|
| Tony Smidl kicked this game-winning FG |
Posted 10/13/07
Freshman quarterback Joe Burkeland led UW-Platteville on a 78-yard drive that led to Tony Smidl's 17-yard field goal with three seconds left, lifting UW-Platteville to a 37-34 victory over 18th-ranked UW-La Crosse Saturday at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.
Burkeland accounted for 57 of the 78 yards running the ball, as he brought the Pioneers inside the one-yard line with six seconds remaining. Smidl then kicked the game-winner.
"I knew I had 10 other guys behind me, trusting me and me trusting them to make plays," Burkeland said of the final drive.
Pressed into action after starter Michael Schmidt did not play and Saturday's starter John Akim left with injuries, Burkeland showed the poise of a veteran. "I was pretty nervous on the last whole hold," Burkeland admitted. "Otherwise, I knew I had to stay calm; that's when mistakes are made."
The win was the first in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play for the Pioneers (2-4 overall), while UW-La Crosse dropped to 0-3 in the WIAC and 2-3 overall.
Both teams were coming off heart-breaking losses, as UWP lost 34-31 at home to UW-Stevens Point last Saturday, while UW-L was beaten 31-29 on a last-minute UW-Eau Claire field goal.
Each squad showed no ill effects from the close losses and staged a fierce battle that will be seen nationwide on tape-delay basis Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Wisconsin.
"We thought going into this year there was greatness in this team, but we've had setbacks, even during the game," Pioneer Coach Mike Emendorfer said. "They're very resilient, and this showed the character of the team. We battled back and made some plays. We're playing with a third-string quarterback and some other reserves on defense. I'm very proud of this team."
 |
| Joe Burkeland scores the second of three TDs |
Burkeland ran for 151 yards and scored three first-half touchdowns, while junior running back Mike Genslinger rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown. Akim threw for 206 yards before exiting, while Tyson Droessler caught five passes for 114 yards.
The Pioneers rolled up 553 yards of offense against the Eagles.
"That wasn't really the big thing," Burkeland said of his statistics. "The win was the big thing."
Ted Everson set a new UW-La Crosse single-game receiving record with 237 yards, while Dan Hall ran for 123 yards and scored three times.
Burkeland's three touchdowns gave the Pioneers a 21-6 lead and UWP appeared to recover a fumble on the last kickoff and would have started a drive on the UW-L 26. An inadvertent whistle, however, stopped the play and forced a re-kick. The Eagles then scored on three of their next four possessions, taking a 27-24 halftime lead.
Griffin Moe hit Everson from nine yards out and Eric Donoval from 10 for touchdowns. After Smidl connected on a 25-yard field goal, Hall scored his second touchdown for La Crosse, coming with 44 seconds left in the half.
Smidl's second field goal, from 31 yards out, and Genslinger's 10-yard rushing touchdown, gave the Pioneers a 34-27 lead with 11:16 left in the game.
Hall scored his third TD with 6:39 remaining, knotting the score at 34-34.
La Crosse reached the Pioneer 37, but a four-yard tackle for loss by Ben Lusted, a holding penatly and an incomplete pass helped halt the drive.
The Pioneers took over on their 21 with 2:52 remaining, and put the game in the legs of Burkeland and Genslinger. The former had a 20-yard run on third and 11 and another 29-yard scramble, while the latter had a 19-yard run, bringing the ball to the UW-L 13. Three plays later, Smidl made the game-winner.
"That was a big win for many reasons," Emendorfer said. "For me personally, I needed that."
Related Links