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Football

Nationally-Ranked Blugolds Halt Titans' Five-Game Win Streak

Box Score

UW-Eau Claire scored on its first five possessions of the game as it registered a 34-0 homecoming victory over the UW-Oshkosh football team on Saturday (Oct. 4) in Eau Claire.

Kyle Paulson threw for three first-half touchdowns and finished with 220 yards on 15-of-20 passing to lead the Blugolds' (3-1/1-1 WIAC). UW-Eau Claire, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, bolted out to a 27-0 lead at halftime on its way to a 414-165 advantage in total yards. The loss snapped the Titans (2-1/0-1 WIAC) five-game winning streak, which dated back to last season.

On the opening drive of the contest, Paulson connected on six passes of nine yards or less to lead the Blugolds down the field on an 11-play, 51-yard drive. Brett Schreiner reeled in three receptions for 21 yards to set up Craig Kolb, who drilled a 30-yard field goal to put UW-Eau Claire up 3-0.

After forcing a three-and-out by the Titans' offense, the Blugolds took over on their own 29-yard line. Cory Sartorelli rushed three times before catching a short pass on the sixth play of the possession. He eluded several UW-Oshkosh defenders on his way to a 61-yard score, making it a 10-0 ballgame with 4:47 to play in the first quarter.

UW-Oshkosh punted following three plays once again, sending the ball back to Paulson and the Blugolds' offense. He found David Goodman for an 8-yard gain before Sartorelli carried for 13 yards. Nils Dillon tallied a 24-yard catch on the next snap as part of a four-play, 78-yard march. Paulson capped it off by hitting Spencer Kehoe for a 33-yard touchdown and a 17-0 lead at the end of one period.

Craig McClelland (So. • Union Grove) got the UW-Oshkosh offense going with a 25-yard completion to Paul Coburn (So. • Sussex) early in the second quarter. A first-down run by Steve Levonowich (Jr. • Kenosha) put the Titans into UW-Eau Claire territory, but the drive stalled at the Blugolds' 32-yard line after four straight plays of negative yardage. Sartorelli ran for 15 yards and Ethan Turriff had a 26-yard rush as the Blugolds continued to click with a five-play, 68-yard drive. Schreiner snatched an eight-yard touchdown with 7:41 left in the half to post a 24-0 margin.

Sartorelli ran five times after the Blugolds forced a three-and-out to regain possession. A 17-yard catch by Schreiner highlighted the drive, which ended in a 27-yard field goal by Kolb. Facing a 27-0 deficit, UW-Oshkosh moved the ball before halftime. McClelland accounted for a 12-yard pass and a 13-yard run in the final minute of the second quarter. Jeremy Roach (So. • Deerfield) tallied a 21-yard reception, but time ran out as the game went to intermission.

The Titans' first offensive turn of the third period didn't go any better when Craig Polifka intercepted McClelland on the fifth play of the half. Polifka took the pick 35 yards to the endzone for a 34-0 Blugolds' advantage.

The game's next five possessions ended in punts before UW-Eau Claire started driving in the fourth quarter. Seven carries for 29 yards by Turriff led the Blugolds into field goal range. This time, Kolb's 36-yard try was blocked to keep the score at 34-0.

UW-Oshkosh totaled just nine first downs in the contest, as it ran for 62 yards and passed for 103. Levonowich finished with 13 rushes for 48 yards while Roach added four carries for 13 yards. The passing game featured McClelland's 11-of-16 effort with one interception while being sacked three times. Charlie Weissman (Fr. • Colgate) hauled in three passes for 12 yards and Juston Wara (So. • Oshkosh) chipped in with two grabs for 28 yards to lead the receiving core.

A balanced rushing attack by the Blugolds totaled 165 yards, including 62 on 12 rushes by Sartorelli and 60 on 13 attempts from Turriff. Schreiner recorded five catches for 46 yards and one touchdown to lead UW-Eau Claire, which converted 7-of-13 third down opportunities. Kehoe was second on the squad with three catches for 56 yards.

The Blugolds' defense allowed UW-Oshkosh to convert just 2-of-13 third downs on its way to a shutout. Ryan Leis topped the team with five stops, including two for a loss and one sack. Polifka, Dave Wicklund and Matt Ebner each turned in four tackles, with Ebner registering two sacks, to complete the performance. Eric Hebel (Jr. • Howard) posted seven tackles to pace all Titans.