Final Polls List Titans Among Others Receiving Votes

Victories in seven of its 10 games earned UW-Oshkosh a mention in the Others Receiving Votes category in the final 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III football polls conducted by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

UW-Oshkosh was the unofficial 28th-ranked team in the Top 25 poll executed by d3football.com. The Titans collected 45 points to follow the 66 of 25th-ranked Bethel University (Minn.). Hobart College (N.Y.) and the University of Dubuque (Iowa) were unofficially ranked 26th and 27th with 57 and 51 points, respectively.

The AFCA had UW-Oshkosh as the unofficial 31st-ranked team in its Top 25 poll. The Titans acquired 19 points to follow the 93 of 25th-ranked Wheaton College (Ill.). Unofficially, Baldwin-Wallace College (Ohio) ranked 26th with 86 points, Hobart College 27th with 68, Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) 28th with 27, Illinois College 29th with 21 and State University of New York-Cortland 30th with 20.

The top five teams were the same in both polls. National champion UW-Whitewater, which defeated UW-Oshkosh, 20-17, on Oct. 22, earned the top listing after totaling 625 points in D3football.com's poll and 1,050 in the AFCA's survey. National runner-up University of Mount Union (Ohio), which ousted UW-Oshkosh, 41-17, on Sept. 10, ranked second, Wesley College (Del.) third, University of St. Thomas (Minn.) fourth and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) fifth.

UW-Oshkosh's 10 opponents during the 2011 season compiled a 66-44 record, including marks of 15-0 by UW-Whitewater, 14-1 by the University of Mount Union and 7-3 by both Central College (Iowa) and UW-Platteville. The Titans defeated Central College, 31-28, on Sept. 3 and UW-Platteville, 24-3, on Oct. 15.

UW-Oshkosh achieved its highest national ranking in school history after its loss to UW-Whitewater. The Titans were ranked 15th in the Oct. 24 poll operated by D3football.com and 23rd in the census performed by the AFCA. UW-Oshkosh was knocked out of the Top 25 for good following its 30-24 overtime loss to UW-La Crosse on Oct. 29.

UW-Oshkosh, which tallied its third seven-win season in seven years, placed second in the WIAC with a 5-2 record. The Titans' league finish was their highest since 1976.

Statistically, UW-Oshkosh ranked 13th in the NCAA Division III in pass efficiency defense (93.91 rating), 20th in pass efficiency offense (148.49) 36th in rushing offense (211 yards per game), 39th in total offense (421.8 yards per game) and 41st in scoring defense (18.2 points per game).