Nationally-Ranked Titans, Pioneers Meet For 100th Time

UW-Oshkosh seeks to remain alone atop the conference standings when it travels to UW-Platteville for a battle of nationally ranked football teams on Saturday (Oct. 24). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.

UW-Oshkosh (5-1, 3-0 WIAC) enters the 100th meeting between the teams ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com while UW-Platteville (5-1, 2-1) is listed 12th. The Titans are aiming for their third six-game winning streak in the past four seasons. The Pioneers are looking to improve their home record to 4-0 this season.

Last Saturday (Oct. 17), UW-Oshkosh scored touchdowns on its first two snaps of the fourth quarter to close out a 21-10 victory over visiting UW-Stevens Point. Quarterback Jayden Essman, making his first career start, hit Zach Kasuboski with a shovel pass for a 20-yard score to claim the Titans' first lead of the game on the first play of the fourth period. He then connected with Sam Mentkowski down the middle for a 74-yard touchdown with 12:55 to play.

Dylan Hecker rushed a career-high 27 times for a season-best 148 yards and one touchdown in the win over UW-Stevens Point. The victory provided UW-Oshkosh with a 3-0 record in WIAC play for the fifth consecutive year.

Since losing its season opener, 23-21, at NAIA member Robert Morris University (Ill.), UW-Oshkosh has set a new program record for points with an 86-0 win over Finlandia University (Mich.), recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1996 with a 35-0 decision over North Park University (Ill.), eclipsed the WIAC record with 829 yards in a 69-14 victory over UW-Stout, knocked off the top-ranked team in the nation with a 10-7 triumph over UW-Whitewater, and defeated UW-Stevens Point for its fourth straight homecoming win.

UW-Platteville opened the season by winning its three non-conference games by scores of 49-13 over Buena Vista University (Iowa), 31-7 over the University of Dubuque (Iowa) and 35-28 over North Central College (Ill.). North Central College is ranked 16th nationally.

The Pioneers began WIAC play with a 17-7 loss to UW-Whitewater before rebounding with wins of 30-27 over UW-Stevens Point and 56-19 over UW-River Falls.

The Titans are seeking their sixth win in seven meetings with UW-Platteville. Last season, UW-Oshkosh pulled out a 30-27, triple-overtime victory over the Pioneers in Platteville.

UW-Platteville holds a slim 48-47-4 edge in a series that dates to 1911.

UW-Oshkosh, which leads the WIAC with a +8 turnover margin, ranks fifth nationally with 10 fumble recoveries, sixth by allowing just 9 points per game and seventh with only 3.67 penalties per contest.

The Titans also pace the conference with 40.3 points, 476.8 total yards and 262.2 rushing yards per game. UW-Oshkosh leads the league by allowing just 258.3 yards per contest and 48.1 percent conversion rate on third downs.

UW-Platteville is tops in the WIAC with 317.5 passing yards and 158 passing yards allowed per game.

Hecker highlights the UW-Oshkosh offense with 106 carries for 606 yards and a WIAC-best nine touchdowns. His nine points per game leads the conference while his 101 rushing yards per contest ranks second.

Devon Linzenmeyer has added 29 rushes for 207 yards and two touchdowns out of the UW-Oshkosh backfield. Kasuboski has chipped in 19 totes for 186 yards and two scores.

Essman has completed 19 of 31 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns. Brett Kasper, the Titans starting quarterback for the first five games, has 75 completions in 111 attempts for 1,020 yards with nine scores. Kasper's 169.7 passer efficiency rating is best in the WIAC. Essman is likely to make his second straight start on Saturday against the Pioneers.

Mentkowski leads the UW-Oshkosh receiving corps with 18 catches for 517 yards and six touchdowns. His 28.7 yards per reception rank third in the country.

Joe Sommers has provided 17 grabs for 155 yards and one touchdown for UW-Oshkosh, which has also received 16 catches for 165 yards and two scores from Kasuboski, and 16 receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns from Craig Schommer.

Reese Dziedzic's team-leading 38 tackles and two sacks spearheads the UW-Oshkosh defense. Matt Gasper and Branden Lloyd both have 32 tackles and 1.5 and two sacks, respectively.

Cameron Brown has added 30 stops and paces the UW-Oshkosh defense with eight pass breakups. Trevor Fiegel has 18 tackles and ranks fourth in the nation with three fumble recoveries, while Johnny Eagan has contributed 16 tackles and a team-best two interceptions.

UW-Oshkosh's Greg Rand has converted all three of his field goals and 12 of 13 point-after attempts for 21 points on the season. Eli Wettstein has connected on 15 of 16 extra points for the Titans.

Turner Geisthardt has pinned four of his 23 punts inside the 20-yard line for the Titans. His 36.7 yards per boot ranks second in the WIAC.

UW-Platteville's Tom Kelly has completed 119 of 183 passes for 1,425 yards and 11 touchdowns in five games played. Kelly's 285 passing yards per contest are best in the WIAC.

Quinn Buschbacher is the Pioneers' leading receiver with 37 catches for 389 yards and one touchdown. Patrick Sheehan has 34 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns for UW-Platteville's diverse passing game, while Russell Martin has 30 receptions for 365 yards and two scores, Dan Arnold 29 grabs for team-highs of 422 yards and six touchdowns, and Mitch Munda 21 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Johnson leads UW-Platteville's running game with 50 carries for 213 yards and three scores. Ryan Fish has added 37 rushes for 192 yards and one touchdown, while Kyle Whitman has 37 totes for 80 yards and a team-leading five scores.

The Pioneer defense is led by Andrew Belken's 50 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and three sacks. Marty McGrail and John Hotchkiss have compiled 38 and 31 tackles, respectively.

UW-Platteville's Andrew Robinson has registered 14 tackles for loss, including a WIAC-leading 5.5 sacks. Logan Emendorfer and Jason Flagg both have two of the Pioneers' five interceptions, while Jacob Forney has chipped in 30 tackles and two of the squad's nine fumble recoveries.

Eric Matuszak and Michael Pratl have split the kicking duties for UW-Platteville. Both have made 1 of 2 field goals, while Pratl is 17 of 18 on extra points. Matuszak has converted all 11 of his point-after tries.

UW-Platteville's Connor Foley is averaging 35.4 yards per punt and has placed five of his 24 boots inside the 20-yard line.

UW-Oshkosh has begun the WIAC schedule with a 4-0 record just one time since 1972. The Titans won all seven of their league games in 2012, when UW-Oshkosh captured the WIAC title and advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Championship.