Patti Gunderson

A 17-3 lead late in the third quarter wasn’t enough to hold off UW-Stevens Point as the UW-Eau Claire men’s football team lost its second overtime game of the season 20-17 on Saturday.

A crowd of around 1,200 at Carson Park saw the Blugolds’ offense stall in overtime, allowing the Pointers to take the field and connect on a 35-yard field goal to drop Eau Claire to 2-6 on the season.

First-year coach Todd Glaser reflected upon the loss, saying the competition was fierce throughout the game.

“Both teams played real hard until the end and we came up short in overtime,” he said.

Two third-quarter fumbles by sophomore Craig Polifka, one on a rushing attempt and one on a punt return, allowed Stevens Point to sustain drives that resulted in a touchdown and a missed field goal.

“We had a couple turnovers that we can’t have,” Glaser said. “It was just one of those games where it was a momentum deal … it was kind of back and forth.”

With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Stevens Point tied the game at 17-17 with a six-yard touchdown pass but the Blugolds were unable to score before the end of regulation.

The Blugolds found success in their passing game early in the game when sophomore quarterback Kyle Paulson connected with senior wide receiver Matt Evensen for a 26-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Evensen caught six passes for 70 yards on the day, including the first quarter touchdown.

“We started running the ball in the second half and it was working for us, so we stuck with that,” Paulson said.

Paulson finished 20-37 with 175 yards and one touchdown.

Glaser and Paulson remained optimistic about the season despite the loss.

“We’ve got to get ready for Oshkosh and just come out and practice hard,” Glaser said. “We’ve got two games left for our seniors.”

At 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the WIAC, the Blugolds are no longer in the running for a post-season. Their next game is against UW-Oshkosh at Carson Park on Saturday, and they conclude the season at UW-Platteville on Nov. 11.

“(We are going to) let it all hang out … we’ve got nothing to lose now,” Paulson said. “(We want to) play for the seniors that are going out this year and try to win them a couple games.”