Pioneers play first-ever game in Virginia

The game: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville plays its first-ever game in Virginia when the Pioneers face host Hampden-Sydney Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT/noon CDT.

The records: The Pioneers bring a 1-0 record out east, while Hampden-Sydney is 1-1.

The rankings: UW-Platteville is ranked 13th in the latest d3football.com poll. Hampden-Sydney is unranked.

The coaches: Saturday's matchup features a pair of veteran coaches matching wits. Mike Emendorfer is UW-Platteville's all-time winningest coach, compiling a 92-92 record in his 19th season. Marty Favret holds a 121-58 record in his 18th year at HSU. Favret has guided the Tigers to six NCAA III tournament appearances, including 2013 and 2014. Emendorfer has taken the Pioneers to their only two playoff appearances in school history, in 2013 and 2016.

Streaking: UW-Platteville have won all 19 of its season openers under Emendorfer. The last time the Pioneers dropped their first game came during the 1998 season, a 21-14 setback at Lakeland.

Season Openers Under Mike Emendorfer

1999           W         20-17       Lakeland
2000           W         26-19       at Mount Senario
2001           W         64-0         Mount Senario
2002           W         17-6         at Olivet Nazarene
2003           W         27-24       Olivet Nazarene
2004           W         40-14       at Thiel
2005           W         26-0         Dubuque
2006           W         34-20       at Dubuque
2007           W         16-6         St. Ambrose
2008           W         21-14       at Buena Vista
2009           W         15-10       Buena Vista
2010           W         31-2         at Buena Vista
2011           W         38-3         Buena Vista
2012           W         56-13       at Buena Vista
2013           W         42-17       Buena Vista
2014           W         63-3         at Buena Vista
2015           W         49-13       Buena Vista
2016           W         35-0         at George Fox
2017           W         30-28       George Fox

The Pioneers: UW-Platteville gained plenty of experience in tight games, but more importantly, gained a victory in the season-opening 30-28 win against George Fox Sept. 2. Mike Pratl's 28-yard field goal with 1:41 was the difference maker. Cade Earl was 6-6 on the final 45-yard drive, and completed 37 of 49 passes for 434 yards in his first start. Tim Jansen caught 14 passes for 224 yards for the Pioneers, who rolled up a 27-7 lead. The Pioneers held the Bruins to 81 yards on the ground in 28 attempts and forced three turnovers.

The Tigers: Hampden-Sydney was picked for fourth in the Old Dominion Ohio Conference poll, and beat Averett 20-17 then fell to Christopher Newport 20-7 to achieve its 1-1 record.

Major Morgan caught an 8-yard scoring pass from Alec Cobb in the fourth quarter to lead a Tigers' comeback in the opener. HSU out-gained Averett 338-229 in the rain. Cobb threw for 288 yards, and Mike DeMassi ran for 88 yards and a score.

Cobb connected with Morgan for the Tigers' lone score in Saturday's setback at Christopher Newport, but four turnovers helped spell defeat.

Odds and ends:

• The Pioneers are making their third-farthest trip east ever for a regular season game. UW-Platteville played at Wagner College in New York City, New York in 1989 and Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania in 2004.
• Set your clocks: kickoff on Saturday is 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, which is noon in the Central time zone.
• Even though the schools are meeting for the first time on a football field, they famously met on the basketball court in 1999, when the Pioneers won the national championship with a 76-75 double overtime win in what was Hall of Fame Coach Bo Ryan's last game on the UW-Platteville bench. Ryan, who eventually coached the Wisconsin Badgers to a pair of Final Four appearances, is being inducted in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in November.
• The Pioneers' next game is Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. against Lakeland, the defending Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference champion and preseason league favorite. It is also Hall of Fame Day. UW-Platteville will induct five new members into the hall:

• • Merrill Brunson, Basketball
  • Wally Iselin, Wrestling Coach
  • Kristen (Shields) Tenny, Volleyball
  • Jennifer (Zell) Soehner, Softball
  • Justin Wells, Cross Country/Track

D3football.com poll

Dropped out: No. 15 UW-Whitewater; No. 18 Thomas More.

Others receiving votes: Wabash 82; Coe 58; Albright 38; Berry 25; UW-Whitewater 16; Ohio Northern 15; Muhlenberg 15; Springfield 13; Carthage 13; Bridgewater 8, Hobart 8; Stevenson 8; Thomas More 7; Wartburg 5; UW-La Crosse 5; Dubuque 2; Framingham State 1; Guilford 1; Heidelberg 1; Sul Ross State 1.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.

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