Titans Run To Rally Past Pioneers

Jeremy Roach (Jr. • Deerfield) found the end zone from four yards out with 35 seconds left to give the UW-Oshkosh football team a 23-20 comeback win over UW-Platteville on Saturday (Oct. 24) in Platteville.

The touchdown capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive in the contest's last four minutes. Roach also had runs of nine and 20 yards on the possession, which featured four completions for 32 yards by Nate Wara (Fr. • Oshkosh). The Pioneers tossed four incomplete passes in the final seconds to end the game.

In a battle that included seven first-half turnovers, the Titans (4-3/2-2 WIAC) wore down the Pioneers' (3-4/1-3 WIAC) defense with their running game. Wara posted 86 yards on 17 carries, while Roach added 71 yards on 14 rushes and Charlie Weissman (So. • Colgate) 57 yards on nine attempts. UW-Oshkosh got touchdowns on its last two drives as it outscored UW-Platteville, 13-0, in the fourth quarter.

Five of the game's first six possessions ended with a punt before UW-Platteville started a drive in Titan territory. Joe Burkeland hauled in a 16-yard catch to set up Jimmy Spehn, who posted a touchdown reception from 19 yards out. The Pioneers' score put them up, 7-0, with 1:42 left in the first quarter.

UW-Oshkosh got its offense rolling with runs of 19 and 22 yards by Weissman. A penalty and a sack killed that threat, but the Titans' defense stepped up just plays later. Nate Heard (Jr. • Milwaukee) picked off a pass and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown. The extra point equaled the score at 7 with 12:39 on the second-quarter clock.

The Titans had four turnovers in the opening half, while the Pioneers had three. UW-Oshkosh's first giveaway set up a 36-yard field goal by Tony Smidl for a 10-7 advantage. A Tyler Wegner (So. • Oshkosh) interception allowed another Smidl attempt, but his 30-yard try was no good midway through the second period.

Another Titans' fumble put UW-Platteville in position to increase its lead before halftime. The Pioneers' 63-yard drive included a 15-yard run from Chad Roscoe and a pass interference penalty on UW-Oshkosh. Travis Nelson hauled in a 12-yard touchdown catch 56 seconds before the break to take a 17-7 lead.

Wara accounted for all but seven yards during the Titans' first offensive score. He ran five times to set up Andy Lindsay's (So. • Howard) 27-yard field goal. The kick made it a 17-10 figure with 7:12 left in the third quarter.

A poor punt by UW-Oshkosh put the Pioneers just 37 yards from the end zone. John Kelly recorded a pair of seven-yard runs, but the Titans' defense surrendered only a field goal of 32 yards by Smidl with 1:10 to play before the final period.

Wara ignited the Titans' offense with a pair of 11-yard runs during a 77-yard touchdown drive. He also connected with Steve Levonowich (Sr. • Kenosha) and Justin Budiac (So. • Mukwonago) for pass plays of 18 yards. Facing fourth-and-goal at the one, Wara took it himself for the rushing touchdown. UW-Oshkosh's extra point try was blocked to keep the tally at 20-16 with 12:02 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh totaled 320 yards of offense, with Wara completing 13-of-22 passes for 92 yards. Budiac topped all pass catchers with five grabs, while the Pioneers' Spehn posted a game-high 49 receiving yards. UW-Platteville's 297 yards included 146 through the air (16-32 attempts) from Mitch Shadley and 48 on the ground (19 carries) by Chad Roscoe.

The Pioneers, who were led by the seven tackles each of Ross Mueller and Randy Langer, committed nine penalties for a total of 102 yards. The UW-Oshkosh defense held UW-Platteville to 4-of-17 conversions on third down, thanks to another 16 tackles and one sack from the top tackler in the NCAA Division III, James Taraboi (Sr. • Grafton). Cameron Heilman (Jr. • Port Washington) chipped in with 11 stops for the Titans.