On Saturday Sept. 14, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles Football Team played their home opener at Roger Harrington Stadium at Veterans Memorial Park against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Northern Michigan University Wildcats.
The Eagles were ranked sixth in this week’s D3football.com Top-25 poll and improve to 2-0 for this season.
The Eagles opened the game with a 7-0 lead courtesy of a 2-yard run by running back Gabe Lynch. Lynch sat down with the Racquet Press before the game and spoke about his experience as one of the team’s captains and going up against a Division II team.
“I’m grateful to be in this position…ultimately, I want to be leading by example and not take anything for granted. We like going up a level and playing Division II [teams]. We’re going to try and gash them in our run game and we’re going to throw the ball too,” said Lynch.
The Wildcats didn’t take it easy on the Eagles and scored on their next possession, tying the game 7-7. After Eagles Quarterback Zach Weir had a pass intercepted, Northern Michigan marched down the field. The Wildcats’ drive was cut short with a fumble recovered by Marquis Cagle on the Eagles’ 8-yard line.
The Eagles took a 14-7 lead after Quarterback Kyle Haas connected with Najeh Mitchell. UWL then grew the lead to 21-7 with 49-yard, 10 play drive ending with a 6-yard touchdown run by Haas.
The Eagles’ first possession of the second half resulted in a 63-yard touchdown pass from Weir to wide receiver Jack Studer, widening the gap to 28-7.
The Wildcats responded, making the score 28-14. The Eagles then went on a 96-yard, 15-play drive ending with Weir connecting with Braedon Ott for a 6-yard touchdown pass, giving the Eagles a 35-14 lead.
Northern Michigan cut the lead to 35-21 with a touchdown pass, but that would be the last score of the game.
The Racquet Press also sat down with Head Coach Matt Janus before the game and asked why the Division III Eagles played the Division II Wildcats and are set to play another D-II team, Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI.
“I would like to have Division III games, but I can’t find Division III games. It’s why we had to go to New York,” said Janus.
For their first game of the season the Eagles took an 18-hour raodtrip to Troy, NY and beat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 35-0.
“If you look at the rest of our league, they’re going all over heck to just be able to play and fill up our non-conference schedule and play a 10-game season. We chose to play up a division…but it helps prepare us for the size and the speed that’s in our conference,” said Janus.
The full box score from Saturday’s game can be found here.
The Eagles’ next game will be Saturday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. in Allendale, MI where they will take on the Grand Valley State University Lakers.
