What a way to break a record — a 79-yard touchdown reception in helping lead his team to a huge win. That’s how Jack Studer became UW-La Crosse’s all-time leading receiver.
On top of that, the fourth-quarter touchdown kept the 20th-ranked Eagles ahead in beating perennial powerhouse UW-Whitewater 24-21 at Veterans Memorial Field on Saturday.
Studer needed 104 yards. He finished with 107 and two touchdowns on seven catches to break the record.
All that’s left for UW-L now is a win over UW-Stevens Point next week and a committee selecting the Eagles for an at-large bid to the Division 3 playoffs, where they lost in the semifinals last season. It would be the Eagles’ fourth-consecutive trip to the playoffs.
The Eagles (6-3, 4-2) led 10-0 at halftime Saturday, after stifling the Warhawks offense, including an interception by linebacker Ryan Daines, after UWL had turned it over the previous possession.
The Eagles would go three and out on their opening drive of the second half, and surrendered a 12-play 73-yard touchdown drive by the Warhawks, which ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Chryst to Drake Martin.
The two offenses would explode in the fourth quarter.
After a 13-yard touchdown pass to Studer to make the score 17-7, Whitewater (5-4, 3-3) used just three plays to go 69 yards and cut the UWL lead to three with a 4-yard touchdown run by Noah Battle.
The record breaker from Studer happened two plays later.
On the final Warhawks possession, down 24-21 with just over 90 seconds left, Chryst was sacked and stripped by Ross Gengler and fellow defensive lineman Bodie Schanhofer recovered the fumble.
Haas finished 18 of 26 for 217 yards with three total touchdowns. Studer had five catches for 107 yards and the two scores.
Daines racked up 11 tackles, including a sack and an interception.