Pioneers roll to 12th straight opening-day win

UW-Platteville ran its season-opening streak to 12 straight years under Coach Mike Emendorfer, winning 31-2 Saturday at Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Nick Anderson threw three first-half touchdown passes, and Tommy Magna returned an interception 37 yards for a third-quarter score for the Pioneers.

The defense held the Beaver offense without a score, recorded nine sacks and forced seven turnovers. Magna had two interceptions, Gabe Epting had one, and the Pioneers recovered four fumbles.

The Pioneers forged a 14-0 first-quarter lead on a pair of Anderson short touchdown passes, seven yards to Travis Nelson and a four-yard toss to Jake Wiederholt. The first was set up by a blocked punt, and the second on a 56-yard Anderson-to-Paul Pridemore pass.

Anderson, who threw two touchdowns in his five starts last year, connected on his third of the day in the second quarter, hitting Lee Vlasak over the middle for 32 yards.

Freshman kicker Zach Litchfield, who made all four of his extra points, converted a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Magna scored on a 37-yard interception return on the next Beaver possession.

One play after making a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers were stopped in the end zone for a safety. The final 31-2 score was the first time a UWP opponent finished with two points since the Pioneers beat Superior 20-2 in 1975.

Nick Snyder led the defensive effort with 13 tackles, including four for losses. Broc Kundert, Cody Weber, and Corey Marks all had multiple sacks.

The sophomore Anderson, now 4-2 as a Pioneer starter, finished 10-20 for 157 yards, while Beavers' QB Bo Darrow was 21-53 for 295 yards but picked off three times.

The Pioneers make their home debut Saturday at 6 p.m. against another Iowa Conference foe, when the University of Dubuque comes to Butch Leitl Field at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. The Spartans beat Rockford College 41-7 in their opener Sept. 2.