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Deficit Proves Too
Big in Loss to UW-River Falls
Box Score
Finally the deficits and obstacles were just a bit
too much for the UW-Stevens Point football team.
Attempting to become the first Wisconsin
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team ever to win a conference title
after an 0-2 start and trailing late in the fourth quarter for the fourth
consecutive week, the Pointers� latest comeback effort fell just short in a
24-22 loss at UW-River Falls on Saturday.
The Pointers trailed 24-10 in fourth quarter and
scored two touchdowns, but missed both extra points. With 13:43 left in the
final quarter, Brett Borchart threw a screen pass to Dustin Robinson, who
zigzagged through the defense for a 20-yard score, cutting the lead to
24-16.
After failing on fourth down at the Falcons�
31-yard line on their next drive, the Pointers� Clint Bakken recovered a
fumble on UW-River Falls� second play to give UW-Stevens Point the ball back
with 8:43 left at the Falcons� 32-yard line. Eight plays later, Tony Romano
caught an 11-yard touchdown across the middle to cut the lead to 24-22, but
Borchart was hit moments after receiving the snap on the two-point
conversion as the deficit remained two points.
The Pointers forced UW-River Falls to punt with
5:27 left, but UW-Stevens Point could not pick up a first down and gave the
ball back to the Falcons. The Pointers used up their timeouts and UW-River
Falls faced a third-and-seven from its own 45-yard line with 3:12 left when
John Peterlik threw a 26-yard halfback option pass to Corey Strinmoen for
the Falcons� only pass completion of the game. UW-Stevens Point got the ball
back on a punt with 29 seconds left and drove to its own 41-yard line when
the game ended.
The Pointers started the day fast, recovering a
UW-River Falls on-side kick and then scoring two minutes later on a
three-yard run by Cody Childs. The Falcons rallied later in the first
quarter on a 21-yard run Nathan Anderson and a two-point conversion pass on
another halfback option from Peterlik to Strinmoen for an 8-7 lead.
Spasimir Bodurski kicked a 26-yard field goal that
put UW-River Falls ahead 11-7 at halftime. UW-Stevens Point�s John Ryan
answered with a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter, but Peterlik scored
touchdowns on runs of 30 and two yards to boost the Falcons� lead to 24-10.
UW-River Falls totaled 351 yards rushing on 71
carries, maintaining over 39 minutes of possession time. Peterlik rushed 24
times for 168 yards and Anderson, the team�s fullback, carried 31 times for
122 yards. UW-Stevens Point totaled 409 yards as Borchart was 27-for-49
passing for 307 yards, while also rushing for 65 yards on 10 carries. Romano
caught 10 passes for 109 yards. |
