Titans Fall Short In Bid To Upend Nationally Ranked Warhawks

The nationally ranked UW-Whitewater football team made a 17-3 halftime lead stand up for the game's final score as it defeated UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Sept. 23) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

UW-Whitewater (3-0/1-0 WIAC) took a 7-0 lead when All-American Justin Beaver scampered a school-record 97 yards for a touchdown at the 4:28 mark of the first quarter. The score came immediately after UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville) had a punt downed at the Warhawks' three-yard line.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2/0-1 WIAC) punted the football away after losing two yards on three plays on its next possession. The Warhawks took the ensuing possession and marched 16 yards in six plays before Jeff Sheller booted a 42-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the first period.

UW-Whitewater, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and the American Football Coaches Association, took the football following another UW-Oshkosh punt and paraded 80 yards in seven plays for a touchdown. The drive was capped by Justin Jacobs' 13-yard touchdown pass to Neil Marvin with 8:23 remaining in the second quarter.

UW--Oshkosh recovered a Beaver fumble late in the second quarter and turned the miscue into three points. Raschke provided the scoring for the Titans as he kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:46 left before intermission. Raschke established a WIAC record on the play by kicking his 32nd career field goal.

Neither team scored in the second half as they combined for seven punts and four change of possessions due to a loss of downs. UW-Oshkosh had five possessions end UW-Whitewater territory in the second half, while the Warhawks had three possessions end on the Titans' section of the field.

UW-Whitewater totaled 15 first downs and 355 yards of offense, but only six first downs and 99 yards offense came after intermission. The Warhawks' 17 points scored were their fewest in 18 games.

Individually, Beaver rushed 43 times for 218 yards and one touchdown. The Warhawks had only one other rushing attempt in the game, a two-yard jaunt by Jacobs. In the air, Jacobs completed 15 of 28 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. Mrkvicka led the UW-Whitewater with six pass receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown.

UW-Oshkosh compiled 15 first downs and 263 yards of offense. The Titans had 253 of their yards in the air as the Warhawks held UW-Oshkosh to just 10 yards rushing in 25 attempts. Steve Levonowich (So. • Kenosha) rushed twice for nine yards to lead UW-Oshkosh.

In the air, Joe Patek (Jr. • Cedarburg) completed 23 of 50 passes for 253 yards. Andy Heiman (Jr. • Clintonville) caught six passes for 68 yards while Andy Moriarty (Jr. • Mequon) grabbed six for 62 and Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) five for 76.

Tristan Borzick led UW-Whitewater with 13 tackles, while Dave DeJewski (Jr. • Hartland) and Jason Manikowski (Sr. • Cudahy each totaled 11.