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Early Turnovers
Hamper Pointers in Loss to Eagles
Box Score
Four UW-Stevens Point turnovers in the first half
helped UW-La Crosse take an early lead and proceed to a 36-14 victory over
the Pointers Saturday at Goerke Field.
 It was the Pointers� second game against a highly
ranked national opponent as the ninth-ranked Eagles got three touchdowns
from junior Dan Hall. UW-Stevens Point lost its opening game to 11th-ranked
Hardin-Simmons on Sept. 2.
The loss was only UW-Stevens Point�s second in the
20-year history of the Spud Bowl, which is the Pointers� annual event
recognizing the area�s potato industry. The Eagles have also now handed
UW-Stevens Point a loss in the conference opener five of the past six years.
The Eagles took control on the very first play of
the game when Gabe Piloczewski recovered a UW-Stevens Point fumble at the
10-yard line on the opening kickoff. Two plays later, Hall scored from four
yards out as UW-La Crosse led just 34 seconds into the game.
Following an interception by Jacob Buswell on the
Pointers� next possession, the Eagles added another touchdown on a 48-yard
pass from John Schumann to Eric Kettenhofen on a third-and-14 play to lead
14-0 only 3:25 into the contest.
UW-La Crosse nearly added another touchdown after
a first quarter turnover, but the Pointers made a huge defensive stand as
Brandon Czys made a tackle for loss on a fourth-and-one play from the
three-yard line. Czys had a huge defensive game for the Pointers with 12
solo tackles and 14 total tackles for the game.
The momentum carried over to the Pointers�
offense, which broke through with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped
by a seven-yard run by Brett Borchart (pictured, above) midway through the second quarter.
However, the Eagles answered on their following possession as Hall sprinted
around the right side of the line and scored from 17 yards out for a 21-7
lead that stood at halftime. Steve Teeples and Drew Kiefer also had first
half interceptions for the Eagles.
UW-La Crosse went 80 yards in seven plays to open
the second half as Hall finished the drive with his third touchdown on a
two-yard dive. Mike Schmidt caught a two-point conversion on a botched snap
as the Eagles went ahead 29-7. They added another touchdown on their next
possession as Chris Johnson caught a five-yard pass from Schumann.
Cody Childs finished off a 15-yard, 76-yard drive
for the Pointers with a one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter
for UW-Stevens Point�s final scoring. Childs totaled 76 yards rushing on 18
carries and also caught three passes for 54 yards. Borchart was 15-for-31
passing for 164 yards and also rushed six times for 51 yards.
Hall rushed for 53 yards on nine carries for the
Eagles. Schumann finished 17-for-27 passing for 235 yards as the Eagles
totaled 397 yards. |
