6-2 Pioneers, 5-3 Warhawks set to battle in the George Chryst Memorial Bowl

The game: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville plays its final regular season road game Saturday, Nov. 4 at UW-Whitewater. Kickoff at Perkins Stadium is set for 1 p.m.

The records: UW-Platteville is 6-2 overall and in third place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at 3-2, while second-place UW-Whitewater is 5-3, 4-1.

The rankings: UW-Platteville is ranked 20th in the latest d3football.com rankings and 24th in the American Football Coaches Association poll. UW-Whitewater is receiving votes in both polls.

The coaches: Mike Emendorfer is UW-Platteville's all-time winningest coach, compiling a 96-94 record in his 19th season. He has taken the Pioneers to their only two NCAA III playoff berths in school history, in 2013 and 2016. Emendorfer is the WIAC's active leader in victories. Kevin Bullis is in his third year at UW-Whitewater, and has led the Warhawks to a 28-6 record.

The George Chryst Memorial Bowl:  Every year since 1995, the Pioneers and Warhawks have played in the George Chryst Memorial Bowl. The annual contest is named for former UW-Platteville coach George Chryst, who died suddenly in 1992 after leading the Pioneers to a 79-60-2 record and the 1980 conference championship. Following the game, the two teams gather at midfield, and Chryst's widow, Patty, will present the offensive and defensive players of the contest, as voted upon by the assembled media.

The Pioneers: UW-Platteville looks to bounce back after a 27-20 home loss to UW-La Crosse that dropped the Pioneers from ninth to 20th in the d3football.com poll. The Pioneers outgained the Eagles 504-387, but four turnovers (three inside the red zone) hurt their chances. Cade Earl (193) and Jack Eddy (157) combined for 350 yards through the air for UW-Platteville. Sean Studer ran for 94 yards and Wyatt Thompson 71. Mark Johnson caught a team-high nine, while Tim Jansen (6-90), Zack Rappel (7-87) and Tyler Knigge (8-86) led in receiving yards. Saturday will mark the eighth time in nine games the Pioneers have faced a team with a .500 or winning record at kickoff.

The Warhawks: UW-Whitewater was ranked third in the d3football.com poll, but a slow start against strong teams dropped the Warhawks in the rankings. UWW lost one-score contests against Illinois Wesleyan (currently ranked 11th) and Concordia-Moorhead (now ranked 19th) and opened WIAC play by falling to third-ranked UW Oshkosh. Since the 37-20 loss to the Titans, the Warhawks have ripped off four straight lopsided wins. UWW has outscored foes 90-28 during the winning streak, which included victories over ranked UW-Stout and UW-La Crosse teams. UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 28-0 first-half lead and cruised to a 35-7 win at UW-Stevens Point Saturday, outgaining the hosts 505-221.

The Next Game: UW-Platteville plays its final regular season game against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. The 2017 seniors will be introduced prior to the contest.

The WIAC: The WIAC weekly release is now available.

Preview by Paul Erickson, Director, UW-Platteville Communications, 608.342.1194, pr@uwplatt.edu.