No. 5 UW-La Crosse falls just short to DII’s second-ranked team, Grand Valley St., in front of 15,884 fans
Up against the No. 2-ranked team in Division II, the fifth-ranked UW-La Crosse football team fell Saturday on the road at Grand Valley State, 20-13, in front of 15,584 fans.
The Eagles had one final drive, down 7, from their own 35 with 1:48 remaining to tie the game, but could only muster one first down and 19 yards, before turning the ball over on downs.
Offensively, things were fairly even. GVS (3-0) had 398 total yards to UW-L’s 304. The Eagles (2-1) won the turnover battle 2-1. UW-L did convert just 3 of 10 on 3rd down, while GVS was 12 of 18.
The difference may have simply been one sequence before halftime, where the Eagles went three-and-out from their own 9 yard line and got off a 31-yard punt.
GVS took over with 4:19 left in the second quarter and put together an 11-play, 40-yard drive, scoring a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the half.
That put UW-L down 17-7 going into the second half, and only field goals were scored after that.
Quarterback Zach Weir was 17-for-27 for 216 yards with a touchdown and an interception for UW-L, while his favorite target, Jack Studer had 111 yards and a score on seven receptions.
GVS used three quarterbacks, combining to go 17-for-30 for 245 yards with two interceptions. Their top two running backs combined for 97 yards on 25 carries (3.9 avg.) and the two touchdowns.
UW-L is off next week, before its back home, opening WIAC play against UW-Platteville, which will be featured on WKTY.
TOP PHOTO: No. 5 UW-La Crosse gathers before a matchup with No. 2 Grand Valley State on Sept. 21, 2024 (PHOTO: Jim Lund, UWLAthletics.com)