La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team, ranked sixth on this week's D3football.com Top-25 Poll, opened its 2024 home schedule with a 35-21 victory over National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Northern Michigan University Saturday afternoon at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Eagles improve to 2-0 while the Wildcats drop to 0-3.
UWL, now 7-2 in its last nine home openers, took a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game. After forcing a Northern Michigan punt on the game's first drive, UWL scored on Gabe Lynch's two-yard run with 10:46 left in the first quarter. Michael Stack converted the extra-point. Zach Weir hit Jack Studer with a pair of passes to open the drive.
The Wildcats tied the game on their next drive as Elizin Rouse scored on a 77-yard touchdown run with 9:15 remaining in the opening quarter.
The game remained, 7-7, after the first 15:00. On the first play of the second quarter, Weir was intercepted by Adam Saleh at Northern Michigan's 30-yard line. The Wildcats drove to the Eagles' eight-yard line, but Nico Lukkarinen fumbled with Marquis Cagle recovering the ball. UWL took a 14-7 lead with 6:01 left in the second quarter as Kyle Haas connected with Najeh Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown pass.
UWL extended the lead to 21-7 with :15 left in the first half after Haas scored on a six-yard touchdown run. The Eagles used 10 plays to go 49 yards in the drive.
On the first possession of the second half, Weir connected with Studer for a 63-yard touchdown pass with 13:42 left to give UWL a 28-7 advantage. The Wildcats responded on their next drive with Aidan Hoard throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to Michael Love to cut the lead to 28-14 with 11:03 remaining in the third quarter.
The Eagles went on a 96-yard, 15-play drive in 7:42 to take a 35-14 lead as Weir and Braedon Ott connected on a six-yard touchdown pass with 3:21 left. Northern Michigan cut it to 35-21 with 3:32 remaining in the game on Hoard's 12-yard touchdown pass to Love. The Wildcats attempted an onside kick, but the Eagles' Jack Janke recovered with 3:30 left. The teams each turned the ball over on downs on the next two drives before UWL ran out the final 2:02.
UWL finished with 22 first downs in the game, winning the time of possession, 31:00 to 29:00. The Eagles totaled 443 yards, including 103 rushing and 340 passing. UWL finished eight-of-14 on third-down.
Weir went 16-of-22 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while Haas finished seven-of-eight for 126 yards and one touchdown. Lynch totaled 40 yards rushing on 16 attempts and one touchdown. Studer led UWL with seven catches for 154 yards while recording one touchdown reception. Marko Rajkovic finished with six catches for 69 yards.
Studer moved into second-place in career receiving yards (2,373) at UWL and tied for second in career receiving touchdowns (28). Scott Burnoski (2001-04) is UWL's all-time leader in yards (3,004) and touchdowns (30). Studer surpasses Cole Spieker (2017-19) for second in career receiving yards (2,338) and is now tied for second in career touchdown catches with Nick Holcomb (2014-17).
Northern Michigan totaled 405 yards of offense, including 269 rushing and 136 passing. The Wildcats finished with 17 first downs and were six-of-13 on third-down while missing all four of their fourth-down attempts.
Hoard was eight-of-18 for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Rouse led the Wildcats with 137 yards rushing on 15 attempts with one touchdown. Jahi Wood had 91 yards rushing on 14 carries. Wood (47 yards) and Love (45) each had three catches.
Adam Quam and Tanner Newlin led UWL with six tackles. Mitch Larkin led Northern Michigan with a game-high 10 tackles, including eight solo.
UWL returns to action Saturday, September 21 at NCAA Division II Grand Valley State University (Mich.) at 6 p.m.