STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point football team (1-0) jumped out to a 14-0 lead and rode it to a 17-12 win over Augsburg (0-1) in the home opener on Saturday.
Ryan Thompson (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) was 11-of-23 for 93 yards. He also rushed 11 times for 31 yards.
Zack Lynch (Brussels. Wis./Southern Door) led UWSP with 79 yards on 20 rushing attempts and a touchdown.
Paul Morris (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) led the UWSP defense with 12 tackles.
Gavin Adams (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) and
Josh Kristof (Lena, Wis./Lena) added seven tackles apiece.
Charlie Anderson (Green Bay, Wis./Ashwaubenon) and
Orian Gauger (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) each had an interception.
The Pointers took the opening kickoff and drove 58 yards capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by Lynch.
Tyler Sodemann (Waukesha, Wis./West) tacked on the extra point and UWSP had a 7-0 lead just 5:55 into the game.
After the Pointers' defense forced a three-and-out drive by the Auggies, the first punt of the season occurred.
Isaiah Des Jardins (Little Chute, Wis./St. Francis Xavier) took the punt 65 yards to the end zone as UWSP went up 14-0 early.
Augsburg took its next drive the length of the field to get on the board. The extra-point attempt hit the upright and UWSP led, 14-6.
Each team had a turnover in the second quarter with Gauger making an interception in the endzone quashing a potential tying touchdown by Augsburg. The Auggies missed a field goal attempt just before halftime and the lead remained 14-6 at the break.
Late in the third quarter, the Pointers took 10 plays to move to the Augsburg 17. The drive stalled there, but Sodemann made a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-6.
Three plays into the fourth quarter, the Auggies scored a touchdown. The two-point attempt was no good and UWSP led 17-12.
One more drive by Augsburg was stopped by the Pointers' defense at the 24 yard line. UWSP then held the ball the final 5:45 of the game to earn the win.
The Pointers travel to Michigan on Saturday (Sept. 12) for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff at Hope.
