SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – Senior
Jaxson Garbisch matched a single-game record with four receiving touchdowns as the No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team (3-0) upended Springfield (2-1) 37-14 on Saturday afternoon from Stagg Field in Massachusetts.
Garbisch accounted for all but one of the Pioneers touchdowns in the game and tied Trevor Whitehead's single game receiving touchdown record of four set back in 2012. The senior was a threat to score from all over the field and finished with 175 yards on six receptions, including a 75-yard catch and run late in the fourth quarter. Garbisch is already up to eight receiving touchdowns on the season, a mark that leads the WIAC.
Quarterback
Nathan Uselding continued his efficient season, needing just 13 completions to rack up 286 yards and four touchdowns. The junior concludes non-conference play with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 77 percent of his passes. Backup quarterback Caden Casmino entered late and threw just one pass, the 75-yard TD to Garbisch.
On the ground, senior
Zackary Bothun finished with a team-high 58 yards on 18 carries. The Pioneers struggled to find much consistency rushing the ball, averaging just 2.1 yards per carry.
In addition to Garbisch's huge day, sophomore
Nathan Maxson finished with 61 receiving yards on two receptions, while sophomore
Brayden Knoll came down with a 49-yard score on his lone catch. Senior
Kristian Gavric added 45 yards on his only reception of the day.
The Pioneers stout run defense was put to the test facing a Springfield ground attack that ranked second in NCAA DIII entering the contest with over 400 yards per game. UW-Platteville responded by limiting the Pride to 185 rushing yards across 54 carries, with the longest gain being 20 yards. Springfield was forced to pass more than usual and finished 5-of-8 for 143 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore
Gavin Humphrey had a team-high nine tackles for the Pioneers, followed by eight from senior
Harrison Meyer and seven from senior
Cormac Sammons. UW-Platteville came away with seven tackles for loss, with Humphrey's 1.5 pacing the team.
Springfield took the opening possession and punted after a shared third-down tackle for loss by senior
Elijah Krantz and junior
Carter Contreras. The Pioneers wasted no time finding the end zone, needing just four plays as Uselding capped the drive by finding Garbisch for the first time from 10 yards out.
Following a failed point after try by UW-Platteville and a couple of punts, Springfield took over on their own 20-yard line and put together a scoring drive to take a 7-6 lead. A 44-yard pass play on a third down kept the drive moving and the Pride reached the end zone shortly after on a two-yard plunge.
Uselding and Garbisch opened the ensuing drive with a 32-yard strike and a couple of rushing plays put the Pioneers at the Springfield 25-yard line. The quarterback-wide receiver duo connected for six again; this time a 25-yard score up the seam to put UW-Platteville back in front 13-7 after the extra point by sophomore Braby Mobley.
Springfield punted the ball back after a three-and-out and the Pioneers capitalized, as Uselding found Knoll deep over the middle for a 49-yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 10.
The Pride drove into UW-Platteville territory on each of their next two drives but failed to come away with points on either possession. The first ended at the Pioneers 37-yard line after Sammons and senior
Luke German made a tackle for loss on fourth-down to get the defense off the field. Springfield then reached the 25-yard line, but a penalty pushed the home team back to the 41-yard line. A 28-yard completion on third down moved the ball back to the Pioneers 16-yard line, but time ran out in the half.
UW-Platteville marched down field to begin the second half, highlighted by big completions of 45 yards to Gavric and 33 yards to Maxson. The Pioneers got new life inside the Springfield five-yard line after a penalty gave them a new set of downs, and Uselding and Garbisch connected for a third score from six yards out, with Garbisch reaching across the goal line to convert.
Midway through the third quarter, Uselding led the Pioneers on a field goal drive, with Mobley knocking through a 36-yard try to extend the lead to 30-7. Garbisch helped convert a 3rd and 15 with a 27-yard reception over the middle to keep the drive alive.
Springfield put together another long possession, but once the Pioneers defense stood tall deep in their own end of the field. The Pride pushed the ball inside the red zone to the 19-yard line but turned it over after a 4th down run play ended up two yards short.
The Pioneers added one more score to the tally late in the fourth quarter after Garbisch turned a screen pass on 3rd and 20 into a 75-yard touchdown thanks to some key blocks. Springfield matched the score with a 32-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining to make it 37-14 before Casmino kneeled out the win over UW-Platteville.
Springfield held a slight edge in time of possession at 32:14 versus 27:42 but were worse on third down at 5-of-15 against 5-of-12.
UW-Platteville will have a week off before opening WIAC play on Saturday, October 3 at UW-Stout Polytechnic. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
