Titans Fend Off Red Hawks In Season Opener

UW-Oshkosh linebacker Nick Craft (So. • Milwaukee) stopped Ripon College quarterback Tygh Walters inches short of the goal line on a two-point conversion with 44 seconds left to preserve the Titans' 14-13 season-opening football victory over the Red Hawks on Saturday (Sept. 6) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

Ripon College (0-1) elected to go for the potential game-winning extra point after finishing off an eight-play, 41-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Scott Perkins. Walters kept the football on the extra-point try, but Craft played strong and tackled him just before he could enter the end zone.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0), which won its season opener for the 26th time in 28 years, took a 7-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Following a UW-Oshkosh punt, Ripon College used a Jon Larsen 14-yard run as part of a 46-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:59 remaining. Walters capped the eight-play march with a 12-yard touchdown run.

After Ripon College booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, UW-Oshkosh converted two critical third-down plays to move the football down the field and into the end zone. Craig McClelland (So. • Union Grove) found Juston Wara (So. • Oshkosh) and Paul Coburn (So. • Sussex) for nine-yard gains on successive third downs to keep the drive alive. On fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, Joey Fisher (Jr. • Fond du Lac) bowled his way into the end zone to give the Titans a 14-7 lead with 2:05 remaining.

Ripon College fought right back as Joshua Kraemer returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to put the Red Hawks at the UW-Oshkosh 41-yard line. Walters completed a 25-yard pass to Josh Pasek to put Ripon College into scoring position at the UW-Oshkosh 17-yard line. Perkins later bolted into the end zone from one-yard out to cut UW-Oshkosh's lead to 14-13.

UW-Oshkosh's Jon DeVillers (Sr. • Menomonee Falls) helped set up the first score of the game when he intercepted a Walters pass late in the first quarter. A pair of 10-yard runs by Steve Levonowich (Jr. • Kenosha) keyed the Titans' 12-play, 72-yard scoring march that spanned 5:48. McClelland ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown run to put UW-Oshkosh up 6-0. James Taraboi (Jr. • Grafton) then kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0. Taraboi's point was the 13,000th in the 114-year history of the UW-Oshkosh football program.

The Titans' defense came up big on four other occasions to stifle scoring opportunities for Ripon College. DeViller's pass interception came at the UW-Oshkosh 28-yard line, while Kris Straughter's (Jr. • West Springfield, Mass.) second quarter pass interception occurred near midfield. Cameron Heilman (So. • Port Washington) added a fumble recovery at the Ripon College 47-yard line to stop another drive.

With less than two minutes to go in the first half, the Titans stuffed Walters on fourth-and-two to take the ball away at the UW-Oshkosh eight-yard line. A fourth-quarter pass interception by Taraboi halted a Ripon College drive at the Titans' 10-yard line.

Thanks to 166 yards on 30 carries by Walters, Ripon College out-gained UW-Oshkosh, 331-248, in total offensive yards. The Red Hawks also received 69 yards on seven rushes by Andrew Fink and 43 yards on 13 rushes by Perkins. Walters threw three interceptions on his way to 3-of-10 passing for 39 yards. Robert Bergfeld led Ripon College with two pass receptions for 14 yards.

Levonowich, who missed the 2007 season due to an injury, paced UW-Oshkosh with 97 rushing yards on 21 attempts. The Titans also got 40 yards on nine carries from McClelland and 37 yards on six attempts from Justin Budiac (So. • Mukwonago). McClelland completed four of his eight passes for 31 yards, while Dieter Juedes (Sr. • Sheboygan Falls) connected on two of his six passes for 19. Taylor Porter (Jr. • New London) led UW-Oshkosh by catching four passes for 32 yards.

DeVillers sparked UW-Oshkosh's defensive effort by totaling 13 tackles, including 10 solo, and one pass interception. Chris Lins (Jr. • Madison) recorded 10 tackles, while Kevin Bahl (Jr. • Muskego) tallied eight and Justin Viste (Jr. • Grafton) five. Ripon College received nine tackles, all solo, from Vince Spratte, seven stops from Jeff Trinka and six from Chris Kellett.

Saturday's victory was UW-Oshkosh's ninth straight over Ripon College. The Titans own a 17-12-6 advantage in the all-time series with the Red Hawks.