Pioneers make home debut Saturday

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team makes its home debut Saturday vs. St. Francis (of Chicago, Illinois) at 1 p.m. in a matchup of nationally ranked teams.

The Pioneers won 35-0 at George Fox in Newborn, Oregon and moved up from 12th to 10th in the D3football.com poll. The Fighting Saints, ranked 14th in the NAIA reason poll, lost a 42-35 home shootout to NAIA #10 St. Xavier.

About the Pioneers: Tom Kelly completed 30 of 44 passes for 331 yards and five touchdowns in UW-Platteville's season-opening 35-0 win at George Fox. Quinn Buschbacher (13-144, 1 TD) and Dan Arnold (8-105, 2 TDs) each surpassed 100 yards receiving, while Patrick Sheehan added two touchdown receptions. Linebacker Chandler Crary led the Pioneers' defense with seven tackles. Fellow linebackers Marty McGrail and Ben Mogilevsky each made six stops. 

About the Fighting Saints: St. Francis rallied from three different two-touchdown deficits, but fell just short of completing the comeback in a 42-35 home loss to St. Xavier. St. Francis tied the score on a Don Butkus 14-yard TD pass to Brandon Ruffin with 2:49 remaining, but St. Xavier answered with a 75-yard drive and scored with 30 seconds to play. Butkus threw for 323 yards, including 111 to Adam Morrison. The Fighting Saints totaled 478 yards of offense and did not commit a turnover. Donte Cobb paced the defense with nine tackles and a forced fumble.

Game Notes: The Pioneers have won all 18 season openers under Coach Mike Emendorfer ... punter Connor Foley earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference special teams player of the week honors. The freshman averaged 44.7 yards on six punts, dropping half of them inside the 20-yard line ... UW-Platteville is playing its 219th game at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. The Pioneers are 123-95-1 all-time in the facility, opened in 1972 ... the Pioneers have never faced St. Francis in their football history, which dates back to 1896. They have played four other teams named after saints: St. Ambrose, St. Joseph, St. Norbert, and St. Thomas ... the Pioneers will introduce its six newest Hall of Fame members at halftime. Inducted in a Friday night ceremony will be Amy Abing Bares ‘96, cross country/track and field; Michael Beatty ‘89, track and field; Patti Lamb King ‘96, volleyball; Philip Micech ‘83, football; Brian Olson ‘01, wrestling; and Aaron Pick ‘98, cross country/track and field.

By Paul Erickson, Director, UW-Platteville Communications, 608.342.1194, pr@uwplatt.edu