Seven Titans Collect D3football.com All-America Awards
UW-Oshkosh quarterback Nate Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) was named Offensive Player of the Year as D3football.com voted seven Titans to its 2012 NCAA Division III All-America Team.
A total of 14 players were selected for each of the four All-America squads, including cornerback Tim Filter (Sr. • New Berlin) and running back Cole Myhra (Jr. • Menomonee Falls) as second-team honorees.
UW-Oshkosh also had tackle Brandon Peter (Sr. • Allenton) picked for the third team and linebacker Taylor Goodman (Sr. • South Wayne), center Ben Strehlow (Sr. • Brandon) and defensive end Andrew Thompson (Sr. • Greendale) to the fourth. Prior to this season, UW-Oshkosh had only two players receive All-America mention by D3football.com – running back Andy Moriarty in 2007 and defensive back Nick Carlson in 2002.
Wara established school records with 4,051 yards and 40 total touchdowns this season. He posted 3,311 yards with 30 scores while completing 65 percent (238-366) of his passes. Wara also rushed 185 times for 740 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ranking ninth in the nation, Wara posted a passer rating of 165.3. He threw just five interceptions, including a stretch of 192 passes without a pick.
In the season opener against Central College (Iowa), Wara passed for 275 yards and four touchdowns while running for 118 yards and two scores. He compiled a career-best 369 passing yards with four touchdowns as the Titans won at UW-La Crosse for the first time in 45 years.
Wara started all 44 games the past four years, leading UW-Oshkosh to a 28-16 record. He ranks second in WIAC history in total offense (11,202 yards), third in passer rating (147.8), fourth in touchdown passes (80) and fifth in completions (750). Wara finished with 8,881 passing yards, in addition to 2,321 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing. His rushing total ranks fifth in school history.
Myhra got stronger as the season went on, posting six straight 100-yard games from Oct. 27-Dec. 1. He totaled 1,589 yards and 16 scores on the ground, while adding 44 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns. Myhra scored four times and ran for a career-best 198 yards in a playoff victory over The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.).
Filter led the NCAA Division III with eight interceptions. He picked off a pass in six straight games, including two takeaways during a victory at defending national champion UW-Whitewater. Filter totaled 44 tackles (35 solo), seven pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Peter and Strehlow anchored an offensive line that averaged 240 rushing and 240 passing yards. The Titans ranked 14th in the country in total offense (480 yards) and 21st in scoring (37.5 points). UW-Oshkosh surpassed 600 yards in four games this season and rushed for at least 250 in five contests. The Titans ran for 3,363 yards - a school record and the fifth-best mark in WIAC history.
Goodman led the UW-Oshkosh defense with 109 tackles (57 solo) and three forced fumbles. He also compiled 6.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception. During a triumph over UW-Platteville, Goodman notched 13 tackles, one sack and one interception.
For the second straight year, Thompson led the WIAC with seven sacks. He totaled 52 tackles (21 solo) with 12 for a loss. Thompson had two forced fumbles and one recovery. In a victory at Alma College (Mich.), he posted five tackles with two sacks.
Other players from Wisconsin on the All-America squad were punter Christian Hallingstad of UW-La Crosse on the first team and cornerback Ryan Wenkman of UW-Whitewater on the fourth.
UW-Oshkosh finished the season with a 13-1 record. The Titans captured the WIAC title and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Championship.
Linebacker Javicz Jones of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) was picked as Defensive Player of the Year and Larry Kehres of the University of Mount Union (Ohio) as Coach of the Year.