The UW-River Falls football team will compete on the nation's biggest stage for the first time in program history when the Falcons face reigning national champion North Central College in the NCAA Division III Stagg Bowl on Sunday, Jan. 4, in Canton, Ohio.
UW-RIVER FALLS (13-1, 6-1 WIAC) VS. NORTH CENTRAL (14-0, 9-0 CCIW)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 4
Time: 8 p.m. (ET)
Site: Canton, Ohio //
Hall of Fame Stadium
Television: ESPN // Jay Alter (PXP), Rocky Boiman (Analyst), Madison Fitzpatrick (Reporter)
Radio: 95.7 FM St. Croix Country
WSCM and 107.5 WLAK | Audio stream on
MinnesotaScore or Civic Media App // Wally Langfellow (PXP), Cartrell Cooper (Analyst)
TICKET & FAN INFORMATION
- General admission tickets are $25 plus taxes and fees. Discounted general admission tickets are available for students of each school and for military members at $15 plus taxes and fees.
- (There is no designated "UWRF section" for general admission seating)
- Club seats are $45 plus taxes and fees and include reserved outdoor seating with access to the indoor club area.
- Ticket sales will be available at the Hall of Fame Stadium box office starting at 5 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Jan. 4.
- Know Before You Go (Fan Guide & Accessibility Services)
THE SERIES
- Sunday's game marks the first ever meeting between UW-River Falls and North Central College.
THE ROAD TO CANTON
- The Falcons are riding a 10-game winning streak amid a historic postseason run, most recently defeating Johns Hopkins University 48-41 on Saturday, Dec. 20, in the NCAA semifinals to advance to the National Championship game for the first time in program history.
- UWRF's appearance in this year's NCAA Division III playoffs marked just the program's second-ever NCAA postseason appearance.
- The Falcons won the WIAC Championship outright for the first time since 1985 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason, receiving a first-round bye before defeating Chapman University 58-7 in the second round on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Ramer Field - the first playoff home game in UWRF history.
- Following the program's first NCAA playoff win since 1995, the Falcons defeated Saint John's 42-14 in the third round and Wheaton College 46-21 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals for the first time in program history.
- The Falcons are now 5-2 all-time in the NCAA Division III postseason.
BLAHA NAMED GAGLIARDI FINALIST
- Senior quarterback Kaleb Blaha was named one of five finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, recognizing the most outstanding player in NCAA Division III.
- Blaha is the nation's leader with 5,770 yards of total offense this season, which recently broke an NCAA Division III single-season record after he accumulated 550 yards on Saturday, Dec. 20 in the NCAA semifinal win over Johns Hopkins University, also setting a UWRF single-game record for passing yards with 520.
- In addition, he leads the country with 4,680 passing yards, 336 points responsible for, and ranks among the top four with 27.7 completions per game, 40 passing touchdowns, and 334.3 rushing yards per game.
- Blaha has rewritten the UWRF Football record books. While entering the 2025 season as the program's all-time leader in total offense, this season he's set single season records in pass completions, passing touchdowns, passing yards, and total offense. He also became the record holder in career scoring and passing yards.
- Additionally, he broke WIAC single season records for pass completions and total offense.
FALCONS RACK UP ALL-AMERICA HONORS
- UWRF has earned a total of eight All-America honors during the 2025 season, highlighted most recently by Kaleb Blaha and Gage Timm becoming the first Walter Camp Foundation All-Americans in UWRF history. Before that team was announced, the trio of Blaha, Timm, and DJ Fox were named D3football.com All-Americans. The three selections marked the most D3football.com All-Americans in a single season in program history.
- The duo of Blaha & Timm were also named All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press, along with Blaha named the AP National Offensive Player of the Year.
- They were also tabbed as the WIAC and D3football.com Region 6 Offensive & Defensive Players of the Year.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Falcons advanced to the Stagg Bowl with a thrilling 48-41 over Johns Hopkins University on Saturday, Dec. 20 at Ramer Field in the NCAA Semifinals. UWRF outlasted the Blue Jays in a back-and-forth contest that featured six lead changes and was not decided until the final minute.
- Johns Hopkins tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a 94-yard drive, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. After forcing a stop, the Falcons took possession with under a minute remaining and delivered the game's defining moment when Kaleb Blaha connected with Blake Rohrer down the sideline for a 79-yard go-ahead touchdown. On the ensuing Blue Jay drive during JHU's final chance to come back with just 42 seconds left in regulation, Brady Block picked off Bay Harvey's past attempt on the first play to seal the win.
- Senior quarterback Kaleb Blaha delivered one of the most prolific performances in program history, completing 30-of-48 passes for a UWRF single-game record 520 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a score. Blaha spread the ball to eight different receivers, leading an offense that amassed 632 total yards. With his rushing and passing total, Blaha reached 5,770 yards of total offense on the season to break an NCAA Division III single-season record, previously set by Joe Callahan of Wesley College, as he accumulated 5,466 yards in 2015. UWRF's previous single-game record for passing yards was set by Ben Beckman in 2019, with a total of 493 versus UW-La Crosse.
- Blake Rohrer turned in a career afternoon, hauling in nine receptions for 236 yards and three touchdowns, including the decisive 79-yard score with 45 seconds remaining. He reached 1,111 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns on the year - both breaking UWRF single-season records.
- Rohrer passed Michael Zweifel's previous record total of 1,056 receiving yards during the 2007 season, and broke Mason Van Zeeland's (2022) and Andy Groebner's (2021) shared record receiving touchdown total of 10.
TOP GUN DISTRIBUTION
- UWRF's fast-paced "Top Gun Offense" leads NCAA Division III with 564.1 yards of total offense per game and has produced 424 total first downs.
- The Falcons feature one of the nation's most balanced attacks, averaging 47.0 points per game (5th nationally) with production spread across multiple positions.
FALCON NOTES CONTINUED
- With the most recent win over Johns Hopkins, UWRF improved to 13-1 overall, continuing the program record for wins in a season.
- In the NCAA playoff second round win over Chapman, UWRF established a program record with 10 wins. UWRF previously had four nine-win seasons in 1979, 1995, 1996, and 2021.
- The Falcons were ranked as high as No. 3 by D3football.com this season, the highest in program history.
- UWRF turned in an undefeated 9-0 record at home this season and maintains a 14-0 record at Ramer Field since 2023.
- For the first time in program history since 1988, the Falcons this year defeated UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse in the same season.
- Defensively, UWRF is the Division III leader with 37 turnovers gained and 27 interceptions.
- The Falcons have caused at least one turnover in 10 games in a row and all but two games this season, including six turnovers forced against Chapman in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.
- Freshman defensive back Taylor Sussner, the WIAC Newcomer of the Year, leads the team with six interceptions (T-3rd/NCAA), and leads DIII with five fumble recoveries.
- Behind Sussner, 10 other Falcons have at least one interception this season, including four each from Andre Hall and Peter Ladu, and three each from Jared Schultz and Trent Cherry.
- Senior kicker Justin Scheberl, who finished the regular season as the WIAC leader in made field goals and PATs, has set UWRF single-season records this year with 13 made field goals and 83 made PATs. The program's all-time leader in made PATs, he ranks seventh nationally with an .867 field goal percentage and 14th with 122 total points scored.
