may, the fact that teams that want to be ranked in national polls and, most important, by the
NCAA committee, have to take care of business every week. And this one will be noticed.
Last Year
With just over three minutes left in the first half the game was deadlocked 14-14. Lee Brekke, making his
first start, tossed a 15 scoring pass to Aaron Rusch with twenty-five seconds left in the half to send UW-W
into the lockerroom with a 2-14 lead. With 2:16 left in the third Kyle Ray hit Matt Zmich with a seven yard
pass to pull Franklin within ten, 31-21. From that point on it was a different game, with Whitewater
scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the 52-21 final.
Two of the scores in the surge came as a result of the Warhawk defense. Linebacker Lane Olson forced
a fumble that fellow ‘backer Greg Arnold returned to the Franklin 31, and later defensive back Matt
McCullouch returned an intercepted pass to the Grizzlie 32.
Whitewater rushed for 157 yards, 134 of those by Levell Coppage, and the Warhawk defense limited
Franklin to minus 11 yards on 26 carries. (The second lowest total allowed by the Whitewater defense
last season. UW-Platteville had minus 12 September 30.) Admittedly some of those minus yards came
on sacks (college rules), because Franklin definitely came in planning on throwing the ball. The Grizzlies
attempted 72 passes, completed 40 for 373 yards. Matt Zimich caught 17 of Ray’s throws for 171 yards
and the touchdown.
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