Titans Host Familiar Foe In NCAA Championship Quarterfinal
WIAC champion UW-Oshkosh and league runner-up UW-Whitewater will meet for the second time this season when the Titans host the Warhawks in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship on Saturday (Dec. 5). Kickoff is set for noon at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.
UW-Oshkosh (11-1), ranked third in the country by D3football.com, advanced to the quarterfinals following home victories of 48-0 over The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) on Nov. 21 and 42-7 over Ohio Northern University this past Saturday (Nov. 28). The College of St. Scholastica suffered its first shutout in the eight-year history of the program, while Ohio Northern University matched its lowest scoring output of the season.
Fifth-ranked UW-Whitewater (11-1) moved to the quarterfinals after registering a 48-0 home win over St. Norbert College on Nov. 21 and a 31-17 road victory over Wheaton College (Ill.) last Saturday. The Warhawks, who own a 9-0 record in national quarterfinal games, handed both St. Norbert (10-1) and Wheaton (11-1) colleges their first losses of the season. UW-Whitewater also holds an 8-0 all-time mark in true road games during the playoffs.
The Titans, whose seven total points allowed in their two playoff wins are the fewest in the 32-team championship, won a 10-7 decision over the Warhawks on Oct. 10 in Oshkosh. UW-Oshkosh, which blocked a potential game-tying field goal by UW-Whitewater late in the fourth quarter, did not surrender a play of 20 yards or more during the contest.
UW-Oshkosh secured the WIAC's automatic berth into this year's national tournament by claiming the ninth league title in program history. The Titans captured their second outright conference crown in four seasons by completing the seven-game league schedule unbeaten, a feat they also accomplished in 2012.
UW-Whitewater, which claimed WIAC titles with unbeaten records in 2013 and 2014, received one of seven at-large bids into this year's NCAA Championship after producing a 6-1 league record. The Warhawks are a 34-time WIAC champion.
UW-Oshkosh is competing in the NCAA Championship for the second time, with their only other appearance being in 2012 when they advanced to the semifinal round before losing a 28-14 decision to the University of St. Thomas (Minn.).
UW-Whitewater is participating in NCAA postseason play for the 13th time after winning the past two national titles. UW-Whitewater, which owns six NCAA titles overall, captured last year's crown with a 43-34 victory over the University of Mount Union (Ohio) in the championship game.
The Titans have won 10 straight contests since suffering a 23-21 setback to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member Robert Morris University (Ill.) on Sept. 5, while the Warhawks have won seven consecutive games since their loss in Oshkosh.
Saturday's game will be the 108th between the teams. The squads have split their last four meetings, with UW-Oshkosh also winning by a 28-13 score in 2012. UW-Whitewater defeated the Titans by scores of 17-14 in 2013 and 24-7 in 2014. This will be the fifth meeting in the last six matchups in which the Titans and Warhawks have both been ranked in the top 20 nationally. UW-Whitewater leads the all-time series by a 74-28-5 count.
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater will be the WIAC's third set of league members to meet in NCAA postseason play. In the two previous meetings, UW-Whitewater defeated UW-La Crosse, 24-21, during the second round of the 2006 playoffs, while UW-La Crosse ousted UW-River Falls, 28-14, in the quarterfinal round of the 1995 event.
The Titans are ranked 12th in the country with 505 yards per game and 13th with 43.4 points per contest. The UW-Oshkosh defense lists third in the nation by allowing 9.5 points per game and 16th by ceding 273.3 yards per contest.
During its 11-game winning streak, UW-Oshkosh became the first WIAC team to score 60 or more points in a game three times in one season and posted four shutouts for the first time since 1933.
UW-Oshkosh set a new school record for points with an 86-0 win over Finlandia University (Mich.) on Sept. 12 and recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1996 with a 35-0 decision over North Park University (Ill.) on Sept. 19.
The Titans eclipsed the WIAC record with 829 yards in a 69-14 victory over UW-Stout in the league opener on Oct. 3. The Titans then defeated UW-Whitewater, the top-ranked team in the nation at the time, the following Saturday.
In their final five regular-season contests, the Titans grinded out a 21-10 homecoming win over UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 17, cruised to victories of 63-28 over UW-Platteville on Oct. 24 and 57-12 over UW-River Falls on Oct. 31, clinched the WIAC title by pulling away for a 31-13 decision at UW-La Crosse on Nov. 7, and notched its third shutout of the year by downing UW-Eau Claire, 38-0, on Nov. 14.
UW-Oshkosh lists second in the country in red-zone defense (.500) and fifth in red-zone offense (.897). The Titans are also third in the nation with a 26.48 average on kickoff returns, seventh by averaging four penalties per contest, and 14th with a +15 turnover margin.
UW-Oshkosh quarterbacks rank ninth in the nation with a 173.16 passing efficiency rating and led the team to 284 first downs, the 11th-best total in the country, and the sixth-highest third-down conversion rate (.523).
The UW-Oshkosh defense has recorded four defensive touchdowns – fifth-most in the nation – and ranks eighth by limiting opponents to a 92.13 passing efficiency rating.
UW-Oshkosh quarterback Brett Kasper, the 2015 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, has completed 182 of 277 passes for 2,746 yards and 25 touchdowns against only four interceptions. He threw for 211 yards and a career-high tying four scores in just over three quarters of action last Saturday against Ohio Northern University.
Kasper ranks fifth in the country with 9.91 yards per pass attempt, seventh with a 175.9 passer efficiency rating and 10th with 15.09 yards per completion. He has tossed three or more touchdowns six times and surpassed 300 passing yards four times this season.
Dylan Hecker leads the UW-Oshkosh ground attack with 163 carries for 915 yards and 19 touchdowns, which rank 12th in the nation and are tied for the most in program history. He has added two touchdown passes and 19 catches for 209 yards and one score. Hecker, a 2015 All-WIAC first team honoree, logged 13 rushes for 100 yards and two touchdowns before exiting last Saturday's win over the Polar Bears early in the fourth period.
Backup running back Devon Linzenmeyer has contributed 88 rushes for 635 yards and seven touchdowns for the Titans.
The UW-Oshkosh receiving corps is led by the quartet of Zach Kasuboski, Sam Mentkowski, Craig Schommer and Joe Sommers. Kasuboski and Sommers earned All-WIAC first team accolades this fall.
Kasuboski has a team-leading 51 catches for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 35 rushes for 341 yards and two scores. He has tallied touchdowns in the past seven games and 10 games overall this season. Kasuboski recorded six grabs for 99 yards and one touchdown against Ohio Northern University.
Mentkowski has contributed 38 catches for 773 yards and seven scores, Schommer 33 receptions for 352 yards and five touchdowns, and Sommers 24 catches for 325 yards and three scores.
The UW-Oshkosh defense, which has recorded 28 sacks, 17 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries, is headlined by 2015 All-WIAC first team selections Reese Dziedzic, Johnny Eagan, Trevor Fiegel and Branden Lloyd.
Dziedzic paces the team with 69 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. Eagan has registered 37 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions, while Fiegel has 33 stops and ranks 10th in the country with three fumble recoveries. Lloyd is second on the squad with 58 tackles, including a team-best 13 for loss and 5.5 sacks.
UW-Oshkosh kicker Greg Rand has converted 9 of 12 field goals and 49 of 50 point-after attempts, while punter Turner Geisthardt has averaged 39.2 yards on 41 his boots.
Titan Dom Todarello is averaging 28.2 yards on 11 kickoff returns and 15.8 yards on five punt returns.
UW-Whitewater routed its first two opponents of the season – Belhaven (Miss.) and Finlandia (Mich.) universities – by a combined 128-9 score before winning at Morningside College (Iowa), then the top-ranked team in the NAIA, by a 33-30 count on Sept. 24.
The Warhawks defeated UW-Platteville, 17-7, on Oct. 3 before being held to their lowest point total since 2012 in the loss at UW-Oshkosh.
UW-Whitewater has rebounded to score at least 30 points during each of its last seven games, including 63 against both UW-Eau Claire (63-0) on Oct. 31 and UW-Stout (63-14). The Warhawks, who are outscoring their opponents by a combined 312-76 score during their seven-game winning streak, are the only WIAC team to ever score at least 60 points four times in one season.
The Warhawks lead the Division III by throwing just two interceptions all season. The UW-Whitewater offense also lists 20th nationally with 41.4 points per game and 42nd with 451 yards per contest.
UW-Whitewater ranks 11th in the nation with a .879 red- zone conversion rate, 13th in passing efficiency (169.19) and 16th in third-down efficiency (.479) while the Warhawks' +20 turnover margin is 12th best in the country.
Warhawks quarterback Chris Nelson has completed 153 of 222 passes for 2,211 yards and 18 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Nelson, who passed for 222 yards and one score last Saturday against Wheaton College, ranks fourth nationally in yards per pass attempts (9.96), sixth in passing efficiency (177.5) and eighth in completion percentage (.689).
Jordan Ratliffe, an All-WIAC first team selection, leads the UW-Whitewater backfield with 227 carries for 1,451 yards and 21 touchdowns. He has rushed for at least 159 yards in each of the last three games, including a career-best 217 against UW-Stout and 192 with three scores on 38 totes last Saturday against Wheaton College. Ratliffe's season rushing touchdown total is ninth highest in the nation while his rushing yardage ranks 14th.
Leading the Warhawk receivers are Marcus Hudson, Joe Worth and Tony Gumina.
Hudson, an All-WIAC first team performer this season, leads UW-Whitewater with 48 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns. His five grabs for 68 yards and one score against Wheaton College paced the Warhawks.
Worth has 40 catches for 544 yards and four touchdowns, while Gumina has 29 receptions for 362 yards and four scores. Worth recorded a team-leading 92 yards against Wheaton College.
The UW-Whitewater defense is eighth nationally by ceding just 11 points per game and 11th by yielding 88.3 rushing yards per contest. The Warhawks have registered 34 sacks, 20 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
All-WIAC first team honorees Justin Dischler, Brandon Tamsett and Ryan Winske headline the UW-Whitewater defensive unit.
Dischler is second on the squad with 69 tackles, Winske is third with 63, and Tamsett has 41 stops while anchoring the line. Winske and Vince Mason are tied for the team lead with five interceptions.
Paul Foster leads the Warhawks with 73 tackles and two fumble recoveries, while John Flood has a team-leading five sacks.
Lake Bachar, the All-WIAC first team punter, also splits the kicking duties for UW-Whitewater. He has connected on 4 of 9 field goals and 18 of 19 extra points while placing 20 of his 43 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line and averaging 35.5 yards per boot.
UW-Whitewater's Will Meyer has converted both of his field goal attempts and all 36 of his point-after tries, while Ben Franzen is 4 of 6 on field goals and 11 of 12 on extra points.
D3football.com has ranked UW-Whitewater in the top 10 for the last 33 polls. UW-Oshkosh has appeared in 41 of the last 56 national polls, including 22 times in the top 10.
The winner between UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater will meet the victor of top-ranked University of Mount Union (12-0) and 11th-ranked Wesley College (Del.) (11-1) in the semifinal round on Dec. 12.
In Saturday's other quarterfinal games, second-ranked Linfield College (Ore.) (11-0) hosts 13th-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) (11-1) and fourth-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (12-0) hosts seventh-ranked Wabash College (Ind.) (12-0).
Ticket prices for Saturday's game between UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (55 or older) and $6 for students (K-12 & College).
Fans can also follow the game on the Internet through Titan TV, WRST 90.3 FM, and via Live Stats.