The football team entered Saturday’s game at UW-Oshkosh having averaged 31 points a game in its first three contests of the season.

And they did it without senior running back Darrell Souhrada. With Souhrada returning for the Blugolds’ conference opener against the Titans, Eau Claire was able to add another weapon to its offensive arsenal, and the result was a 40-26 victory.

Souhrada, who had missed the first three games with a hamstring injury, was anxious to get back onto the field.

“It was great getting back out there,” he said. “I’d been waiting a long time.”

The team was happy to get Souhrada back, as well.

“He brings a different dimension to our offense,” junior wide receiver Jason Foemmel said. “I don’t want to take anything away from (freshman Dave) Garrison, because we did win three games with him in there.”

Souhrada felt like the long layoff may have affected him during the game.

“I was a little rusty in the beginning,” he said. “I don’t know if it was nerves or what.”

Despite Souhrada’s slow start, Eau Claire was able to get on the board quickly, scoring on its opening drive. Senior Brian Rasmussen capped off the 12-play, 71-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Brad Newton. The catch was Newton’s third of the drive and was his first touchdown catch of the season.

After the first quarter ended with Eau Claire leading 7-0, the Blugolds got two more touchdowns in a high-scoring second quarter. Rasmussen found senior wideout Jeremy Bergeron for a 62-yard touchdown strike, then hit Foemmel for a 35-yard score.

“It was the same play as the first touchdown,” Foemmel said about his catch. “It was a play-action to (Souhrada). The safety bit on the play-action and I was able to get behind him. (Rasmussen) threw a perfect pass.”

Sophomore Nick Diciaula kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the second to give the Blugolds a 24-16 halftime lead. The 16 points the Blugolds allowed in the second quarter were more than they have given up in any full game in the non-conference schedule.

The scoring slowed down a little in the third quarter, with Oshkosh managing only a field goal. Eau Claire answered that score when Souhrada plunged in from a yard away for his first touchdown of the season.

After another field goal by Diciaula, the Blugolds capped off its scoring when Bergeron returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Bergeron’s score gave Eau Claire a season-high 40 points. Oshkosh was able to add another touchdown in the fourth to make the final 40-26.

Foemmel was happy with the Blugolds’ offensive show.

“Offensively, it was our best game of the season,” he said. “We had lots of big plays both offensively and from special teams.”

Souhrada also was happy with the team’s offensive output, but doesn’t think the team should get too excited.

“Everything came together for us, but we could’ve scored more,” he said. “Offensively, we keep getting better.”

Souhrada finished the game with 173 yards on 26 carries, despite not playing most of the fourth quarter. Rasmussen passed for 290 yards as the Blugolds outgained the Titans 456-416.

The win gave Eau Claire its first 4-0 start since 1998, and only its ninth such start in school history. The Titans dropped to 1-2 overall.

The next game for Eau Claire will be against UW-River Falls, a team that beat the Blugolds 65-44 last year.