Aunton Terry caught three fourth-quarter touchdowns in last year's 21-14 Pioneer win over the Beavers.

Posted August 3, 2009

By Paul Erickson

UW-Platteville and Buena Vista will display both their similarities and differences when the Beavers make their first-ever visit to Pioneer Stadium for the 2009 season opener Sept. 5 at 1 p.m.

Both teams return plenty of experience defenders from outstanding units last season, but the offensive differences are striking. BVU returns Cory Donscheski, who gained all-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors last year after rushing for 913 yards and 12 touchdowns, but lost all-IIAC quarterback Matt Pearey and two of the top three receivers. The Pioneers return three players (Joe Burkeland, Mitch Shadley, and Jake Wiederholt) who have quarterbacked at least one victory as well as all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference receivers Aunton Terry and Paul Pridemore, but must replace three-time all-conference running back Mike Genslinger.

The contrast of styles should make for an entertaining game in the opener at 10,000-seat Pioneer Stadium. It is also Student Appreciation Day, where students can win scholarships, dining dollars and housing discounts.

The Pioneers are coming off a 4-6 mark, while the Beavers were 7-3. UWP came from behind to beat Buena Vista 21-14 in last year's meeting in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Six of the top 11 tacklers return from a BVU unit that led the Iowa Conference and ranked 12th in the NCAA III by allowing 14.4 points per game. Alan Bladt recorded a team-best 72 tackles, including 13 for losses, in his freshman year, and fellow linebacker Ben Hansen earned honorable mention all-IIAC honors after making 66 tackles for Jay Anderson, who earned IIAC Coach of the Year honors. Eric Bertleson, who found the end zone on five of his 22 catches, was listed as a senior in 2008 but now plans to use his final year in 2009.

All-WIAC second team picks Quincy Hudson (5 interceptions) and Tim Stephenson (7 sacks) key the defense for 11th-year Pioneer Coach Mike Emendorfer. In beating UW-Oshkosh 28-0 and UW-River Falls 7-0 , the Pioneer defense recorded back-to-back WIAC shutout wins for the first time since 1950.