Titans Secure NCAA Postseason Berth With Win Over Eagles
UW-Oshkosh clinched at least a share of its second WIAC football title in four seasons with a 31-13 victory over UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Nov. 7) in La Crosse.
Dylan Hecker, Zach Kasuboski, Devon Linzenmeyer and Joe Sommers all scored touchdowns as the Titans not only secured their ninth overall WIAC title, but also the league's automatic berth into the 32-team NCAA Division III Championship that begins on Nov. 21.
UW-Oshkosh (8-1, 6-0 WIAC), ranked a program-best third in the Division III by D3football.com, never trailed in extending its winning streak to eight games. The Titans, who defeated UW-La Crosse for the fifth straight time, have won 26 of their last 29 WIAC contests.
The teams combined for 52 first downs and 864 yards, including 28 first downs and 462 yards by UW-Oshkosh. UW-La Crosse (3-6, 2-4) had a 225-182 advantage in rushing yards, while the Titans had a 280-177 edge in passing yards. Neither team committed a turnover.
UW-Oshkosh quarterback Brett Kasper completed 23 of 32 passes for 236 yards with one touchdown.
Linzenmeyer paced the UW-Oshkosh backfield with 14 carries for 100 yards and one score, while Hecker had 11 rushes for 63 yards and his 14th rushing touchdown of the year. Hecker also completed his only pass of the game for a 1-yard touchdown.
Kasuboski recorded a career-high nine catches for 116 yards and one touchdown. He has now reached the end zone in four straight games and six of the Titans' eight contests this season.
UW-Oshkosh's Craig Schommer added six receptions for 58 yards, Sam Mentkowski four grabs for 24 yards, and Sommers three catches for 55 yards and one touchdown.
AJ Plewa led the UW-Oshkosh defense with nine tackles, including seven solo. Reese Dziedzic contributed eight tackles for the Titans, who also received five tackles apiece from Johnny Eagan, Steve Forner, Kevin MacCudden and Cole Yoder. MacCudden recorded the team's lone sack.
UW-Oshkosh took the opening kickoff and marched down the field in six plays, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Kasper to Sommers.
UW-La Crosse answered with an 11-play drive on its first possession that was capped by Matt Van Druten's 28-yard field goal with 8:23 to go in the first quarter.
The Titans responded with a 10-play drive on the ensuing possession that ended with Hecker's 1-yard touchdown pass to Kasuboski. Kasper completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 14-yard connection with Schommer on third-and-11 from the Eagles' 32-yard line.
The teams traded punts before UW-La Crosse cut its deficit to 14-10 on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Drew David to Joel Oxton with 6:18 remaining in the first half.
UW-Oshkosh received a punt at its own 34-yard line with just under two minutes left in the second quarter and operated 13 plays before Greg Rand kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Titans a 17-10 halftime lead. Kasper completed 6 of 9 passes for 48 yards during the possession, including a drive-saving 24-yard connection with Sommers on third-and-13 from the UW-La Crosse 46-yard line.
UW-La Crosse opened the second half with a 15-play drive that was punctuated by Van Druten's 27-yard field goal at the 7:28 mark of the third quarter. Eagles running back Tyler Jenkins carried the ball eight times for 42 yards on the drive. UW-La Crosse had a first-and-goal from the UW-Oshkosh 2-yard line, but MacCudden's sack for seven yards on first down was followed by false-start penalty, a 4-yard run by Jenkins and an incomplete pass.
UW-Oshkosh reached the end zone on its first possession of the second half on a 1-yard run by Linzenmeyer. His score increased the Titans' lead to 24-13 with 5:05 left in the third period. Linzenmeyer gouged the Eagles defense with runs of 36 and 11 yards in the two plays prior to his touchdown.
The next drive by the Eagles lasted eight plays and chewed up more than eight minutes on the clock, but Eagan prevented UW-La Crosse from scoring by soaring to block Van Druten's 23-yard field goal attempt with 1:43 remaining in the third quarter. UW-La Crosse had a 1-yard touchdown pass from David Wesolowski to Zack Zwettler negated on the drive due to having an ineligible player downfield on the play.
Hecker capped UW-Oshkosh's 13-play drive on the next possession with a 12-yard touchdown run with 11:29 left in the game. Rand's extra point provided the final score.
UW-La Crosse was stopped on fourth-and-2 from at the UW-Oshkosh 18-yard line with 7:05 left when David's pass fell incomplete. The Titans then ran out the clock with four first downs on the ensuing drive.
David completed 16 of 28 passes for 177 yards, while Jenkins had 21 carries for a career-best 147 yards.
Three Eagles caught passes in the game. Oxton led the team with seven catches for 83 yards. Samuel Zwieg added five grabs for 44 yards, while Jack Zwettler had four receptions for 50 yards.
UW-La Crosse's Noah Risch led all players with 11 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and one sack. Michael Garvey added eight tackles for the Eagles, who also received seven tackles each from Reese Felton, Peter Krien, Steve Law and Nicholas Peters. Krien had a game-best two sacks.
UW-Oshkosh won its previous eight WIAC titles in 1920, 1923, 1928, 1935, 1968, 1972, 1976 and 2012.
The Titans conclude their regular-season schedule against UW-Eau Claire next Saturday (Nov. 14) at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Jim Lund, Crescent Printing & Promotions