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Football

Titans Surprise Pointers Again

Box Score

The longest rivalry in WIAC history renewed Saturday (October 20) at Titan Stadium and the outcome found UW-Oshkosh surprising UW-Stevens Point by a 38-31 count for the second straight year. UW-Stevens Point (4-2) entered the contest tied for first place in the WIAC standings and ranked 30th in the NCAA Division III.

Last year, UW-Oshkosh defeated the defending WIAC champion Pointers on their home gridiron to snap a 16-game losing streak in the all-time series. The win on Saturday marked the first time that UW-Oshkosh had beaten UW-Stevens Point in consecutive years since the 1975-76 campaigns. The two neighboring combatants have met a WIAC-record 99 times, with UW-Stevens Point holding a 52-39-8 advantage in a series that began in 1896.

UW-Oshkosh (3-3) and UW-Stevens Point are now 2-2 in WIAC games and part of a six-way tie for second place in the league standings. UW-Eau Claire leads the conference race with a 3-1 record, while UW-Whitewater sits in last at 1-3. UW-Oshkosh returns to action next Saturday (October 27) by playing at UW-Platteville.

UW-Oshkosh, which defeated eighth-ranked and defending WIAC champion UW-Stout in its last game at Titan Stadium (October 6), led UW-Stevens Point 17-14 at halftime and took a 24-14 lead on a 73-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Matt Kimmler early in the third quarter. The Pointers rallied on an eight-yard touchdown run by running back Kurt Kielblock and a 42-yard field goal by Ricardo Vega to tie the game at 24-24 after three periods.

The Titans regained the lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alan Beversdorf to split end Shannon King with 12:15 remaining. The Pointers were driving with under five minutes remaining when running back Jason VanderVelden fumbled at the Titans' 35-yard line. UW-Oshkosh punted on its ensuing possession, but UW-Stevens Point was stopped on its next drive on a fourth-and-one play at the Titans' 46-yard line with 2:40 left. Three plays later, Beversdorf found King for a 48-yard touchdown pass to give the Titans a 38-24 lead with 2:20 remaining. The points were the first allowed by UW-Stevens Point in the final 12 minutes of any game this season.

UW-Stevens Point used just 59 seconds to cut its deficit, traveling 69 yards in three plays to pull within one touchdown. Quarterback Scott Krause hit Kielblock for a 46-yard pass to the 13-yard line and connected with split end Tony Romano for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left. Vega's onside kick attempt went out of bounds and the Titans ran out the clock for the victory.

Both teams had outstanding offensive efforts as the Pointers totaled 427 yards and the Titans 415, which is the most allowed by UW-Stevens Point in any game this season. Beversdorf completed 25 of 33 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns in his best performance of the season. He completed six passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns to King and 10 passes for 100 yards to split end Steve Wagner. Kimmler also added a career-high 141 yards rushing on 31 carries.

UW-Stevens Point was led by Krause, who completed 17 of 31 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 65 yards and two scores. VanderVelden rushed for 92 yards to lead the Pointers.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh was led by senior linebacker Lucas Jachthuber, junior free safety Nick Carlson and senior strong safety Keith Kamps. Jachthuber had eight solo tackles and four assists, Carlson seven solo tackles and one assist and Kamps six solo tackles and two assists.