More from the I-94 rivalry

The UW-Eau Claire football team escaped I-94 rival UW-Stout 17-14 on Saturday afternoon at Carson Park to keep alive their hopes for a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. Check Sunday's Leader-Telegram for expanded coverage, but here's some stuff that didn't make the cut.

Todd Glaser, UW-Eau Claire coach
"I thought it was an evenly matched game. It’s a rivalry game, so that’s what you’re going to get, and we were lucky enough to get it in the end zone at the end there."
"Again, I think it’s to our upperclassmen. They never stopped believing all the way through the game. They did a great job of coming out and executing when they had to."

Mitch Schaeuble, UW-Eau Claire quarterback/punter
"Obviously, we would have like to have done better (this season), but I think it’s saying enough for this squad here that we come together and persevere over some injuries and get to 8-2 and second by ourselves."
"I think we are (deserving of a tournament bid). Our conference, to me, stands out over any other conference, and it’s just unfortunate that we can’t pick our way in."
"Our guys did a great job. We knew we had the potential to be good, and to be honest, early on -- after our starting quarterback (Kyle Paulson) went down -- it was a little frustrating to try to persevere through that and get back on the winning road. To finish 8-2 is a great achievement, and it’s something I won’t forget."

Tony Hull, UW-Eau Claire wide receiver
"The seniors — this is one hell of a game to go out on top with. I mean, Stout, home, winning the way we did. We’ll take it, and this is definitely going to be one we’re going to remember."

Duey Naatz, UW-Stout coach
"I think Eau Claire came out a little quicker than we did and played a little harder to start. It was a battle all the way through, and congratulations to them. I’m real proud of our team and their effort and their season. It’s tough because it’s a rival game where our seniors our done, but they’ll be with us forever as part of our team."
"Our kids played hard today, and they played hard all season. I’m proud of them for that. We didn’t make enough plays today, and that’s the way football goes. The team that makes the most plays wins."

The 32-team tournament will be announced at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. It will be broadcast on ESPNU. Check back here to see if the Blugolds sneaked into the field.

-Justin Harings