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Freshman Quarterback Ryan Kusilek set new UWRF single-season records for completions and attempts as the football team fell 38-17 to La Crosse on Saturday at Ramer Field. The Eagles jumped to a 24-3 halftime lead behind quarterback Andy Sires throwing for a season-best 322 yards and four scores.

His counterpart, Kusilek, completed 22 of 41 passes for 232 yards and a pair of second half touchdowns. Kusilek now has 203 completions and 358 attempts on the year - each surpassing the previous school records set by Storm Harmon in 2007. The record setting completion was the final one of the day for Kusilek as he found Nathan Brandt in the corner of the end zone for a score.

Brandt, the top pass-catcher in the WIAC, hauled in five more receptions for 78 yards and the late score. His 64 catches and 588 yards in 2012 each rank as the third best season in school history - behind only Michael Zweifel's 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Jake Ryan caught the other Falcon touchdown as he set a career high with 103 yards receiving on six catches. It was the first 100-yard receiving game of Ryan's career.

La Crosse jumped to a 17-0 lead as they converted on a few long plays early. The opening score was set up after converting a third-and-16 in Falcon territory. A few series later, a fourth-and-six conversion extended the Eagles drive - resulting in a touchdown and a 17-0 lead. With the clock winding down before halftime, on third-and-15, Sires found Jake Gundlach for a 47-yard score with 11 seconds remaining in the half to give the Eagles a three-score lead.

The Falcons defense entered the game as one of the best in the league getting into the backfield. Ranked 31st in the nation in sacks, the Falcons added six more on Saturday. Jacob Mandoza led the way with 2.5 sacks and a career best 13 tackles. Nate Smits leads the WIAC with six sacks and andded one more on Saturday for a 12-yard-loss.

Mandoza's 2.5 stops behind the line was part of 13 for the Falcons - who rank 37th in the nation in tackles-for-loss. Lincoln Bjorklund and Alex Hohenstein had two apiece. While Nick Zimmerman# set a career-high with 12 tackles inlcuding 0.5 stops behind the line.

Cole Sirek was a part of both turnovers for the defense, recovering a fumble created by Mandoza in the second quarter and then picked off a pass on the first possession of the third.

The WIAC's top kick returner, Robbie Flom had the best game of his career returning five kicks for 173 yards including a 45 and 56-yard return.

The loss drops the Falcons to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the WIAC, while the Eagles move to 4-5 overall.

The Falcons final game is next Saturday as they travel to Eau Claire. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. at Carson Park.

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