No. 7 Pioneer Football heads to No. 5 North Central

The seventh-ranked UW-Platteville football team will travel to No. 5 North Central (Ill.) on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the year’s first matchup between top-10 teams.

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No. 7 Pioneer Football heads to No. 5 North Central
September 19, 2014

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The seventh-ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team will travel to No. 5 North Central (Ill.) on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the year's first matchup between top-10 teams.

• Just under three months after a EF2 tornado tore through Pioneer Stadium, the Pioneers opened their home schedule as planned on Sept. 13. UW-Platteville beat Dubuque 26-21. 

• Saturday's UW-Platteville-North Central match-up will be the second time in 10 months that the two teams face off. The Pioneers fell to the Cardinals 52-24 in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs back on Nov. 30 at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. 

• UW-Platteville moved up to seventh in the D3football.com poll after its 26-21 home opener victory over Dubuque. 

• North Central was picked to win the CCIW and are ranked fifth in the D3football.com poll.  

• The Cardinals opened their season last week with a convincing 51-17 victory at St. Norberts. NC had a slow start, trailing 10-0 early and then found their grove in the second quarter, out scoring the Green Knights 21-7 to take a 27-17 lead into the half. NC dominated the second half, scoring 24 points in the final two quarters. 

Series History
The Pioneers  and the Cardinals are meeting for the second time. Their first meeting came 10 months ago in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Playoffs. The Cardinals topped the Pioneers 52-24 on Nov. 30 at Benedetti-Wehril Stadium. 

Year - Outcome
2013 - UW-Platteville 24, North Central 52 

Non-conference Success
The Pioneers are 14-3 in their last 17 non-conference contests. UW-Platteville's three setbacks were by CCIW's Augustana in 2009 and Wheaton in 2010 and 2011. The Pioneers have won their last eight straight non-conference games.

Noting the Last Meeting 
UW-Platteville and North Central met for the first time 10 months ago in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. The Cardinals topped the Pioneers 52-14. NC took a quick 21-3 lead in the first quarter and went on to record 596 yards of total offense.

Last Time Out 
Senior Andy Puccini carried the eighth ranked Pioneers past Dubuque, 26-21, on Sept. 13 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. 

Click HERE for complete game notes.