EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The No. 10-ranked UW-River Falls football team put together an all-around performance on Saturday afternoon at Carson Park, rolling to a 73-21 victory over UW-Eau Claire.
The Falcons, now 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC with their third win in a row, scored on their first four possessions of the game to lead 28-0 through one quarter, compiling 633 yards of total offense and limiting the Blugolds to just 16 rushing yards.
UWRF's 73 points marks the program's highest total against the Blugolds in the series history, along with UWRF's fifth win in a row over UWEC.
Quarterback Kaleb Blaha's passing game was flawless, completing 17-of-17 attempts for 195 yards and three touchdowns, while adding a rushing score - which tied a UWRF program record with his 51st career touchdown. He tied UWRF & WIAC Hall of Famer Greg Corning (1984-87).
Blaha found Jake Hilton for a 51-yard strike, Trevor Asher for a 23-yard touchdown, and Austin Rush for an 11-yard score in the first half as UWRF raced out to a 42-0 advantage.
The Falcons' ground attack was also strong, amassing 341 rushing yards (second most this season) and six touchdowns. Cade Fitzgerald led the way with 136 yards, including a 50-yard rushing score. Jaylen Reed, Jake Barnard, and Frank Daniels also found the end zone on the ground, including a pair from Daniels in the fourth quarter - the freshman's first two touchdowns as a Falcon. Reed added 93 all-purpose yards, including a 32-yard touchdown in the opening quarter.
After a 21-point surge by the Blugolds in the second frame to cut the UWRF lead to 41-21 at halftime, UWRF responded by outscoring Eau Claire 31-0 in the final 30 minutes. A blocked punt returned six yards for a touchdown by Taylor Sussner highlighted the second-half effort and kicker Justin Scheberl added a 20-yard field goal and went a perfect 10-for-10 on PATs.
Defensively, the Falcons limited Eau Claire to 4.7 yards per play, forcing an interception by Andre Hall (his third of the season) and recording four tackles for loss. Conner Preston led the unit with five tackles, while Beau Schrot tallied the team's lone sack.
UW-River Falls returns home next Saturday, Nov. 1, to host nationally ranked UW-Whitewater at Ramer Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
