Titans, Pioneers Meet In Homecoming Battle
UW-Oshkosh strives for its third WIAC victory and a homecoming triumph when it faces UW-Platteville on Saturday (Oct. 23) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
The Titans (3-3/2-1 WIAC), who last captured their homecoming contest in 2007, are coming off last Saturday's (Oct. 16) 35-22 win over 2009 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) playoff participant Lambuth University (Tenn.).
UW-Oshkosh, which owns WIAC wins over both UW-River Falls (43-15) and UW-La Crosse (28-17), has tallied at least 28 points in all but one game this season. The Titans' three defeats include NCAA Division III setbacks of 45-28 to second-ranked University of Mount Union (Ohio) and 34-28 to 18th-ranked Central College (Iowa).
Nate Wara (So. • Oshkosh) led UW-Oshkosh to its victory over Lambuth University by completing 24 of 30 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 70 yards and two scores.
Owning the WIAC's second-best offense (377 yards per game), the Titans look to exploit UW-Platteville's (4-2/2-1 WIAC) eighth-ranked pass defense. That will be up to Wara, who has 1,279 yards, 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions passing in 2010. He also boasts a 69-percent completion rate and a team-high 365 rushing yards.
Garrie Fox (Jr. • Madison) tops the WIAC with six receiving scores, in addition to his 449 yards on 30 catches. At tailback, Charlie Weissman (Jr. • Colgate) scampered for a career-best 103 yards last week to give him 317 on the year. Frank Martin (Jr. • Greenleaf) paces all UW-Oshkosh defenders with 38 tackles.
Last Saturday, UW-Platteville notched its first road win at UW-La Crosse in 30 years with a 21-6 victory. Nick Snyder, who earned WIAC Defensive Player of the Week for his three quarterback sacks, led the effort. The Pioneers usually move the ball through the air, but Lee Vlasak changed things up against the Eagles with 158 yards and two scores rushing.
Both of UW-Platteville's defeats are to nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams, a 49-17 loss to top-ranked UW-Whitewater and a 51-20 setback to 17th-ranked Wheaton College (Ill.). The Pioneers own a 35-14 win over then 17th-ranked UW-Eau Claire.
Nick Anderson directs the league's second-most prolific passing attack. With 1,284 yards and six touchdowns, Anderson has connected with Darin Blaser 32 times. Vlasak has been used all over the field in totaling 363 receiving yards, 272 rushing yards and eight scores. UW-Platteville, which ranks second in the league with a +5 turnover margin, has received a team-high 48 tackles from Snyder.
The series between these two schools has been tight, with the Pioneers clinging to a 47-43-4 advantage dating back to 1911. UW-Oshkosh came away with a 23-20 triumph last season when Jeremy Roach ran for a touchdown with 35 seconds left. That game was a wild one, with a combined seven turnovers in the first half. Wara accounted for a career-high 86 rushing yards in the victory.
Thanks to a sponsorship by the UW-Oshkosh Alumni Association, the Titans' football contest against UW-Platteville will be available to viewers on the Internet at no charge. The live webcast is a collaboration between UW-Oshkosh athletics, Titan TV 66 and Stretch Internet. The webcast begins at 2 p.m.