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Football

Titans Defeat Nationally Ranked Blue Devils

Box Score

The UW-Oshkosh football team did its part in making the school's homecoming festivities a success by defeating nationally-ranked and defending WIAC champion UW-Stout, 19-7, on Saturday (October 6) at Titan Stadium.

UW-Oshkosh's win over UW-Stout, the eighth-ranked team in the NCAA Division III, was the first for the Titans over a nationally-ranked opponent since they defeated 12th-ranked (NCAA Division III) UW-Whitewater, 21-3, in the 1987 regular season finale. UW-Stout's loss was the first in 13 regular season contests, including nine in WIAC play.

UW-Stout (3-1 overall & 1-1 in the WIAC) appeared to be on its way to victory in the opening seconds of the game. UW-Oshkosh received the opening kickoff and fumbled on its second offensive play, with the loose ball recovered by UW-Stout's Noah Mayer at the Titans' eight-yard line. Three plays later and just 1:34 into the contest, UW-Stout took the lead as quarterback Matt Lonergan connected with split end Julio Vargas on an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Following a UW-Stout punt, UW-Oshkosh went 59 yards in four plays to tie game, with the drive highlighted by senior quarterback Alan Beversdorf's 43-yard touchdown pass to senior split end Shannon King. The pass play was the longest allowed by the Blue Devils this season. UW-Oshkosh's only points in the second quarter came on a safety when a center snap by UW-Stout in punt formation sailed out of the end zone.

In the third quarter, a pair of UW-Stout fumbles resulted in UW-Oshkosh scores. After a fumble recovery by junior strong safety Nick Carlson, UW-Oshkosh went 55 yards in five plays as freshman running back Matt Kimmler capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. The gallop was the longest allowed by the Blue Devils this season. Freshman defensive tackle Adam Pearson set up UW-Oshkosh's second score of the period by recovering a fumble on the UW-Stout 17-yard line. Unable get a first down, UW-Oshkosh senior placekicker David Gaulke closed the game's scoring with a 36-yard field goal.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2 overall & 1-1 in the WIAC) won the game despite totaling only 188 yards of offense and nine first downs. The Titans gained 94 yards rushing against a UW-Stout defense that entered the contest leading the NCAA Division III by yielding an average of just 6.3 yards per game. Kimmler led all rushers with 98 yards in 32 carries, while Beversdorf completed six of 13 passes for 94 yards. UW-Oshkosh had one pass intercepted in the UW-Stout end zone and ended the contest with the ball on the Blue Devils' six-yard line.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh limited UW-Stout to 275 yards and 11 first downs. The telling story of the game was the ability of the UW-Oshkosh defense to force six turnovers (five fumbles and one interception) and end 11 of UW-Stout's 16 drives under 13 yards gained. Freshman linebacker Dan Mulqueen led the Titans' defensive effort with eight solo tackles, while senior defensive tackle Rick Lewandowski had six solo tackles, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery and Carlson had four solo tackles, one tackle for a loss and two fumble recoveries.