THIS WEEK'S GAME: The Blue Devils (3-6, 1-5 WIAC) will close the 2012 season when they host fifth ranked UW-Oshkosh (9-0, 6-0 WIAC), Saturday, Nov. 10. The game will be Senior Day. Seniors playing their final collegiate games include:
Brett Bernarde,
Paul Bernier,
Michael Blizel,
Eric Brown,
Andy Burton,
Ryan Ericksen,
Jess Evans,
Joe Gerber, Michael Gervenak,
Ryan Howg,
Jake Johnson,
Will McKissic,
Travis Mueller,
Josh Peterson,
Billy Rosenthal,
Austin Schwartz,
Dylan Sincere,
Jeremy Troupe-Masi and
John Van Gundy.
ON THE AIR: WMEQ 880 AM Radio will provide broadcast coverage for the season.
WMEQ will also audio stream the games. UW-Platteville will provide a
Live Video stream. At home games, WMEQ will provide the audio portion for
Live Video streaming of all home football games, network providing.
Live Stats will be available for all home games.
AT THE WATER COOLER: Hang out with UW-Stout coach
Clayt Birmingham at the
Water Cooler, on Sports Radio 1400 in Eau Claire. Birmingham will speak with Water Cooler host Jimmie Kaska weekly about the upcoming game and the previous week's game. Birmingham's segment will air Wednesdays during the season at approximately 5:15 p.m. A link to the weekly broadcast is available here.
This week's interview. |
Weekly Interviews
LAST TIME OUT: UW-Stout: UW-Platteville passed for seven TDs and went on to a 62-20 win over the Blue Devils, Nov. 3, at Pioneer Stadium. Platteville ran out to a 35-3 lead before Stout scored a TD with a minute left in the first half, giving Platteville a 35-10 halftime lead. The Pioneers added 21 more points in the third quarter, with all three scores coming through the air. The Pioneers' quarterback Bryce Corrigan was 23-of-34 for 356 yards and seven touchdowns. Trevor Whitehead had TD pass receptions of 57-, 40-, 10-, 64-yards, finishing with five receptions for 181 yards. Eric Brown scored his fourth touchdown of the year and Mike Gervenak got his first collegiate touchdown, while Ricky Marteney added field goals of 27 and 29 yards. Hank Kujak, starting in place of injured Michael Blizel, completed 16-of-32 passes for 149 yards, with one score, but was intercepted twice. Tight end Josh Peterson had six receptions for 64 yards to lead Stout. Stout finished the day with 314 total yards of offense, 156 passing, 158 rushing. The Pioneers tallied 477 yards of offense, 358 passing, 119 on the ground. The 62 points is the most a Stout team has given up since a 62-34 loss to UW-Stevens Point in 1998. | Complete Story and Box Score
LAST TIME OUT: UW-Oshkosh: The Titans claimed the WIAC title as their own with a 56-31 win over UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 3. Oshkosh scored all 56 points in the first half, including 42 in the second quarter. At one point, they scored five touchdowns in nine minutes to build a 56-10 halftime lead against the last-place Pointers. Quarterback Nate Wara threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns (one rushing), while Cole Myhra carried the ball 13 times for 141 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. | Complete Story and Box Score
WHEN THEY MET LAST YEAR: The teams met twice last year with the Titans taking both contests by a cumulative margin of 91-13. Oshkosh took the non-conference game in Menomonie, 56-10, Sept. 22, 2011, and the conference game in Oshkosh, 35-3. In the season's first matchup, both teams' third game of the year, UW-Oshkosh employed their hurry-up offense early to jump out to a very quick lead and never let up. The Titans' first two drives, both ending in touchdown runs of at least 46 yards, each lasted just three plays and combined for 128 yards in less than two minutes. Stout's first productive drive came at the end of the first quarter. Trailing 14-0, the Blue Devils put together a 13 play, 80 yard drive, ending in a Ricky Marteney field goal from 36 yards out. Oshkosh added two more touchdowns before halftime and led 28-3 at the break. Points kept piling up for Oshkosh almost as if by accident. A second-and-one rush up the middle turned into a 61-yard touchdown, and a Ross Carey interception was returned 74 yards to put the game on ice. The Titans' offense put up 535 yards on the night, led by Wara's 357 combined passing and rushing yards. | Game 1 Stats and Story | In their most recent contest, a WIAC battle last November, Eric Brown had a career day on the ground, but that didn't stop Oshkosh from taking a 35-3 win on their own turf. Brown piled up 169 yards rushing, but was unable to find the end zone. After Ryan Howg put Stout on the board first with a 22-yard field goal, the Titans reeled off five unanswered passing touchdowns. Quarterback Nate Wara completed 19 of 29 pass attempts for 300 yards and five scores, three of which went to Garrie Fox. | Game 2 Stats and Story | In the two games combined, Wara was 30-for-45 for 472 yards and seven touchdowns and no picks, in addition to 216 rushing yards. His favorite receiver, Garrie Fox, caught 13 passes for 224 yards and five scores. At least this year, they won't have to face Fox.
THE SERIES: UW-Oshkosh leads the series, 32-22-1, which began in 1947 with a 19-12 Oshkosh win. The teams have split the last four games, with Oshkosh taking both games in 2011. Oshkosh holds a 7-3 lead in the series over the last 10 games.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Offense: Eric Brown, Sr, St. Paul, Minn. (Arlington); Defense: Collin Laursen, So, Mondovi, Wis.; Special teams: Ricky Marteney, PK, Jr, Greenfield, Wis.; Scout players of the week: Offensive: Jimmy Plain, Fr, Wyoming Minn. (Forest Lake); Defensive: Ben Beyer, Fr, Freedom, Wis.
WHO'S WHO: UW-Stout: For much of the season, the Blue Devils' offense has revolved around QB Michael Blizel, who has done it through the air and on the ground. A late hit in the River Falls game, however, sidelined Blizel for the remainder of that game and last week against Platteville. In his first season at the helm for Stout, Blizel has tossed seven TD passes and has completed 130-of-256 passes for 1534 yards. Hank Kujak replaced Blizel under center, and in his first collegiate start, went 16-of-32, including one touchdown and two interceptions. Stout's top receiver in terms of receptions is TE Josh Peterson, who has 41 catches for 374 yards and three scores. Wideout Trevor Morning has been their primary deep threat, and now has 29 receptions for 576 yards and two scores. His average reception of 19.9 yards is second best in the league in that category, heavily aided by an 85-yard reception in the season opener against Jamestown. TE Austin Schwartz has ten grabs for 51 yards and his first career TD, but his senior season will end there, cut short by a knee injury. Stout's leading rusher, Eric Brown has carried the ball 140 times for 591 yards and an average of 4.2 yards. Kicker Ricky Marteney moved into a tie for fifth on the Stout all-time scoring list. With eight points last week, Marteney currently has 163 career points, 52 this season. After coming into this season with 22 field goals, his 12 successful attempts so far this year give him the most field goals in UW-Stout history. He is also a perfect 16 of 16 on point after attempts this season, the only WIAC kicker who boasts a perfect percentage. Defensively, the Blue Devils have 18 sacks. DL Ryan Ericksen, leads the team, and is tied for second in the WIAC, in sacks with 5. DL Jamie Rohrig has 4.5 and DE Jake Johnson has 2.5. DB Damian Guggenbuehl and Jeremy Troupe-Masi each have two interceptions. Safety Tyler Naatz leads the team - and is second in the WIAC - in tackles with 75, 40 solo, while DB Collin Laursen and LB Spencer Adler have 69 and 68, respectively. LB David Lindell and Ericksen sit atop the league with 11, and 10.5 tackles for a loss, respectively. The Stout defense has allowed only two fourth down conversion in 16 attempts. Stout is losing the turnover battle, 23-15, collectively against their opponents. That margin of minus-8 is tied with Stevens Point for worst in the conference. As a team, Stout is averaging 309.9 yards of total offense, 106.7 rushing, 203.2 passing. The Blue Devils are giving up 350.7 yards, 121.6 rushing, 229.1 passing. | 2012 Stats
WHO'S WHO: UW-Oshkosh: Senior quarterback Nate Wara directs an offense that averages over 500 yards per game. Oshkosh does it with a balanced attack, with 51 percent of their production coming on the ground (254 ypg) and the other 49 percent coming from the passing attack (247 ypg). In nine games this season, Oshkosh has five times put up over 500 yards in a game, including three games with over 600 yards of offense. Wara has been the primary signal caller all year, throwing for 2176 yards and 20 touchdowns, while managing to throw just one interception. Wara also deals out damage on the ground, running for nearly 60 yards per game. Cole Myhra is Oshkosh's number one option out of the backfield. He has carried the ball 140 times for 913 yards and ten touchdowns, maintaining a healthy 6.5 yards per carry. Zach Kasuboski and Caleb Voss have been Wara's favorite receiving targets, each hauling in 38 passes on the season. Kasuboski has 442 yards and three touchdowns while Voss has been the deeper threat, compliling 796 yards and eight scores. | 2012 Statistics
THE MATCHUP: Comparing the numbers:
|
Stout |
WIAC Rank |
|
WIAC Rank |
Oshkosh |
|
18.2 |
6th |
PPG |
1st |
40.1 |
|
26.8 |
6th |
Opp. PPG |
2nd |
14.2 |
|
203.2 |
5th |
Pass Yds |
2nd |
247.0 |
|
106.7 |
6th |
Rush Yds |
1st |
254.9 |
|
-8 |
t-7th |
Turnover +/- |
1st |
+15 |
3rd and 4th Down: For much of the year, Stout's performance on third down has been a good indication of success or demise. In their three wins this year, Stout's conversion rate is 43 percent (20/46) on third down. In their six losses, that rate drops to 26 percent (25/97). Against River Falls, third down told the tale of the game, as the Falcons completed their three biggest pass plays, including two touchdowns, on third down situations. Two weeks earlier, Stout converted just one of 15 tries, their lowest single-game success rate in over 10 years. Oshkosh has been good on third down this season, converting 45 percent of the time and allowing opponents first downs on just 29 percent of their attempts. Both of those averages are second best in the conference. If Stout can force fourth down situations, however, they have been nearly perfect this season. When facing fourth down situations, Stout opponents have converted just two of 16 tries.
Defensive Struggles: Stout's defense has had to wait to its last game of the season to face arguably their toughest test of the season. Newly-crowned WIAC Champion Oshkosh comes into Don and Nona Williams Stadium averaging over 500 yards and 40 points per game to face a defense that has had its share of difficulties lately. Over the course of their current four-game losing streak, Stout has allowed 40 points per game, and have given up at least 400 yards in four of their past five contests. After allowing 41 points to Whitewater, and allowing a lackluster La Crosse offense to put up season highs in points (33), rushing (177) and total (443) yards, the Blue Devils' defense took a step in the right direction against River Falls, despite a 24-14 loss. Last week, however, facing a high-powered Platteville offense, Stout hit rock bottom, allowing 62 points, their most since 1998.
GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK: Putting pressure on the opposing quarterback has been a key determinant of Stout's defensive success. After recording 15 sacks in the first four games, they have only managed three in the past five contests. In those first four games (2 wins, 2 losses), opposing quarterbacks averaged just 190 yards through the air, and only once hit 200 yards (North Central, 246 yards). Furthermore, opponents scored just four passing touchdowns over that stretch. Since then, Stout has gone 1-4 and allowed 260 passing yards per game, and 15 touchdowns through the air. Getting after Nate Wara will be a priority this week, as he is always a rushing threat as well as a dangerous passer.
CLOSING THE SEASON: Over the past 10 seasons, Stout has won just three regular season finales (.300), despite an overall record of 55-44 (.556) in those seasons. Recently, however, they have been trying to reverse that trend, winning two of the last three, all against UW-Oshkosh. In their past 10 home season finales, Stout is 3-7.
PENALTIES: Through the first six games of the season, Stout committed just 21 penalties, and had been the WIAC's least-penalized team entering every week until now. In the past three games, the Blue Devils have provoked 27 flags, including a season-high 11 last week at Platteville. They now have 48 penalties on the season, and rank third in the conference in that category.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: Kicker Ricky Marteney continues his climb up the Blue Devil all-time scoring list. Marteney entered the year with 107 points and now has 163, moving into a tie for fifth on the all-time scoring list. Marteney also holds the record for most career field goals by any UW-Stout kicker. Entering this year with 22, Marteney has added 12, giving him the record over Clay Vajgrt, who set the previous mark in 1982.
THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Clayt Birmingham (14-15) is in his third year as the UW-Stout head coach. Before coming to Stout, Birmingham coached at Western Michigan, Emporia College and UW-Stevens Point. Birmingham was the UW-Stout defensive coordinator for three years before assuming the head coaching role. Birmingham played his college football at UW-Stevens Point.
UW-Oshkosh: Pat Cerroni is in his sixth season as the Titans' head coach. Cerroni is 35-23 as a head coach and 16-3 over this season and last. Their 7-3 record last year was the program's best in 35 years, and their record this year will surely better that.
THE LEAGUES: UW-Stout and UW-Oshkosh are members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Stout finished fourth last season (5-5, 3-4 WIAC) in league play, while Oshkosh finished second (7-3, 5-2 WIAC).
QUICK HITS:
-
- Mike Gervenak scored his first collegiate touchdown at Platteville on a six-yard reception from Hank Kujak. It was Gervenak's 40th career reception.
-
- After allowing fifteen sacks in their previous two games, Stout's offensive line had a better outing last week, letting Platteville get to Hank Kujak just once.
-
- Stout recorded 15 sacks in their first four games, but have recorded just three in their most recent five.
-
- Zak Snell returned eight kickoffs for 234 yards against La Crosse, including a 72 yard return. In all five other games before that combined, Stout had 345 kick return yards.
-
- QB Michael Blizel completed passes to nine different receivers vs. Stevens Point. The last time a Stout QB completed passes to nine difference receivers was Oct. 1, 2011, when Ross Carey found nine different players, including offensive lineman Tim Lau who snagged a tipped pass.
-
- TE Josh Peterson had 10 receptions vs. Stevens Point, the most receptions by a Blue Devil in a single game since Shawn Korth pulled in 11 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Nov. 10, 2007. Peterson has caught at least two passes in every game this year, and is coming off back-to-back games with six catches. Last year, Peterson caught at least one pass in the first nine games of the season, but was blanked in the season finale at UW-Oshkosh.
-
- Trevor Morning extended his reception streak to 19 games by catching three passes against Whitewater. Last season, Morning caught at least one pass in every game. Morning caught only two passes in a game at Whitewater, but both went for TDs.
-
- RB Eric Brown got back on the right track against Platteville. After four consecutive weeks with 51 yards or less, Brown ran for 95 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown against the Pioneers. He started the season by rushing for at least 94 yards in three of the first four games before hitting the cold streak.
-
- WR Trevor Morning's 85-yard pass reception from QB Michael Blizel against Jamestown College was the longest reception for a Stout tandem since Matt Bunyan tossed a 98-yard TD to speedster Jesse Witcraft on Nov. 16, 1997, in the Metrodome. Morning's reception is the longest collegiate reception at Don & Nona Williams Stadium. Morning's reception is the longest Stout play from scrimmage since TB Craig Warminski rolled off an 86-yard run, Nov. 13, 2010, in the final game of the 2010 season against UW-Oshkosh.
-
- WR Jordan Nelson scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career, falling on an offensive fumble in the end zone late in the Jamestown game.
-
- PK Ricky Marteney matched a career-best when he booted a 43-yard field goal against Jamestown College, then matched that at UW-Eau Claire. Marteney twice last season kicked 43-yarders, in the opening game with Black Hills State and against UW-Eau Claire.
-
- WR Zak Snell was pressed into all kinds of duty against North Central. Snell caught two passes for 15 yards, rushed once for three yards, fielded three kickoffs for 72 yards and punted twice. Snell has also completed one pass this year, a 34-yard pass to WR Trevor Morning on the opening play of the UW-Eau Claire game.
-
- The Stout defense held Jamestown College to 16 yards rushing, but then allowed North Central to run for 164 yards.
-
- Last season: Stout's Eric Brown finished the 2011 season on a bit of tear, running 20 times for 105 yards against Platteville with two TDs, marking his second consecutive game with two TDs. Brown concluded the season by carrying the ball 29 times for 169 yards against Oshkosh....LB David Lindell recovered a fumble and snagged his first collegiate interception, to go along with three solo tackles against River Falls...Punter Mike Scherr punted the ball nine times against LaCrosse, dropping five punts inside the 20, four inside the 10 and three inside the 5...When kicker Ricky Marteney's 38 yard field goal attempt was blocked, it was the first time in his collegiate career he had a field goal attempt blocked in 31 attempts...Adam Smith caught a collegiate best five passes for 36 yards against Whitewater...Mike Gervanek had his longest career reception against Stevens Point, Oct. 8, a 40-yard play, topping a 30-yard play a week earlier against Eau Claire...Stout's David Goebel scored his first collegiate TDs when he scored two early in the 20-17 win over Jamestown, one on a rush, another on a pass reception...the Blue Devils blocked a kick in the first two games of the season, Evan Ludowese a field goal attempt against Black Hills State and Trevor Fiege a punt attempt against Jamestown.
SEASON HONORS: WR
Trevor Morning was chosen as the UW-Stout athlete of the week after catching six passes against UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20…DL
Ryan Ericksen was selected to the D3football.com Team of the Week after recording three sacks and five solo tackles against UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 29...PK
Ricky Marteney was the WIAC special teams player of the week after kicking field goals of 25- and 33-yards against UW-River Falls, Sept. 22. It was the third time in his career that he received the conference honor...LB
Spencer Adler was named the WIAC defensive player of the week after recording 12 tackles in a season opening 31-0 win over Jamestown College...returners earning all-WIAC honors last year were RB
Eric Brown, second team; TE
Josh Peterson, FB David Goebl and C
Joe Gerber were honorable mention selections. PK
Ricky Marteney was a second team pick in 2010.
TOPPERS: The following are career bests for several of Stout's offensive players
Michael Blizel - Passing
20 comp, 34 att, 210 yds, 1 TD vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 6, 2012
18 comp, 42 att, 264 yds, 1 TD vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20, 2012
17 comp, 29 att, 169 yds, 2 TDs vs. UW-River Falls, Sept. 22, 2012
15 comp, 29 att, 262 yds, 2 TDs vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
MIchael Blizel - Rushing
11 carries, 68 yards (no negative yards), 3 TDs vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 6, 2012
Paul Bernier - Rushing
17 carries, 96 yards vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 8, 2011
21 carries, 95 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Sept. 22, 2011
Eric Brown - Rushing
32 carries, 127 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Sept. 22, 2012
29 carries, 169 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Nov. 12, 2011
20 carries, 105 yards vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 5, 2011
17 carries, 135 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 29, 2012
16 carries, 94 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
16 carries, 73 yards vs. Black Hills State, Sept. 3, 2011
15 carries, 60 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 10, 2011
Michael Gervanek - Receiving
6 receptions, 78 yards vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 8, 2011
3 receptions, 66 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 1, 2011
Josh Peterson - Receiving
5 receptions, 110 yards vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 8, 2011
8 receptions, 86 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Nov. 12, 2011
10 receptions, 80 yards vs. UW-Stevens Point, Oct. 6, 2012
5 receptions, 50 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
6 receptions, 53 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 27, 2012
5 receptions, 47 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 14, 2011
7 receptions, 47 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 29, 2011
Trevor Morning - Receiving
4 receptions, 155 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
6 receptions, 113 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20, 2012
2 receptions, 84 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 14, 2011 - 2TDs
4 receptions, 61 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Sept. 22, 2012
4 receptions, 58 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 13, 2012
Adam Smith - Receiving
5 receptions, 36 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 14, 2011
Ricky Marteney - Field Goals
43 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 29, 2012
43 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
43 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 1, 2011
43 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 10, 2011
TEAM CAPTAINS: Quarterback Michael Blizel, center Joe Gerber and tight end Josh Peterson are team captains. All three are seniors.
NATIONAL POLLS: The Titans are ranked 6th in the latest AFCA poll and 5th in the D3football.com Top 25 poll. UW-Stout has not received any national poll votes.
DON & NONA WILLIAMS STADIUM MARKS
Longest Pass Play
85 - Michael Blizel to Trevor Morning vs. Jamestown, Sept. 8, 2012
Longest Run from Scrimmage
86 - Craig Warminski vs. UW-Oshkosh, Nov. 13, 2010
Longest Field Goal
55 - Nick Dace (North Central College), Sept. 15, 2012
53 - Nick Dace (North Central College), Sept. 15, 2012
Longest Punt Return
80 - Craig Warminski vs. Eureka College, Sept. 18, 2010
Longest Kickoff Return
90 - Carlos Concepcion vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 23, 2010
Most Rushing Yards in a Game
328 - Luke Bundgaard vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 15, 2003
207 - Taylor Edwards (UW-River Falls), Oct. 3, 2009
207 - Justin Biever (UW-Whitewater), Nov. 5, 2005
Most Yards Passing in a Game
446 - Tom Stetzer (UW-Platteville), Sept. 29, 2001
358 - Brett Borchert (UW-Stevens Point), Oct. 16, 2004
349 - Austin Neu (UW-Eau Claire), Oct. 1, 2011
Most Yards Receiving in a Game
243 - Max Boe (Jamestown), Sept. 11, 2010
Most TDs Scored in a Game
4 - Luke Bundgaard vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 15, 2003
SEEING DOUBLE TO END IN 2012: The WIAC instituted a cost-cutting procedure last season where, in one instance, conference teams will play each other twice, with the first meeting set up as a non-conference meeting. Stout last year played UW-Oshkosh twice and this year will face UW-River Falls twice, first a non-conference night game at River Falls, Saturday, Sept. 22, then in Menomonie, Saturday, Oct. 27. The meetings will be the 98th and 99th meetings in the two teams' long-time rivalry. Stout will be at UW-River Falls next year for the 100th meeting of the two teams. The conference's double meetings will end this year.
PROMOTIONS PLANNED FOR 2012: The Blue Devils have a full slate of promotions scheduled for 2012. The Sept. 8 game will be Dorm Days, while the Sept. 15 game will be Take a Kid to a Game Day. Oct. 6 is Homecoming and Oct. 13 is the annual Hall of Fame Game. The UW-Stout Dance Team is hosting a youth clinic that day and those youngsters will perform at halftime. The Oct. 27 game is Military Appreciation Day and the season home finale, Nov. 10 is Senior Day.
MAX SPARGER: UW-Stout dedicated the Don & Nona Williams Stadium press box in honor of former UW-Stout athletic director and coach Max Sparger September 11, 2010. Sparger led the Blue Devil football team to the 1965 WSUC championship. After leaving Stout in 1972, Sparger served as the WSUC commissioner. Sparger is a member of the UW-Stout Hall of Fame, as well as the WIAC Hall of Fame.
101 YEARS OF STOUT FOOTBALL: Stout Institute played their first game on Nov. 4, 1911, when they lost to River Falls Normal School, 13-11. Walter Anderson scored Stout's first touchdown, an 85 yard kickoff return. A week later, Stout won their first game, 30-2, against LaCrosse Business School as Harvey Tice scored four touchdowns. The predecessor to the WIAC began in 1913 and Stout has won five conference titles - 1921, 1941, 1949, 1965 and 2000. Stout became the Blue Devils during the late 1920s or early 1930s. Football was not played during the war years of 1918, 1943, and 1944. Along the way, the school has gone through a number of name changes - Stout Institute, Stout State College, Stout State University and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Stout celebrated 100 years of football with a season-long celebration and alumni reunion. | A 10-week series on Stout football is available.
TAILGATING RETURNED IN 2009: UW-Stout has adopted a formal tailgating policy for Blue Devil football games. The south end of the parking lot by the Don and Nona Williams Stadium has been designated as a tailgating area known as the "Tailgate Zone." Fans will be able to participate in the Blue Devil Walk. Tailgating is permitted three hours before the game, and tailgating activities will cease at game time. Only propane grills are permitted, no open flame grills. Alcohol or tobacco is not permitted.
EUROPEAN FLAVOR: UW-Stout coach Clayt Birmingham has been active in raising the popularity of American football in Europe and has made several trips to Europe to participate in workshops and coaching clinics. The Blue Devils have also welcomed European coaches to their training camp and 2011 was no exception with Nico Teichert and Johannes Fiebig from Germany getting an up close look at American football. The Blue Devils also had Antti Kurenniemi, a native of Finland, on their roster last season. Kurenniemi saw action in several games. In 2012, the Blue Devils, for the first time in several years, did not host a European coach, but do have an international player, Jan Andre Millemann from Germany, who is the subject of this feature story.
DON & NONA WILLIAMS STADIUM: The Blue Devils' home stadium - Don & Nona Williams Stadium - got a facelift during the summer of 2008 when the original Astroturf-type surface was replaced with ProGrass, a surface that more closely resembles natural grass. Don & Nona Williams Stadium was only the second artificial playing surface in the state of Wisconsin when it opened in 2001. Only the Wisconsin Badgers played their games on artificial turf. The Green Bay Packers had an artificial surface in their practice facility. Now, nearly every WIAC school either has or is planning an artificial surface, and many high schools in the state have followed suit.
UP NEXT: The Blue Devil season is over. Stout opens the 2013 season, Sept. 7.
