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From the WIAC -- 

Winner of six of the last eight NCAA Division III championships, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the preseason choice to win the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football title, based on a poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
The Warhawks, who have claimed a league-high 34 conference championships – and nine in the last 10 seasons – welcome Kevin Bullis as the 21st head coach in program archives. He served as a defensive assistant coach for the program for the last seven years and replaces Lance Leipold, who accumulated a 109-6 record (.948 winning percentage) in his eight seasons at the helm of the program.
 
UW-Whitewater is ranked No. 1 in a preseason poll by D3football.com, second in Lindy’s Sports Division III Top 25 and third in The Sporting News’ preseason national rankings. The Warhawks enter the 2015 season riding a 32-game winning streak – the longest in college football – and have seven returning starters on both offense and defense. Senior running back Jordan Ratliffe had a league-high tying nine rushing touchdowns in 2014, while adding 950 rushing yards. Senior wide receiver Joe Worth had 47 receptions, 526 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions.
 
The defensive unit is led by senior linebacker Justin Dischler, who compiled a team-best 93 tackles, while adding seven tackles for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks a season ago. The kicking game returns junior Lake Bachar and sophomore Will Meyer. Gone from a season ago is quarterback Matt Behrendt, who received WIAC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
 
The Warhawks are followed in the conference predictions by:  UW-Platteville; UW-Oshkosh; UW-Stevens Point; UW-La Crosse; UW-River Falls; UW-Eau Claire; and UW-Stout.
 
UW-Platteville’s 2015 roster consists of 39 returning letterwinners, including senior wide receiver Russell Martin, who had a team-best 884 receiving yards a season ago and added 52 catches and six touchdown receptions. Senior defensive lineman Andrew Robinson was second in the league with 16.5 tackles for loss, while adding 51 tackles and 7.5 quarterback sacks. The Pioneers have registered a 32-10 record over the last four seasons – the most victories over a four-year span since 1970-73 (33 wins). Head coach Mike Emendorfer enters his 17th season at the helm and is the longest tenured football coach in the WIAC. He needs six victories to surpass George Chryst for second place on the school’s all-time wins list. Gone from last year’s squad is linebacker Jacob Zilbar, who secured WIAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
 
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 12th by The Sporting News and 18th by D3football.com, returns 39 letterwinners from the 2014 squad that posted a winning season for the fourth consecutive year – the program’s longest streak since 1925. The Titans bring back their 2014 yardage leaders in passing, rushing and receiving, as well as their leader in tackles and interceptions. UW-Oshkosh’s returning players scored 21 of the team’s 29 offensive touchdowns in 2014, including sophomore running back Dylan Hecker, who had a team-high nine touchdowns. Gone from last year’s squad is Nate Ray, who claimed WIAC Special Teams Player of the Year laurels and led the NCAA Division III in punting. The Titans have won 14 of their last 15 WIAC road games and completed their best four-year run in program history with 34 wins from 2011-14.
 
UW-Stevens Point welcomes back eight starters on offense and seven starters on defense from last year’s squad that posted the most overall victories (seven) since the 2010 team went 7-3. Senior defensive lineman Aaron Karlen leads the defensive unit after finishing second in the WIAC a season ago with 8.5 quarterback sacks and fourth with 12 tackles for loss. Senior kicker Jesse Vervelde tied for the league high with 10 field goals made in 2014, while senior wide receiver Matt Sosinsky topped the conference with 93.5 receiving yards per contest. After going 2-8 in head coach Tom Journell’s first season in 2012, the Pointers have improved their win total by at least two games in the last two years after recording a 5-5 record in 2013 and 7-3 mark in 2014.
 
UW-La Crosse brings back three quarterbacks who saw action in at least four contests last season, including senior Trent Cummings, who was the starter. Senior defensive back Jon Becker recorded three interceptions a season ago to help the Eagles finish plus-nine in turnover margin – their best turnover ratio since a plus-13 in 2001. Senior center Ellis Johnson leads three returners on the offensive line. UW-La Crosse’s three non-conference opponents in 2015 combined for a 24-9 record during the 2014 campaign. The Eagles play four home games for the third time in the last four years.
 
UW-River Falls posted three victories a season ago for its highest total since the 2009 season. Senior quarterback Ryan Kusilek leads this year’s returnees and owns a number of school records, including most passing yards in a game, most passes attempted in a game and season, most passes completed in a game and season, and most total offense in a game and season. The 2015 campaign marks the celebration of five conference championship anniversaries for the Falcons – 1915 (100 years), 1925 (90 years), 1975 (40 years), 1980 (35 years) and 1985 (30 years). UW-River Falls will play its first season at the newly constructed David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.
 
UW-Eau Claire has 37 returning letterwinners, including junior wide receiver Matthew Knapp, who had a team-high two touchdown receptions in 2014, and was third with 301 receiving yards. Junior linebacker Brandon Luedke compiled 23 tackles and two quarterback sacks. Senior quarterback Joel Newman completed 54.6 percent of his passes for 1,024 yards and five touchdowns. In 2014, the Blugolds ranked 24th in NCAA Division III with a .600 fourth down conversion percentage. The 2015 schedule features six home games for the first time since 2012, including four night contests.
 
UW-Stout returns four of its five starters on the offensive line for a team that allowed the second fewest sacks in the WIAC a season ago. Senior quarterback Hank Kujak, who suffered a season-ending injury in the last year’s season-opener, threw for more yards (2,183) during the 2013 campaign than any UW-Stout quarterback since Matt Bunyan threw for 3,220 yards in 1998. Kujak finished third in the conference in total offense in 2013 with 2,342 total yards (2,183 passing, 159 rushing). Senior wide receiver Brian Alvarez returns after a year off to anchor a young receiving corp. He was the team’s leading receiver in 2013 with 51 catches. The Blue Devils will play three home games during the first month of the season after having nearly a month between their first home game and their second home game in 2014.
 
 
2015 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
                                                2014 Record
1.  UW-Whitewater                  15-0 overall, 7-0 WIAC
2.  UW-Platteville                    7-3, 5-2
3.  UW-Oshkosh                      6-4, 6-1
4.  UW-Stevens Point              7-3, 4-3
5.  UW-La Crosse                   3-7, 2-5
6.  UW-River Falls                   3-7, 2-5
7.  UW-Eau Claire                   1-9, 1-6
8.  UW-Stout                           2-8, 1-6
 
 
Team Nuggets
 
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Todd Glaser; 13th season (10th at UWEC); 53-69 (overall) / 40-52 (UWEC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  21/5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  16/7
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  11/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  6/5
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Isiah Cage, Sr., OL (2013-Second, 2014-First); Erik Hulman, Sr., LB (2013-Honorable); Matthew Knapp, Jr., WR (2014-Honorable); Brandon Luedke, Jr., LB (2014-Honorable)
 
UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  Joel Dettwiler; 5th season at UWL; 13-27
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  20/12
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  19/11
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  5/6
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  4/7
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Jon Becker, Sr., DB (2014-Honorable); Austin Feuerhelm, Jr., DB (2013-Honorable); Ellis Johnson, Sr., OL (2014-Honorable)
 
UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Pat Cerroni; 9th season at UWO; 53-30
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  19/10
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  20/14
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  0/1
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  8/3
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  5/6
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  0/1
Returning All-WIAC:  CJ Blackburn, Jr., WR (2014-First); Reese Dziedzic, So., LB (2013-Honorable, 2014-Second); Austin Haase, Jr., OL (2014-Honorable); Dylan Hecker, So., RB (2014-Honorable); Zach Kasuboski, Sr., WR (2012-First, 2013-First); Joe Sommers, Sr., TE (2013-First, 2014-First); Sam Versnik, Sr., OL (2013-Honorable, 2014-First)
 
UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Mike Emendorfer; 17th season at UWP; 74-87
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  18/7
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  21/11
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/2
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  5/6
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  6/5
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Russell Martin, Sr., WR (2014-First); Andrew Robinson, Sr., DL (2013-First, 2014-First); Devon Vance, Sr., DB (2013-Second)
 
UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Matt Walker; 8th season (5th at UWRF); 28-42 (overall) / 6-34 (UWRF)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  14/15
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  17/8
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  1/1
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  4/7
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  5/6
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  1/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Rance Ashley, Jr., RB (2014-Second); Nick Jacobsen, So., DL (2014-Honorable); Ryan Kusilek, Sr., QB (2014-First); Reggie Larson, Jr., OL (2014-Honorable)
 
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Tom Journell; 8th season (4th at UWSP); 36-34 (overall) / 14-16 (UWSP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  48/5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  37/9
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  3/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  8/3
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  7/4
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Dan Brown, Sr., DL (2014-Honorable); Deion Jones, Jr., DB (2014-Second); Aaron Karlen, Sr., DL (2014-First); Matt Sosinsky, Sr., WR (2014-Second)
 
UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Clayt Birmingham; 6th season at UWST; 20-30
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  17/9
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  16/10
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/1
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  9/2
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  5/6
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Kane’la Atchison-Keolanui, Jr., OL (2014-Second); Collin Laursen, Sr., DB (2012-Honorable); Hank Kujak, Sr., QB (2013-Honorable); Adolfo Pacheco, Jr., RB (2013-Second)
 
UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Kevin Bullis; 1st season at UWW; 0-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Offense:  21/5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost on Defense:  32/5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/0
Starters Returning/Lost on Offense:  7/4
Starters Returning/Lost on Defense:  7/4
Starters Returning/Lost at Kicker:  2/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Lake Bachar, Jr., P/K (2014-Second); Justin Dischler, Sr., LB (2014-First); Paul Foster, Jr., LB (2014-Second); Zach Franz, Sr., DL (2014-Second); Tony Koepnick, Jr., OL (2014-Second); Will Meyer, So., K (2014-Second); Dylan Morang, Sr., DB (2014-Second); Conner Peters, Sr., OL (2014-First); Jordan Ratliffe, Sr., RB (2013-Second, 2014-Second); Spencer Shier, Jr., OL (2014-Second); Johnny Wiederholt, Sr., OL (2013-Honorable); Joe Worth, Sr., WR (2013-Second, 2014-Honorable)