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Pointers
Outlast Titans in 100th Meeting Between Schools
Box
Score
The series between UW-Stevens
Point and UW-Oshkosh hasn�t been known for tight finishes, but in the
100th meeting between the two schools, the old rivals battled to the final
play with UW-Stevens Point claiming a 12-10 victory in the closest game in
the series since a 7-7 tie in 1959.
Pointer freshman cornerbacks
Chase Kostichka and Jared Flesch each knocked down UW-Oshkosh passes at
the goal line in the closing seconds to seal the game for the Pointers,
who improved to 53-38-8 in the all-time series that is the longest in the
NCAA Division III between two non-private schools.
Both teams moved the ball
effectively down the field for spurts, but were unable to mount long
drives in treacherous, muddy field conditions. UW-Stevens Point scored
both of its touchdowns on big plays as Scott Krause hit Tony Romano with a
67-yard touchdown and Kurt Kielblock with a 65-yard scoring pass in the
third quarter.
After a scoreless first half
that saw neither team get inside the other�s 15-yard line and the only
true scoring opportunity come by the Pointer defense when it had the
Titans� backed up on their own one-yard line, all of the scoring came in
the third quarter.
The Pointers scored with 11:55
left in the quarter when Krause lofted a pass down the sideline to Romano
on a fly pattern. He broke one tackle and sprinted 67 yards for the score.
Romano finished with six catches for a career-high 111 yards and Krause
was 11-for-20 passing for 179 yards.
UW-Oshkosh cut the lead to 6-3
on a 31-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald with 8:49 left and took the
lead at 10-6 with 41 seconds left in the quarter on a 20-yard pass from
Mike Budziszewski to Steve Wagner on a third-and-seven play.
UW-Stevens Point scored on its
next play after the Titans� kickoff went out-of-bounds. Krause was
flushed from the pocket and found an open Kurt Kieblock, who caught a pass
and raced down the sideline 65 yards for the lead. All five of the
Pointers� wins this season have come with comebacks in the final 15:30
of the game.
The touchdown was UW-Stevens Point's seventh this season from 65 yards or
more.
The Titans had the ball inside
the Pointers� 40-yard line three times in the final seven minutes, but
punted the first time and then Kostichka had an interception at the
11-yard line the second time. Krause was sacked on third down and Dillon
Maney had to punt out of the end zone, but blasted a 53-yard kick to the
Titans� 43-yard line.
UW-Oshkosh again drove deep
into Pointer territory and had a second-and-one play from the Pointers�
20-yard line with 40 seconds left. Budziszewski dropped back to pass and
Nick Haffele recorded a 10-yard sack for his 15th tackle of the game.
Kostichka broke up the third
down pass at the goal line down the left sideline and Flesch knocked down
the fourth down pass on the right sideline to seal the victory.
Andy Stern rushed for 92 yards
on 20 carries and Wagner caught eight passes for 83 yards to lead the
Titans. Kielblock had 53 yards on 10 carries to lead UW-Stevens Point.
The two-point game was one of only four games in the
100-game history of the series decided by two points or less, excluding
the eight ties.
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