UW-L Falls at Missouri Science & Technology
Rolla, Mo. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team
fell to 0-3 on the season with a 31-24 loss at NCAA Division II
Independent Missouri University of Science & Technology
Saturday afternoon at Allgood-Bailey Stadium. The Miners improve to
1-3 on the year with their victory.
In the second-ever meeting between the two teams, UW-L raced out to
a 10-0 lead Saturday. Justin Huinker hit a 23-yard
field goal to make it 3-0 with 5:05 left in the opening quarter and
Lee Lauters added a one-yard touchdown run with
4:12 remaining in the second period for a 10-0 lead. The
Eagles won last year's meeting with the Miners, 48-0, in La
Crosse.
Missouri S&T quickly took a 14-10 halftime lead Saturday
afternoon as Steve Watson connected on a pair of touchdown passes
with Chad Shockley. The duo scored on a 77-yard touchdown pass with
2:24 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 10-7 and after a
UW-L punt, Watson hit Shockley with a 47-yard touchdown pass with
1:02 left in the first half.
Huinker had missed a 28-yard field goal for UW-L early in the
second quarter.
On the first drive of the second half, UW-L's Nick
Anker fumbled and Missouri S&T's Ashley Jordan
returned the ball 36-yards for a touchdown to give the Miners a
21-10 lead with 14:08 remaining in the third quarter.
Anker cut the lead to 21-17 with 3:15 left in the third as he hit
Kyle Steffen with a 32-yard touchdown
pass. After forcing a Miners' punt, the Eagles' Brock
Larson gave UW-L a 24-21 lead as he scored on a one-yard
run on the first drive of the fourth quarter. The score came with
14:16 remaining.
Missouri S&T tied the game at 24-24 as Joe Drahos made a
26-yard field goal with 8:30 left in the game. UW-L then drove to
its 42-yard line on the ensuing drive, but a four-yard punt gave
Missouri S&T the ball at the Eagles' 46-yard line with 6:10
remaining. Watson threw his third touchdown pass of the game to
Shockley, this one from 25-yards out, with 3:24 left to give
Missouri S&T a 31-24 advantage.
Larson returned the following kickoff to UW-L's 43-yard line and
the Eagles converted two fourth-down pass plays, but UW-L's drive
ended on Missouri S&T's 23-yard line with :38
remaining.
UW-L had 417 yards of total offense, including 79 rushing and 338
passing. Anker finished 25-of-42 passing for a career-high 338
yards with one touchdown and one interception. Lauters had 55 yards
rushing on 17 attempts and a score while also finishing with
119 receiving yards on five catches. Travis
Bordeau lead the Eagles with eight catches (89 yards)
while Alex Maxinoski had six receptions (47
yards).
The Eagles had 23 first downs, but finished three-of-12 on
third-down. The team was three-of-four on fourth-down.
Phillip Minja recorded a game-high 10 tackles for
UW-L with Justin Hartwig and Jake
Meckstroth each finishing with five.
Missouri S&T had 364 yards, including 142 rushing and 222
passing. Watson was eight-of-13 passing for 222 yards and three
touchdowns, all going to Shockley, who had five receptions for 199
yards. Bobby Pettis had 58 yards rushing on 16 attempts.
Lonnell Jones led the Miners' defense with eight tackles.
Missouri S&T had 13 first-downs and were six-of-13 on
third-down.
UW-L returns to action Saturday, October 2, opening up WIAC play at
UW-Oshkosh starting at 6 p.m.
