|
Falcons' Ball
Control Offense Stifles Pointers
Box Score
UW-River Falls� ball control offense mounted long
scoring drives and kept the ball away from UW-Stevens Point for most of the
game as the Falcons handed the Pointers their third straight conference loss
with a 20-17 decision on Saturday in River Falls.
The Pointers outgained the Falcons 383-330 for the
game, but UW-River Falls had the ball for 36:28 of the game�s 60 minutes as
the Falcons rushed for 217 yards and held the Pointers to 91 yards on the
ground for the victory.
UW-Stevens Point, which beat the Falcons on a
fourth quarter touchdown last year, nearly pulled off the comeback win again
this year, but a fourth down pass was stopped short of a first down at
midfield with 2:55 left and UW-River Falls was able to run out the clock.
Falcons� quarterback Jeremy Wolff led the rushing
attack with 17 carries for 121 yards. Wolff finished off a 14-play, 75-yard
drive on the first play of the second quarter with the game�s first score on
a four-yard touchdown run. A 44-yard punt return by Shane Hanson set up the
Falcons on their next possession at the Pointers� 33-yard line and Wolff
threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Josh Grover for a 14-0 lead.
UW-Stevens Point came back with two solid drives
to end the half, driving 77 yards in eight plays and getting a one-yard
touchdown run by Cody Childs. The Pointers got the ball back with 2:11 left
in the half and drove 88 yards in 12 plays, but ran out of time at the
Falcons� six-yard line and settled for a 25-yard field goal by Ryan Graboski
to trail 14-10 at the half.
Pointers� defensive lineman Brad Vickroy had a
pair of key third-down stops inside the 10-yard line that held the Falcons
to two Spasimir Bodurski field goals, keeping UW-Stevens Point within 20-10
after three quarters.
After an interception by Brett Hirsch early in the
fourth quarter, the Pointers drove 80 yards in 10 plays and scored when
quarterback Brett Borchart scrambled 10 yards for a touchdown on a
third-and-nine play with 7:37 remaining.
Wolff rushed for two first downs on the Falcons�
next possession before Lincoln Berg came up with a tackle for loss on fourth
down to force a punt. The Pointers took over on their own 17-yard line with
3:35 left and got 16-yard run from Borchart on first down. After three
incomplete passes, Borchart connected with Jack Marx, who was tackled two
yards short of the first down.
Borchart finished with 292 yards on 24-for-40
passing and also led the Pointers in rushing with 10 carries for 47 yards.
Brad Kalsow had a career-high eight catches for 93 yards. Beau DeBruin added
80 yards rushing on 23 carries for UW-River Falls. |
