Blue Devils use big plays to power past Blugolds
UW-Stout used five plays of at least 34 yards, three of which
went for 50 yards or more, Saturday, to push themselves past UW-Eau
Claire, 37-28, in an offensive battle at Don and Nona Williams
Stadium.
Running back Craig
Warminski led the way with 152 rushing yards and a score,
while Antawan
Walker recorded two catches, both for touchdowns, for 106
yards.
Walker got Stout off to a hot start as he scored touchdowns on the
team's first two possessions. On the Blue Devils' third
play from scrimmage, Walker reeled in a Ross
Carey pass and took it 68 yards to put the first points
of the game on the board.
On their next drive, after Josh
Peterson picked up a 3rd-and 5, Carey launched another
bomb to Walker on a flea-flicker, hitting his target for a 38-yard
touchdown.
Eau Claire got on the board early in the second quarter.
Quarterback Austin Neu completed two passes for 11 yards, a 26-yard
strike, and a 9-yard pass. Neu was 4-for-5 on the drive. Joel
Sweeney capped off the drive with a 30-yard touchdown run.
Warminski got things going midway through the second quarter. On
the first play of the drive, he took a handoff 50 yards, down to
the 1 yard line. On the following play, Warminski punched it in for
the Blue Devil touchdown.
Eau Claire put together a drive on the ensuing possession, but
stalled at the Stout 31 yard line and faced a 3rd-and-4. Adam
Churchill blind sided Neu for a key sack, forcing a
punt.
Stout took over with 1:33 left in the half. Carlos
Concepcion started the drive with a 34-yard reception,
giving Stout the chance to get a field goal before half. Richard
Marteney , who was 3-for-3 on the day, kicked a 29 yard
field goal before half to give Stout a 24-7 lead at the break.
In the second half, Concepcion picked up where he left off just
before the break. He returned the kickoff 90 yards for a score, 11
yards short of the school record.
Eau Claire was determined to make it a ballgame, as they answered
with touchdowns on their next three possessions. The scoring
assault was led by Neu and receiver David Goodman, who finished the
game with nine catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns, both in
the second half.
Goodman scored his first touchdown on a 37-yard pass from Neu
following the Concepcion TD return. After forcing Stout into a
three-and-out, Eau Claire's Austin Goetsch scored on a
52-yard catch and run, pulling his team within 10 points.
Marteney got another field goal on Stout's next drive, this
time from 34 yards.
Eau Claire answered with their longest drive of the game, a
12-play, 78-yard possession that ate up just over five minutes on
the clock. The Blugolds converted on an early third down
conversion, and then kept their drive going when Stout committed a
personal foul penalty, that, had it not been committed, would have
forced a 4th down and 10. Later, on a 3rd and 13, Neu ran for 11
yards, setting up a 4th and 2. Goodman caught his second touchdown
of the game on the following play, pulling the Blugolds within six
points with 12 minutes to play.
Stout needed a long, clock-draining possession to answer, and that
is exactly what they produced. Stout slowly worked their way down
the field, eating up clock on the way. The Blue Devils stalled once
they got inside the 10-yard line, but the game was all but put away
after Marteney converted his final field goal of the day from 30
yards, giving Stout a two-score lead with under four minutes to
play. The 13-play, game-sealing drive used up over eight
minutes.
Stout's Carey finished the game 12-of-19 for 207 yards and
the two early scores to Walker. Neu passed for 344 yards and
three touchdowns.
The win marks Stout's second straight victory in the Battle on
I-94, the annual meeting between these teams.
Stout finishes out their three-game homestand next Saturday, Oct.
30, when they face UW-La Crosse at 1 p.m.
