RIVER FALLS, Wis. - The UW-River Falls football team honored its 2021 senior class with a 31-28 victory over UW-Platteville on Saturday afternoon during the final home game of the season.

The Falcons, now 6-2 overall, improve to 3-2 during WIAC competition. 

UWRF compiled 520 yards of total offense with a balanced offensive attack, rushing for 253 and passing for 267, compared to 318 yards of total offense from the Pioneers. The Falcons limited UWP to just four rushing yards and held the visitors to a 4-of-12 conversion rate on third downs. Meanwhile, UWRF was 6-18 on third downs and 5-8 on fourth downs.



Kole Hinrichsen, one of 19 Falcon seniors recognized, completed a season-high 29 passes for 258 yards, throwing for one touchdown and rushing in a couple. 

Each team scored twice in the first half, leading to a 14-14 halftime score. Brady Agrimson opened the scoring in the first quarter with his first career touchdown, a 32-yard reception from Hinrichsen. Agrimson finished the game with a team-high six catches for 112 yards.

Ben Beise then punched in his third rushing touchdown of the season to put the Falcons up by 14. The Pioneers answered, though, with two TD passes by the WIAC passing leader, Colin Scheutz, to tie the contest heading into the break.

In the second half, UWRF socred on its first offensive drive, a five-yard rush from Hinrichsen. On the following Pioneer drive, Kyle Burkhardt forced a fumble on a sack, recovered by Jacob Lytle, in which the Falcons turned into three more points with a Cade Henry 33-yard field goal to go up 24-14.

UWP quickly answered to trim the Falcon lead to 24-21, but the home team added another to open the fourth quarter with Hinrichsen's second rushing score of the game as the scoreboard read 31-21.

With under 10 minutes to play in regulation and Platteville driving towards the red zone, Andy Metcalf hauled in a clutch interception, his third of the season.

UWP scored once more with under a minute remaining but failed to recover an onside kick attempt and the Falcons were able to run out the clock to secure the three-point margin of victory.

Defensively, Aaron Borgerding led the team with six solo tackles along with a pass breakup. Three different Falcons recorded sacks; Dominique Turner, Jake Halsey, and Burkhardt. 

UWRF rounds out its WIAC schedule up next with a pair of road matchup at UW-Stout and UW-Oshkosh, starting next Saturday in Menomonie against the Blue Devils.