2003 Season Preview

Since a last-second 21-20 victory over UW-Whitewater to end the 2002 season, the attitude, commitment and off-season work ethic of the nearly 70 returning members of the 2003 UW-Oshkosh football team has been striking and unmistakable.

Now, with the addition of a talented group of first-year players and a schedule that includes a school-record seven home games, fourth-year head coach Phil Meyer and his UW-Oshkosh Titans look to improve their won-lost ledger for a third consecutive season.

UW-Oshkosh, despite a 4-6 overall record (2-5 WIAC), is coming off a productive 2002 season. The Titans were extremely competitive in nine of their 10 games, with the largest setback being a 24-3 count to UW-Stout. In addition to its late heroics against UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh also topped UW-Platteville, 35-31, after scoring on its final possession of the game. The Titans were denied an opportunity to win four other contests when their last offensive drive stalled in losses of 24-20 to Wartburg College, 12-10 to both UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point and 13-12 to UW-River Falls.

Statistically in 2002, UW-Oshkosh averaged 303 yards per game while surrendering an average of 305. The Titans' defensive yield placed them third in the WIAC, UW-Oshkosh's highest overall ranking since 1977 when they also listed third.

UW-Oshkosh returns 32 lettermen for its 109th football season, including seven starters on both sides of the line of scrimmage. A total of 20 lettermen are gone from last year's team.

Returning starters on offense for the Titans are junior Chad Lindsley (29 career starts) at tight end, junior Jesse Turkow (10 career starts) at left tackle, junior Pat Hughes (10 career starts) at left guard, sophomore Mike Basch (8 career starts) at right guard, sophomore Andrew Stern (5 career starts) at running back, junior Aaron Chaltry (5 career starts) at fullback and junior Nick Wara (10 career starts) at quarterback. Lindsley was an All-WIAC second team selection last season, while Wara gained honorable mention recognition.

Wara (Oshkosh), who was promoted to starting quarterback last season after one year as an understudy, capitalized on his playing opportunity of a year ago and returns as the key performer in UW-Oshkosh's offense. Wara completed 156 of his 291 passes for 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2002 while adding 377 yards and two scores rushing. In UW-Oshkosh's win over UW-Whitewater in the 2002 finale, Wara completed a school-record 37 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for a career-best 334 yards on 23 pass completions in the Titans' victory over UW-Platteville. Sophomore Mike Budziszewski (Greenfield) also returns to add depth at quarterback after completing nine of 26 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown.

Expected to join Wara in the backfield are Stern (Wisconsin Rapids) and Chaltry (Peshtigo). Stern proved himself very capable of carrying the football last season after rushing for a team-leading 452 yards and one touchdown. Among his rushing performances were 103 yards against UW-River Falls, 93 against UW-La Crosse and 92 against UW-Stevens Point. Chaltry, primarily a blocking back, rushed for 24 yards last year while catching four passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. Also back is sophomore Antjuan Taylor (Milwaukee) who rushed for 46 yards in 2002.

UW-Oshkosh's receiving corps undergoes a complete overhaul this fall as the top-three passing targets from a year ago are gone to graduation. Absent this season are Steve Wagner, Kris Johnson and Jeremy James who caught 55 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns, 29 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns and 22 passes for 246 yards last year, respectively. Wagner was an All-WIAC second team selection the past two seasons. Johnson also served as the Titans' punter, averaging 35.8 yards per kick. Lindsley (Oconomowoc) is the top returning pass catcher for the Titans after grabbing 15 aerials for 153 yards and three touchdowns last season, including six for 74 yards and a touchdown against UW-La Crosse. Stern also caught 12 passes for 108 yards out of the backfield last season, while senior wide receiver Nic Sydorowicz (Neillsville) grabbed 10 passes for 69 yards. Other wide receivers back are sophomores Mike Kinateder (Waukesha) and Justin Heinkel (Schofield) , who caught five passes for 22 yards and two passes for 12 yards last year, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh's play in the offensive line last season was consistent throughout the year as four of the five positions had the same starter in at least nine of the 10 games played. Three of those five starters in the trenches return in the likes of Turkow (Appleton), Hughes (Oshkosh) and Basch (Menomonee Falls).

Starters returning for UW-Oshkosh on defense are sophomore Mike Arendt (4 career starts) at tackle, junior Dustin Drexel (18 career starts) at tackle, junior Craig Korth (10 career starts) at linebacker, junior Tom Turner (11 career starts) at linebacker, senior Noah Paquin (21 career starts) at cornerback and senior Jon Thomas (6 career starts) at cornerback. Korth was an All-WIAC second team choice a year ago, while Bielmeier and Drexel received honorable mention recognition.

UW-Oshkosh's defensive strength could be up front, where Arendt (Port Washington) and Drexel (Campbellsport) both return as starters. Drexel totaled 35 last season and Arendt 17. Looking to fill the vacancy left by graduated end Justin Schneider, a 2002 All-WIAC first team pick who totaled 58 tackles and six quarterback sacks, are sophomores Ryan DeMars (Nekoosa), Rob Fett (Appleton), Jason Hartwig (Port Washington), Mark Meisel (Hartland) and Ryan Steilen (West Bend) and junior Andy Matter (West Allis). In 2002, DeMars registered 11 tackles, Fett seven, Meisel six and Steilen four. Matter missed the 2002 season due to an injury, but started a pair of games for the Titans in 2000.

With the return of starters Korth (Menasha) and Turner (Westfield), UW-Oshkosh should again be strong at the linebacker position. Korth ranked second on the team with 68 tackles last season, while Turner totaled 51, including 13 solo tackles against UW-Whitewater. Korth also had 11 tackles for a loss a year ago. Expecting to compete for the lone available linebacker position are sophomores Joe Gabriel (Big Bend), Andy Mahn (Oak Creek) and Shane Schutz (West Bend) and junior Dan Mulqueen (Milwaukee). Mulqueen started two games in 2002 and six contests in 2001, combining for 65 tackles and 11 tackles for a loss during those seasons. Last year, Mahn had five tackles, Schutz four and Gabriel three.

UW-Oshkosh's defensive secondary bemoans the loss of safeties Nick Carlson to graduation and Nick Kilton to an injury. Carlson received All-WIAC first team honors last fall after compiling a team-leading 85 tackles, including five for a loss. Carlson also intercepted four passes last season, with three returned for touchdowns, and brought back one punt (28 yards) for a touchdown. Due to a slow recovery of an injury suffered in the 2002 finale against UW-Whitewater, Kilton will have to miss the 2003 season in hope of making a full return for the Titans in 2004. He was an All-WIAC honorable mention selection a year ago as an all-purpose performer after scoring four touchdowns rushing, intercepting two passes, averaging 23.6 yards per kick-off return and recording 37 tackles.

Returning in the defensive backfield are starting cornerbacks Thomas (Madison) and Paquin (Oak Creek). Thomas had 36 tackles and two fumble recoveries last year, while Paquin had 21 tackles. Also back in the secondary is senior Zachary Harrod (Genoa City) and sophomores Jacob Malzahn (Kenosha) and Ryan Slowik (Green Bay). Slowik made two starts for UW-Oshkosh last year when he compiled 30 tackles. Malzahn recorded 22 tackles and one pass interception last season, while Harrod had two tackles.

Also gone for UW-Oshkosh this season is placekicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who elected not to return to school. Fitzgerald scored 35 points last year on 25 extra points and five field goals. The Titans will also have to replace Johnson who was the punter the past three seasons.