Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

Sept. 11, 2021 – Opening the home portion of the schedule against a competitive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2-0) team on an unseasonably hot Saturday afternoon, the Loras College football team (0-2) challenged early but came up short of the win as the Duhawks fell to the Blugolds, 28-6.

The Duhawks brought the pressure early in the first quarter with Josh Oglesby grabbing an interception off a shovel pass by Eau Claire's Jonathan Malueg and returned it 29 yards to set up the Duhawks with great field position. Noah Sigwarth ran it 16 yards on third and ten to get the Duhawks a first down and set up the special teams unit for a field goal. The Blugolds challenged back to block the attempt and take the ball back at their own 13-yard line but would only make it to midfield before the Duhawks took back possession. Both teams held firm to keep it scoreless through the first 15 minutes of play, battling the rising temperatures throughout the game as well, and it took until the final minute of the half for the Blugolds to break through and get on the board, taking a 7-0 lead off an eight-yard pass from Malueg to Joe Swanson.

The Duhawks put together a commanding drive to start the second half, charging downfield with a 27-yard rush by Ty Bausch and a ten-yard catch by freshman Mani Brown to get the Duhawks into Eau Claire territory. Sigwarth then connected with Elijah Thomas for a ten-yard gain to set the Duhawks up on the one-yard line. The Blugolds' defense rallied back to push Loras to the three-yard line but Sigwarth came through with the scoring play, scampering the ball into the endzone. Eau Claire blocked the extra point, but the Duhawks were on the board.

Eau Claire found a rhythm not long after and tacked on another touchdown off a three-yard rush by Nicholas Kudick with 1:44 remaining in the third quarter and opened the fourth with another touchdown by Austin Belot, running the ball 36 yards to the endzone. On the next possession, the Blugolds converted an interception into a touchdown to take a 28-6 lead with 7:45 to play and despite a strong drive to close out the game by Devon Moore at quarterback for the Duhawks, Eau Claire held on for the win as time expired.

Sigwarth threw for 123 yards and scored the rushing touchdown while Bausch led the team with 48 rushing yards on 10 carries and Brown led the receivers with 41 yards on three targets. Defensively, Brett Bower had eight tackles, Josh Rydberg had seen and Jack Foley, Josh Kieffer and Brett McWilliams each added six. Joey Foley grabbed an interception for the Duhawks and Oglesby had a strong game with his 29-yard interception return and one pass breakup.

The Duhawks return home to begin American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play on Saturday, Sept. 18, hosting Buena Vista University. Kickoff in the Rock Bowl is set for 1:00 P.M.