College football: UW-Eau Claire falls to Albion in nonconference finale

Cara Dempski, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·4 min read

Sep. 25—Head coach Wesley Beschorner and three UW-Eau Claire football players lamented the team's inability to finish off drives in a 28 — 20 loss to the Albion Britons at Carson Park Saturday afternoon.

The Blugolds trailed 28-14 going into the final four minutes of the game, when quarterback Harry Roubidoux rushed into the end zone from 2 yards out to cap a 10-play, 88-yard drive that lasted 2:47 and narrowed the Britons' lead to eight points. The Eau Claire defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back in the offense's hands with 2:42 left, but the Blugolds only got as far as their own 47 before turning the ball over on downs. It allowed Albion to run out the clock.

"We've got to move on really quickly, and we've got to get ready to play the next game," Roubidoux said.

Beschorner echoed him, and added, "the last game doesn't matter, we've got to continue to move on and move forward."

Eau Claire got on the board first at 10:36 in the first quarter when Nicholas Kudick reeled in a 17-yard pass from Roubidoux. Albion responded with 20 seconds left in the quarter by scoring off a fumble recovery.

Roubidoux hit Kudick with another touchdown pass in the final minute of the first half to give the Blugolds a seven-point lead at the break. But the Britons scored 21 straight points between the third and fourth quarters, and Eau Claire didn't fully recover. Albion took the lead for good on Luke Lovell's 41-yard touchdown pass to Mark Tocco with 4:15 left in the third quarter.

"Each play can be a deciding factor in the game," Beschorner said.

Brady Underwood took a moment to explain the team celebration after his fourth-quarter interception. He said it was something the team just came up with in practice where the players hold their hands up in the shape of the U for his last name. He further elaborated he is an education major, and plans to have his students call him "Mr. U." The celebration was reminiscent of how a volleyball team might celebrate a big play, with plenty of bouncing around and congratulating one another.

Roubidoux's passing performance of 26 completions, 49 attempts, and 335 yards led the game.

Kudick was the target for nine of those catches for 96 yards. Joe Swanson picked up another 73 yards over four completions.

The coach and players had ample praise for Swanson, who might not always be the person catching touchdown passes, as all four admitted, but to the coach Swanson is "a big dude that can run and he gets in the middle of the field and he catches the football."

Garside, Roubidoux and Underwood all explained their pleasure in having a player like Swanson on the team, with Underwood elaborating that, "Joe's just a really good guy."

The Britons rushed for 148 yards, compared to Eau Claire's 105.

The trio agreed they would rather have been on the higher end of the final score, and believed they were close to getting the win in the final quarter, especially after Underwood's pick. But as Beschorner pointed out after the game, he and the rest of the coaching staff have been preaching a forward-looking mentality to the team and emphasize taking things one day at a time.

The Blugolds open WIAC play next Saturday when they visit UW-Stout for the War on 94 rivalry game. The contest will kick off at 6 p.m. at Williams Stadium in Menomonie.

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Albion 28, UW-Eau Claire 20

Albion;7;0;14;7;— 28

Eau Claire;7;7;0;6;— 20

First Quarter

EC: Nick Kudick 17 pass from Harry Roubidoux (kick), 10:36.

A: Stephen Douglas 65 fumble recover (kick), 0:20.

Second Quarter

EC: Kudick 19 pass from Roubidoux (kick), 0:36.

Third Quarter

A: Ryan Nolan 14 pass from Luke Lovell (kick), 8:22.

A: Mark Tocco 41 pass from Lovell (kick), 4:15.

Fourth Quarter

A: Phillip Jones-Price 39 run (kick), 6:43.

EC: Roubidoux 2 run (conversion failed), 3:50.

Team & Individual Statistics

RUSHING (att-yds): Albion (34-148): Jones-Price 18-152, Ryan Roberts 4-16, Donovan Wright 2-4, Adam Stiverson 1-3, Lovell 6-(-18). Eau Claire (32-105): Ivan Ruble 18-61, Nate Beranek 6-29, Isaac Garside 4-21, Trey Fitzgerald 2-(-1), Roubidoux 2-(-5).

PASSING (comp-att-int-yds): Albion: Lovell 18-32-1-258. Eau Claire: Roubidoux 26-49-0-335.

RECEIVING (rec-yds): Albion: Tocco 6-115, Clarence Weems Jr. 5-74, Andy Durand 5-53, Nolan 1-14, Nick Christian 1-2. Eau Claire: Kudick 9-96, Garside 4-84, Joe Swanson 4-73, Alex Kaminski 3-34, Nolan Stans 3-29, Ruble 3-19.