Football primed for the Battle of the Bridge

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville football is opening its home slate at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium just under three month after a EF2 tornado tore through Pioneer Stadium on June 16, 2014. The Pioneers host Dubuque for the Battle of the Bridge 

• Last week, UW-Platteville throttled Buena Vista, 63-3, winning its 16 consecutive season opener. The Pioneer defense forced six turnovers, while the offense racked up 531 yards of total offense. 

• UW-Platteville is ranked eighth in the first week of the D3football.com poll.

• The Spartans were picked to finish second in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC), behind defending league champions Wartburg. 

• Dubuque dropped its home opener to UW-La Crosse, 24-8, for UD's first season opening loss since 2006 when UD was upended by UW-Platteville, 34-20. The Spartans coughed up the ball  in their first three possessions, as UWL was spotted the ball inside UD's 35-yard line in four of the Eagles first five possessions. UD ended up with a total of six turnovers. 

Pioneers Dominating the IIAC

Since the creation of the Iowa Intercollegiate conference in 1922, the Pioneers are 36-6-3 versus all IIAC institutions. UW-Platteville have won its last 13 games against IIAC opponents. The Pioneers last set back by an IIAC institution was in 1997 by the hands of Loras, 17-10 OT. 

Series History

The Pioneers haven't loss to the Spartans and hold a 15-0-2 record. UW-Platteville have a 5-0 mark against UD in Dubuque and are 3-0 at home since 1972. 

Year - Outcome
1920 - UW-Platteville 7, Dubuque 6
1929 - UW-Platteville 52, Dubuque 0
1952 - UW-Platteville 6, Dubque 0
1953 - UW-Platteville 20, Dubuque 0
1964 - UW-Platteville 0, Dubuque 0
1965 - UW-Platteville 6, Dubuque 6
1967 - UW-Platteville 35, Dubuque 6
1968 - UW-Platteville 40, Dubuque 6
1986 - UW-Platteville 40, Dubuque 0
1987 - UW-Platteville 42, Dubuque 13
1988 - UW-Platteville 49, Dubuque 7
2005 - UW-Platteville 26, Dubuque 0
2006 - UW-Platteville 34, Dubuque 20
2009 - UW-Platteville 28, Dubuque 20
2010 - UW-Platteville 21, Dubuque 17
2012 - UW-Platteville 52, Dubuque 35
2013 - UW-Platteville 38, Dubuque 24 

Home Sweet Home  

The Pioneers have won 11 of their last 12 home games and have a seven-game home winning streak dating back to 2012. The last time UW-Platteville lost in the friendly confines of Pioneer Stadium was to UW-Whitewater, 27-26, on Sept. 29, 2012. The Pioneer offense is averaging 44.4 points per game and the defense is holding teams to an average of 21.0 points over the last two years. 

Noting the Last Meeting

UW-Platteville was propelled by 21-3 second-quarter to beat the University of Dubuque, 38-24, on Sept. 21 at Chalmers Field in Dubuque, Iowa.  John Kelly completed 24-35 passes for 294 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Trevor Whitehead recorded a game-high nine receptions for 137 yards with two touchdowns.

Click HERE for complete game notes.