Football Closes Out Season With Win At Platteville

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Posted: Saturday, November 11, 2006

PLATTEVILLE - The UW-Eau Claire football team ended its season on a high note today with a 21-7 victory over UW-Platteville at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.

The Blugolds will end with a 3-7 overall record and a 2-5 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record. The Pioneers end with a 5-5 overall record and 3-4 WIAC record. The Blugolds have now won 10 of the last 11 meetings against Platteville.

Eau Claire wide receiver Matt Evensen (Sr.-Junction City, WI/Auburndale) broke a school record for career receiving yards as he finishes with 2,293 yards. The previous record had been held by Tom Saskowski, who had 2,232 yards from 1981-84. He also holds the record for career receptions with 176. The previous record had been held by Chris Herzog, who had 165 career receptions from 1987-90. Finally, Evensen holds the record for career touchdown receptions with 20. That record was also held by Saskowski, who had 19. In Evensen's last game as a Blugold he had 115 yards on seven catches.

The Pioneers took the first possession of the game and drove it to the Blugolds 26-yard-line. However, the Blugolds defense would stop the Pioneers for a two-yard loss and then force three straight incompletions as the Pioneers turned it over on downs. After both teams traded punts, the Blugolds used some trickery on their second possession of the game. After being stopped at the Platteville 42-yard-line, Eau Claire faked the punt on fourth-and-five as punter Mitch Schaeuble (Jr.-Wrightstown, WI) connected with Tony Hull (Jr.-Blaine, MN/Spring Lake Park) for a 12-yard gain to the Pioneer 30-yard-line. Senior tailback Eddy Kaiser (Sr.-Duluth, MN/East) capped off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to give the Blugolds a 7-0 lead with a minute to play in the first quarter.

The Pioneers once again got the ball deep into Eau Claire territory on the ensuing possession, but yet again the Blugolds defense steeped up and the Pioneers turned it over on downs at the Blugold 29-yard-line. Later in the second quarter, the Blugolds would get their second scoring chance of the game as they got the ball to the Pioneer 10-yard-line. However, the Blugolds missed a 27-yard field goal attempt and the score remained 7-0 in favor of Eau Claire.

Both teams would trade punts to end the first half and the Blugolds went into halftime with a 7-0 lead. The Blugolds out-gained the Pioneers in the first half 167-116. Eau Claire was 6-for-10 on third downs in the half.

The Blugolds took the opening possession of the second half into Platteville territory. Behind the legs of Eddy Kaiser and 23-yard pass play to Tony Hull got the Blugolds to the Pioneer 30-yard-line. But on fourth-and-three quarterback Kyle Paulson (So.-Amery, WI) was sacked and Platteville took over. Later in the third quarter, the Pioneers drove the ball all the way down inside the Eau Claire five-yard-line. On first-and-goal at the two, Platteville running back Mike Genslinger fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Blugolds' Nate Rucker (Jr.-Green Bay, WI/Southwest). This proved to be the turning point of the game.

The Blugolds started the ensuing possession at their own 10-yard-line with three minutes to go in the third quarter. On the first play of fourth quarter Paulson hit Matt Evensen for a 25-yard gain to the Pioneer 35-yard-line. This broke the career receiving yards record for Evensen. Two plays later Paulson hit Tony Hull for a 35-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-0 Eau Claire. The Blugolds drove 90 yards in 10 plays.

On the next Platteville possession, Brent Nelson was intercepted by senior Jake Siegert (Jr.-Onalaska, WI) and returned 15 yards to the Blugolds 43-yard-line. After four Cory Sartorelli (Fr.-Appleton, WI/North) runs, Paulson hit Evensen for a 41-yard pass play to the Platteville one-yard-line. Sartorelli then punched it in to give the B