STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point football team (1-0) got a huge defensive stand in overtime to prevail with a 28-21 win over Albion (0-1) in the season opener for both teams.
Brycen Cashin (Plover, Wis./Pacelli) scored two touchdowns and led the Pointers in rushing with 96 yards on 21 carries.
Charlie Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) was 18-for-29 for 122 and a touchdown.
Elijah Mott (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) caught two passes, one for a touchdown.
Brayden Wiczek (Minocqua, Wis./Lakeland Union) made a team-high five receptions for 32 yards.
Defensively,
Paul Morris (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) led the way with 16 tackles.
Jack Luedtke (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) added 14 and made one of the Pointers' interceptions.
Carter Dahlke (Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) and
Zander Popp (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) also had an interception.
Tanner Mrotek (Manitowoc, Wis./Lincoln) had one of the two UWSP sacks, a vital play in overtime to secure the win.
The Pointers took the opening kickoff and orchestrated a solid 11-play, 65-yard drive for a touchdown. Cashin rushed for 32 yards on five carries and Smith culminated the drive with a 13-yard connection to Mott for a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing Albion drive, Dahlke made the first inception of the season for the Pointers halting a short midfield drive by the Britons.
Later in the first quarter, Popp made the second pick of the game and returned it 26 yards to the Albion 12. Two plays later,
Reed Smith (Powell, Wyo./Powell) found paydirt from 12 yards out to give the Pointers a 14-0 advantage.
The Pointers' defense stopped Albion at the 16 yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. The Britons' field goal attempt was wide left and UWSP maintained the shutout taking a 14-0 lead into halftime.
On the third play of the third quarter, Luedtke made UWSP's third interception of the game. Wiczek quickly picked up 18 yards on the ground and 27 yards on a reception. Cashin finished the drive with a 26-yard rush and punched it in from one yard out to give the Pointers a 21-0 lead.
Late in the third, UWSP's first miscue gave Albion some life. On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Britons made it 21-7. With 4:37 left in regulation, Albion scored to cut the UWSP lead to seven, 21-14.
With 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Albion tied the game at 21-21 sending the season opener to overtime.
In overtime, Cashin rushed four times for 12 yards, including a two-yard touchdown run to put UWSP ahead again. After Albion converted a fourth down to continue its overtime drive, Mrotek had a massive sack to put the Britons in a 2nd and 17 situation. He broke up a pass on third down and the fourth down throw into the end zone was incomplete as the Pointers prevailed.
UWSP host St. Norbert next Saturday (Sept. 13). Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. for the annual Pink Game for Cancer.
