UW-L Earns Win at UW-River Falls

For Immediate Release: Saturday, November 3, 2007

River Falls, Wis. – Despite nearly being doubled on offensive plays, the UW-La Crosse football team came away with a 49-34 victory at UW-River Falls Saturday afternoon at Ramer Field. The Eagles improve to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the WIAC with the win while the Falcons fall to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

UW-River Falls finished with 96 plays on offense, totaling 514 yards, but UW-L used quick scoring drives to earn the win. The Eagles had 52 plays on offense, finishing with 428 yards. It is UW-L's 15th straight win over UW-River Falls.

The Falcons took the opening kickoff and drove 78 yards in eight plays to lead 7-0 as Nathan Anderson scored on a one-yard run, but the Eagles' quickly tied the game. Griffin Moe hit Dan Hall with a 51-yard touchdown pass two plays later with 10:05 remaining to make it 7-7. Anderson scored his second touchdown with 1:30 left in the first quarter on a four-yard run to the lead back to the Falcons, but Eric Donoval returned the ensuing kickoff 80-yards for a touchdown and the contest was tied 14-14 after the opening quarter.

Donoval gave UW-L a 21-14 lead in the second quarter as he scored on a 19-yard run. UW-River Falls tied it at 21-21 at halftime after Storm Harmon hit Michael Zweifel with a three-yard pass with :28 left.

UW-L quickly regained the lead in the third quarter. Donoval returned the second half kickoff 77 yards to the Falcons' 15-yard line and Moe hit Jason Wagner with a 15-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage. Anderson tied the game at 28-28 with 4:58 left as he scored on a six-yard run. Hall took the next kickoff and returned it 44 yards to the UW-River Falls' 46-yard line. UW-L went eight plays to take a 35-28 lead as Moe threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Mike Schmidt.

Early in the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-12 play at their own 26-yard line, the Falcons tried a fake punt, but were held to three yards on the play. The Eagles quickly took a 42-28 lead as Wagner caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Moe with 12:50 remaining. Hall later added a 94-yard touchdown run in the fourth for UW-L to make it 49-28 before Anderson tallied his fourth rushing touchdown of the game for UW-River Falls on a six-yard run with 5:59 left. Hall's 94-yard touchdown run is tied for second-longest in school history.

UW-L had 263 yards rushing and 165 passing in the game. Hall finished with 26 carries for 186 yards while Moe was 10-of-14 passing for 165 yards with four touchdowns. Hall also had four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown while Wagner had two catches for 23 yards and two scores. Ted Everson finished with two receptions for 28 yards and now has 100 catches in his career. UW-L had 251 yards on kickoff returns, including 157 in two attempts from Donoval.

UW-River Falls had 174 yards rushing and 340 passing as Anderson totaled 143 yards rushing and four touchdowns in 38 attempts. Harmon was 34-of-47 passing for 340 yards and a touchdown while Zweifel caught a WIAC record 18 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons had 27 first downs to the Eagles' 17 and controlled the time of possession; 34:03 to 25:57. UW-L was also four-of-10 on third-down while UW-River Falls finished seven-of-17.

Drew Kiefer led UW-L's defense with 16 tackles, including 10 solo. He also finished with two tackles for loss and one sack. Joe Troia had 11 tackles for the Eagles while Nick Ihde and Mitch Dougherty each had 10.

UW-L wraps up its season Saturday, November 10 hosting UW-Stevens Point at 1 p.m.