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Wild Comeback
Falls Just Short for Pointers
Courtesy of UW-Eau Claire Sports Information
Box Score
EAU CLAIRE - The 18th-ranked UW-Eau Claire football team
held a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and barely held off a
furious Stevens Point rally, as the 15th-ranked Pointers missed a game-tying
point after attempt with 1:10 remaining in the game to give the Blugolds a
28-27 victory here today at Carson Park.
The win moves the Blugold to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play while the Pointers fall
to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in WIAC action. Eau Claire has now won three of the
last five contests against the Pointers after dropping 12 straight games
before that.
The Blugolds got the scoring started on the first drive of
the game, marching 74 yards on 10 plays for the touchdown. Nels Fredrickson
hit Darin Kryzanowski for a 15-yard touchdown pass to finish the drive. Joe
Gast kept the drive alive on third-and-eight with a 28-yard run down the
right sideline. Neither team was able to get anything going the rest of the
quarter as the Blugolds took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
Eau Claire struck again early in the quarter as Gast broke
through for a one-yard touchdown run. Fredrickson threw for 47 yards on the
drive to set up the score. After another Pointer punt, the Blugolds drove 79
yards on 11 plays for their third touchdown of the day. On fourth-and-five
from the Pointer 45-yard line, Eau Claire coach Todd Hoffner reached back in
the playbook and called for a fake punt. Punter Mitch Schaeuble rolled to
his left after receiving the snap and hit Tony Hull for the first down
to keep the drive alive. Two plays later Fredrickson found Hull for a
35-yard touchdown strike. The point-after was no good but the Blugolds
carried a 20-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Fredrickson threw for
236 yards in the half while Gast carried the ball 16 times for 86 yards and
a touchdown.
The Pointers climbed back into the game on the first drive
of the second half, marching 77 yards on 12 plays to make the score 20-7.
Brett Borchart threw a 21-yard touchdown pass for the score. The Blugolds
responded five minutes later, when Gast started the drive with a 35-yard
scamper. Two plays later Fredrickson went deep for Kryzanowski, who hauled
in the pass for a 53-yard gain. Fredrickson found Matt Evensen a six-yard
touchdown pass two plays later and then converted the two-point conversion
with his legs to make the score 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Pointers continued to battle and came within two
touchdowns on a Borchart touchdown run from seven yards out to make the
score 28-14. Stevens Point converted a fourth-and-five to keep the drive
alive. Exactly three minutes later the Pointers made it a one score game,
when they went 79 yards on just five plays. Borchart completed passes of 40
and 20 yards on the drive to make the score 28-21.
On the ensuing drive, the Blugolds drove to the Pointer
eight-yard line, looking to put the game away. Eau Claire appeared to get in
the end zone but a pass interference call against the Blugolds negated the
touchdown. On the very next play Fredrickson coughed the ball up, giving
Stevens Point 2:49 to tie the game.
The Pointer offense went to work and drove 87 yards on eight
plays for a touchdown. Borchart hooked up with Tony Romano for a 28-yard
touchdown strike, which appeared to tie the game. Pointer kicker John Ryan�s
extra-point attempt was wide right, however, leaving Stevens Point one point
behind. Eau Claire needed one first down to end the game but the Pointer
defense held firm and used all three timeouts, giving them 33 seconds for a
game-winning drive. This time it was the Blugold defense that held, stopping
the Pointers and grabbing a 28-27 victory in thrilling fashion.
Gast rushed 33 times for a career-high 159 yards and a
touchdown. His previous career-high was 135 yards which he did twice,
including last week. Fredrickson went 24-of-36 for 355 yards, a new
career-high for him as well. His previous high was 337 yards, last season
against La Crosse. The Blugolds had three wide receivers with more than 100
yards. Evensen caught seven passes for 122 yards while Kryzanowski and Hull
each had 107 receiving yards on the day. All three receivers grabbed a
touchdown pass. |
