The UW-Stevens Point Pointers invade Perkins Stadium Saturday having won 3 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Pointers (3-1) are tied with UW-Oshkosh for second place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one game behind the Warhawks (4-0).
It was two years ago this week that the Pointers came into Whitewater and handed the Warhawks their only conference defeat of the Lance Leipold era. That loss dumped UW-Whitewater into "Pool C" status in the NCAA football playoff selection process. Both teams made the NCAA D3 playoffs in 2008. The Warhawks advanced to the Stagg Bowl while the Pointers bowed out in the first round, losing to Wartburg College. Once again this year, the automatic WIAC playoff berth could be on the line when the two teams meet on Saturday.
Strong Points
The Pointers boast one of the elite athletes in the conference in WR/P Jared Jenkins. Jenkins leads the league in pass receptions and is second in the league in punting. UWSP brings a statistically balanced offense into the game averaging 177.4 yards rushing and 184.7 yards passing per game. The three-headed rushing attack of Mike Griffin, Kleth Ingram, and Kyle Fuhrman have averaged 147.4 yards rushing per game. The Pointers boast the #2 WIAC offense in Red Zone efficiency, scoring 84.4% of the time they reach the opponents 20 yard line.
The Pointers' defensive front seven is aggressive and attacking. UWSP is second in the WIAC in sacks with 23 and they lead the league in tackles for loss. The Pointers are the 3rd ranked WIAC defense in scoring and total yards. Point's kicking game is solid with Jenkins being the #2 ranked punter and kicker Jared Fohrman leading the WIAC making 13 of 17 field goals and all 23 of his extra points. In addition, Anthony Aker leads the conference in kick-off returns, averaging 22.6 yards per return.
Points That Need Sharpening
While UWSP has achieved offensive balance on the whole, 497 of their 1242 rushing yards have come against 2 non-conference opponents. In contrast, the Pointers rushed for only 108 yards against UW-Stout and a surprisingly low 3.3 ypc against UW-Eau Claire, the WIAC's 7th ranked rushing defense.
If the Pointers struggle on the ground, they will be prone to turning the ball over against the aggressive UW-W defense. The Pointers have thrown 10 interceptions this year. UWSP has a -4 turnover ratio compared to the Warhawks' +11. UW-SP ranks 7th in passing efficiency in the WIAC and have completed 51.2% of their passes.
To the Point
Here is a look at the WIAC and National Rankings of various categories heading into the game:
Total Offense
WIAC Rank: UWW (1) UWSP (3)
NCAA Rank UWW (2) UWSP (94)
Rushing Offense
WIAC Rank UWW (1) UWSP (2)
NCAA Rank UWW (8) USP(68)
Passing Efficiency
WIAC Rank UWW (1) UWSP (6)
NCAA Rank UWW (2) UWSP (126)
Total Defense
WIAC Rank UWW (1) UWSP (3)
NCAA Rank UWW (2) UWSP (99)
Rushing Defense
WIAC Rank UWW (1) UWSP (3)
NCAA Rank UWW (5) USP (83)
Pass Defense
WIAC Rank UWW (1) UWSP (4)
NCAA Rank UWW (28) UWSP (129)
A glance at the WIAC rankings suggests UWSP will be one of the biggest challenges on the Warhawks' schedule this year. And they probably will. However, a glance at the National Rankings shows enough disparity to establish UW-W as a solid favorite heading into the game. That being said, the numbers will become meaningless as of 1:00 on Saturday. The seniors on both teams will undoubtedly remember the Pointers' last visit to Perkins Stadium on an October afternoon in 2008. Point will likely enter the stadium with a confidence few teams possess coming into Whitewater. The question is whether UWSP has what it takes to defeat the powerful Warhawks a second consecutive time at Perkins Stadium . The answer to that question will unfold between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm Saturday afternoon.
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