Pioneers fall to No. 7 Eagles in season finale

Photo curtesy of James Lund

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team fell 31-10 to No. 7 nationally ranked UW-La Crosse on Saturday at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. 

UW-Platteville finishes the season 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC while UW-La Crosse improved to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the league to capture a share of the WIAC Championship. 

The Pioneers totaled 301 yards with 261 through the air and 40 rushing. The Eagles totaled 409 yards of offense, including 120 rushing and 289 passing after UW-La Crosse entered the day averaging 234.1 yards on the ground per game. 

Michael Priami had a career-high day completing 26 of 33 attempts for 261 yards, one touchdown and an interception while being pressured all day as the Eagles sacked Priami five times and hurried the Pioneer 11 times.  

Garrett Stare also had a career-high day recording 92 yards off nine receptions including a 42-yard long. Ben Wilson totaled 66 yards off six receptions. Will Lawrence led the Pioneers on the ground with 59 net yards off 10 carries. 

Sam Smith stole the show on defense, stacking up 13 tackles including four for a loss of five yards along with one quarterback hurry. 

UW-La Crosse's Cade Garcia completed 16 of 24 attempts for 289 yards for two touchdowns. Joey Stutzman led the Eagles with 95 yards off 31 carries and Cameron Sorenson had a game-high 139 yards off five receptions. 

AJ Spychala led the Eagles with eight tackles and two fumble recoveries while Jack Kelly tallied 3.5 sacks for a loss of 40 yards, eight quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.  

The Pioneers quickly faced an uphill challenge after the Eagles found the endzone on their first two drives going 75 yards in five plays in the opening drive and 75 yards in eight plays on the next to quickly jump to a 14-0 lead with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter. UW-La Crosse was en route to another touchdown in their next possession, but Gerrit Schomaker and the defense held the Eagles on 1^st and 10 from the Pioneer five-yard line and forced UW-La Crosse to settle for a field goal with 9:53 left in the first half.  

UW-La Crosse looked to add another three before halftime, but Schomaker blocked Ryan Beirne's field goal attempt and Jack Dietzen recovered the ball at their own 23-yard line.  

Andrew Schweigert got the Pioneers on the board at the start of the second half, booting in a 43-yard field goal after the Pioneers went 45 yards off nine plays in 4:05. 

UW-Platteville got a stop on 3^rd and 4 on the next UW-La Crosse possession and the Pioneers took over from their own 24-yardline. The Pioneers only needed two plays as Priami found Stare for a 42-yard completion and then hit Jimmy Durocher for a 34-yard pass for a touchdown to close in on the Eagles 17-10 with 7:14 left in the third quarter. 

UW-La Crosse responded on its next drive to make it a 24-10 game before the quarter break and then went up by another touchdown nine minutes later as Priami was sacked in the endzone and a UW-La Crosse fumble recovery gave the Eagles a 31-10 lead with 7:42 left in the game. 

The Pioneers are joined by UW-Oshkosh and UW-River Falls as the three teams in the league finishing with a 4-3 record. UW-Whitewater also clinched a share of the WIAC Championship title and receives the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Playoffs. The Eagles will now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid. 

Ryan Munz finishes his first season as head coach with a 5-5 overall record and 4-3 in the WIAC. Munz's Pioneers defeated three Top 15 teams, a first in program history. Munz also becomes the first head coach at UW-Platteville to record a winning conference record in their first season since Bob Seamans in 1974.