Titans' Season Opener Is Battle Of Nationally Ranked Teams

UW-Oshkosh kicks off the 2016 football season at home against first-time opponent John Carroll University (Ohio) in a battle of nationally ranked teams on Saturday (Sept. 3). Kickoff for UW-Oshkosh's 122nd season opener is set for 1 p.m. at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

This year marks the first time UW-Oshkosh faces a ranked NCAA Division III opponent in a season opener since the Titans fell, 34-28, to seventh-ranked Central College (Iowa) to begin the 2010 campaign.

UW-Oshkosh (11-2 record in 2015), ranked sixth in the nation by D3football.com, is seeking a return to the NCAA Division III Championship for the second straight season and the third time in five years. The Titans were ousted in the quarterfinal round a year ago by UW-Whitewater after advancing to the semifinals in 2012.

Eighteenth-ranked John Carroll University (8-2) has reached the NCAA playoffs five times, including a semifinal appearance in 2002 and quarterfinal trips in 1997 and 2014. The Blue Streaks made their national tournament debut in 1989 and also bowed out in the first round in 2013.

UW-Oshkosh, picked to finish second to six-time national champion UW-Whitewater in the WIAC preseason poll, has won 40 of its last 49 games. John Carroll University, chosen to place second to 12-time national champion University of Mount Union in a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) preseason polls, owns a 28-6 record since 2013.

The Blue Streaks have appeared in 35 consecutive D3football.com polls while the Titans have been ranked in 40 of the last 49. UW-Oshkosh was ranked a school-best third for three weeks last season, and John Carroll University has ranked as high as fifth during the final 2014 listing. The Titans have been ranked among the top 10 Division III teams 24 times since 2012, including the last eight polls, while the Blue Streaks have made 19 top-10 appearances, including 17 in a row from 2014-15.

Last season, UW-Oshkosh secured its second unbeaten WIAC title in four seasons. The Titans, who are vying for a sixth consecutive winning season for the first time since 1920-25, also scored a school-record 550 points a year ago while tallying four shutouts for the first time since 1933.

The Titans finished 2015 among the top 20 Division III teams in several statistical categories, including third in red-zone defense (.538) and kickoff return average (26.63). UW-Oshkosh placed fourth in scoring defense (11.2), fifth in red-zone offense (.900) and defensive touchdowns (four), seventh in first downs gained (308), eighth in third-down conversion rate (.503) and 10th in fewest penalties per game (4.15).

UW-Oshkosh 10th-year head coach Pat Cerroni welcomes back 62 letter winners, including six starters on offense and eight on defense. Headlining the Titans' five returning All-WIAC first team players is quarterback Brett Kasper, the league's reigning Offensive Player of the Year. Also back for UW-Oshkosh are All-WIAC first team performers Dylan Hecker at running back, Johnny Eagan at defensive back, and linebackers Reese Dziedzic and Branden Lloyd.

Kasper ranked 10th in the country last year with a 167.7 passing efficiency rating, 14.69 yards per completion and 9.42 yards per attempt. He also listed 17th with 2,968 passing yards and 20th with 27 touchdown passes in 12 games played. Last season, Kasper threw for 448 yards and four touchdowns against UW-Platteville and tossed four more touchdowns against Ohio Northern University in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Hecker's 19 rushing touchdowns a year ago ranked 12th in the nation while his 963 rushing yards and 171 carries in 12 games played led the team. Last season, he tallied three rushing touchdowns against both UW-Stout and The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) in the NCAA playoff opener.

UW-Oshkosh backup running back Devon Linzenmeyer ended last season with 98 rushes for 765 yards with nine touchdowns. He rushed for 100 yards or more five times in 13 games played, including a season-best 130 and two scores on 10 carries in a losing effort against UW-Whitewater in the national quarterfinals.

Headlining UW-Oshkosh's returning receiving corps is Sam Mentkowski, who finished second on the team with 45 catches for 830 yards and seven scores a year ago. Mentkowski registered 209 receiving yards and two touchdowns against UW-Stout last season.

The Titans defense returns its top two tacklers from last season in Dziedzic and Lloyd. Dziedzic made 83 stops, including 7.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and recorded one interception. Lloyd registered 63 tackles, including a team-best 13 for loss and 5.5 sacks. Lloyd's blocked field goal attempt with less than two minutes to play sealed the Titans' 10-7 decision over UW-Whitewater last season. The victory snapped the Warhawks' longest active winning streak in all of college football at 36 games.

UW-Oshkosh returns all four starters in the defensive secondary as Eagan will be joined by cornerbacks AJ Plewa and Rajon Hall and safety Cameron Brown. Last season, Eagan paced the team with four interceptions while Brown, Hall and Plewa each had one. The quartet combined for 35 pass breakups, including a team-leading 10 by Plewa and nine apiece by Brown and Eagan. Cole Yoder also returns after recording three interceptions last season.

The Titans welcome back all of their kicking specialists. Placekicker Greg Rand ranked 17th nationally by making 76.9 percent (10-for-13) of his field goal attempts while connecting on 51 of 53 extra point tries. Punter Turner Geisthardt averaged 38.1 yards on 47 boots, including eight kicks inside the 20-yard line and a long of 59 yards.

John Carroll University thrived last season by controlling the line of scrimmage. The Blue Streaks led the nation by allowing just 0.40 sacks and three tackles for loss per game. On the defensive side, John Carroll University listed second in the country with 4.50 sacks per contest and ninth in passing yards allowed per game with 154.6.

John Carroll University lost Anthony Latina, the 2015 OAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, but return nine starters on offense and seven on defense from a team that tied for second in the OAC with a 7-2 record with Ohio Northern and Baldwin Wallace (Ohio) universities.

Blue Streaks fourth-year head coach Tom Arth welcomes back All-OAC first team selections Ray Brown on the defensive line, Jovon Dawson and Mike Hollins at defensive back, and Marshall Howell at wide receiver.

John Carroll University also returns three starters on the offensive line, including second-team All-OAC tackle Dominic DiTirro, who will help pave the way for All-OAC second team running back Ro Golphin.

Anthony Moeglin, who did not play as a freshman last season, is atop the Blue Streaks depth chart at quarterback.

Golphin led the team a year ago with 141 carries for 924 yards and 11 touchdowns while Howell had a team-best 60 receptions for 798 yards and 10 scores in nine games played. Howell's 33.1 yards per kickoff return listed second in the country, and Golphin's 6.55 yards per carry last year ranked 20th.

Defensively, John Carroll University had 20 players record sacks last season. Brown paced the squad with 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The Blue Streaks also return their second-leading tackler in defensive back Reese Armstrong, who notched 66 stops, including two sacks.

The Blue Streaks must replace its regular placekicker and punter from last season as Matt Danko, who tops the depth chart at both positions, missed his lone field goal try a year ago and did not attempt a punt.

John Carroll University, playing its first game against a WIAC opponent in the 97-year history of the program, has not lost a nonconference contest since 2011. In their previous four nonconference games – one each season – the Blue Streaks have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 151-6.

UW-Oshkosh scored its first victory against an OAC foe with its 42-7 thrashing of Ohio Northern University in last year's NCAA playoffs. The Titans' previous two matchups with OAC opponents resulted in defeats to the University of Mount Union by scores of 45-28 in 2010 and 41-17 in 2011. The University of Mount Union went on to fall to UW-Whitewater in the Division III championship game in both 2010 and 2011.