EAU CLAIRE - The UW-Eau Claire football team defeated its I-94 rival UW-Stout today by a score of 17-9 to win its homecoming game for the second consecutive year.

In a game that could have went either way the Blue Devils out gained the Blugolds in total offense by a margin of 265-235, but the Blugolds defense stepped up when they had too and held the Blue Devils to just one offensive score.

After both teams got stopped on their first possession, the Blugolds got on the board first on their second possession when Joe Gast (Sr.-Waconia, MN) rushed it in from six yards out to give the Blugolds a 7-0 lead.

After the score, both defenses stepped it up and it wasn't until late in the second quarter that Stout finally got on the board when kicker Evan Larsen kicked a 27 yard field for a halftime score of 7-3.

The Blugolds defense was the difference in the third quarter. On the Blue Devils second possession of the second half the Blugolds defense held the Devils on fourth down at the Blugold 26 yard line. Then following a Stout interception the Blugolds Dan Rogney (Jr.-Auburndale, WI) intercepted a Stout pass deep in Blugold territory and returned it all the way down to the Stout 22 yard line. On the very next play Gast scored his second touchdown of the day on a 22 yard touchdown run to give the Blugolds a 14-3 lead.

The Blue Devils then got held on downs for a second time on a fourth and one at the Blugolds 39 yard line.

Stout finally scored their first touchdown of the game halfway through the fourth quarter when quarterback Keldric Stokes snuck it in from a yard out on fourth down. Stout then went for the two point conversion but Stokes's pass fell to the turf.

The Blugolds then got a late 22 yard field goal by backup kicker Mitch Schaeuble (So.-Wrightstown, WI) to give the Blugolds a 17-9 lead. The Blugolds defense then held the Blue Devils on four-straight downs to preserve the victory.

Jesse Krzyzanowski (Sr.-Thorp, WI) threw for 150 yards on 17-22 passing. It was the first game of the season that the Blugolds did not throw a touchdown pass. Gast ran for 91 yards on 26 carries and had two scores. Sam Cummings (So.-Rochester, MN/John Marshall) led the Blugold defense in tackles with 10 and Rogney had three tackles for a loss including a sack and had that one interception.

With the win the Blugolds improve to 3-3 overall and a conference record of 2-1. The loss drops Stout to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the conference. It was the first win for the Blugolds against Stout since the 2001 season. The Blugolds are 8-0 in homecoming games against Stout.

Up next the Blugolds will host three-time conference champion UW-La Crosse next Saturday with the kickoff starting at 11 a.m.

Eau Claire-Stout Box Score

- JR -