Issued: September 21, 2002

STOUT SCORES DECISIVE VICTORY OVER BLUGOLDS

MENOMONIE - UW-Stout put 20 points on the board in the first 13 minutes of the contest en route to a decisive 39-14 triumph over UW-Eau Claire before a sellout crowd at Don and Nona Williams Stadium here Saturday night.

The game pitted the defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-champion Blugolds against the team tabbed as the preseason favorite in the WIAC this year in the Blue Devils.

Stout provided plenty of evidence as to why it was picked as the conference favorite. The Blue Devils completely dominated play on the line of scrimmage both ways. Stout held Eau Claire to just eight yards rushing on 29 attempts and 230 yards total offense while rolling up 443 yards of total offense. The Blue Devils maintained possession for 37:09 while Eau Claire had the ball for just under 23 minutes.

Stout held a 32-6 lead at halftime and had out-firstdowned the Blugolds, 20-4, with half of the Blugold first downs coming as a result of Stout penalties. The Blue Devils also had built a 362-30 edge in total offense.

Eau Claire did not get on the scoreboard until the 11:11 mark of the second quarter after Stout had taken a 26-0 lead. Mike LaBarbera's 38-yard kickoff return set up a 48-yard, 4-play drive that was capped by Joe Gast's 14-yard run.

The Blugolds came alive in the second half but it was too little, too late against the charged up Blue Devils. Brian Mitchell gave the Blugolds their second score with a one-yard run that capped a 90-yard, 16-play drive midway through the fourth quarter. The Blugolds also threatened later in the fourth quarter but were stopped on downs at the Stout one.

The Blugolds, now 2-1 for the season, will try to rebound next Saturday when they return home for a conference game against UW-Oshkosh. Stout, now 2-0, will play a non-conference contest at St. Thomas.