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| Brandon Willger scores this TD |
Posted 10/6/07
UW-Platteville was stopped on fourth down on UW-Stevens Point's 39 in the final minute, and the Pointers beat the Pioneers 34-31 Saturday in front of 3,284 Homecoming fans at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.
The Pioneers started their drive from the 29 with 3:02 to play behind backup quarterback John Akim, pressed into action after Michael Schmidt and Joe Burkeland were forced out of the game. The senior, who began his career as a quarterback, then moved to linebacker before coming back to the QB position this fall, took the Pioneers to the the 39, but his fourth down pass just missed Tyson Droessler in the flat.
The Pointers ran out the clock and extended NCAA III's second-longest winning streak to nine games. UWSP is 5-0 this year and 2-0 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Pioneers fell to 1-4, 0-2.
The Pointers' Jake Swank threw four touchdown passes, including three first-half scores to Brad Kalsow, and ran for another, helping UWSP win its 17th straight against UWP.
The Pioneers took a quick 10-0 lead as Tony Smidl drilled a 38-yard field goal, and one play later, linebacker Brandon Willger picked up a fumble and scored from five yards out.
The visitors went ahead on two jump-ball fade passes from Swank to Kalsow, the former basketball player, from 3 and 5 yards out. The Pioneers re-gained the lead on the freshman Burkeland's 11-yard screen pass to junior Nick Grosso, the first career TDs for either player.
After Kalsow caught a nine-yard scoring pass from Swank, Schmidt hit a wide-open Joey Martin for his first career score, coming with 14 seconds left in the half. The score was set up when Mike Genslinger completed a 40-yard halfback option pass to Dan Schwartz. The Pioneers, who have now scored in the final minutes of the first half in all five games, took the 24-21 advantage in the locker room at halftime.
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| Nick Grosso caught 5 passes |
Swank scored on a 10-yard keeper in the third quarter and hit Jared Jenkins on a 66-yard screen pass for a score early in the fourth for a 34-24 lead.
Akim guided the Pioneers on a seven-play, 68-yard drive, culminating in a Genslinger three-yard TD with 8:52 to play. The Pioneers, however, were stopped on downs on the Pointer 36 and then the 39 in the final five minutes.
Swank completed 25 of 37 passes, including 10 for 159 yards, to Jenkins. Kalsow finished with 72 yards on eight receptions. The Pioneer defense held Mike Ferron, who gained 199 against UW-River Falls last week, to 62 yards on 29 carries.
Akim threw for 98 yards, Schmidt 51, Burkeland 19 and Genslinger 40. Genslinger gained 63 rushing yards, while Burkeland ran for 52, as the Pioneers gained 365 yards to the Pointers' 390. Matt Eatlick paced the Pioneers with 11 tackles, while Chris Genslinger and Chris Booze each had seven.
The Pioneers play host to UW-La Crosse Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Fox Sports Wisconsin game of the week.
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