RIVER FALLS, Wis. — The No. 7-ranked and NCAA Division III defending national champion UW-River Falls football team opened the 2026 season in emphatic fashion Thursday evening, racing out to a 35-0 first-quarter lead before defeating Southern Virginia University 73-7 at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.
The victory marked the first career head coaching win for interim head coach Jake Wissing, who guided the Falcons to a dominant season-opening performance on both sides of the ball.
The Falcons finished the night with 526 yards of total offense, including 290 through the air and 236 on the ground. UWRF scored on nine of its 13 possessions that reached the opponent's side of the field and held Southern Virginia to 172 yards of total offense. UWRF's 73 points scored is the most since the Falcons twice scored 75 points on two occasions during the 2023 season.
Quarterback Peter McDevitt led the offensive attack in his Falcon debut, completing 13 of 15 passes for 231 yards and five touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown as the Falcons built a commanding advantage early.
UWRF needed just three plays on its opening possession to take the lead. McDevitt connected with Ben Wesolowski for a 25-yard touchdown with 13:52 remaining in the first quarter. After forcing a Southern Virginia punt, the Falcons drove 38 yards in seven plays, with McDevitt scoring on a two-yard keeper to make it 14-0.
The Falcons continued to capitalize on their opportunities. After Southern Virginia turned the ball over on downs, McDevitt found Jonah Mallberg for a 32-yard touchdown at the 6:31 mark, with the drive kept alive by a fourth-down conversion.
Austin Rush then gave UWRF its fourth touchdown of the opening quarter, hauling in a 35-yard scoring pass from McDevitt with 4:52 remaining. Following a blocked Southern Virginia punt by Andre Hall, McDevitt connected with Jeremy Sherlock for a 28-yard touchdown to cap the five-touchdown opening period, Sherlock's first career score.
Rush added his second touchdown of the night early in the second quarter, catching a 29-yard pass from McDevitt to push the lead to 42-0. Ashten Quade followed with a three-yard touchdown run, and Cade Fitzgerald added a 13-yard rushing score as the Falcons took a 56-0 advantage into halftime.
The Falcons continued to add to their lead in the second half. Trevor Asher scored on a seven-yard run with 12:02 remaining in the third quarter, giving UWRF a 63-0 advantage.
Southern Virginia answered with its lone score of the evening when Marcus Price connected with Jax Vanchiere for a 62-yard touchdown pass with 7:22 left in the third. Quade responded less than four minutes later with a 28-yard touchdown run, his second rushing score of the game.
Landon Huber provided the final points of the night with a 32-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter. Johnny Figgins went 9-for-9 on PAT attempts and compiled 454 yards on seven kickoffs, including four touchbacks.
UWRF's ground game accounted for 236 yards, led by Asher's 68 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries. Quade added 51 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, while TJ Washtock Jr. also rushed for 51 yards on six attempts.
Rush was McDevitt's top receiving target, finishing with three receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Nolan Israelson led the Falcons with eight tackles. Bradley Arndorfer and Noah Nusbaum each recorded six tackles, while Nusbaum added two tackles for loss. Cayden Kershaw and Ethan Perkins each recorded a sack, with Kershaw also registering two tackles for loss.
The Falcons held Southern Virginia to 24 rushing yards on 41 attempts and limited the Knights to just 10 first downs. UWRF converted five of nine third-down opportunities while Southern Virginia went 1-for-16.
Up next, UWRF (1-0, 0-0 WIAC) will travel to face nationally ranked Coe College next Saturday, Sept. 12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
