ALBION, Mich. – The UW-Stevens Point football team (0-1) got two long touchdowns from Brycen Cashin (Plover, Wis./Pacelli), but it wasn't enough in a 31-23 loss at Albion (1-0) in the season opener for both teams.
 
Cashin scored once on the ground, a 69-yard touchdown, and a again with a 61-yard receiving touchdown. He led all players in rushing yards with 121 in the game. He also racked up a team-high 87 receiving yards.
 
Quarterback Jake Leair completed 17 of 29 passes for 241 yards. In addition to hitting Cashin for the long touchdown, he also threw another TD pass to Matt Getgen (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells).
 
Defensively, Jack Luedtke (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) had a game-high 11 tackles, three for loss. Carson Van Ess (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) added seven tackles and forced a fumble.
 
Neither team was able to put points on the board in the first quarter. On the third play of the second quarter, Albion missed a field goal to keep the game knotted at 0-0.
 
Midway through the second quarter, the Britons broke the scoreless tie with a six-play, 70-yard drive for the first touchdown of the game.
 
On the ensuing drive, the Pointers began on their own 18. Eight plays into the drive, a roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive moving UWSP past midfield. Three plays later, Leair found Getgen for a 14-yard touchdown as UWSP tied the game at 7-7.
 
It took Albion just three plays to regain the lead. UWSP's final drive of the first half was halted near midfield and the Pointers were down 14-7 at the half.
 
The Britons moved the ball down the field on the opening drive of the second half. The Pointers' defense rebuffed Albion three times from the three yard line to force a field goal.
 
Cashin began the next drive with a five-yard rush. Leair hit Tyler Rittenhouse (Howard's Grove, Wis./Howard's Grove) for six more and a first down. Following an incomplete pass, Cashin raced to the end zone with a 69-yard rushing touchdown.
 
UWSP's defense stopped the Britons after four plays on the next drive to force a punt. Two plays into the next drive, Leair hit Cashin for a 69-yard touchdown as UWSP took a 20-14 lead.
 
In the closing seconds of the third, Albion regained the lead, 24-20. The Pointers punted on the first play of the fourth and the Britons found the end zone again on the opening drive of the final frame for a 31-20 lead.
 
The Pointers used five rushes and two completed passes to drive to the Albion 12, but came away with just a field goal.
 
UWSP's defense got the ball back for the offense with 2:04 remaining. Two rushes got the Pointers near midfield, but Leair's second interception of the day thwarted a chance to tie the game late.
 
The Pointers travel to St. Norbert next Saturday (Sept. 14) for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against the Green Knights.