UW-La Crosse 44, UW-Stout 38
LA CROSSE (October 23, 2021) -
Arthur Cox had a career-day catching the ball,
Levy Hamer recorded his ninth 100 yard-plus receiving game, quarterback
Sean Borgerding threw for more than 300 yards for the seventh time in his career and UW-Stout racked up 400 or more yards of total offense for the sixth time this season, but it wouldn't be enough as the Blue Devils lost in a shootout with 14th-ranked UW-La Crosse, 44-38, at Veteran's Memorial Field Saturday.
Cox caught six passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 86 yards in kick returns to finish with 253 all-purpose yards. Hamer pulled in six passes for 124 yards and a 44-yard TD reception. Borgerding completed 20 of 29 passes for 341 yards and four TDs, but was intercepted twice, including for a pick-6 in the second quarter. As a team, Stout tallied 431 yards of total offense, 341 in the air and 90 yards rushing.
The Blue Devils (5-2, 2-2 WIAC) jumped out to an early 14-0 lead.
Stout capped off a nine-play, 90-yard drive when Borgerding hit Cox for a 39-yard touchdown strike at 9:30 of the first quarter, Cox's first touch of the day.
Linebacker
Dylan Larrabee set Stout up moments later when he intercepted his first collegiate pass, picking off the Eagles' Jakob Parks on the La Crosse 34 and returning the ball to the 14. Borgerding needed only five plays, running in himself from the 4. Two
Luke Cool extra points later and Stout led 14-0, at 6:46 of the first period.
The Eagles (6-1, 4-0 WIAC) countered, using a 33-yard kickoff return to set up an 11-play, 65-yard drive and scored on a Joey Stutzman three-yard run at 1:45 of the first.
La Crosse tied the game when
Cade Olson stepped in front of a Borgerding pass and went 11 yards into the end zone at 9:16 of the second quarter.
Stout took a 17-14 lead on
Jack Meyer's 23-yard field goal with 2:56 left in the second quarter. The Eagles took a 21-17 halftime lead when Parks connected on a 33-yard TD pass 47 seconds left.
Borgerding was intercepted for the second time in the game to end Stout's first drive of the second half when Elijah Alt returned the pick five yards to the La Crosse 48. The Stout defense kept the Eagles out of the end zone, and La Crosse settled for a 23-yard field goal Ryan Beirne and a 24-17 lead.
Stout pulled to within one point on their next possession, needing four plays to go 62 yards, with the bulk of the yardage coming on two pass receptions by Hamer, a 19-yard grab and a 44-yard TD catch. A mixed extra point and Stout trailed 24-23 at 4:15 of the third quarter.
The Eagles stretched the lead out to eight points and finished the drive on back-to-back runs by Brad Tobin, an 11-yard run to the 18 and Tobin carried the ball in from 18-yards out on the next play and La Crosse led 31-23 with 31 seconds left in the period.
There would be plenty of scoring in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles swelled the lead to 38-23 with 8:10 left in the game when Parks found Jack Studer from five yards out.
The Blue Devils countered with their longest play from scrimmage for the season when Borgerding and Cox hooked up for an 85-yard TD reception on second down. Borgerding hit Hamer for a two-point conversion and Stout pulled to within 38-31.
The Eagles scored on their next drivewhen Tobin added a 24-yard rushing touchdown with 3:05 remaining. The extra point attempt was blocked and La Crosse led 44-31.
Stout countered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Borgerding kept the drive alive early when he rushed for the needed four yards on fourth and four, then hit Hamer with a 35-yard reception. Hamer was hit out of bounds and the 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the La Crosse 15. The Blue Devils were living on the edge again when Borgerding found
Parker Fossum for a 12-yard scoring reception. A
Jack Meyer point after made the score 44-38 with 1:26 left in the game.
The Eagles recovered the onside kick, and Stout used it's two remaining timeouts to give themselves a chance, stopping the Eagles on fourth down.
With only two seconds remaining and the ball at the Stout 36, Borgerding completed a 14-yard pass to
Tyler Seymour who was surrounded and the ball was lateraled three times before the ball was fumbled on the La Crosse 49 as the game ended.
The Eagles finished the day with 412 yards of total offense, 219 rushing, 193 passing. Stutzman carried the ball 34 times for 147 yards. Tobin finished with 65 yards on 11 carries. Parks completed 16 of 24 passes for all 193 yards. Cameron Sorenson had seven catches for 91 yards.
Nate Rewald had 14 tackles for Stout, 11 solo.
Cannon Griner had 12 tackles, seven solo.
Mason Priebe had seven tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss.
Stout returns home for a two-game homestand with three games remaining. Stout will host UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. The Blue Devils will host UW-River Falls, Saturday, Nov. 6.
