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Second Half Leads Pointers Past Another Highly-Ranked Squad
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Score
A 25-0 second half surge carried the UW-Stevens Point football team
to its second straight victory over a preseason top 10 ranked opponent as
the Pointers posted a 31-17 win Saturday over Ohio Northern in Ada, Ohio.
The Pointers trailed 17-6 and had just 70 total yards at halftime,
but scored on five of six second half drives and rolled up 238 yards in
the final two periods for its second straight win over the Polar Bears.
The final score marks just the third time in the last 52 games that
Ohio Northern has been held under 20 points with one of the others coming
last year in a 14-10 loss in Stevens Point.
For the second straight week, UW-Stevens Point scored its first
points of the game off one of its own blocked field goals. Trailing 14-0
with 8:12 left in the second quarter, Cory Kahl had a 30-yard field goal
blocked, but Pointers� lineman Nick Haffele grabbed the loose ball out
of mid-air and rambled 14 yards for the score. Last week against Augustana
(Ill.), Kahl scooped up a blocked field goal and passed it to Luke
Hilgemann that resulted in an illegal touching penalty and another field
goal opportunity.
The Pointers rushed for just 26 yards in the first half with 14 of
the yards coming on Haffele�s blocked field goal advancement. However,
after stopping the Polar Bears on downs on their first second half
possession, UW-Stevens Point drove 50 yards in 11 plays and cut the lead
to 17-12 on a 14-yard pass from Scott Krause to Tony Romano.
After a 24-yard field goal by Ryan Mullaney, Krause and Romano, who
were prep teammates at Waunakee, hooked up again on a 15-yard touchdown
with five seconds left in the third quarter for a 21-17 lead.
On Ohio Northern�s next possession, Pointers� freshman Jared
Flesch returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17
advantage.
Mullaney finished the scoring with a 22-yard field goal with 3:42
left as the Pointers improved to 2-0 and won for the 11th time in their
last 14 games.
Krause was 11-for-15 passing for 180 yards with Romano catching
four passes for 43 yards. Cory Flisakowski led the rushing attack with 16
carries for 41 yards.
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