Pioneers battle but fall to #1 UW-Whitewater
UW-Platteville, ranked 14th in the D3football.com poll, gave top-ranked UW-Whitewater a battle, but the defending national champions prevailed 17-7 before a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record crowd of 15,287.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#14 Wis.-Platteville
(3-1)
|
0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
|
#1 Wis.-Whitewater
(4-0)
|
0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Team Stats
#1 Wis.-Whitewater
| Game Statistics | #14 Wis.-Platteville | #1 Wis.-Whitewater |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 265 | 149 |
| Rushing Yards | -2 | 150 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of Poss. | 30:03 | 29:57 |
UW-Platteville, ranked 14th in the D3football.com poll, gave top-ranked UW-Whitewater a battle, but the defending national champions prevailed 17-7 before a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record crowd of 15,287.
UW-Whitewater improved to 4-0 in the WIAC opener, running its national-best winning streak to 36 games. The Pioneers suffered their first loss of the year, dropping to 3-1.
The visiting Pioneers took a 7-0 lead with 5:39 left in the first half. Kyle Whitman capped off a 58-yard drive with a two-yard scoring run. UW-Platteville was the first team to hold the Warhawks scoreless in the first quarter since the Pioneers did so last November, also a 17-7 UWW victory.
The Warhawks scored 10 points in the final 4:05 of the second quarter. Chris Nelson connected with Adam Korpela for a 36-yard touchdown pass, and Lake Bachar made a 21-yard field goal. Jordan Ratliffe added a six-yard scoring run 1:33 into the third quarter, extending the lead to 17-7.
The Pioneers reached the Warhawk 12 late in the third quarter, but two incomplete passes, a 13-yard sack and a missed field goal kept the game at 17-7. A late fourth-quarter drive ended at the Warhawk 7 with a missed goal.
The Warhawks outgained the Pioneers 299-263, with UW-Platteville gained 265 through the air and minus-2 on the ground. Tom Kelly threw for 203 yards for the visitors, with Patrick Sheehan and Dan Arnold each grabbing 7 receptions. Sheehan, who had 77 reception yards, was voted the Pioneer player of the game by the media, while Andrew Robinson, who had 7 tackles and 3 for losses, was the defensive player in the annual Chryst Bowl.
The game is played in memory of the late George Chryst, who was the Pioneer coach from 1979 until his sudden death in 1992.
The Pioneers look to bounce back next Saturday, when they play host to UW-Stevens Point at 2 p.m. for Homecoming.