Junior quarterback Levi Moore’s three touchdowns in the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl wasn’t enough to defeat the University of Wisconsin-Stout. (Jessi Szafoni | Contributing Photographer)

Early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game against the University of Wisconsin–Stout, it looked like the WashU football team was on track for an Isthmus miracle. The Bears held a 17-0 lead in the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl — the postseason game featuring the top-ranked teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) who failed to make the NCAA tournament — and were looking to enter the holiday season by closing their year on a four-game winning streak. 

However, a strong finish before the half and a dominant third quarter that saw UW–Stout put up 24 unanswered points dampened the Bears’ chances of a win. WashU would ultimately fall to the Blue Devils 31-23 on Nov. 22 in their third-ever Isthmus bowl appearance and final game as a member of the CCIW.

WashU got off to a strong start on Saturday, forcing a three-and-out before marching down the field. Junior kicker Jacob Weinstein got the Bears on the board first with a 20-yard field goal. After a second Blue Devils’ three-and-out, WashU got the ball back in their hands. It didn’t take long for junior quarterback Levi Moore to find junior receiver Drew Bomar for a 71-yard touchdown. The pass was Moore’s longest of the season. Following a successful point after by sophomore Matias Adrogue, the Bears ended the first quarter up 10-0.

Three minutes into the second quarter, Moore connected with junior running back Matthew Kinoshita for a second passing touchdown to put the Bears up 16-0. Adrogue’s kick put the Bears up 17-0. 

The Bears’ dominance would not last. Six plays and three minutes later, UW–Stout’s offense finally found the end zone. After a Bears’ punt, a second quick drive for Stout culminated with a 26-yard touchdown run by their senior quarterback Adam Moen.

Still, the Bears entered halftime with a 17-14 advantage. WashU head coach Aaron Keen stressed the importance of limiting the Sun Devils’ ground game heading into halftime.

“We need to make sure we’re defending the quarterback run,” Keen said. “The most important thing is to stop the run. … If we can do that, I think we’ll be okay.

The Bears’ defense struggled  to contain UW–Stout’s dynamic offense in the third quarter. After a Bears’ three-and-out, the Blue Devils took possession. After just seven plays, six of them a quarterback run, the Blue Devils found the endzone to take a lead that they would never let go of. After another Bears three-and-out and a Blue Devils 20-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the quarter, the Bears found themselves trailing 24-17. 

In the fourth quarter, the Bears seemed to regain their momentum. After starting with possession on their own 27-yard line, a 45-yard pass to junior wide receiver Makael Carter put the Bears deep into Stout territory. Next, it was Moore’s turn to use his legs, rushing 26 yards to put the Bears on the Blue Devils’ 1-yard line. Three plays later on third-and-goal, a 1-yard pass from Moore to senior tight end Will Gardner got the Bears within one. However, a blocked extra point careened off the bottom of the goalpost, leaving the Blue Devils up 24-23.

Just one minute later, UW–Stout responded with a touchdown after just three plays, taking a commanding 31-23 lead with 11 minutes left of the game.

After returning the kickoff, WashU marched down the field, putting together a 67-yard drive. On a pivotal fourth-and-three play from the UW–Stout eight-yard line, the Bears ran a flea-flicker, attempting to pass to Moore, but failed to convert.

The following Blue Devils drive ate up much of the clock, but the Bears would get an opportunity on offense with under four minutes to play. However, an intercepted throw from Moore returned possession to UW–Stout.

WashU would get one final opportunity to tie the score as the fourth down stop returned possession to the Bears on their own 42-yard line with just a single second on the clock. However, a Hail Mary was picked off by a UW–Stout defender, ending the game and WashU’s time in the CCIW.

Moore led the Bears in passing with three touchdowns and 311 yards and gained 51 yards on the ground. Senior running back Fred Ware added 49 rushing yards. Carter led the Bears in receiving with nine receptions for a total of 174 yards. Moen’s impressive performance on the ground earned him the Isthmus Bowl MVP award.

With the loss, WashU ends its 2025 season with a conference record of 7-2 and an overall record of 8-3. 

While WashU will continue to search for its first postseason win next year, the 2025 season marked its sixth consecutive winning record, matching the program’s second-best streak of the last century. Next year, the Bears will look to build on their success as they join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) as an affiliate member.