After long awaited return, Pioneers give fans thrilling game under the lights

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Following a nearly 22 month stretch, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team returned to competition and Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium for the 2021 season opener against the Tigers of East Texas Baptist University. The night featured the debut of the Pioneers' specialty set of grey uniforms, the return of fans in the stands and a thrilling back and forth game which concluded with ETBU holding a 37-31 advantage for the win.

Thursday marked the third meeting between the two teams which both received votes in the D3football.com preseason poll.

The Tigers were out for revenge having lost the first two affairs by a 42-point second half rally in 2018 and another thrilling season opener in 2019 where the Pioneers sent the Tigers on the 915-mile trek back to Texas after a 38-30 win in Platteville. While the night was the first competition for UW-Platteville since November 16, 2019, ETBU had a shortened season this past spring in Texas where they went .500 in six-games.

ETBU out-gained UW-Platteville 522-330 in total yards, but the Pioneers and Tigers took a 21-21 knot at halftime and followed it up with a scoreless third quarter to keep fans on the edge of their seats going into the fourth quarter.

UW-Platteville had a 351-332 advantage in passing yards, but ETBU's Cornelius Merchant's 187 yards rushing on 16 carries led to the Tigers 190 net yards rushing on the night while a pair of bad snaps on punt attempts led to a negative net yards rushing for the Pioneers.

Junior Brandt Stare had a career high 173 receiving yards with a 68-yard long and two touchdowns.

Senior Colin Schuetz completed 22 of 40 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns.

On defense, junior Justin Blazek, sophomores Alex Blizzard and junior Sam Smith each recorded 9 tackles apiece. Senior Logan Ketelhut recorded 1.5 sacks for a loss of 14 yards along with two tackles for a loss of 16 yards. Junior Samuel Tausz picked off the Tigers with a return of three yards.

After brushing aside jitters at the start of the game, UW-Platteville forced ETBU to go for a 22-yard field goal attempt following the start of the drive on the UW-Platteville two. The attempt went wide right and three plays later Schuetz and Stare connected for a 68-yard touchdown to send the stadium into a roar.

The Pioneers only needed two plays the next drive with Schuetz completing a 10-yard pass followed by a 16-yard pass both to senior Donald Allender to put UW-Platteville ahead 14-0 with 7:47 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers narrowed the lead to seven in the final seconds of the quarter and the Pioneers answered right back with a 35-yard pass from Schuetz to Stare to extend the lead 21-7 in the first moments of the second quarter.

ETBU gained momentum as halftime drew near and the teams went into the half tied 21-21. A stalemate in the third quarter sent the Pioneers and Tigers into the fourth quarter, but Schuetz found another Pioneer and sent a 46-yard pass to sophomore Cadiin Johnson for his first college career touchdown and the 28-21 lead with 14:53 remaining.

The Tigers put together six plays for 75 yards the next drive to once again bring the game to a tie. ETBU intercepted Schuetz, but missed a 39-yard field goal attempt in chase of the lead. Unfortunately, a safety after a punt attempt gave the Tigers a two-point lead and a momentum turn. ETBU connected for a 20-yard pass and touchdown to extend the lead to 37-28 with 4:23 remaining.

Junior Andrew Schweigert kicked a 41-yard field goal to narrow the lead to 37-31 with just over two minutes remaining. UW-Platteville stopped the Tigers from another first down in the game, but time ran out for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers will return to action next Saturday, September 11 when they hit the road for St. Paul, Minnesota for a 1 p.m. start at Bethel University.