St. Louis, Mo., November 19, 2021 – The Washington University in St. Louis football team is set to play in the inaugural Culver's Isthmus Bowl on Saturday, November 20, 2021 against the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

The Bears finished the regular-season third in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and UW-River Falls finished third in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Although they did not earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Bears are one of few Division III football programs still playing.

"As our players put it yesterday, it's free football right now," said Head Coach Aaron Keen. "They're relishing the opportunity, really enjoying it and playing pretty loose now which is fun to watch. There aren't many teams in the country that get the opportunity to play an extra game."

The new Isthmus Bowl is now one of five Division III bowl games/bowl game series to exist – not including the Division III national championship game the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Currently there is the New York Bowl which is between the Liberty League and the Empire 8; the New England Bowl Series which features two games between opponents in the NEWMAC, CCC, MASCAC and ECFC; the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series featuring three games between opponents from the Centennial Conference and the Middle Atlantic Conferences; and the ECAC D3 Football Fest which is four games between members of the ECAC.

"I love the fact that we started this bowl game," said Keen. "It matches up two tremendous conferences and I think there's a lot of pride on the line between the two teams and the two conferences. I remember when I was playing here at WashU in the early 90s, you'd see the East Coast bowls going on and we were jealous of those opportunities so this is pretty special for us and we are certainly going to enjoy it."

"This year has reinvented my definition for long-term gratification," said graduate student Andrew Whitaker. "It's great to reap the benefits of the hard work and training, especially given the countless challenges we went through. I'm proud of my team for fighting through everything and growing closer as a family."

WashU last played in a postseason game in 2016, reaching the NCAA first found before falling to No. 4 UW-Osh Kosh.

For graduating players who did not start at WashU until after that last postseason bid, this bowl game marks the end of a career that was filled with great moments as well as unprecedented situations to navigate through.

"Playing this extra game is a great opportunity because it gives me another week of the game I love with a great group of guys against a very good opponent, said graduate student Emmanuel Ebirim. "I'm excited to get to experience something new that hasn't happened in my career here at WashU. After a COVID season where my teammates and I worked hard without the usual reward of games, I've made it a point to make the most of every game I had left. This bonus game is no different. I'm excited to be playing in the postseason and to make the most out of every opportunity I get."

For Whitaker, one of his favorite memories this season that he will carry with him has been finally scoring a touchdown after being a lockdown defender for the Bears.

"My favorite memory can be described in two words – pick six," said Whitaker. "Finally, I reached the elusive end zone after years of trying as a defensive player. My favorite part was celebrating the TD with my teammates and coaches."

Although they won't physically be on the field with the team in the years to come, the Bears graduating players know that this bowl game is just one step in the right direction for the WashU football program.

"This program has always been filled with bright and driven scholar-champions," said Ebirim. "I believe that making this bowl game highlights that. This program has a bright future and I expect for them to build off of the success of this year in the coming years."

Scouting River Falls

River Falls finished 8-2 in the regular-season with a 5-2 mark in the WIAC. Both of the Falcons' losses were to ranked teams, falling to No. 20 UW-La Crosse 45-,23 and No. 3 UW-Whitewater 34-28. River Falls closed out the regular-season with a win over No. 19 UW-Oshkosh.

Luke Fugate leads the Falcons with 1,099 net rushing yards on 168 attempts plus 12 touchdowns. Kole Hinrichsen has 558 net yards on 157 attemps and eight touchdowns.

Andy Groebner leads the receivers with 499 yards on 33 catches and 10 touchdowns. Jager Reissman has 354 yards on 47 carries and three touchdowns.

Hinrichsen is the quarterback for River Falls and is 246-for-375 with seven interceptions and 25 touchdowns on the season.

The Bears and River falls have one common opponent this year – Elmhurst. WashU defeated Elmhurst 27-7 and River Falls beat the Bluejays 45-7.

"This is a playoff caliber team that we're going to be playing and that's what you want for the postseason. We not only get a chance to play extra football but we get a chance to play against a really good football team that is going to challenge us in a lot of ways," said Keen. "It will be a fun opportunity for our guys to hopefully rise to the challenge."

Tickets

The game will be played at 3 p.m. at Verona Area High School in Verona, Wis., which is a turf stadium built in 2020. The Bears will be the visiting team and the winner of the game will receive the Isthmus Bowl Championship Trophy to display on campus.

Each team will be allotted tickets in a block and each ticket will cost $10. Fans should email isthmusbowl@gmail.com to set aside tickets at the will call window.

Please visit www.washubears.com for additional releases and more information, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@WashUBears).