Puccini leads No. 8 Pioneers past Spartans, 26-21

Senior Andy Puccini carried the eighth ranked UW-Platteville football team past Dubuque, 26-21, on Saturday in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.

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Puccini leads No. 8 Pioneers past Spartans, 26-21
September 13, 2014

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- Senior Andy Puccini carried the eighth ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team past Dubuque, 26-21, on Saturday in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. 

Puccini totaled 202 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving. He averaged 6.7 yards on 30 carries and topped off his performance with a 30-yard touchdown reception. 

Senior Bryce Corrigan completed 23 of 36 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Trevor Whitehead and junior Mitch Munda each caught eight passes. Whitehead tallied 60 yards and a touchdown, while Munda recorded a team-high 71 yards. 

The game's first score came off a completed Pioneer fake field goal on UW-Platteville's first offensive possession. On fourth and five at Dubuque's 13-yard line, wide receiver Seth Kaufmann shovel passed to linebacker Alex Johnson, who carried two Spartans into the end zone.  

The Pioneers took a 10-0 lead when freshman Pat Frio drilled his first collegiate field goal from 25 yards out at the 13:23 mark in the second quarter. 

The Spartans answered with a 31-yard touchdown reception by Tyler Rutenbeck, cutting the Pioneers' lead 10-7. 

The Pioneers responded with a long touchdown pass of their own, when Corrigan found Whitehead wide open streaking down the middle of the field on fourth-and-seven for a 33-yard score, 17-7 midway through the second quarter. 

Another big play by UD put the Spartans back within one-score, this time by running back Alec Arvanitakis with a 27-yard touchdown rush. 

The Pioneers closed the half with a 34-yard field goal by Frio, taking 20-14 lead into intermission. 

Corrigan conducted a seven-play 70-yard touchdown drive to open the second half, which was capped off by Puccini's 30-yard touchdown reception. The Pioneers failed on a fake extra point, trying to make it a two-touchdown lead, 26-14. 

The Pioneer defense was dominant in the third quarter, holding UD to 44 yards of total offense and just three first downs. 

UD's Zach Fry found Rutenbeck on another big play, this time a 42-yard touchdown reception to make it a 26-21 game with 3:39 left to play. 

The Pioneers managed to get three first downs to let time expire and seal the 26-21 victory.

UW-Platteville travels to No. 6 North Central on Saturday with kickoff set for 6 p.m.