Titans Roll Up WIAC-Record 829 Yards In Rout Of Blue Devils
Brett Kasper threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns, Dylan Hecker added three rushing scores, and Sam Mentkowski scored twice and amassed 209 receiving yards as the nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh football team eclipsed the WIAC yardage record during a 69-14 win over UW-Stout on Saturday (Oct. 3) in Menomonie.
UW-Oshkosh (3-1, 1-0 WIAC) racked up 829 yards of total offense to break the previous league record of 788 set by UW-River Falls in 2000. The Titans also tied the program mark with 35 first downs and became the first team in WIAC history to score at least 69 points in a game twice in one season. UW-Oshkosh established a school record for points during an 86-0 triumph over Finlandia University (Mich.) on Sept. 12.
Each of the Titans' 10 touchdown drives was less than four minutes as they registered 13 plays of 20 yards or more en route to the largest margin of victory by either team in a series that began in 1947.
UW-Stout (1-3, 0-1 WIAC) received the opening kickoff and marched to the UW-Oshkosh 15-yard line in 10 plays before Justin Watson stopped Blue Devils running back Adolfo Pacheco for no gain on fourth-and-1. On the Titans' first offensive snap, Kasper hit Mentkowski for an 85-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
The Blue Devils tied the game at 7 when Hank Kujak connected with Brian Alvarez for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left in the first quarter.
UW-Oshkosh reclaimed the lead for good on Kasper's 17-yard touchdown pass to Craig Schommer with 22 ticks left in the opening quarter before tacking on 28 more points in the second period for a 41-7 halftime advantage.
Hecker rushed to the end zone from 2 yards to give the Titans a 20-7 lead with 9:50 to play in the first half. Devon Linzenmeyer's 7-yard scoring run upped UW-Oshkosh's lead to 27-7 at the 5:49 mark, while Hecker's 1-yard touchdown run made it 34-7 with 3:28 to go. Kasper then found Mentkowski for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds before intermission.
UW-Oshkosh, ranked 17th in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, gained 467 yards and 21 first downs during the first half. The Titans outgained UW-Stout, 285-27, in the second quarter as UW-Oshkosh scored 28 unanswered points. Kasper had 324 yards passing and Mentkowski all 209 of his yards before halftime.
UW-Stout cut its deficit to 41-14 when Kujak threw a 12-yard scoring strike to Justin Guarnaccio less than four minutes into the second half. UW-Oshkosh then scored the last 28 points of the contest to secure the victory.
Hecker's 20-yard touchdown run gave the Titans a 48-14 lead with 6:44 left in the third quarter. Hecker's career-best third score was followed by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Connor Senger to Schommer with 14:09 remaining, a 14-yard scamper to the end zone by Senger with 9:59 left, and Dom Todarello's 18-yard rushing score. Eli Wettstein's ninth extra point in 10 attempts provided the final score with 5:03 to play.
UW-Oshkosh ended the game with advantages of 829-329 in yards, 35-13 in first downs, and 35:03 to 24:57 in time of possession.
Kasper completed 22 of 29 passes for a career-high yardage total. He threw one interception.
Hecker had 16 carries for 124 yards. Linzenmeyer added nine totes for a career-high 116 yards as 10 ball carriers contributed to the Titans' 456 rushing yards on 58 attempts for a 7.9 average.
Mentkowski had eight catches on the way to tying his career best for touchdowns and establishing a new high for yards. Schommer had three grabs for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
Kevin MacCudden led the UW-Oshkosh defense with seven tackles, including one for a loss. Johnny Eagan and Matt Gasper had five tackles apiece, followed by four each from Cameron Brown, AJ Plewa and Branden Lloyd.
Reese Dziedzic recorded the Titans' lone interception, while Trevor Fiegel, Dallis Ramos-Deleon and Cole Yoder recovered fumbles. Watson blocked a field goal during the first quarter.
UW-Stout went into the game averaging 35 points and 323.7 passing yards while compiling a WIAC-best 76 first downs.
Kujak, who entered the contest leading the WIAC in passing yards and touchdowns, completed 18 of 29 passes for 217 yards.
Guarnaccio led the Blue Devils with five receptions for 62 yards. Chris Pica-Anderson chipped in five catches for 36 yards.
Jay Alston paced the Blue Devils with 23 yards rushing. UW-Stout was limited to just 76 yards on the ground in 30 carries.
UW-Stout's Tony Blair led all players with 11 tackles. Enzo Rosani and Collin Laursen contributed eight tackles apiece. Kyle Hoefft recorded seven tackles and the Blue Devils' only interception.
UW-Oshkosh, which has won the last six meetings with UW-Stout, has outscored its four opponents, 211-37, this season.
The Titans return home to battle two-time defending national champion UW-Whitewater next Saturday (Oct. 10) at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.
Photo courtesy of UW-Stout Sports Information