Menomonie, Eau Claire (WQOW) --The season continues Saturday for the UW-Eau Claire football team, while UW-Stout is set to kick off its slate.
The Blue Devils will host Jamestown College of North Dakota, Saturday, at 1:00 P.M. UW-Stout is 4-0 all-time against the Jimmies.
"They're always going to be tough," says Blue Devils head coach Clayt Birmingham, "we've played them the last five years since I've been here. So they're a tough opponent, we respect them, we've got a lot of respect for each other."
While most Division III teams kicked off the season last week, UW-Stout has had to wait, something that hasn't been easy for players or coaches.
"We're just excited to see what we've got," Birmingham says, "we have no clue what we've got until we play that first game and get that first touch underneath your belt."
The UWEC football team has had some time to process Saturday's home loss to St. Thomas (MN).
The Blugolds led by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, but then gave up two touchdowns to the Tommies. UWEC players were very disappointed in the outcome, but they can look at it as a learning experience.
"When you get into game action," says Blugolds head coach Todd Glaser, "you don't know until you're playing the game, because it's a lot faster, how kids are going to react, and we were real pleased for the majority of the time how we reacted, and how we competed, and how we executed, and now, we just have to get more consistent with that."
Next up for the Blugolds, another MIAC team comes to Carson Park. St. John's (MN) & UWEC will kick it off Saturday, at 1:00 P.M. UW-Eau Claire's trails the all-time series with St. John's, 7-6, but the Blugolds have beaten the Johnnies in each of the last two seasons.
UW-Stout head coach Clayt Birmingham
UW-Eau Claire head coach Todd Glaser
