PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The No. 6-ranked UW-River Falls football team fell 42-0 against No. 3 UW-Platteville Saturday afternoon at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. The loss moves the Falcons to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in WIAC play, while the Pioneers improve to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference action.
The contest marked the return of quarterback
Peter McDevitt, who had been sidelined for the past several games due to an early-season injury. McDevitt returned under center for the Falcons, completing four passes for 28 yards while facing a strong Pioneer defensive front.
UW-Platteville opened the scoring late in the first quarter, capping an eight-play, 77-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Uselding to Kristian Gavric. The Pioneers extended their lead less than two minutes later when Blake Bangtson broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run, giving the Pioneers a 14-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The Falcons put together their longest drive of the afternoon spanning the first and second quarters, moving 27 yards on nine plays. McDevitt connected with
Jaylen Johnson and
TJ Washtock Jr. for gains of seven yards each, helping UWRF advance into Pioneer territory before the drive stalled.
UW-Platteville added another touchdown midway through the second quarter on a 21-yard connection between Uselding and Jaxson Garbisch, extending its lead to 21-0. The Falcons' defense responded with a key stop late in the half, as
Jared Schultz intercepted Uselding in the end zone to prevent another Pioneer scoring opportunity.
The Pioneers built their advantage in the second half, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run from Zackary Bothun in the third quarter before adding two passing touchdowns in the fourth to secure the 42-0 victory.
Defensively,
Noah Nusbaum led the Falcons with a game-high 16 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. Schultz followed with 10 tackles, one sack for a loss of 12 yards, and an interception.
Nolan Israelson added eight tackles, while
Darioh Balisidya and
Taylor Sussner each finished with seven.
The Falcons generated a turnover on special teams in the third quarter when
Joel Humphrey forced a fumble on a Pioneer punt return, which
Jake Barnard recovered. The recovery gave UWRF possession at its own 35-yard line, although the Falcons were unable to capitalize.
Offensively,
Ashten Quade led the Falcons on the ground with 10 rushing yards on five carries, while Barnard added nine yards. Quade, Washtock Jr., Johnson and
Austin Rush each recorded a reception in the passing game.
UW-Platteville finished with 471 yards of total offense compared to 21 for UW-River Falls. The Pioneers held a 40:42 to 19:18 advantage in time of possession and converted 11 of 16 third-down opportunities. The Falcons' defense finished with five tackles for loss, one sack and two takeaways.
The Falcons will look to regroup following Saturday's road contest as they continue WIAC play against UW-Eau Claire this upcoming weekend in River Falls.
