Titans Begin Defense Of WIAC Championship

Defending WIAC football champion UW-Oshkosh begins league play at UW-River Falls on Saturday (Sept. 29). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field in River Falls.

UW-Oshkosh (2-1), ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, is seeking its 13th consecutive victory over UW-River Falls. The Titans' last loss to the Falcons was a 13-10 decision in Oshkosh on Oct. 1, 2005.

UW-River Falls (1-2) owns a 34-27-1 all-time record against the Titans in a series that began in 1920. The Falcons, who won a string of 13 consecutive games over UW-Oshkosh from 1992-2003, are searching for their first home win against the Titans since a 13-12 victory on Nov. 9, 2002.

UW-Oshkosh won last year's matchup with UW-River Falls, 31-28, as the Titans overcame a pair of deficits at home. Trailing 28-24 late in the fourth quarter, UW-Oshkosh reclaimed the lead for good behind a 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive with 3:09 remaining.

The Titans have won their last nine WIAC openers and 40 of the past 44 league contests en route to four Division III postseason appearances in six years. UW-Oshkosh reached the national championship game in 2016, the semifinals in 2012 and 2017, and the quarterfinal round in 2015.

UW-Oshkosh has claimed three of the past six conference titles. UW-River Falls last secured at least a share of the conference crown in 1998.

The Titans, who will be playing their fourth of five straight road games to open the 2018 season, began the year with three contests against first-time opponents. UW-Oshkosh won its season opener, 20-9, at Carthage College on Sept. 1 before splitting a pair of games against NCAA Division II foes. The Titans suffered a 7-3 setback at Davenport University (Mich.) on Sept. 8 and defeated Lincoln University of Missouri by a 17-7 score Sept. 15 for the program's first win over an upper-division NCAA team since 2004.

UW-River Falls shut out visiting University of Minnesota Morris, 41-0, in its season opener on Sept. 1. The Falcons have since fallen at Bethel University (Minn.) by a 32-27 count on Sept. 8 and at home to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member Missouri Baptist University, 38-28, on Sept. 15.

The Titans and Falcons enter their 63rd meeting ranked highly among conference leaders in several contrasting statistical categories.

UW-Oshkosh leads the WIAC with two interceptions thrown and by averaging 26 yards per kickoff return. UW-River Falls paces the league in both kickoff return defense (11.09) and interceptions gained (7).

The Titans are also the conference leaders in red zone defense (.429), passing efficiency rating defense (84.66), interceptions gained (7), average turnover margin (+0.67) and net punting average (37.80). The Falcons are also allowing a league-low 0.33 sacks per game while averaging a WIAC-best 210.3 rushing yards per contest.

The UW-Oshkosh defense, ceding just 7.7 points per game to rank 10th in the country, is holding opponents to 299.3 yards per contest.

UW-Oshkosh senior linebacker Derrick Jennings Jr., a 2017 First Team All-American, has a team-leading 11 solo tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and three blocked kicks. His one blocked kick and one interception per game rank first and seventh, respectively, in the nation.

Senior defensive back Cole Yoder has a team-best 23 tackles for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh has also received 16 tackles from Jennings Jr. and freshman linebacker Tory Jandrin, 15 from junior defensive back Calvin Shilling and 13 apiece from sophomore linebacker Justin Kasuboski and senior linebacker Scott Skornicka.

Yoder has two of the team's seven interceptions on the year while Kasuboski has added 1.5 of the squad's eight sacks. Yoder's 14 career interceptions are fourth most among active Division III players.

The UW-Oshkosh offense, averaging 13.3 points and 202 yards per game, features a veteran offensive line comprised of seniors Tyler Powers, Austin Summers, Alex Wendorf and Jason Wright, and junior Alex Wipperfurth. Powers earned All-America first team honors a year ago while Wendorf was an All-Region selection.

UW-Oshkosh sophomore quarterback Kyle Radavich has completed 28 of 48 passes for 252 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions.

Junior running back Mitch Gerhartz is the leading UW-Oshkosh ballcarrier with 48 rushes for 153 yards and one touchdown. Senior Dom Todarello has added 19 carries for 98 yards.

Junior Riley Kallas headlines the UW-Oshkosh receiving corps with 10 catches for 110 yards. Todarello is next with nine receptions for 83 yards.

Todarello leads the Titans' kick return efforts, averaging 26 yards on kickoff returns and 13.5 yards per punt return. An All-America third team selection as a return specialist last season, Todarello ranks ninth in WIAC history with 1,545 career kickoff return yards.

Senior punter Turner Geisthardt is fifth nationally by averaging 43 yards per punt. He has placed 10 of his 20 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Geisthardt ranks fifth among active Division III punters with a 40.1-yard average.

Junior placekicker Peyton Peterson has converted 2 of 3 field goals and each of his four extra points on the year.

UW-River Falls is averaging 32 points and 393.3 yards per game while surrendering an average of 23.3 points and 357.3 yards per contest.

The balanced Falcon offense has attempted 127 running plays and 100 passes this season, averaging 5.0 yards per rush and 5.5 yards per pass.

Junior quarterback Ben Beckman is 43-for-95 passing for 538 yards this season with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Freshman running back Sam Altena is averaging 5.7 yards on his 61 carries while leading the conference with 349 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Sophomore Anthony Silva has added 36 totes for 145 yards and a score.

Beckman has spread around his passes this season as 13 Falcons have hauled in receptions, including senior Trenton Monson with a team-high nine grabs for 111 yards. Senior 6-foot, 7-inch wide receiver Alex Herink, a former WIAC Player of the Year in basketball, has five catches for a team-high 140 yards and all four of the team's touchdown receptions during his first year with the UW-River Falls football program.

Leading the Falcon defense are senior safety Mitch Dienger and junior linebacker Max Praschak, who have recorded 25 and 24 tackles, respectively. Dienger has forced a pair of fumbles, while Praschak, an All-Region selection last year, is averaging 12 tackles per game after sitting out the season opener.

Senior punter Owen Schommer is averaging a Division-III leading 48.2 yards per punt, including a long of 76 yards.

UW-River Falls has not attempted a field goal this year and a pair of Falcons have combined to make 10 of 13 extra points.

UW-Oshkosh's current 12-game winning streak against UW-River Falls is the second longest against one opponent in the program's 124-year history. The Titans have an active 18-game winning streak against St. Norbert College, defeating the Green Knights in each contest between 1976-99.