UWSP Football

After earning all five victories this season in comeback fashion, UW-Stevens Point dug the hole too deep Saturday afternoon and suffered its worst loss in two seasons with a 37-13 loss to UW-Stout in Menomonie.

The Pointers trailed 23-13 at halftime, but were unable to overcome the Blue Devils in the second half in a matchup between two of the five teams tied atop the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference entering the game. The contest also featured the preseason favorites in the WIAC.

UW-Stout gained 504 total yards, including 276 yards in the first half, while UW-Stevens Point managed 298 yards against a Blue Devils� defense that ranks fifth in the NCAA Division III.

The Pointers took the early lead, driving 79 yards in 10 plays after a missed UW-Stout field goal. Scott Krause finished the drive by hitting freshman LaRon Ragsdale for his first career catch from 22 yards out for a 7-0 lead. Ragsdale would finish the day with four catches for a team-high 85 yards.

UW-Stout countered on the final play of the first quarter when quarterback Nick Ohman plunged in from two yards out. Ohman added another score on the Blue Devils� next drive, bootlegging around the left side and finding a wide-open field to run 40 yards for a touchdown and gain a 12-7 lead.

The Blue Devils made one of the game�s biggest plays with 6:13 left in the half when J.J. Chaudoir fielded a UW-Stout punt and fumbled the ball after a big hit by Jordan Sinz. Jake Rider recovered for the Blue Devils and two plays later, Ohman found Julio Vargas for a 16-yard touchdown and Dan Austin for a two-point conversion and a 20-7 lead.

UW-Stevens Point gained possession with 1:19 left in the half when Krause passed to Kurt Kieblock across the middle for 58 yards and then hit Ross Adamczak for a 10-yard touchdown with 53 seconds left. Krause finished with a solid day, connecting on 18 of 27 passes for 234 yards, while also rushing for 41 yards to account for 275 of the Pointers� 298 total yards.

However, the Blue Devils drove 47 yards in the final minute for a 38-yard field goal by Evan Larsen to take a 23-13 halftime lead. Ohman completed three passes and rushed for 21 yards on the drive. The sophomore quarterback had a huge day with 233 yards on 22-for-33 passing and 125 yards rushing on 11 carries.

UW-Stevens Point had just five possessions in the second half with two resulting in failed fourth down plays inside the Blue Devils� 20-yard line. UW-Stout controlled the ball for 18 minutes of the second half and took a 30-13 lead midway through the third quarter when Ohman eluded a sack, scrambled around the right side of the line and lateraled to Ryan Englebert, who sprinted 48 yards for a touchdown. Englebert had 88 yards on 15 carries for the day.

The Blue Devils added a fourth quarter touchdown when Ohman hit Matt Schaeuble for a seven-yard touchdown pass. It marked the first time the Pointers have been shutout in the second half in 20 games and their worst defeat since a 49-20 loss to UW-River Falls on Oct. 7, 2000. UW-Stout ran 80 plays in the game, compared to just 57 for the Pointers.

UW-Stout is now in a three-way tie with UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire for first place in the WIAC. UW-Stevens Point hosts UW-Platteville next Saturday and needs wins in its final two games and losses by UW-Stout and UW-La Crosse to gain a share of the WIAC title.