PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – In a matchup of two unbeaten teams, the No. 2 University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team (8-1, 5-1 WIAC) was unable to overcome a two-score halftime deficit in a 24-21 loss to No. 4 UW-Whitewater (9-0, 6-0 WIAC) on Saturday afternoon at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.
With the win, the Warhawks retained possession of the Miner's Axe Trophy in the 33rd installment of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl. The annual meeting between the two teams is named in honor of the late UW-Platteville football coach, who guided the Pioneers from 1979 until his sudden passing in 1992.
UW-Whitewater scored 21 unanswered points in the first half, highlighted by a 40-yard pick six with just 25 seconds remaining to take a 21-7 lead into the break. The Pioneers were able to get within seven following a touchdown pass early in the third quarter, but a fourth quarter field goal made it a 10-point game again. A late score cut the deficit to three, but UW-Platteville was unable to get the ball back as the Warhawks ran out the clock to hold on for the three-point win.
Quarterback
Nathan Uselding and the passing game provided much of the offense for the Pioneers, as the junior surpassed the 300-yard mark for the fourth time in the past five games. Uselding finished 25-of-37 passing for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He was named UW-Platteville's offensive player of the game following the contest.
Junior
Shane Crandall was Uselding's favorite target as reached 102 yards and caught a touchdown on six receptions. Senior
Jaxson Garbisch hauled in another touchdown, his 16th of the season, and recorded 86 yards on six catches. The 16 receiving scores tie the UW-Platteville single season record, joining
Dan Arnold (2016) and Brandt Stare (2023).
UW-Platteville was unable to get the running game going, totaling just 36 yards on 17 carries. Senior
Zackary Bothun had a team-high 18 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
The Pioneers defense limited the WIAC's top rushing offense to 83 yards on 38 carries, but the Warhawks were solid through the air with 222 yards and a touchdown on 19 completions. Junior
Dominic Ohlinger finished with a team-high 11 tackles and 2.0 sacks and was named UW-Platteville's defensive player of the game. Senior
Donovan Nedelcoff and juniors
Rob Francis and
Carver Blietz-Bentien each added seven tackles.
Senior
Harrison Meyer forced the Pioneers lone turnover with a third-quarter interception. UW-Platteville totaled four sacks, with junior
Ashton Honore tallying one and seniors
Elijah Krantz and
Cormac Sammons each adding 0.5 in addition to 2.0 for Ohlinger.
The Warhawks were sacked twice on their opening drive and punted the ball away, giving the Pioneers good field position. Uselding took advantage and found Crandall for a 43-yard gain, setting up a first-and-goal from the one-yard line. Bothun plunged in the short touchdown, giving UW-Platteville an early 7-0 lead.
Later in the first quarter, UW-Whitewater mounted a 12-play, 99-yard touchdown drive spanning over seven minutes to tie the game. Running back Tommy Novotny, who was later named Warhawks offensive player of the game, got to the edge and raced to the pylon for a 12-yard touchdown.
UW-Platteville looked to answer with a scoring drive of its own and marched down to the red zone following a third-down completion to senior
Kristian Gavric. But the drive stalled there, and a 31-yard field goal try went wide, leaving the Pioneers without any points.
Just before halftime, Warhawks quarterback Justin Klinkner found open receivers for gains of 43- and 10-yards to get the ball down to the UW-Platteville 18-yard line. A couple of plays later, Klinkner found Novotny wide open in the flat for a touchdown, giving UW-Whitewater its first lead of the afternoon.
That lead would double quickly, as Uselding was intercepted on a second down pass attempt by Carter Sessa, who returned it down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown with just 25 seconds left in the half. Sessa was named UW-Whitewater's defensive player of the game thanks to the score.
The Pioneers came out of halftime and put together a 9-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown to Garbisch on a fourth-down try. Uselding connected with four difference receivers on the drive and UW-Platteville trailed 21-14 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Meyer intercepted Klinker on UW-Whitewater's next drive, but the Pioneers were unable to capitalize and punted the ball back following a three-and-out. The Warhawks drove into UW-Platteville territory again but failed to come away with points after a 53-yard field goal missed to the right.
Still trailing by seven, the Pioneers got completions to Gavric, sophomore
Brayden Knoll, and Garbisch to get down to the Warhawks 24-yard line. Uselding looked to throw on a fourth-down try, but his pass attempt fell incomplete as UW-Whitewater's defense forced the turnover-on-downs.
The Warhawks increased the lead to 10 with a field goal on their next possession, a 14-play, 77-yard drive that fell just one yard short of the end zone after a pair of rushing attempts were stopped by the Pioneers.
Uselding and the offense went quick to answer, and he found Garbisch for a 29-yard completion to begin the next drive. With just under three minutes remaining, Uselding lofted a throw to Crandall, who dragged his toes for a 24-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-21. The Pioneers were unable to get the ball back however, as the Warhawks were able to convert a third-and-one before kneeling out the victory.
UW-Platteville concludes the regular season next Saturday with a road contest against UW-La Crosse. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
