The formerly 5-0 UW-La Crosse Eagles football team fell 5-1 this Saturday, as they lost to the now 6-0 Whitewater Warhawks. It was a great day for some D-3 football action. The tide appears to be turning for the Eagles despite Saturday’s loss. They’ve already won more games than they did last year and with their performance against Whitewater, they showed that they are not going to be the doormat for the WIAC anymore. Expect continued success this season for La Crosse as they move into the final stretch of their schedule.

The Eagles came out firing on all pistons, converting the very first possession of the game into six points. This drive down the field was indicative of how well the Eagles would move the ball throughout the game. They wouldn’t score again until the second quarter, but they outshined the Warhawks when it came to yards gained on offense. La Crosse produced a total of 506 yards, 401 passing and 105 rushing, on the day compared to Whitewater’s 339.

Things were looking bleak in the second quarter, as the maroon and gray were down 6-21, but the Eagles were unfazed and went to work. First they put some easy points on the board at the end of the second quarter with a field goal. Then they got to work in the third, putting up 7 more points with a one-yard touchdown pass to Nick Holcomb from Tarek Yaeggi. Later in the third, to close out their scoring for the afternoon, Tarek Yaeggi took it in for a one-yard touchdown run and made the score 22-21, La Crosse. Their attempt at a two-point conversion failed, so they went into the fourth quarter with a one-point lead.

Whitewater took control in the fourth quarter, gripping the lead. At the very beginning of the fourth, Whitewater’s Drew Patterson ran it in for a score, and Whitewater then converted for two points to make it a 29-22 game. Despite their best effort to take the lead back, the Eagles were unable to, and gave up a field goal to Whitewater at about the 5-minute mark. Although they played a very close game, the Eagles ended up losing it 32-22.

La Crosse played a very tough football game against one of the best schools in Division 3 football. The key to the game was turnovers, and that was an area where the Warhawks capitalized. The Eagles turned the ball over a total of four times, two interceptions and two fumbles. Although, they dominated yardage and first down-wise, they came up short in the turnover category. Turnovers create momentum and kill drives, which is why teams try to avoid them at all costs. If La Crosse had been able to manage the ball better, they very well could’ve been victorious based on how driven they played otherwise.

Moving forward, the Eagles still have four games left to close out their regular season. Their next game will be at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire next Saturday, starting at 11:30am. You can next see them in home game action on October 29th, at 1:05pm against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.