Fifth ranked Whitewater knocks off UW-Stout
MENOMONIE (October 13, 2012) - The UW-Stout football team was unable to get anything going as #5 UW-Whitewater rolled to a 41-7 victory over the Blue Devils during the annual Hall of Fame Game.
The Warhawks took control of the game early, scoring on their first four possesions of the game before the Blue Devil defense was able to force a punt mid-way through the second quarter.
Stout (3-3, 1-2) scored their lone touchdown of the game on the drive following the punt, as quarterback Michael Blizel (Sr, Sturgeon Bay) led the offense 71 yards on five plays, with Eric Brown (Sr, St. Paul, Minn) punching the ball in from three yards out to put the Blue Devils on the board. The touchdown was Brown's first of the year.
Blizel finished with 104 yards on 11-25 passing. Trevor Morning (Jr, Bloomer) was able to come up with four grabs for 58 yards, including a 35 yarder on Stout's touchdown drive with a defender draped all over him.
On offense, Stout was held to 136 yards, with only six total rushing yards for the entire game. Whitewater (5-1, 3-0) gained 410 yards, 175 of which came on the ground.
Time of possesion also was lopsided, as the Warhawks had the ball for 36 minutes compared to just 24 for the Blue Devils.
Through the first three quarters, neither team turned the ball over, despite the misting rain that fell for most of the afternoon. In the fourth though, the teams combined to cough up the ball five times, on three interceptions and two fumbles.
Linebacker Spencer Adler (Jr, Little Chute) forced and recoverd the first fumble of the game with 10 minutes remaining in the game, giving Stout the ball on Whitewater's 28 yard line. Adler also recorded 10 tackles for the Blue Devils, five solo.
Stout was unable to capitolize on the turnover, as quarterback Hank Kujak (So, Blair) was intercepted four plays later.
Billy Rosenthal (Sr, Wyoming, Minn.) forced the Blue Devils other turnover, reaching low to pick off a pass with under five minutes remaining in the game.
The Blue Devils special teams came up with some big plays, as Zak Snell (So, Castaic, Cal.) returned eight kicks for 234 yards, including a 72 yard return in the third quarter.
Safety Collin Laursen (So, Mondovi) led Stout with 12 tackles, four solo, including one for loss. Tyler Naatz (So, Menomonie) chipped in 10 tackles, five solo for the Blue Devils.
Stout will travel to UW-Lacrosse next Saturday to take on the Eagles in a conference match-up. The Blue Devils will return home October 27th when they host UW-River Falls.
