Multiple players finish in record books as UW-L football wins final game of season
STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Joey Stutzman had 165 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in leading the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team to a 34-17 win over UW-Stevens Point on Saturday.
This was the third consecutive year with at least seven regular-season wins under coach Mike Schmidt for UW-L (7-3, 5-2 WIAC). The Eagles are 22-8 over that span.
Quarterback Evan Lewandowski finished with with 160 yards and a touchdown for UW-L.
The senior finished the regular season with a school record 28 passing touchdowns and 2,804 yards. Lewandowski broke Craig Kusick’s school record of 25 touchdown passes in 1994 and Tarek Yaeggi’s school record of 2,724 passing yards in 2016.
Lewandowski also has 2,857 total yards of offense this year, second in single-season UW-L history. Yaeggi had 2,896 yards in 2016.
Lewandowski’s favorite target, Cole Spieker had 11 catches for 86 yards.
So Spieker finished the regular season with a school record 83 receptions, breaking Nick Holcomb’s record of 80 set in 2017. His 1,216 receiving yards this year ranks second in school history, behind Holcomb’s 1,401 yards in 2017.
Also finishing in the record books for the Eagles was Jake Simuncak. The junior had four kickoff returns for 100 yards Saturday, giving him a school record 1,492 in his career. That broke the record of 1,441 yards set by John Barrett (1994-97).
In Saturday’s win, Noah Schober’s 27-yard interception return for a touchdown put the Eagles up 14-7 and they never looked back.
UW-SP (3-7, 2-5) remained within striking distance most of the game, pulling within 24-17 late in the third quarter.
But a Ryan Beirne field goal pushed it back to 10 and Stutzman sealed it with a 5-yard TD with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.
UW-L outgained the Pointers just 429-372, and UW-SP averaged 6.0 yards per play to the Eagles’ 4.9. The difference, turnovers. UW-L did lose three fumbles, but UW-SP lost two and added three interceptions.
TOP PHOTO: Joey Stutzman had 165 yards rushing and two touchdowns (Bob Mulock, UWLAthletics.com)