STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Junior quarterback
Nathan Uselding threw five touchdown passes as the No. 2 University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team (8-0, 5-0 WIAC) remained undefeated with a 35-7 road win over UW-Stevens Point (2-6, 0-5 WIAC) from Community Stadium at Goerke Field on Saturday afternoon.
Uselding completed 22-of-33 passes for a season-high 416 yards and five touchdowns, two of which went to senior
Jaxson Garbisch. Garbisch hauled in multiple scores for the fifth time this season and turned his six catches into a team-high 127 yards. His 99-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter set a new UW-Platteville record for longest play, and he matched the WIAC record for longest pass play previously set in 1989.
Senior
Kristian Gavric also went over the century mark, finishing with 104 yards on three receptions, while junior
Shane Crandall had 93 yards on two catches, including an 85-yard score. Sophomore
Brayden Knoll tied Garbisch for the team lead in receptions with six, and he turned that into 65 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, senior
Zackary Bothun grinded out 73 yards on 21 carries. He added a four-yard touchdown catch on his lone reception. Sophomore
Blake Bangtson was second on the team with 38 rushing yards on five totes.
The Pioneers' defense held UW-Stevens Point to just 202 total yards of offense, including just 33 rushing yards on 34 carries. Sophomore
Gavin Humphrey and junior
Dominic Ohlinger shared the team lead in tackles with seven each, with junior
Drew Gallagher adding six. UW-Platteville had nine tackles for loss and four sacks, with Ohlinger recording 1.5 sacks to lead the team. Sophomore
LaDainian Mielke had another sack, while seniors
Cormac Sammons,
Elijah Krantz, and
Martin McDonald each had 0.5. Junior
Carter Contreras forced the Pioneers' lone turnover in the contest with his third quarter interception.
Sophomore kicker
Brady Mobley went a perfect 5-of-5 on extra points, while senior punter
Benjamin Younker averaged 54.3 yards across his three punts, with a long of 62 yards.
Following three consecutive three-and-outs to begin the game, the Pioneers took over on their own 12-yard line and put together the first scoring drive. Uselding and the passing game converted three third downs on the drive, including two to Knoll, before a 26-yard strike to Gavric made it first and goal from the three. Uselding went to the air again and floated a pass to Garbisch for a one-handed touchdown catch to cap the drive.
The Pointers picked up a couple first downs on their next drive but punted again and pinned UW-Platteville on its own one-yard line. Uselding went to Garbisch over the middle and he outran the defense for a 1-play, 99-yard scoring drive to put the Pioneers up 14-0.
UW-Stevens Point mounted its first scoring drive midway through the second quarter, going 75 yards on 13 plays to cut the deficit in half with a six-yard touchdown pass. Bangtson gave the Pioneers good field position with a 44-yard kickoff return, and a 24-yard run by Bothun helped move the ball into the red zone just a couple plays later. UW-Platteville came up empty however, as Uselding fumbled on a sack and gave the ball back to the Pointers.
Right before halftime, the Pioneers were able to add to their lead after an 11-play, 67-yard drive culminated in a four-yard passing touchdown to Bothun with just eight seconds left until the break. UW-Platteville was able to double-up with another touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Uselding hit Crandall deep over the middle for an 85-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-7.
Both offenses stalled as the rain came down harder in the third quarter, with several punts and interceptions by both teams, including one by Contreras for the Pioneers. Uselding was intercepted again early in the fourth, but the Pointers' drive ended on UW-Platteville's 33-yard line after a fourth-down pass attempt fell incomplete.
UW-Platteville went on one final scoring drive, with Uselding finding Knoll for a three-yard touchdown with under five minutes remaining. Uselding completed a 49-yard pass to Gavric earlier in the drive to convert a 3rd-and-9, while Bangtson set up the score with a 17-yard run to the three.
With just two WIAC games remaining, the Pioneers will host No. 4 UW-Whitewater next Saturday at 1 p.m. for the George Chryst Memorial Bowl. The Warhawks entered the week 7-0 on the season and will face UW-Oshkosh at 7 p.m. to try and remain undefeated.
