Titans Open Defense Of 2015 WIAC Title
UW-Oshkosh and its nation-leading offense begins defense of its 2015 WIAC football title when it hosts UW-Stout on Saturday (Oct. 1). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.
Saturday marks the 61st meeting between the teams, with UW-Oshkosh owning a 36-23-1 advantage in the series. The Titans have won their last six games over UW-Stout, including a 69-14 victory last season in Menomonie. The Blue Devils, who were idle last weekend, have defeated the Titans in Oshkosh just twice since 1990 (27-24 in 2009 and 48-37 in 1997).
UW-Oshkosh (3-0), ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, established a school record with 145 points over the past two games. The Titans lead the country by averaging 59.3 points per game and list second by yielding 172.3 yards per contest despite ranking 243rd among the division's 244 teams in time of possession with an average of 23:04 per game.
The Titans began the season with a 33-14 home win over 18th-ranked John Carroll University (Ohio) on Sept. 3. UW-Oshkosh owned a 27-0 lead in the third quarter, and Devon Linzenmeyer had two rushing touchdowns and Brett Kasper passed for two more.
Following a bye week, UW-Oshkosh won a pair of lopsided road games by scores of 68-7 over Finlandia University on Sept. 17 in Hancock, Mich., and 77-0 over Morthland College last Saturday (Sept. 24) in Marion, Ill. In their last two games, the Titans have held a 1,112-238 advantage in offensive yardage, including 735 to -26 rushing.
UW-Oshkosh scored on 10 of 12 possessions against Finlandia University, and its first 11 drives against Morthland College went for touchdowns.
Against Finlandia University, the Titans had a 582-135 edge in total yards, including 450-37 rushing as 11 Titans received carries. Dylan Hecker rushed for a 65-yard touchdown on the game's first offensive play and Dom Todarello had a school-record 87-yard punt return for a score just over three minutes later as the Titans had a 44-0 lead at halftime.
Against Morthland College, the Titans racked up the third-highest point total in the 121 years of the program. UW-Oshkosh, which did not commit a turnover or penalty nor attempt a punt, possessed the ball for just 15:15 and averaged 13.25 yards per play. Defensively, the Titans limited the Patriots to -63 rushing yards.
UW-Oshkosh's record-breaking start to the season is reflected in the national statistics. Offensively, the Titans also lead the country with 2.33 tackles for loss allowed per contest while ranking second with a 210.98 passing efficiency and 10th with 305.7 rushing yards per game.
The UW-Oshkosh defense also ranks third by allowing 18 rushing yards per game, eighth by ceding seven points per contest and 10th by limiting opponents to a .208 conversion rate on third downs.
On special teams, UW-Oshkosh lists third nationally with a 41.75-yard net punting average, fourth with two blocked punts and seventh with three total blocked kicks.
Kasper has completed 29 of 40 passes for 456 yards with five touchdowns while Jayden Essman and Connor Senger have thrown for two scores apiece.
The Titans' deep rushing attack has accounted for 917 yards and averages 8.7 yards per carry. Linzenmeyer has a team-leading 155 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, Hecker 127 yards and three scores on just five rushes, Beau Ash 13 rushes for 111 yards, Mitch Gerhartz 15 carries for 92 yards and one touchdown, Senger five totes for 92 yards and two scores, and Riley Kallas five carries for 91 yards and one touchdown.
CJ Blackburn and Sam Mentkowski headline the UW-Oshkosh receiving unit with six catches apiece. Blackburn has a team-best 139 yards with one touchdown while Mentkowski has 71 yards and one score. Linzenmeyer has contributed five receptions for 68 yards, Evan Thammahong five grabs for 53 yards and one score, and Todarello four catches for 133 yards and a team-leading three touchdowns.
AJ Plewa paces the UW-Oshkosh defense with 12 tackles, followed by 11 from Nick Amato and Cameron Brown, and 10 from Cole Yoder. Steve Forner leads the Titans with four tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Titans have created seven turnovers, including interceptions by Johnny Eagan, Rajon Hall and Taylor Ripplinger. Branden Lloyd, Landon McDonald, Matt Rucynski and Yoder have each recovered fumbles for UW-Oshkosh.
UW-Oshkosh ranks third nationally in net punting average with 41.75 yards per boot. Turner Geisthardt is averaging 44.5 yards on his four punts, including a long of 62 yards and two kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Todarello lists fourth in the country by averaging 23.2 yards on five punt returns while Eli Wettstein, who leads the Titans with 28 points, tied a school record by going 9-for-9 on extra points against Morthland College.
UW-Stout (2-1) opened the season with a 45-30 home win over Simpson College (Iowa) on Sept. 3. The Blue Devils then fell, 57-17, at fourth-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.) on Sept. 10 and won, 23-13, at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member Mayville State University (S.D.) on Sept. 17.
The Blue Devils, who are averaging 356 yards per game and surrendering 352 per contest, scored four second-half touchdowns to pull away from Simpson College in the season opener. UW-Stout trailed, 29-0, early in the second quarter at the University of St. Thomas before eliminating a 13-10 deficit at Mayville State University by scoring the last 13 points of the game.
UW-Stout quarterback Jay Alston has completed 34 of 71 passes for 499 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Blue Devils backup Danny Farley has gone 7-for-19 passing for 90 yards with one score and one interception.
The Blue Devils ground game, which averages nearly 160 yards per game and 3.7 yards per carry, is headlined by Travis Urlaub and Adolfo Pacheco. Urlaub has 63 carries for 282 yards and two touchdowns and Pacheco 22 rushes for 128 yards and one score.
UW-Stout's Jordan Dabney has 12 catches for 334 of the Blue Devils' 589 receiving yards and four of the team's five receiving touchdowns. He recorded five grabs for 223 yards and two scores against Simpson College and six receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns against the University of St. Thomas.
Chris Pica-Anderson has chipped in seven receptions for 39 yards for the Blue Devils while Akema Collins and Ben Hall have five grabs apiece.
The UW-Stout defense has 10 forced turnovers, including six interceptions, and recorded 10 sacks.
Tony Blair paces the Blue Devils with 27 tackles, followed by Josh Robinson with 23 and Josh Johnson with 20. Iyen Ogbomoh has a team-leading 3.5 sacks and Isaiah Hardy has contributed three.
UW-Stout's Enzo Rosani ranks seventh in the nation with three of the team's six interceptions while Javauhn Staley lists seventh nationally with seven pass breakups.
On special teams, Clark Riedel has averaged 38.5 yards on 18 punts for the Blue Devils and Drew Pearson leads the team with 25 points by converting 5 of 7 field goals and all 10 of his point-after tries. Pica-Anderson averages a team-best 11 yards on two punt returns while Noel Gonzalez has averaged 14.1 yards on 11 kickoff returns.
UW-Oshkosh has not lost a WIAC opener since suffering a 32-25 setback at UW-La Crosse in 2009. UW-Stout has lost its last five WIAC openers, including the last three to UW-Oshkosh.