Game Preview: Rockford @ Wisconsin Lutheran
Warriors host Regents in season's final home game
October 31, 2012
WLC searches for its program-record seventh win Saturday on Senior DayRockford (2-6, 1-4 NAC)
vs.
Wisconsin Lutheran (6-2, 4-1 NAC)
Game #9 | Senior Day | Saturday, November 3, 2012 | 1 p.m.
Raabe Stadium (2,700) | Milwaukee, Wis.
Live Audio | Live Stats | Directions to Raabe Stadium
MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Lutheran College football team aims for its program-record seventh win when it hosts Rockford Saturday at 1 p.m. in its final home game of the season at Raabe Stadium. WLC will honor its 13 seniors who will be playing in their final home game prior to kickoff. The Warriors enter Saturday's tilt with the Regents with a 6-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in NAC play. Rockford comes in at 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the NAC.
WARRIORS ON THE WEB: All 10 Warriors football games will be webcast live on wlcsports.com with the pregame show beginning 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Scott Warras (play-by-play) and Sam Siemers (color analyst) will call the action from the booth all season long. All games, which are archived back to the 2002 season, are accessible to listeners at wlcsports.com.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's game marks the 13th all-time meeting between Wisconsin Lutheran and Rockford, with the Warriors leading the series 9-3, including winning four straight. WLC has faced the Regents more times than any other of its opponent during its 12-year history.
10/22/11 – WLC 49, @ RC 28
10/23/10 – @ WLC 19, RC 0
10/17/09 – WLC 40, @ RC 14
10/18/08 – @ WLC 18, RC 7
09/10/05 – RC 21, @ WLC 14
09/11/04 – @ RC 17, WLC 0
09/13/03 – @ WLC 23, RC 3
09/14/02 – WLC 21, @ RC 14
10/27/01 – WLC 35, @ RC 19
09/01/01 – RC 14, @ WLC 12
10/28/00 – @ WLC 20, RC 2
09/02/00 – WLC 14, @ RC 0
LAST MEETING: Running back Donavin Tucker (Brookfield, Wis./East) had a career game in leading the Warriors past Rockford 49-28 a season ago. Tucker set a school record as he ran for 220 yards, while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. The WLC offense totaled 519 yards as Zach Shaw (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) threw for 256 yards and two scores. Kinte Collins was the leading receiver, hauling in six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Jason Kramer (Oconomowoc, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) paced the defense, leading the Warriors with nine tackles and an interception.
LAST WEEK: WLC had little trouble in defeating Maranatha as it posted its second shutout of the season, winning 48-0. The Wisconsin Lutheran pass defense, ranked second in NCAA Division III, lived up to its billing by holding the Crusaders to just six passing yards. The Warriors outgained Maranatha 550-57. Zach Shaw led the offense with 256 passing yards and three scores, all in the first half, while the defense forced six turnovers. Rockford dropped its conference game at Concordia Wisconsin last week, 40-3. Jacob Gorsuch threw for 286 yards, but the Regents struggled to get anything going on the ground as they rushed for just 35 yards in the game.
ROAMING THE SIDELINES: Wisconsin Lutheran is guided by 13th-year head coach Dr. Dennis Miller. WLC’s first and only head coach, Miller enters Saturday's game with a 47-80 record. Before arriving at Wisconsin Lutheran, Miller spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Northern State University, a NCAA Division II school in Aberdeen, S.D. He owns a career coaching record of 124-135 in his 25th season.
ACROSS THE FIELD: Vic Wallace is in his second season leading the Regents football program. Wallace, who has over 35 years of coaching experience, entered the 2012 season tied for seventh among active coaches in NCAA Division III football with 174 wins. In two seasons at Rockford, Wallace has compiled a 2-16 overall record.
2011 WARRIORS FLASHBACK: The Warriors finished 6-4 a season ago, which tied for a program-best record, including a program-best 5-2 conference record. WLC ended the season on a school-record four-game winning streak, culminating with the 23-21 win over Benedictine.
2011 REGENTS FLASHBACK: Rockford finished 0-10 last season, including 0-7 in conference play.
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN UPDATE: The Warriors are 6-2 for the second time in program history as the only other time they have owned a 6-2 record was during the 2010 season. The WLC defense continues to be a main reason for the success as they rank second in NCAA Division III in pass defense, allowing just 104.3 passing yards per game. The Warriors have given up 228.1 yards per game which ranks fifth in the country. Offensively, WLC has also been solid, averaging 364.1 yards per game and 27.3 points per contest. Josh Stodola (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) has caught 10 touchdown passes and ranks tied for first in the NAC, while leading the conference with 93.9 receiving yards per game.
WARRIORS IN THE RANKINGS:
Category (Rank) Actual Stat National Leader Actual Stat
Pass Defense (2nd) 104.3 YPG Mount Union 98.75 YPG
Pass Efficiency Defense (2nd) 75.58 Mount Union 63.98
Total Defense (5th) 228.1 YPG Mount Union 140.8 YPG
Longest Rush (T-11th) 88 Yards (Reeves) Three Players 99 Yards
Scoring Defense (12th) 12.4 PPG Mount Union 2.6 PPG
SCOUTING ROCKFORD: Rockford enters Saturday’s tilt with the Warriors with a 2-6 overall record. The Regents did pick up their first conference win since the 2009 season when they defeated Maranatha 34-14 October 20. The win snapped the Regents' 18-game conference losing streak. RC has one of the top running backs in the NAC as Matthew Botello is averaging 96.2 yards per game, good for second in the conference.
IN THE POLLS: Wisconsin Lutheran garnered two first-place votes in the 2012 NAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll and was picked to finish third by the league’s head coaches with 52 poll points. Benedictine was predicted to win the league with 58 poll points and five first-place votes. The Regents collected 12 poll points for an eighth-place predicted finish.
NEXT WEEK: Wisconsin Lutheran will play its final game of the 2012 regular season next Saturday when it visits conference rival Concordia Wisconsin (5-3, 4-1 NAC) for the fifth annual Lutheran Bowl. Concordia Wisconsin plays at Aurora (4-4, 3-2 NAC) Saturday, while Rockford concludes its season next weekend by hosting Aurora.
LAST WEEK'S NAC RESULTS:
Concordia Chicago def. Benedictine, 26-13
Concordia Wisconsin def. Rockford, 40-3
Aurora def. Lakeland, 56-17
Wisconsin Lutheran def. Maranatha, 48-0
THIS WEEK’S NAC GAMES:
Lakeland @ Concordia Chicago, 12 p.m.
Concordia Wisconsin @ Aurora, 1 p.m.
Rockford @ Wisconsin Lutheran, 1 p.m.
Maranatha @ Benedictine, 1 p.m.
NEXT WEEK’S NAC GAMES:
Concordia Chicago @ Maranatha, 12 p.m.
Wisconsin Lutheran @ Concordia Wisconsin, 12 p.m.
Aurora @ Rockford, 12 p.m.
Benedictine @ Lakeland, 12 p.m.
