Nicole Robinson

With a 28-7 lead over UW-Stevens Point heading into the fourth quarter Pointer fans took to the exit as a sea of yellow and purple could be seen funneling toward the parking lot. Little did they know the game was just beginning.

“This was just like the St. John’s game,” coach Todd Hoffner said. “When you have a team down, you have to keep them down and close the game out, and we’ve struggled with that.”

The Pointers scored twice in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to trim the ‘Golds’ lead to seven points, as the scoreboard showed a 28-21 Blugold advantage with 10 minutes left in the fourth.

After senior quarterback Nels Fredrickson fumbled on the 13-yard line, the Pointers regained possession with 2:42 left, creating an overall uneasy feeling in Blugold country.

The Pointers capitalized on the turnover by marching the ball 87 yards down the field in less than two minutes and punching it in for the score with 1:10 left.

But, just as fans were standing up and stretching in preparation for overtime, the Pointer extra point attempt sailed right of the uprights, along with the team’s hopes of pushing the game into overtime.

After an unsuccessful Pointer onside attempt, the Blugolds ran out the clock and picked up a 28-27 victory over UW-Stevens Point.

“We came out on top, and that’s the bottom line,” Hoffner said. “Our kids did a great job of persevering, and the crowd helped out tremendously at the end, applying some pressure to the young man that had to make the kick.”

Fredrickson and the Blugolds’ offense wasted no time finding the end zone in the first quarter, marching 74 yards on their opening possession. The series set up a well-scripted 15-yard wide receiver screen from Fredrickson to junior Darin Krzyzanoski, taking the early 7-0 lead with 11:19 left in the first quarter.

“The offense was really clicking in the first half,” Fredrickson said. “The receivers were making great catches, and our offensive line was playing phenomenal.”

After a couple of defensive stands, the Blugolds hit pay dirt again, this time doing it on the ground. Junior tailback Joe Gast racked up his eighth touchdown of the year, punching it in from one yard and putting the ‘Golds up 14-0.

After holding the Pointers to three-and-out, the Blugolds regained possession on their own 20-yard line with eight minutes left in the second quarter.

The Pointers’ defense stepped up to force a Blugold punt. At least, that’s what it seemed like.

On fourth-and-five from the ‘Golds’ 45- yard line, Hoffner brought out some trickery, faking the punt and catching the Pointers off-guard with a 10-yard pass from freshman kicker Mitch Schaeuble to sophomore wide receiver Tony Hull, good enough for a first down to keep the drive alive.

The Blugolds then went back to the wide-receiver screen, with Fredrickson connecting with Hull for a 35-yard touchdown pass, making the score 20-0 after a missed extra point.

The Pointers quickly erased thoughts of a possible shutout on the first possession of the second half, finding ways to advance the ball against the stingy Blugold defense.

“We played really good in the first half, but for some reason, the defense was a step behind in the second half,” senior inside linebacker Mike Lansing said. “Luckily, our offense picked us up today and got us through it.”

Starting from the 23-yard line, the Pointers took the opening drive 77 yards on 12 plays, eventually finding the end zone on a 21-yard pass to make the score 20-7 and ruin the ‘Golds’ hopes of a shutout.

After exchanging punts, the Blugolds went back to work on offense. Gast ripped off a 25-yard run on first down to set up a 55-yard pass from Fredrickson to Krzyzanowski, leaving the ‘Golds on the Pointer doorstep at the six- yard line.

On the next play, Fredrickson and junior wide receiver Matt Evensen hooked up with a picture-perfect fade route to the corner of the end zone and extended their lead to 28-7 following a successful two-point conversion.

Gast turned in another great performance, setting a new career high of 159 yards on 33 carries and scoring a touchdown, while Fredrickson took care of the passing attack by also setting a career high of 355 yards by connecting on 24 of 36 attempts.

Sophomore safety Zach Paul and junior corner back Derek Sikora led the Blugold defense with nine tackles each, but it was the teams’ offenses that stole the show, combining for more than 1,000 yards of total offense.

“This was so much fun today,” Fredrickson said. “I’m really going to miss this.”