Football Preview: Blue Devils turn attention to Falcons

THIS WEEK'S GAME: The Blue Devils (3-3, 1-2 WIAC) played two of their three closest rivals the last two weeks and now will travel to that third opponent – UW-River Falls (2-4, 1-3 WIAC) – Saturday, Oct. 22 for a 1 p.m. contest at Ramer Field.

ON THE AIR: WMEQ 880 AM Radio will provide broadcast coverage for the season with Pete Knutson and Jake Bostrom providing commentary during the games. 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.

WEEKLY INTERVIEW: UW-Stout head coach Clayt Birmingham will speak with Pete Knutson on 880 WMEQ radio on a weekly basis about the upcoming game and last week's game. A link to the weekly broadcast is available here.

LAST TIME OUT: UW-STOUT:  UW-Stout quarterback Jay Alston ran for two TDs and Adolfo Pacheco ran 85 yards for a TD on the first play from scrimmage in the second half as UW-Stout defeated UW-Eau Claire, 30-7, in the annual War on I-94 trophy game at Williams Stadium Saturday. Drew Pearson kicked three field goals (27, 47, 44) for the Blue Devils as Stout piled up 441 yards of total offense (289 rushing, 152 passing) while holding Eau Claire to 174 total yards (102 rushing, 72 passing). Pacheco finished with 119 yards on 11 carries, while Alston had 96 yards on 13 rushes.  Alston was 17-of-32 for 152 yards. Chris Pica-Anderson had six catches for 64 yards for Stout.

LAST TIME OUT: UW-RIVER FALLS: Facing seventh ranked UW-Platteville on the road, the Falcons couldn't keep up with high flying Pioneers and ultimately fell 45-14. UW-River Falls was led offensively by quarterback Sawyer Moon who was 16-28 for 154 and ran for 63 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.

WHEN STOUT AND RIVER FALLS LAST MET: In their fourth home game of the season, the Blue Devils found themselves in another shootout. UW-Stout fell to the Falcons of River Falls 54-48 after a fourth quarter comeback came up just short. Stout continued their season trend of throwing the ball. Hank Kujak had his fourth 300-yard-game of the season, throwing for a total of 357 yards on 49 attempts. Kujak also recorded his second consecutive game in which he threw five touchdowns passes and ran for another for the Blue Devils. 

THE SERIES: The Falcons lead the series 68-34. The Blue Devils have won three of the last five and eight of the last 10 meetings. Since the 2000 season, Stout holds a 13-4 lead.  This will the 103rd meeting between the two teams, making the Falcons Stout's most common opponent over the years. The teams first met in 1911 and have met yearly with the exception of the 1918, 1920, 1943 and 1944 seasons. They met twice in 2012.


WHO'S WHO: UW-Stout: Stout's quarterback combination was most Alston last week as he led the team to a victory using his legs and his arm. Alston was able to run for a career high 96 yards and two scores against the Eau Claire defense. He also was able to hit 17 of his receivers who gained a 152 yards passing. Alston did improve his season completion percentage by two percentage points up to 49 percent, but he was able to improvise on his feet well, which led to two Blue Devil touchdowns.

Farley saw limited action against the Blugolds and came in late in the game to give Alston a rest.

CATCHING THE BALL: Senior pass catchers Jordan Dabney and Chris Pica-Anderson have been the most consistent for the Blue Devils so far this season. Dabney leads the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The two seniors are the only Blue Devils that have been able to catch at least one pass in every game thus far. They have relied on speed, agility and good hands to help their quarterbacks out. Dabney relies on his downfield speed as Stout's deep threat while catching the ball, while Pica-Anderson relies on quick routes and the open field to make plays. Though the passing game is somewhat struggling at this point in the season, these two have stood out.

They stood out even more against their arch rival Eau Claire secondary. Pica-Anderson led the team in receptions with six and 64 yards, while Dabney grabbed three passes for 28 yards. Ben Hall also had a good game with three receptions and 20 yards; he was used as a screener in more than on occasion, getting the ball on a quick pass and using his legs to finish play.

On the season, Dabney has 25 catches for 481 yards and four TDs with a 19.24 yard per catch average. Pica-Anderson has 19 grabs for 203 yards, one TD and a 10.7 per catch average. Travis Urlaub has caught eight passes out of the backfield. Receivers Akema Collins and Kevion McDonald have 10 and five catches respectively. Tight end Ben Hall has nine grabs and a score.

RUNNING THE BALL: The rushing attack was back on track last week against Eau Claire. Stout was able to rack up 289 yards on the ground, the most since the 2010 season, when Stout rushed for 408 yards against Eureka and 280 yards against Oshkosh. The biggest change in the rushing attack was the move of Adolfo Pacheco to the number one position on the depth chart. Pacheco ran for 119 yards, the most since his freshman year, and his first 100-yard game since his sophomore year, and one score. QB Alston also helped the running game by finding the endzone twice. The read-option combination of Alston and Pacheco was a lethal one. When Stout didn't use Pacheco in the backfield, they gave the ball to five different players. Lucian Courtier was the best of these individuals, he got three late game carries and broke out for 41 yards.

PERSISTENT PACHECO: Adolfo Pacheco earned the number one running back position last week and used this opportunity to continue to work his way in to the record book, while also having one of the better games of his career. This was his fifth best game in terms of yards-per-game. He was able to pass his sophomore best by a single yard. The highlight of the game for Pacheco was his 85-yard TD run at the beginning of the third quarter, the scamper was the longest of his career. Pacheco was able to surpass two more Stout rushers on the all-time list. He passed  Andy Reese (1894 yards, 2004-2007) and Nick Ohman (1925 yards, 2001-2004) in the record book; he is now sitting as the seventh best all-time rusher, with 1957 yards.

O-LINE: A season after giving up six total sacks, the Blue Devil offensive line has given up 11 sacks so far this season. But blitz-happy St.Thomas had a lot to do with, as the Tommies pressed the Blue Devils for four sacks. It has taken a little bit of time to get the offensive line's chemistry back, considering that the team played a variety of different linemen due to injuries. Preseason All-American Kane'ala Atchinson-Keolanui and Logan Stoa continue to be the biggest contributors for the line, protecting the blindside of quarterbacks Alston and Farley.

DEFENSE: Safety Tony Blair (Jr, Chippewa Falls) leads the team in tackles with 49 (31 unassisted, 18 assisted) and outside linebacker Josh Robinson (Sr, Lakeville, Minn.) is just behind him with 39 total tackles (22 solo). The defense was able to get in the backfield against Eau Claire, Iyen Ogbomoh was able to disrupt the running backs 1.5 times and was able to sack the QB on two separate occasions. One sack came when Ogbomoh slipped past untouched by the Blugold O-line and hit the quarterback from behind for a seven-yard loss; he finished the game with 3.5 tackles for loss, now leading the team in sacks and tfl with 5.5 and 8.0. Other Blue Devils got in the Blugold backfield, nine other players were able to secure tackles for loss, stuffing the run and sacking the QB.

BALL HAWKS: Stout safety Enzo Rosani is second WIAC in interceptions this season, snagging three picks on the year. Safety opposite of Blair also leads the WIAC in tackles with 44. The safety position anchors the team on defense being the eyes of the defense and quarterbacking the defensive team. Senior cornerback Javauhn Staley is second in the WIAC in pass break-ups an passes defended with eight total. The other corner position held by Laron Thompson, has also helped the Blue Devils; Thompson recorded his first career interception last week against La Crosse. He was able to rip the ball from the wideout on a long pass down the sideline. They were able to do more damage against the Blugolds. The defensive backfield held Eau Claire's best receiver Matt Knapp to only one catch for two yards. With help from their pass rushers, the backfield also allowed only eight pass completions.

GIVE IT A BOOT: Punter Clark Riedel (Jr, Waukesha) has punted the ball 36 times in five games, for a total of 1435 yards, averaging 39.86 yards per kick, ranking second in the WIAC. Riedel really showed off his skill against Eau Claire, he was able to match his season total by pinning five punts inside the 20 yard line, including balls on the seven, five and four yardlines. This brings his season total to 10 inside the 20 yardline. Quarterback Jay Alston executed a nearly perfect pooch kick, going 37 yards and rolling the ball out at the 1-yard line against Simpson College.

ON A TEE: Field goal kicker Drew Pearson has gone 11-for-13 on the season, nailing all of his field goals under 30 yards, and all 12 of his PAT attempts. The longest kick of career weighed in at 52 yards in the waning seconds of the first half against Mayville State, Sept. 17. The kick was only two yards short of the school record. The last time a UW-Stout player kicked a 50-plus yard field goal was Oct. 20, 2007 when Brandon Raciborski gave Stout a 28-27 win over UW-River Falls. Against St. Thomas, Taylor Pahl kicked off four times and recorded a total of 258 yards (64.5 yds/kick), this total included one touchback. Pearson is one of only a handful of Stout players to kick a 50-plus yard field goal and is likely the only Blue Devil to kick two in the same season. Pearson currently leads the WIAC in field goal percentage (.845) and number of field goals made (11).

Pearson continued his 50-yard field goal ways against Oshkosh. He knocked in a 51-yarder around the 13-minute mark in the second quarter. This was something that hadn't happened since 1996. Since 1996, only six UW-Stout kickers have attempted field goals of 50-yards or longer, and only three kickers have attempted two 50-yards plus in a single season. With Pearson drilling his second 50-yard field goal, a 51-yarder in the first half, he is the only Stout kicker to make two 50-plus yard field goals in a single season since at least 1990. (Additional records are not readily available). Pearson is on the Fred Mitchell Award watch list, a list that consists of kickers on all levels of the NCAA and NAIA.

Pearson continued to give it a boot against Eau Claire, going 3-for-3 and nailing 27, 42 and 47-yard field goals

PRESEASON POLLS: The Blue Devils finished seventh in the competitive WIAC last season and according to a preseason poll by WIAC football coaches and sports information directors, the Blue Devils are picked to finish seventh again this year.
 

WHO'S WHO UW-RIVER FALLS: The Falcons faced off against a no. 7 ranked Platteville Pioneers, and saw their score flip-flopped from the week before. The Falcons lost to he Pioneers 45-14, the week prior River Falls beat Eau Claire 41-21. It was a tale of two games. Overall, the Falcons have two wins on the season. They beat Eau Claire and Southwestern University at home by large margins. They defeated Southern University 42-22, their rushing game stood out, putting up 255 yards and five scores on the day, the passing game also scored on a Travon Hearns 25 yd catch from Tyler Halverson. Even though they have only two wins on the season, they have had some WIAC standouts. Junior quarterback Sawyer Moon, who started his collegiate career at Stout, is third in the WIAC in total offense, averaging 227 yards per game. He has thrown for 1154 yards and ran for 210. Sophomore Trenton Monson is fifth in the WIAC in receptions this season with 28. He also has the longest receiving play of the year, a 74-yard catch. Defensively, linebacker Albert Itula is second in the conference, behind Tony Blair, with 48 tackles on the season; defensive lineman Kyle Hunter is tied for first in the WIAC in sacks per game, averaging 1.17 and tallying seven total.

THE MATCHUP: Comparing the numbers:

Stout	WIAC Rank		WIAC Rank	River Falls
23.0	7	PPG	6	25.3
32.3	8	Opp. PPG	7	30.3
184.8	7	Pass Yds	4	231.8
158.5	6	Rush Yds	5	158.8
-3 (14/17)	8	Turnover +/-	6	-1 (8/9)

LOTS OF RANKED OPPONENTS: The Blue Devils will play four teams that are ranked In the first D3football.com Top 25 poll, three of them on the road. The Blue Devils were at St. Thomas (No. 4), Saturday, Sept. 10, will be UW-Oshkosh (No. 5), Saturday, Oct. 3, host UW-Platteville (No. 8), Saturday, Oct. 25; Nov. 5 and will host UW-Whitewater (No. 2), Saturday, Nov. 12 to close the regular season.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Offensive players of the week:  Adolfo Pacheco, RB, 5-11, 210, Sr, South Elgin, Ill.; Jay Alston, QB, 6-1, 185, So, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo); Defensive player of the week: Iyen Ogbomoh, LB, 6-4, 220, Jr, Olympia Fields, Ill. (Rich Central); Special teams players of the week: Clark Riedel, P, 6-0, 190, Jr, Waukesha, Wis. (West); Drew Pearson, K, 5-11, 190, So, Wausau, Wis. (West); Lineman of the week: Lineman of the week: Logan Stoa, Sr, Hawley, Minn; Offensive scout team player of the week: Nathan Hass, Fr, Ogilvie, Minn. (Milaca). Defensive scout team player of the week: Reno Russell, Fr, Robbins, Ill (Eisenhower), Special teams scout team player of the week: Collin Tyrrell, Fr, Wauconda, Ill

TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2016 season include offensive lineman Logan Stoa (Sr, Hawley, Minn), offensive lineman Kane'ala Atchison-Keolanui (Sr, Lodi), defensive back LaRon Thompson (Sr, Modesto, Calif.), and defensive back Joe Hakeem (Sr, Woodbury, Minn). Stoa is the team captain, Atchison-Keolanui is the offensive captain, Thompson is the defensive captain and Hakeem is the special teams captain.
 

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Clayt Birmingham (26-40) is in his seventh 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-River Falls: Matt Walker (34-52 overall/ 12-44 - UWRF) is in his sixth season at the helm of the Falcons and his ninth season overall. Walker was the head football coach at DePauw University from 2006-09 and compiled a 22-8 overall record. His teams finished 13-7 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and placed second in the final conference standings in 2007 and 2008. Walker was an assistant coach at Butler University before coming to River Falls

COACHING STAFF Travis Destache returns as the defensive coordinator.. Chase Vogel returns for his third year and will work with the quarterbacks and the passing game. Derek Branch returned to UW-Stout where he played for two years, earning all-conference honors as an offensive lineman. Branch will work with the offensive line. Luke Pederson joined the staff this year and will work with the linebackers. Jed Stutzman returns, as does student assistant coach Matt McKone and graduate assistant Jake Pollock. Tony Lombardi begins his first year with the Blue Devils and brings 30 years of coaching experience to his work with defensive backs. Jeff Sullivan returns after 11 years. Sullivan coached with the Blue Devils from 2003-05. During the interim, Sullivan was an assistant coach with a number of high school programs.

THE LEAGUES: UW-Stout is a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Stout finished seventh in league play last season. A WIAC preseason poll was released in mid-August, and the Blue Devils are picked to finish seventh.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Senior offensive lineman Logan Stoa has been nominated as a National Football Foundation (NFF) scholar-athlete. Stoa, a team captain, is a construction major from Hawley, Minn.

SEASON HONORS: Clark Riedel was the WIAC Special Team's Player of the Week after averaging 44.0 yards on five punts in which all five punts were inside the 20 in a 30-7 win over UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 15...Offensive lineman Logan Stoa is one of three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football student-athletes named as semifinalists September 28 for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and hosted at the New York Athletic Club....Drew Pearson, for the month of September, has been selected for the watch list of the Fred Mitchell award, recognizing the best place kicker of the season. Pearson also was selected to the D3football.com Team of the Week, was the WIAC Special Teams Athlete of the Week and the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the Week after making field goals of 42-, 44- and 52-yards in a 23-13 win over Mayville State, Sept. 17...Iyen Igbomoh was named the WIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week after recording 2.5 sacks in a 23-13 win over Mayville State, Sept. 17...Wide receiver Jordan Dabney was the WIAC Offensive Player of the Week and the UW-Stout/Digicopy Athlete of the Week, Sept. 5, after catching five passes for 223 yards and two TDs in a 45-30 win over Simpson College, Sept. 3...Offensive lineman Kane'ala Atchison-Keolauni was a D3football.com second team preseason All-America selection...returners to the 2016 season that were all-conference selections are offensive lineman Kane'ala Atchison-Keolauni, who was a first team pick. Punter Clark Riedel, who led the conference in punting average, was an honorable mention selection.
 

TOPPERS: The following are career bests for several of Stout's offensive players

Jay Alston - Passing
15 comp, 27 att, 311 yds, 3 TDs vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016
16 comp, 33 att, 135 yds, 2 TDs, vs. UW-Whitewater, Nov. 14, 2015
10 comp, 20 att, 148 yds, 1 TD, vs. St. Thomas, Sept. 10, 2016
Danny Farley - Passing
6 comp, 14 att, 79 yds, 1 TD vs.UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 1, 2016
Jay Alston - Rushing
9 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD vs. Eau Claire, Oct. 15, 2016
Adolfo Pacheco - Rushing
28 carries, 194 yards, 3 TD vs. UW-Platteville, Oct. 26, 2013
25 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 16, 2013
27 carries, 139 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-River Falls, Nov. 9, 2013
24 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD vs. UW-Eau Claire, Nov. 2, 2013
11 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 15, 2016
35 carries, 118 yards vs. Loras College, Sept. 13, 2014
13 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-Oshkosh, Oct. 5, 2013
13 carries, 85 yards, vs. Wartburg College, Sept. 20, 2014
17 carries, 77 yards vs. Loras College, Sept. 12, 2015
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
Travis Urlaub - Rushing
23 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD vs. Mayville State, Sept. 17, 2016
10 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 24, 2015
23 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016
11 carries, 78 yards, vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 17, 2015
17 carries, 70 yards, vs. St. Thomas, Sept. 10, 2016
12 carries, 62 yards vs. UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 7, 2015
KeyShawn Carpenter - Rushing
12 carries, 59 yards vs. Wartburg College, Sept. 19, 2015
Chris Pica-Anderson - Receiving
7 receptions, 126 yards vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 24, 2015
8 receptions, 94 yards vs. UW-Platteville, Oct. 25, 2014
6 receptions, 64 yards vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 15, 2016
8 receptions, 60 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 10, 2015
4 receptions, 76 yards vs. Wartburg College, Sept. 19, 2015
5 receptions, 70 yards vs. Loras College, Sept. 12, 2015
Kevion McDonald - Receiving
5 receptions, 98 yards vs. Loras College, Sept. 12, 2015
3 receptions, 71 yards, 2 TDs vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 17, 2015
5 receptions, 67 yards vs. UW-La Crosse, Oct. 10, 2015
7 receptions, 72 yards vs. Bethel University, Sept. 3, 2015
Jordan Dabney - Receiving
5 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TDs vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016
4 receptions,124 yards, 2 TDs vs. Loras College, Sept. 12, 2015
6 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs vs. St. Thomas, Sept. 10, 2016
Akema Collins - Receiving
3 receptions, 49 yards vs. St. Thomas, Sept. 10, 2016
2 receptions, 35 yards vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016



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
85 - Brett Kasper to Sam Mentkowski (UW-Oshkosh), Oct. 3, 2015
85 - Adolfo Pacheco run for TD vs. Eau Claire, Oct. 15, 2016
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
381 - Dylan Jones (Loras College), Sept. 13, 2014
358 - Brett Borchert (UW-Stevens Point), Oct. 16, 2004
357 - Hank Kujak vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 24, 2015
350 - Brett Kasper (UW-Oshkosh), Oct. 3, 2015
349 - Austin Neu (UW-Eau Claire), Oct. 1, 2011
341 - Hank Kujak vs. Bethel University, Sept. 3, 2015
Most Yards Receiving in a Game
243 - Max Boe (Jamestown), Sept. 11, 2010
238 - Nate Even (Loras College), Sept. 13, 2014
Most TDs Scored in a Game
4 - Luke Bundgaard vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 15, 2003

THE LAST TIME A STOUT PLAYER...
Threw for 400-plus yards
418 - Hank Kujak vs. Loras College, Sept. 12, 2015 (22 comp, 44 att, 3 TD)
457 - Matt Bunyan vs. UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 7, 1998 (31 comp, 58 att, 4 TD)
Threw for 300-399 yards
311 - Jay Alston vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016 (15 comp, 27 att, 3 TDs)
325 - Hank Kujak vs. UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 7, 2015 (16 comp, 31 att, 3 TD)
357 - Hank Kujak vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 24, 2015 (23 comp, 48 att, 5 TD)
Ran for 300-plus yards
328 - Luke Bundgaard vs. UW-Platteville, Nov. 15, 2003 (53* carries, x TD)
Ran for 200-299 yards
207 - Craig Warminski vs. UW-La Crosse, Nov. 1, 2008 (32 carries, 2 TD)
Ran for 100-199 yards
119 - Adolfo Pacheco vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 15, 2016 (11 carries, 1 TD)
104 - Travis Urlaub vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016 (23 carries, 1 TD)
105 - Travis Urlaub vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 24, 2015 (10 carries, 1 TD)
Recorded 200-plus receiving yards
223 - Jordan Dabney vs. Simpson College, Sept. 3, 2016 (5 rec, 2 TDs)
241* - Dan Austin vs. UW-La Crosse, Nov. 1, 2003 (9 rec, 1 TD)
Recorded 150-199 receiving yards
159 - Brian Alvarez vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 17, 2015 (10 rec, 3 TD)
Caught 10-plus receptions
10 - Brian Alvarez vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 17, 2015 (159 yds, 3TD)
Scored 4 touchdowns
4 - Craig Warminski vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 25, 2008 (28 carries, 250 yds)
Scored 3 touchdowns
3 - Brian Alvarez vs. UW-Eau Claire, Oct. 17, 2015 (10 rec, 159 yds)
Successfully Kicked a 50-plus yard field goal
52 - Drew Pearson vs. Mayville State, Sept. 17, 2016 (just before halftime)
52 - Brandon Raciborski vs. UW-River Falls, Oct. 20, 2007 (game winner with 45 seconds remaining)
* school record

FIELD GOAL BLOCK & RETURN: During the 2015 season, Travis Shackleton blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt by UW-La Crosse in La Crosse, Oct. 10, 2015, and Enzo Rosani scooped up the ball on the La Crosse 14, returning it 86 yards for a score. The blocked kick was Shackleton's first career block and the touchdown was Rosani's first collegiate TD. There is no mention in the UW-Stout, the WIAC or the NCAA record books for returning blocked field goal attempts. There will now be a category in the Stout record book. After sending out a request to NCAA Division III sports information directors, the following list of blocked field goals was compiled.

Blocked Field Goal Attempt Returns
95t, Javicz Jones (Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Lousiana College), 2012
86t, Enzo Rosani (UW-Stout vs. UW-La Crosse), Oct. 17, 2015
82t, Anthony Giuliano (SUNY-Cortland vs. William Paterson), 2010
79t, Ryan Bonheyo (Gallaudet University vs. Becker College), Nov. 2, 2013 (game winning TD)
77t, Jim Smith (SUNY-Cortland vs. SUNY-Brockport), 2007
76t, Rick Mateja (North Central College vs. Wheaton College), Sept. 21, 1985
67t, Justin Baker (St. Norbert College vs. Lake Forest College), Sept. 26, 2009
61, Derek Sulo (North Central College vs. Carthage College), Nov. 10, 2007

WAR ON I-94: The War on I-94 Trophy between UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire started in 2008. Eau Claire won the first contest for the trophy at Don and Nona Williams Stadium, Nov. 15, 2008, the final game of the 2008 season. Each team has won four times.
2008 - Eau Claire 17, Stout 6
2009 - Stout 36, Eau Claire 15
2010 - Stout 37, Eau Claire 28
2011 - Eau Claire 24, Stout 10
2012 - Eau Claire 21, Stout 13
2013 - Stout 35, Eau Claire 27
2014 - Eau Claire 20, Stout 17
2015 - Stout 45, Eau Claire 12
2016 - Stout 30, Eau Claire 7
 

STOUT FOOTBALL HISTORY: 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 during the 2011 season.
 

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 begin what will be the toughest three week stretch of the season when they host nationally ranked UW-Platteville, Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. They follow that up with a trip to UW-Stevens Point, Nov. 5 and close the season by hosting UW-Whitewater, Nov. 12.