RIVER FALLS, Wis. - The No. 7/8-ranked UW-River Falls football team opened its 2024 home schedule with a 66-7 win over Greenville University from Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.
The Falcons, now 2-0 overall, earned a victory during their home opener for the sixth consecutive season. Last year, the Falcons upset No. 3-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor.
A strong start guided the Falcons to victory, scoring 35 points in the first quarter alone, followed by another 21 in the second half to claim a 56-0 halftime lead. UWRF added another 10 in the second half before the Panthers found the end zone late in regulation to break the shutout.
The Falcons scored on each of their offensive drive opportunities in the entire first half, compiling six offensive touchdowns. In addition, the Falcons scored once on defense and another on special teams, including a
Cade Schmidt 28-yard interception return to open the scoring early on and an
Aaron Borgerding return for a score after picking up a
Gage Timm blocked punt in the second quarter.
Jake Barnard and
Trevor Asher both scored their first touchdowns as a Falcon, just two of nine Falcons in the scoring column on the day.
Cade Fitzgerald earned his first start at quarterback and had 179 yards of total offense, headlined by a 79-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, one of his two rushing scores to go with his three passing touchdowns. His quarterback cohort
Ben Wesolowski added 83 passing yards and a game-high 117 rushing yards.
Defensively, UWRF limited the Panthers to under 200 yards of total offense, tallying 11 tackles for loss with two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Cade Schmidt led the way with eight tackles while
Ian Gould had three tackles for loss and a sack that forced a fumble.
Up next, the Falcons close out their non-conference schedule at Mount St. Joseph next Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio.
