STEVENS POINT, WI - The UW-Stevens Point football team wasted no time in shaking off last week’s slow offensive start on Saturday, as they racked up 329 yards of total offense, defeating Iowa Wesleyan 45-7 in a rain-soaked affair at Community Stadium at Goerke Park.

The Pointers got on the board early, taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field in a six play, 62 yard scoring drive that culminated in Jared Beckwith (Baraboo) finding Brad Kalsow (Huntley, Ill.) for a 10 yard touchdown strike. Ryan Graboski’s (Woodbury, Minn.) kick made the game 7-0 just over two minutes into the contest.


Just two plays into Iowa Wesleyan’s first drive, the Tigers coughed up the ball and UWSP’s Charlie Dercks (Little Chute) pounced on the ball, giving the Pointers the ball back inside the visitor’s 20. Just five plays later, C.L. Whiteside (Milwaukee) got the call and punched the ball across the goal line, giving the Pointers a 13-0 advantage with 10:38 remaining in the opening quarter. Graboski’s kick made the score 14-0.

From there, the Iowa Wesleyan defense forced two three-and-out possessions by the Pointers until another fumble by the Tigers gave the Pointers the ball deep in Iowa Wesleyan territory. The Pointers drove to the visitor’s four yard line, but the Tiger defense kept UWSP out of the end zone, forcing a 21 yard Grabowski field goal attempt. The kick floated wide right, and the Pointers were unable to convert on the Tiger fumble.

At the start of the second quarter the Pointer defense forced a three-and-out drive by the Tigers and UWSP got the ball back near midfield and began their drive down the field, aided by a two costly penalties by Iowa Wesleyan that got the Pointers to the visitor’s three yard line. >From there it took two T.C. Farber (Waunakee) rushes, but the Pointers again found the end zone, taking a three touchdown advantage, 21-0.

On Iowa Wesleyan’s next drive, the Pointer defense forced another turnover, as Dercks forced the ball away from Iowa’s Lawrence Moore (Country Club Hills, Ill.) and UWSP’s John Jones (Oregon) recovered at the visitor’s 23 yard line, again giving the Pointers great field position. A Beckwith pass to Kalsow put the Pointers on the one and Beckwith snuck in on the next play and after a Graboski kick, UWSP held a 28-0 advantage with 7:19 remaining in the first half.

A Luke Fisch (Nekoosa) interception on the very next offensive play for the Tigers led nowhere as the Iowa Wesleyan defense forced just the third UWSP punt of the day, a booming kick that was pinned the visitors at their own six. After a Derrick Chambers (Champaign, Ill.) scamper that netted 29 yards, Mike Krueger (Wauwatosa/East) intercepted Bryan Abihider’s (Hemer, Calif.) pass and returned it 46 yards for the score, giving the Pointers a 35-0 advantage, a lead the Pointers took with them into the locker room at half.

In the second half, it was again all Pointer offense, as Graboski added a 41-yard field goal on the Pointer’s first possession of the second half after forcing another three-and-out by the Tiger offense, 38-0. Iowa Wesleyan then strung together a nine play, 55 yard drive that took 4:53 and got as close as the Pointer 20, when on fourth and four, Fisch intercepted Abihider’s pass, giving the Pointers the ball on their own nine.

The lone Pointer turnover of the day came at the end of the third quarter, as a Beckwith pass was intercepted by Gerald Knighten (Bellwood, Ill.) and returned 13 yards to the Pointer 25. Greg Fields (St. Louis, Mo.) put the Tigers on the board at the start of the fourth quarter, breaking away for a 19 yard touchdown run and a Scott Knipfer (Cottage Grove, Wis.) made the score 38-7.

Point answered with a score of their own, stringing together a nine play 68 yard touchdown drive that ended with Beckwith finding Jake Swank (Oregon) on a four-yard touchdown pass, putting the Pointers on top 45-7.

The Pointer defense owned the show from there, holding the Tigers to 14 total yards in the game’s final 10:29 as UWSP went on to the 38-point victory.

For the Pointers, T.C. Farber led the way on the ground, gaining 94 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown. C.L. Whiteside and Beckwith also each tallied a rushing touchdown for the Pointers. Through the air, Beckwith was 18-25 with 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Brad Kalsow led the way receiving, hauling in seven receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown. Jared Jenkins (Milwaukee) had four catches for 29 yards and Jake swank had four catches for 17 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively for the Pointers, Bryan Blum (Baraboo) led the way with five solo tackles while John Jones added six total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

For Iowa Wesleyan Chambers had 16 carries for 63 yards and Abihider was 18-24 through the air with 118 yards and was sacked three times.

UW-Stevens Point (2-0) will take next weekend off before hosting their final non-conference opponent, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. Iowa Wesleyan (1-1) will next face Peru State (NE) College next weekend, Sept. 20, in their home opener.