La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team dropped to 0-2 on the season with a 28-20 loss to Hardin-Simmons University (Texas) Saturday afternoon in the home opener at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Cowboys improve to 2-0.
UWL entered the game ranked 12th and Hardin-Simmons 14th on the D3football.com Top 25 Poll. The Eagles were ranked 14th and Hardin-Simmons (Texas) 16th on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll.
It marks UWL's first 0-2 start since 2013 when it lost its first five contests and finished 3-7 overall.
Kyle Haas finished 30-of-51 for 276 yards and one touchdown.
SERIES RECORD
* Hardin-Simmons (Texas) now leads the all-time series, 3-1, with UWL. The Cowboys earned a 28-21 win at UWL in 2023. Hardin-Simmons (Texas) also won, 24-23 in 2008, in a game played at Winona State University (Minn.) due to the construction of Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. UWL's lone win in the series came in 2007 at Hardin-Simmons (Texas), by the score of 47-21.
HOME LOSS
* The Eagles had their nine-game home winning streak snapped with Saturday's loss. UWL's last home loss (30-27 in overtime) came to UW-Platteville on October 5, 2024.
* UWL is now 18-5 at home the last five years.
HOW IT HAPPENED – 1st Quarter
* UWL turned the ball over on downs at the Hardin-Simmons' 30-yard line on the first possession of the game.
* Hardin-Simmons took a 7-0 lead on its first possession with Cayden Jones scoring on an 38-yard run with 6:42 left in the first quarter. Pedro Altamirano converted the extra-point as the Cowboys went 70 yards in six plays and 2:42.
HOW IT HAPPENED – 2nd Quarter
* UWL tied the game with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter on
Jack Janke's 12-yard touchdown run.
Maddox Pratt made the extra-point as the Eagles went 68 yards in six plays and 2:38.
* Hardin-Simmons led 14-7 at halftime on Ty Thompson's two-yard touchdown pass to Jairdyn Anderson with :18 remaining. The Cowboys went 68 yards in 12 plays and 3:13.
HOW IT HAPPENED – 3rd Quarter
* Hardin-Simmons fumbled UWL's punt on the Eagles' first drive with
Willem Hoeffler recovering for UWL at the Cowboys' 28-yard line.
Maddox Pratt's 30-yard field goal with 9:31 left cut the lead to 14-10. UWL went 16 yards in six plays and 3:01.
Maddox Pratt converted a pair of field goals Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED – 4th Quarter
* The Cowboys extended their lead to 21-10 with 7:19 remaining with Thompson throwing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Wes Douglas. The drive went 65 yards in 16 plays and 7:49.
* Pratt's 23-yard field goal with 3:29 left cut the deficit to 21-13 after UWL went 70 yards in 17 plays and 3:50.
* Three plays later, Thompson threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Douglas to give Hardin-Simmons a 28-13 lead with 2:32 left.
* UWL cut the lead to 28-20 with Haas throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Keaton Arendt with 1:23 remaining.
* Hardin-Simmons recovered UWL's ensuing onside kick. The Eagles forced a punt, but did not gain an offensive yard on three pass plays.
UWL TEAM STATS
* UWL finished with 317 yards of offense, including 41 rushing and 276 passing. The Eagles had 24 first downs and were seven-of-14 on third-down and one-of-two on fourth-down. The Eagles were four-of-four in the red-zone.
UWL INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
* Haas finished 30-of-51 passing for 276 yards with one touchdown while being sacked four times. Arendt caught seven receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown while Janke finished with eight catches for 59 yards. Janke also had a 12-yard rushing touchdown.
* Haas moved into second in career completions at UWL with 451.
Nick Anker (2007-10) is the all-time leader with 488.
* Pratt was two-of-two in field goal attempts, making from 30 and 23-yards.
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Cooper Mueller averaged 44.0 yards on two punts.
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Colin O'Neil had a team-high nine tackles, including six unassisted.
Ben Ott finished with eight tackles with seven unassisted.
Isaac Dagit recorded 1.0 quarterback sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Boston Brindley recorded an interception and
Thomas Laufenberg had a fumble recovery.
HARDIN-SIMMONS TEAM STATS
* Hardin-Simmons finished with 474 yards, including 218 rushing and 256 passing. The Cowboys had 21 first downs and were 15-of-21 on third-down. Hardin-Simmons converted its only fourth-down attempt. Hardin-Simmons won the time of possession, 32:42 to 27:18. The Cowboys were two-of-three in the red-zone.
HARDIN-SIMMONS INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
* Thompson went 21-of-29 passing for 256 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Jones had 131 rushing yards and one touchdown on 26 attempts. Douglas had six receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns while Anderson had five catches for 48 yards and one touchdown.
* Kaden Turner averaged 41.5 yards on two punts.
* Rowdy Rowan led the defense with nine tackles, including eight unassisted. Kaiden Roden had seven tackles with six unassisted.
UP NEXT
* UWL travels to NCAA Division II Wayne State University (Mich.) on Saturday, September 19 at noon (Central).
