Football Preview: Stout/Eau Claire to meet in annual Battle for I-94

THIS WEEK'S GAME:  UW-Stout (2-5, 0-4 WIAC) return home to face UW-Eau Claire (1-6, 1-3 WIAC) Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. Stout is coming off a 59-35 shootout loss to eighth ranked UW-Platteville, while the Bluglolds picked up their first win of the season, a 13-6 home win over UW-River Falls. The game is the annual Hall of Fame Game and will also be noted as Military Appreciation Day.

HALL OF FAME GAME: This game marks the annual Hall of Fame Game. At halftime of the Eau Claire/Stout game, Hall of Fame inductees Amy Zelinger (basketball), Bob Raczek (football, wrestling), Matt Lunde (baseball), Cara (Fenhouse) Pond (softball) and Jamie Spielman (football) will be introduced.

ON THE AIR: WMEQ 880 AM Radio will provide broadcast coverage for the season.  WMEQ will also audio stream the games. 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. 

LAST TIME OUT: UW-Stout: UW-Stout freshman Adolfo Pacheco had a coming out party of sorts as he rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns, but the Blue Devils fell, 59-35 at UW-Platteville Saturday. Pacheco scored a touchdown- the first touchdown of the day - in the first quarter, then added two in the second half as he carried the ball 28 times. The Blue Devils  took the opening kickoff and, highlighted by a 43-yard pass reception by Trevor Morning from Hank Kujak marched 79 yards and Pacheco finished it off with a three-yard run. The Pioneers took the lead with a pair of first quarter touchdowns by Lee Vlasek to give Platteville a 14-7 lead. Stout tied the score early in the second period when Morning caught a 12-yard TD pass from Kujak. The Pioneers scored the next four touchdowns to run out to a 42-14 lead. Trevor Whitehead scored the next three TDs on short passes from John Kelly, two to close out the second period and one to open the second half. Vlasek added an 18 yard run midway through the third quarter. Stout's Mike Bond recorded his second interception of the game minutes later and Pacheco capped off the 49 yard drive with a 19-yard run to pay dirt to close out the third period. Stout got their final score of the game in the fourth quarter when Hank Kujak tossed a 6-yard pass to brother Reggie Kujak to make the score 49-35. The eighth ranked Pioneers added a field goal and another touchdown to close out the game. Platteville finished with 561 total yards of offense, 231 on the ground, 330 by passing. Andy Puccini gained 81 yards rushing, quarterback Kelly 79 yards and Vlasak 72 with a pair of scores. Kelly completed 28-of-44 passes for all 330 yards and five TDs. Ryley Bailey caught eight passes for 108 yards. Whitehead had six catches. Hank Kujak completed 24-of-43 passes for 262 yards and two TDs, but he was intercepted three times. Morning had six catches for 95 yards. Brian Alvarez caught eight passes for 71 yards. Pacheco had two receptions for 24 yards. Pacheco's 194 yards is the most by a UW-Stout running back since Craig Warminski ran for 207 against UW-La Crosse on Nov. 1, 2008.

LAST TIME OUT: UW-Eau Claire: With both teams looking for their first win of the season last week, the UW-Eau Claire football team was able to come away with the win over UW-River Falls, defeating the Falcons 13-6 at Carson Park. Clint Larsen, filling in for the injured Joel Sweeney, scored both Blugold TDs, running in from two yards out late in the second period, then added his second score of the game with about five minutes left to play. Larson ended the game with 120 yards rushing on 28 carries while he also finished with three catches for 17 yards. Mark Munger went 20-for-29 passing with 176 yards while Alex Plaster led the team with four catches for 46 yards. The Blugolds finished the game with 313 yards of offense (137 rushing, 176 yards passing) while the Falcons had 371 total yards (68 rushing, 303 passing).

WHEN THEY MET LAST YEAR: UW-Stout tailback Eric Brown rushed for more than 100 yards for the second consecutive week and the Blue Devils defense sacked the UW-Eau Claire quarterback six times, but Stout turned the ball over three times and Eau Claire captured a 21-13 win in the conference opener for both teams last season at Carson Park.. Stout finished with 326 total yards of offense, 162 passing, 164 by rushing. Brown carried the ball 17 times for 135 yards. Michael Blizel completed 12 of 20 passes, with Josh Peterson hauling in four passes for 42 yards. Trevor Morning had two catches for 52 yards. The Blugolds tallied 302 total yards, 181 in the air, 121 on the ground. Austin Neu led the Blugolds in rushing with 93 yards on 18 carries, and completed 16-of-25 passes for 181 yards and accounted for all three Eau Claire TDs, one by rush and two through the pass. Austin Goetsch had four grabs for 46 yards.. 

THE SERIES: The Blugolds lead the series, 49-33-6. The teams have split the last 10 games, but Eau Claire has won the last two meetings. Stout's last win came in 2010 in Menomonie when the Blue Devils took a 37-28 win.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Offense: Adolfo Pacheco, Fr, South Elgin, Ill ; Defense: Mike Bond, Jr, Milwaukee. (Bradley Tech).; Special teams: Riley Anderson, Jr, Woodville, Wis. (Baldwin-Woodville); Scout players of the week: Offensive: Zach St.Aubin, Fr, Cameron, Wis.; Defensive: Matt Kleinhans, Fr, Nekoosa, Wis.

WHO'S WHO: UW-Stout: 

Offense: Quarterback Hank Kujak leads the Blue Devil offense and has completed 118-of-224 passes for 1336 yards and 7 TDs. Kujak has also carried the ball 54 times for 174 yards.  The majority of Kujak's passes have been caught by Brian Alvarez (34 receptions), Cody Rosemeyer (30) and Trevor Morning (30).  Morning has been the big playmaker with 566 yards and 5 TDs. Morning is averaging a conference-best 18.9 yards per catch and has caught at least one pass in every game since his sophomore season.. Morning was limited by an injury the previous two contests against Whitewater and La Crosse, totaling 2 catches for 31 yards before turning in a 6 catch, 95 yard performance last week. He also scored his 5th touchdown of the year, setting a career high. Alvarez has come on strong of late, leading the team in receptions in each of the last three games. For the year, he has 338 yards receiving. He also completed a 32-yard pass in the season opener. Rosemeyer has caught at least 3 passes in every game so far this year and is second on the team with 346 receiving yards. Tight end Reggie Kujak caught his first touchdown of the year against Platteville last week, on a 6-yard pass from his brother. Running backs Tanner Kuehn and Adolfo Pacheco have been leading the way on the ground, as both are averaging over 10 carries per game. Pacheco had his best collegiate game against Platteville, tallying 194 yards to bring his total up to 559 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and has five TDs. Kuehn has 265 yards on the ground and two TDs.  Leading the way up front for the Blue Devils are guard David Reyes and tackle Devon Greiber, both starters last season. Reyes was a second team all-WIAC selection as a junior and earned preseason honorable mention honors by USA Football. Zak Snell has resumed his role as every down man for the Blue Devils, as he has kicked off, punted, returned kicks, carried the ball twice, and caught nine passes on the season. Snell caught his first touchdown of the year against North Central, a 39-yarder from back-up QB Sawyer Moon. Place kicker Ricky Marteney continues his climb up the Blue Devil all-time scoring list. With his five extra points Saturday, Marteney has a team-best 46 points on the season (11-12 FG/A, 13-13 PATs), and is currently second on Stout's all-time list with 209 points. 

Defense: Luke Bakkum, who recently moved from linebacker to strong safety, is the team's leading tackler with 63 tackles, 36 solo. Bakkum has a team-best 6.0 tackles for loss and has three sacks. Defensive lineman Alec Zoern has 4.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, and has forced two fumbles. Jamie Rohrig and Kevin Houts each have a sack for the Blue Devils. In the secondary, Tyler Naatz is third on the team in tackles with 48, 27 solo to go along with 3 pass break-ups. Defensive backs Jake Schiff and Mike Bond each have two interceptions. Linebacker Spencer Adler missed the first two games of the year due to injury, but has come back in a big way, recording 33 tackles, 18 solo, including 2 for loss  and a half sack since his return. David Lindell has 56 tackles, 26 solo. He also has 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the season.  Defensive end David Goebel is a two-time all-WIAC honorable mention selection at fullback who made the switch to the defensive line this year. For the season, he has 23 tackles, 16 solo, including a sack. Stout's total defense finished fourth in the WIAC last season, up from sixth the previous two seasons.

Offensively, Stout is averaging 400.6 yards, 154.9 rushing, 245.7 passing. Stout is giving up  472.7 yards, 189.9 rushing, 282.9 passing. The Blue Devils have been outscored, 231-139 (33.0-19.9). 

WHO'S WHO: UW-Eau Claire: The Blugolds have been led all season by the running of all-WIAC back Joel Sweeney. Despite missing last week's game with River Falls, Sweeney still leads the WIAC in rushing with 681 yards for a 4.6 yards per carry. Sweeney has six rushing TDs. Clint Larsen has proven to be a worthy replacement, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and has four TDs. QB Mark Munger has completed 84-of-148 passes for 892 yards and three TDs. He has recorded seven interceptions. Munger spreads his throws around pretty well. Alex Plaster has 15 receptions for 167 yards. Nick Hirsch, Nate Piel and Larsen each have 13 receptions. Drew Davis has 12 catches for a healthy 15.4 yards per grab. Sean Graham has 56 tackles, 34 solo and Scott Burzynski has 49 tackles, 38 solo, and a team-best 4.0 tackles for loss. Cody Taubman has a team-best two interceptions. The Blugolds are averaging 281.3 yards per game, 145.7 by rushing, 135.6 by passing. Eau Claire is giving up 418.3 yards per game, 165.1 rushing, 253.1 passing. 

THE MATCHUP: Comparing the numbers:

Stout	WIAC Rank		WIAC Rank	UW-Eau Claire
19.9	5	PPG	7	13.9
33.0	5	Opp. PPG	6	30.0
245.7	4	Pass Yds	8	135.6
154.9	5	Rush Yds	6	145.7
-4 (8-12)	T-5	Turnover +/-	7	-5  (10-15)

CLIMBING THE LADDER: Kicker Ricky Marteney continues his climb up the Blue Devil all-time scoring list, tacking on 5 extra points against Platteville. He is currently second with 204 points joining former running back Luke Bundgaard, who scored 240 points from 2000-2003, as the only Blue Devils to score over 200 points for their careers. Marteney has 46 points on the season, going 11-12 on field goals and 13-13 on extra points. He also holds the record for most career field goals by any UW-Stout kicker with 46 makes.

Wide receiver Trevor Morning is also moving his way up the Stout record books. With 30 catches for 566 yards on the season, Morning now has 82 grabs for 1467 yards in his career, good for 11th on the career receiving yards list.

TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains include offensive lineman Devon Greiber (Sr, Waunakee), senior defensive end David Goebel (Sr, Minnetonka, Minn), quarterback Hank Kujak (Jr, Blair), linebacker David Lindell (Sr, New Richland, Minn),  offensive lineman David Reyes (Sr, Riverside, Calif) and wide receiver Trevor Morning (Sr, Bloomer).

THE COACHES: UW-Stout:   Clayt Birmingham (16-20) is in his fourth 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-Eau Claire:  Todd Glaser (51-58, overall / 38-41, Eau Claire)is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Blugolds.Glaser, the 2007 WIAC coach of the year, played his college ball at Eau Claire, then was an assistant coach before moving on to Marietta College for three years. Glaser became the Blugold head coach beginning with the 2006 season.

COACHING CHANGES: Longtime Blue Devil coaches Mark Thomas and Mike Bird have left the UW-Stout football program. Thomas will step away from the football program to devote more time with his women's basketball program and Bird is now full-time as the program director of the school's Health, Wellness and Fitness major.  Travis Destache and Bodie Reeder return as the defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. New to the program are: Dane Wardenburg, offensive line; Chris Morton, defensive line, Del Howard, defensive backs, John O'Grady, running backs and assistant head coach; Jed Stutzman, offensive line, and Rich Rossi, wide receivers. Student coaches include: Kyle Lenski, defensive line; Joe Gerber, offensive line; and Eric Brown, running backs.

THE LEAGUES: UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire are both members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Stout finished tied for sixth last season (3-7, 1-6 WIAC) in league play. Eau Claire finished fourth (4-6, 4-3 WIAC) last year and were predicted to finish fifth in the WIAC this year. 

QUICK HITS: Adolfo Pacheco set a career and season-high last week with 194 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries. He had 11 total first downs in the game, nine rushing and two receiving. This season, Pacheco has rushed for at least 65 yards five times and is averaging 5.9 YPA to go along with 5 rushing touchdowns. With his huge game, he is now third in the WIAC in rushing with 559 yards, an average of 79.9 per game... Pacheco (95 carries), Tanner Kuehn (78) and Hank Kujak (54) have led the Blue Devils rushing attack this season, receiving 85% (227-267 carries) of the total team carries... S/LB Luke Bakkum leads the team with 3 sacks and 6 tackles for loss. Bakkum is also tied for  the WIAC lead for total tackles and tackles per game with 63 and 9.0. Safety Tyler Naatz (48 tackles, 6 GP) and linebacker David Lindell (56, 7) are each averaging 8.0 tackles per game, tied for fifth in the conference... Naatz had a season-high 15 tackles in a loss at North Central... Defensive lineman Alec Zoern is tied for second in the WIAC with two forced fumbles on the season... In the first two games, receiver Trevor Morning topped 100 yards receiving, the first time he has reached the century mark in back-to-back games. Last season, Morning totaled 33 receptions for 655 yards and three touchdowns. Through seven games, he has 30 receptions for 566 yards and five touchdowns. His two receiving touchdowns against Dakota Wesleyan were the most in a game for a Stout receiver since he accomplished the same feat against UW-Whitewater on Oct. 14, 2011. Morning has caught at least one pass in 27 straight games... ... Kujak is currently fifth in the conference in total offense, averaging a combined 253.1 rushing and passing yards per game. Kujak has completed 53.2% of his passes for 1598 yards, an average of 222.7 per game, also fifth in the conference. Against Dakota Wesleyan, he completed seven passes that went for 20+ yards. His 272 passing yards against Dakota Wesleyan were the most by a Stout QB since Oct. 8th 2011, when Ross Carey threw for 284 yards. Stout's team passing total of 321 yards during the same game was the most by a Stout team since Oct. 30 2004, when Nick Ohman threw for 347 against UW-La Crosse. Kujak completed passes to 8 different receivers against the Tigers. For the season, Kujak has failed to throw for more than 200 yards on only two occasions. He has topped 250 yards three times... Kujak's younger brother, sophomore Reggie Kujak, has started at tight end the last three games and caught a career-high 3 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown against Platteville... Corner back Mike Bond had 2 interceptions against Platteville, the first time a Stout defender has had a game with multiple interceptions since Kendall Wade had 2 against UW-Oshkosh Nov. 14, 2009... Cody Rosemeyer and Brian Alvarez have caught at least 3 passes in every game so far this year. Both receivers are top-10 in the WIAC in receptions per game, as Alvarez is catching 4.86 passes per contest and Rosemeyer is averaging 4.29... Alvarez has led the team in receptions the past three games, catching a total of 19 passes for 217 yards. He has at least 43 yards and four receptions in five straight games going into this week's match-up against Eau Claire... The 507 yards that Stout put up in the season opener were the most for a Blue Devils team since Sep. 18, 2010 when they put up 556 against Eureka College. As a team, Stout is averaging 245.7 passing yards per game, up from 205.4 per game a year ago... Senior defensive back Jake Schiff has been a difference maker in the secondary after taking over injured safety Collin Laursen's spot in the defensive rotation. Schiff, who made his first start of the season against La Crosse, has 2 interceptions on the year, tied for tops on the team. He also ranks fifth on the team in tackles, with 37, 21 solo, including at least  5 in each of the last five games... The Blue Devils scored touchdowns on 5-out-of-6 redzone attempts last week against the Pioneers. Coming into the game, Stout had scored only 7 redzone touchdowns all season. Stout ranks third in the conference in red-zone scoring percentage at 77.3% (22-28).
IN THE MORNING:  WR Trevor Morning was able to extend his receiving streak to 27 games, with 6 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown against Platteville. He has caught at least one pass in every game since 2010, his sophomore season... His 10 receptions versus Jamestown and his 212 receiving yards in the season opener against Dakota Wesleyan are both career highs for him. The 212 receiving yards he had in the season-opener were the most by a Stout receiver since Dan Austin set the school record with 241 on Nov. 1 2003 against UW-Lacrosse... HERE Morning is currently fourth in the conference in receiving yards per game, averaging 78.5... Morning is also among the WIAC leaders in all-purpose yards, with 638 (471 receiving, 2 rushing, 165 kick return). He is currently third in the conference with 106.3 yards per game... Morning's 85-yard pass reception from QB Michael Blizel against Jamestown College in the 2012 season opener 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 was 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...

MARTENEY, BEST WHEN STIRRED: PK Ricky Marteney entered the 2013 season with 163 career points, tied for fifth on the all-time scoring list with fellow kicker Kevin McCauley. After 7 games, Marteney is leading the conference in field goal makes, hitting 11-12 field goals through the first seven games. He has also made all 13 of his extra point attempts... With 14 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 PAT) against Oshkosh earlier this year, Marteney passed kicker Evan Larsen, who had 187 points from 2002-2005, for second place all-time. The 14 points was a career high for Marteney...against Oshkosh, Marteney kicked a career long 44 yarder to pull Stout within two points in the fourth quarter... for his career, Marteney has made 71-of-73 extra point attempts, including his last 30 in a row... Marteney was a perfect 17-of-17 in extra points a year ago...Marteney has made 46-of-64 field goals over the course of his career.



SEASON HONORS: Ricky Marteney was named to the D3football.com and the Beyond Sports Network teams of the week after booting two PATS and going 4-for-4 in field goals against UW-Oshkosh. He was also the UW-Stout Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week...Luke Bakkum was named the UW-Stout athlete of the week after recording 15 tackles against Jamestown...Hank Kujak was named the WIAC and UW-Stout athlete of the week after throwing for 272 yards and three touchdowns against Dakota Wesleyan in the season opener...Returners named to the 2012 All-WIAC second team include: DB Collin Laursen, OL David Reyes, and RS Tanner Kuehn. DB Tyler Naatz and FB David Goebel were honorable mention selections...PK Ricky Marteney was a second team pick in 2010.

GOEBEL NFF SEMI-FINALIST: DL David Goebel was one of three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football student-athletes named as semifinalists for the 2013 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education. 

TOPPERS: The following are career bests for several of Stout's offensive players
Hank Kujak - Passing
20 comp, 35 att, 272 yds, 3 TD vs. Dakota Wesleyan, Sept. 7, 2013
24 comp, 43 att, 262 yds 2 TD vs. UW-Platteville, Oct. 26, 2013
23 comp, 45 att, 250 yds vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 12, 2013
19 comp, 42 att, 243 yds, 1 TD vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
21 comp, 34 att, 237 yds, 1 TD vs. University of Jamestown, Sept. 14, 2013
Trevor Morning - Receiving
7 receptions, 212 yards, 2 TDs vs. Dakota Wesleyan, Sept. 7, 2013 
4 receptions, 155 yards vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 8, 2012
6 receptions, 113 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20, 2012
10 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD vs. University of Jamestown, Sept. 14, 2013
4 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
6 receptions, 95 yards 1 TD VS. UW-Platteville, Oct. 26, 2013
2 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TDs vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 14, 2011
4 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Oshkosh, Nov. 10, 2012 
4 receptions, 61 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Sept. 22, 2012
4 receptions, 58 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 13, 2012
Tanner Kuehn - Rushing
17 carries, 65 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
19 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD vs. Dakota Wesleyan, Sept. 7, 2013
14 carries, 54 yards vs. University of Jamestown, Sept. 14, 2013
10 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD vs. North Central College, Sept. 21, 2013
Adolpho Pecheco - Rushing
28 carries, 194 yards, 3 TD vs. UW-Platteville, Oct. 26, 2013
13 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
16 carries, 67 yards vs. Dakota Wesleyan, Sept. 7, 2013
14 carries, 65 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 19, 2013
8 carries, 65 yards vs. North Central College, Sept. 21, 2013
David Goebel - Rushing
3 carries, 51 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20, 2012
3 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD vs. Jamestown College, Sept. 10, 2011
Cody Rosemeyer - Receiving
7 receptions, 98 yards vs. University of Jamestown, Sept. 14, 2013
5 receptions, 75 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
4 receptions, 55 yards vs. North Central College, Sept 21, 2013
Zak Snell - Receiving
3 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD vs. North Central College, Sept. 21, 2013
4 receptions, 44 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Sept. 22, 2012
4 receptions, 32 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 27, 2012
3 receptions, 25 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 20, 2012
Brian Alvarez- Receiving
7 receptions, 89 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 12, 2013
8 receptions, 71 yards vs. UW-Platteville, Oct. 26, 2013
4 receptions, 57 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 19, 2013
Matt Small - Receiving
3 receptions, 54 yards vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 3, 2012
3 receptions, 33 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 19, 2013
3 receptions, 32 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Sept. 29, 2012
Adam Smith - Receiving
5 receptions, 36 yards vs. UW-Whitewater, Oct. 14, 2011
Ricky Marteney - Field Goals
44 yards vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
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

NATIONAL POLLS: The Pioneers are ranked seventh in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and eighth in the latest D3football.com Top 25 poll.

DON & NONA WILLIAMS STADIUM MARKS
Longest Pass Play
87 - Jon Bane to Anthony Muilenburg (Dakota Wesleyan) Sept. 7, 2013
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

PROMOTIONS PLANNED FOR 2013: The Blue Devils have a full slate of promotions scheduled for 2013, beginning with Dorm Days for the Sept. 7 contest with Dakota Wesleyan University. Oct. 5 vs. UW-Oshkosh is Take a Kid to a Game Day, Oct. 19 is Homecoming, Nov. 2 vs. UW-Eau Claire is both Military Appreciation Day and the annual Hall of Fame game and Nov. 16 vs. UW-Stevens Point 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.

102 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. 

UW-RIVER FALLS: The Blue Devils and the Falcons will meet for the 100th time when Stout travels to River Falls, Saturday, Nov. 9. The Falcons hold a 67-32-0 lead in the series that began during the 1911 season, Stout's first year of football. The two teams split their two games last year, with Stout winning the first game, 20-9, in Menomonie, but the Falcons taking the second, 24-14, in River Falls.

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 did have an international player, Jan Andre Millemann from Germany.

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 Devils will travel to UW-River Falls, Saturday,Nov. 9 for a 1 p.m. meeting. Stout will close out the regular season when they host UW-Stevens Point, Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m at Don and Nona Williams Stadium.