Stout football heads to defending DIII champ UW-River Falls

MENOMONIE — Coming off its best win of the season, the UW-Stout Polytechnic football team is riding with its momentum.

The Blue Devils upset No. 20 UW-La Crosse 42-39 Saturday at Don and Nona Williams Stadium, overcoming an 18-point first half deficit in the process.

Blue Devils coach Clayt Birmingham was elated with the win, Stout’s first over La Crosse since 2011.

His celebration turned to a sharp focus shortly afterwards, as his Blue Devils next face their hardest test Saturday with a trip to defending Division III national champions No. 15 UW-River Falls at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.

“We know the situation. Our players know the situation,” Birmingham said.

At 4-3 and 2-2 in the WIAC, the Blue Devils sit fifth in the conference, one game behind the Falcons and UW-Eau Claire who both sit at 5-2 and 2-2.

With three games remaining, including their next two against River Falls and Eau Claire, the Blue Devils control their own destiny in finishing in the top four of the WIAC, which sent four teams (one automatic bid, three at-large bids) to the DIII playoffs last season.

“We don’t talk about it much, but we have to win out if they want to go to any type of postseason,” Birmingham said. “We tell them the next game is the most important.”

Coming off a 14-1 championship-winning campaign, the Falcons are still a strong team. They bested the Blugolds 59-22 last weekend, outscoring Eau Claire 42-8 in the second half.

River Falls has won the last five matchups with Stout, including a 29-19 win in Menomonie last year.

Stout hopes its upset win a week ago can propel it for another on Saturday.

“We’ve been saying, ‘Don’t let us get one,'” Stout freshman quarterback Chase Pemberton said. “We win out, we have a good chance of making the playoffs. That’s our main goal now.”

“I feel like we have a lot of momentum going,” Stout sophomore defensive lineman Dre Bournes said. “But, we need to stay humble, keep our heads facing forward and up, because we don’t underestimate anybody we go up against, no matter the record, no matter the score.

“Every game is the most important game. Try to stay humble, practice humility, and keep our eyes set on 1-0 each week.”

Stout basketball tips off

Both the Stout men’s and women’s basketball teams return to action next week.

After holding the interim head coaching role last season, Tom Webb enters his first season as the full-time head coach of the Blue Devil men. Webb went 9-17 last year after previously spending seven seasons as an assistant at Stout.

Webb and the Blue Devils will host an exhibition against DII Michigan Tech on Tuesday before hosting their season opener against Calvin University next Saturday at 5 p.m.

The Sam Clayton era of Stout women’s basketball will kick off on the road Nov. 7 as the Blue Devils travel to Augsburg University for their first game in Minneapolis.

Clayton, a Durand native, comes to Menomonie after eight years as the head coach at Michigan Tech.

Clayton takes over the head coaching role after former Blue Devils coach Hannah Iverson left to coach at UW-Eau Claire.

Iverson led the Stout to its first DIII Final Four appearance in 2025, and left as the program’s second-winningest coach.