Every year, the two best teams in NCAA Division III football meet in Salem, Virginia for the Stagg Bowl. For the ninth time in 10 years, the championship game will feature the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks and the Mount Union Purple Raiders. With these teams establishing a rivalry that literally has national championship implications, Friday’s game should be an interesting one.

The Purple Raiders (from Alliance, Ohio) come into this game undefeated after routing almost every opponent in the 2014 season. Their two closest games both came against conference foe John Carroll, who Mount Union beat 36-28 in the Division III quarterfinals. Purple Raiders quarterback Kevin Burke has thrown for over 4,000 yards and accounted for 59 total touchdowns through 14 games. Earlier this week, he became the first two-time winner of the Gagliardi Award, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman. Having led his school to a national championship as a sophomore, Burke will be eager (along with 2nd-year head coach Vince Kehres) to bring another trophy back to northeast Ohio.

Wisconsin-Whitewater is also 14-0 in their quest for back-to-back titles. The Warhawks were involved in tough battles in both the quarterfinal and semifinal wins, before beating Wartburg and Linfield, respectively. Quarterback Matt Behrendt has 38 touchdowns and over 3,000 passing yards on the year, while Dennis Moore and Jordan Ratliffe have split the workload in the running game. This will be an emotional game for UWW, as head coach Lance Leipold coaches his final game for the Warhawks, before heading to Buffalo in the FBS. Leipold has only six losses as Warhawks head coach since coming to Whitewater in 2007; a win Friday night would give him a sixth national championship.

The Stagg Bowl isn’t the only college football game this weekend. The NAIA and NCAA Division II will also crown national champions on Friday and Saturday, respectively, while the FCS playoffs are down to the last four teams. Most FBS fans are ready for bowl season to start, with the College Football Playoff commencing New Year’s Day.

Mount Union beat Wisconsin-Whitewater in three of the first four Stagg Bowls featuring both schools (2005, 2006, 2008). The Warhawks won in 2007, took three straight from 2009-2011, failed to make the championship game in 2012, but won 52-14 last year. Including this season, the Purple Raiders have been in Salem 17 of the last 19 years, and have won 11 titles, all since 1993. With both schools featuring high-scoring offenses, expect a shootout Friday night.