STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point football team (4-2, 1-2) held the fifth-ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans (5-1, 2-1) to their lowest point total of the season, but the defensive performance was not enough for the upset as the Pointers fell to the Titans, 13-3, in the Homecoming Game on Saturday.
UWSP senior quarterback threw for 245 yards on 23 of 43 passing, more than double the yard total in the air of his counterpart with Titans. Fellow seniors
Jared Pankow (Mosinee, WI/D.C. Everest) and
Logan Taylor (Wausau, WI/East) combined for 10 catches with each hauling in a pass for more than 30 yards.
On the ground, sophomore
Darin Ward (Fond du Lac, WI/St. Mary's Springs) churned out a team-high 38 yards on 10 rushes. Senior
Britton Vernon (Stillman Valley, IL/Stillman Valley) added 23 yards on nine carries for the Pointers.
On the first play of the game, freshman
Griffen Davis (Woodbury, MN/East Ridge) picked off Titans' quarterback Brett Kasper to put the Pointers in possession at the UW-Oshkosh 35 yard line. Seven plays later, UWSP opted to go for it on fourth and one at the Titans' nine yard line, but were stopped for no gain for a turnover on downs.
UW-Oshkosh drove 73 yards on 12 plays, but the Pointers held the Titans to a 35-yard field goal. On the ensuing UWSP drive, Larson completed four of five pass attempts to drive the Pointers to a game-tying field goal.
The Titans built a long drive that extended into the second quarter, but the UWSP defense halted the drive at the Pointers' 15 yard line. UW-Oshkosh converted a go-ahead field goal three plays into the period for a 6-3 edge.
On the next UWSP possession, the Pointers lost a fumble on their own side of the field. The Titans took advantage and marched 29 yards for the lone touchdown of the game.
Both teams put on a defensive show in the second half. UWSP limited the Titans to just 106 yards of total offense in the final 30 minutes of play. The Pointers generated 101 yards of offense in the fourth quarter alone, but a pair of turnovers doomed the comeback attempt.
UWSP sets out on a two-game road swing beginning at No. 2 UW-Whitewater next Saturday. The Pointers and Warhawks kick off at 1:00 p.m. at Perkins Stadium
