Pioneers upset No. 3 Warhawks to reclaim Miner's Axe

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – For the first time since 2004, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team defeated UW-Whitewater and reclaimed the Miner's Axe. The 17-13 victory against the No. 3 nationally ranked Warhawks (5-2, 3-1) in the 27^th installment of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl completes back-to-back upsets against Top-25 WIAC opponents at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium. 

With last week's win against No. 14 UW-River Falls and week two's win against No. 11 Bethel, the Pioneers (4-3, 3-1) recorded a program-first three season victories against NCAA opponents ranked in the Top-15 in the nation. 

The Pioneer win also marks only the Warhawks' eighth conference loss in their last 17 seasons. UW-Platteville, UW-Whitewater, UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse are now all 3-1 in the league and atop the WIAC standings.

Once again, the Pioneer defense wreaked havoc and derailed the powerhouse program. The defense nearly doubled UW-Whitewater's season interceptions thrown with four on the day. The Warhawks entered Saturday's game converting 48.3% of third downs, but UW-Platteville held UW-Whitewater to just 2-of-14 (14%) third down conversions. 

The Warhawks held advantages of 304-168 yards of total offense and 14-9 first downs, but the Pioneers only committed one fumble and stayed interception-free for the entirety of the game to ensure their 110 yards through the air and 58 yards off 38 carries was just enough for the win.

After the Pioneers tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter, neither team led by more than four points for the remainder of the game. Sam Smith had two interceptions on back-to-back drives in the first quarter. Colton Ingram joined in on the action and picked off Evan Lewandowski for a third time and took it 46 yards to the endzone to overtake the lead 14-10 with one minute remaining in the first half.

UW-Platteville held a slim 14-13 edge going into the fourth quarter. In the Warhawks' first snap of the final quarter, Aidan Tyk registered the fourth interception of the day and four plays later Andrew Schweigert booted a 44-yard field goal to make it a four-point spread. From then on, not only did the Pioneers keep UW-Whitewater out of the endzone, but they never allowed the Warhawks closer than the Pioneer 39-yard line. Tyler Bacon, Justin Blazek and Aidan Sproule's back-to-back QB hurries on third and fourth down with :36 left in play secured the final two stops of the game and the win. 

Braeden Katcher was 11-of-20 for 110 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. 

Will Lawrence netted 54 yards on 22 carries. Katcher connected with Ben Wilson six times for 48 yards and a touchdown. 

Schweigert remained a constant force going 2-for-2 on PATs, registering three touchbacks on five kick offs and averaged 38.9 yards per punt on 10 kicks for a long of 47. 

Tyk led with nine tackles and four pass breakups. Blazek registered seven tackles, a sack for a loss of seven while Bacon had six tackles with a sack for a loss of 16. Blazek, Bacon and Sproule had two QB hurries apiece. 

In all, the Pioneers defense recorded four tackles for loss of 26 yards, two fumbles forced, four interceptions returned for 71 yards, six pass breakups and nine quarter back hurries. 

Lewandowski completed 16-of-34 attempts for 181 yards and the four interceptions. Sam Delany led the Warhawks with 64 yards off four catches. Jaylon Edmonson rushed for 68 yards on 16 carries. 

Ryan Liszka had a team-high 11 tackles including 1.5 sacks for four yards.  

Nate Custer finished with a 42.8-yard average on five punts, placing four inside the 20. 

Lewandowski ran in the Warhawks' only touchdown of the day to give UW-Whitewater a 7-0 lead with 8:42 to go in the first quarter. Smith intercepted Lewandowski at the Warhawk 19 and ran it back three yards. Katcher then hit Wilson in the endzone for a 16-yard competition to tie the game with 4:23 on the clock. Smith intercepted Lewandowski again five plays later at the Pioneers' one-yard line. 

The teams exchanged punts until UW-Whitewater took what would be its final lead of the game off a 46-yard field goal by Isotalo-McGuire with 2:34 left in the first half. The Pioneers were forced to punt again, but Ingram picked off Lewandowski for a third time and hauled it 46 yards to take a 14-10 lead with less than a minute remaining in the half. 

UW-Platteville held the Warhawks to only a field goal in the third quarter after Tyk broke up another pass on third and eight at the Pioneers' 19-yard line.

It was Tyk again at the start of the fourth quarter who grabbed the fourth interception of the day and returned it 22 yards to the Warhawk 38 where an unnecessary roughness call pushed UW-Whitewater back to their own 23 yard line. After that, Schweigert's 44-yard field goal and the Pioneer defense's stronghold secured the 17-13 victory.  

The Pioneers totaled 29:17 of total possession, nearly three minutes more than UW-Whitewater's opponents average going into the game. UW-Whitewater also committed 10 penalties for a total of 79 yards. 

It's the first time since October 5, 2019 that UW-Platteville registered four or more interceptions in a game. In that victory against then No. 16 UW-La Crosse, the Pioneers intercepted the Eagles' passer six times, ironically UW-La Crosse's quarterback was in fact Evan Lewandowski.  Sam Smith had the first multi-interception game since Luke Johnson had two in that same UW-La Crosse win. 

It's just the third time in program history that the Pioneers have won the Miner's Axe. The annual match-up between the Pioneers and Warhawks is played in honor of the late UW-Platteville head coach, George Chryst who coached from 1979 until his sudden passing in 1992. After the game, offensive and defensive players of the game voted on by the media are named. Chryst's wife Patty was in attendance to award the Miner's Axe trophy. 

UW-Platteville Offensive Player of the Game: Braeden Katcher

UW-Platteville Defensive Player of the Game: Colton Ingram

UW-Whitewater Offensive Player of the Game: Jaylon Edmonson

UW-Whitewater Offensive Player of the Game: Ryan Liszka

The Pioneers will return to action and hit the road next Saturday, Oct. 29 when they travel to UW-Stout for a 1 p.m. game.