- River Falls (7-1) [4-1 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: W vs. Whitewater 52-14
Anytime you lead 31-7 at halftime, you know you’ve done something special. But when you do it against the number one team in the WIAC, in the Momentum Shift, and who have been regarded as the poster child of D3 as of late, then you’ve done something generational. Kaleb Blaha showed all of us why he’s considered one of the best QBs in the division, posting four TDs, two of which were 75 yards or longer, by the break. If this is how good this team can perform against the best of the best, they might not leave the number one spot.
Week 9 matchup: vs. La Crosse
- La Crosse (6-1) [4-1 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: W vs. Stout 31-14
Sometimes it’s not necessarily about domination, but about playing fundamentally sound football, and that was the case for the Eagles on Saturday. After going into halftime 14-7, the defense stood its ground and allowed the offense to pull away en route to a 17-point win over the Blue Devils. Neither the passing nor the running game was the star of the show, and there were no standout performances either. Not even the turnover battle was a major factor (2-1 in favor of La Crosse); it was just a dominant performance all-around. And for people who hate stats, that’s about as sweet as it gets.
Week 9 matchup: @ River Falls
- Platteville (6-2) [3-2 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: W vs. Oshkosh 21-14
Another example of home team dominance in the WIAC comes in “Platte Vegas”, with a relatively low-scoring affair (compared to competition across the rest of the conference), where, besides a massive splash play and a late rally drive, the Pioneer defense kept the Titan offense in check. On the offensive side of the ball, the running game was a massive driving force, accounting for all three scores, two of which belonged to Trevor Burnett and his 81 yards. And of course, you can’t talk about the Platteville offense without discussing freshman tailback Blake Bangston and his 121 rushing yards, though no touchdown.
Week 9 matchup: vs. Stout
- Whitewater (6-2) [3-2 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: L @ River Falls 14-52
There are no words to describe how shocking the first half performance of the Warhawks was. Both facets of the offense were flat, and the defense couldn’t stop Blaha from slinging the rock, giving up two big 75-plus yard plays. What may be even worse is that things stayed relatively the same in the second half, a complete loss in every facet. Rebounding from a massive blowout is a tall task, but against Eau Claire, Whitewater has a decent shot to get the taste of defeat out of its mouth quickly.
Week 9 matchup: vs. Eau Claire
- Stevens Point (4-4) [1-4 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: W vs. Eau Claire 39-36
I mentioned it last week on how massive Homecoming Day 2025 was for the Pointers, and by golly did it live up to the hype. Their first WIAC win since 2019, and they had to earn it too, stifling a late drive by the Blugolds to secure the W. Even though playoffs are out of your hands, Pointers, enjoy the win and savor it well!
Week 9 matchup: @ Oshkosh
- Stout (5-3) [3-2 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: L @ La Crosse 14-31
A similar theme across the WIAC for road teams this season, just pure domination across the board, and it’s done without turning the ball over. No QB for the Blue Devils had 100 or more yards passing, and the same goes for the rushing department. Stout did enter the fourth quarter only trailing by seven points, but they couldn’t hang on any longer and gave up 10 more points. Unfortunately for them, they go to Platteville, who played a similar game to La Crosse.
Week 9 matchup: @ Platteville
- Oshkosh (4-4)[2-3 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: L @ Platteville 21-14
Another week of offensive frustration hit the Titans, with the absence of Londyn Little again holding the team back in the air and on the ground. Top that off with Kellan Mella also not starting and running back Ben Vallafskey going down just before half, and it was a recipe for disaster for a Titans team that couldn’t consistently move the ball downfield and score, with less than five plays in Platteville territory by halftime. This resulted in the defense not being able to get off the field, being gashed especially on the ground. With the playoffs likely out of view, it will be up to Oshkosh to find solace and finish strong to look ahead at 2026 with any optimism.
Week 9 matchup: vs. Stevens Point
- Eau Claire (3-5)[0-5 in WIAC]
Week 8 result: L @ Stevens Point 36-39
Of all the moments of the season to reflect on, this past weekend is probably the low point for the Blugolds, but it showed something we’ve seen all season, and that’s resolve. They had a late spurt against Oshkosh where they couldn’t quite complete the comeback, and similarly to this weekend, they outscored the Pointers 24-18 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the nine-point halftime deficit. There is youth on this team that leaves something to look forward to next year, but as for this one, yes, it’s been disappointing. But you have to like that Eau Claire has shown some promise for the first time under head coach Rob Erickson in his third season.
Week 9 matchup: @ Whitewater
NOTE ABOUT RANKINGS: Rankings don’t follow one or two key factors other than winning and losing. The phrase “What have you done for me lately?” describes my thought process fairly well, as I only consider results from the current season, and thus rankings aren’t created until a full month of football has passed.
