20th-Ranked Titans Light Up Scoreboard Against Scots

UW-Oshkosh tallied its highest point total in 100 years during a 70-9 domination of Alma College (Mich.) on Saturday (Sept. 22) in Alma, Mich.

The Titans (3-0), ranked 20th by the American Football Coaches Association, fell behind early in the second quarter. UW-Oshkosh then responded with seven touchdowns in the next 18:16 of play. The 70 points represent the third-best total in program history and the fifth-highest score by a WIAC team since 1921.

UW-Oshkosh rushed for 374 yards with an average of 7.3 per carry. Eight of the Titans' 10 scores came on the ground to tie a league record. Cole Myhra (Jr. • Menomonee Falls) accounted for 118 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts, while Nate Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) totaled 95 yards and two scores on 13 carries.

The first three drives of the contest resulted in punts, and then when UW-Oshkosh moved down the field, it failed on fourth down. Myhra set up the game's first score when he took a swing pass for 23 yards. Two plays later, Wara plowed in from one yard on a sneak to take the 7-0 lead.

Jarrett Leister kept the Scots (0-4) around by completing passes of 29 yards to Mike Lenneman and 27 yards to Tyler Watters. With 13:18 on the second-quarter clock, Riley Fisher ran a crossing route over the middle and caught a five-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Alma College earned a safety when UW-Oshkosh had a bad snap go through the end zone. The Titans would hit on all cylinders for the rest of the day. Wara hit Nick Olla (Jr. • Kewaskum) on a short pass, and Olla faked out a couple defenders on his way to a 44-yard touchdown. Minutes later, Wara scrambled into the end zone from 19 yards to give the Titans a 21-9 cushion midway through the quarter.

UW-Oshkosh added two more touchdowns during the final 2:29 of the half. Cory Wipperfurth (Jr. • DeForest) made a leaping 39-yard catch to reach the red zone. Mitch Hintz (Jr. • Kimberly) finished that drive with a two-yard touchdown run. With four seconds left in the period, Wara found Wipperfurth on an eight-yard slant to make the score 35-9.

To open the third quarter, the Titans marched 65 yards in seven plays. The last two snaps were Myhra runs, as he sprinted for a gain of 20 yards and a 15-yard touchdown.

Olla contributed to the rushing onslaught with a four-yard score, as did Jake Dostalek (Jr. • Waterford) with his 24-yard touchdown at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter. UW-Oshkosh had a pair of touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, just 46 seconds apart, on carries of 30 yards by Darryl Thornton (Fr. • Kenosha) and 14 yards by Ethan Steinhoff (So. • Belmont).

The defense was also exceptional for the Titans, allowing just 121 yards and four first downs. Alma College went 0-for-13 in third-down conversions. UW-Oshkosh received five tackles (two sacks) from Andrew Thompson (Sr. • Greendale), an interception from Kyle Heller (Sr. • Appleton) and fumble recoveries by Jon Freiberg (Sr. • Fond du Lac) and Frank Martin (Sr. • Greenleaf).

Wara paced the aerial game with 242 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-30 attempts. Caleb Voss (Jr. • Van Dyne) totaled a game-high five catches for 48 yards, while Olla posted 51 yards on two grabs. The Titans racked up 616 yards and 31 first downs while converting 7-of-12 third down opportunities (58 percent).

The Scots averaged 0.3 yards per rush, making them the second straight UW-Oshkosh opponent under 0.6 yards. Leister finished with 11-of-23 passing for 113 yards. Aaron Hahn led the Scots' run game with 17 yards on 10 carries, in addition to 52 yards on four receptions by Lenneman. Andrew Funsch was Alma's leading tackler with nine stops.

UW-Oshkosh begins WIAC play at UW-River Falls on Saturday (Sept. 29).