Titans, Division II Wildcats Meet For First Time Since 1953
The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh football team faces a stern test when it travels to play NCAA Division II member Northern Michigan University on Saturday (Sept. 11). Kickoff for the 25th meeting between the teams is set for noon (CDT) at the Superior Dome in Marquette, Mich.
UW-Oshkosh (1-0), ranked 11th in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, and Northern Michigan University (1-0) last met in 1953. The Titans own a 14-9-1 record in the series with Northern Michigan University that began in 1923. UW-Oshkosh won the first six matchups by a combined 78-3 score as the teams played yearly between 1923-42 and continued the rivalry in 1946, 1947, 1952 and 1953. The Wildcats won their 1953 matchup with UW-Oshkosh, 36-24, in Marquette.
The Titans will be playing an NCAA Division II program for the third time in four years. UW-Oshkosh split a pair of close road contests against Division II opponents during the 2018 campaign, downing Lincoln University of Missouri by a 17-7 score and falling to Davenport University (Mich.), 7-3.
UW-Oshkosh and Northern Michigan University both won its season debut as the Titans slipped past Huntingdon College, 28-24, in Alabama and the Wildcats pulled out a 27-20 victory at McKendree University in Illinois last Saturday (Sept. 4).
The Titans made their lone lead of the game hold up during the opener, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard run by Mitch Gerhartz with just under six minutes left in the game. The UW-Oshkosh defense forced a punt on the following Huntingdon College possession, and the Titans ran the final 4:49 off the clock to secure the win. The Hawks, who went 3-1 during an abbreviated spring season, advanced to the second round of the 2019 Division III Championship while UW-Oshkosh played for the first time since falling in the first round of the 2019 national tournament.
Northern Michigan University never trailed during its season opener at McKendree University, building leads of 7-0 after the first quarter and 13-0 at halftime before reclaiming a 27-20 advantage with 6:20 remaining in the game on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Drake Davis to Tyquan Cox.
UW-Oshkosh was outgained, 404-377, at Huntingdon College but committed just one penalty en route to the win. The Titans, who held a slim 31:29 to 28:31 edge in time of possession, rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries and passed for 187 yards on 23 attempts. The UW-Oshkosh defense registered three sacks and one interception, yielding 217 yards and one touchdown on the ground and 187 yards and two scores through the air.
Northern Michigan University outgained McKendree University, 419-205, but committed the game's lone turnover via a fumble, committed seven penalties and allowed four sacks. The Wildcats gained 240 yards rushing with two touchdowns on 39 carries and 179 yards with two scores on 18 attempts through the air. Northern Michigan University surrendered a mere 103 yards and one touchdown on the ground on 34 rushes while allowing 102 passing yards and one score on 23 attempts.
UW-Oshkosh quarterback Kobe Berghammer went 11-for-23 passing during the program's 126th season opener with two interceptions. He also rushed for 27 yards and one touchdown on nine totes.
Gerhartz paced a balanced Titans rushing attack, gaining 67 yards on 11 carries to go along with two touchdowns. Peter MacCudden and Mac Winkler added 54 and 25 yards, respectively, on the ground.
Tony Steger and Trae Tetzlaff led the UW-Oshkosh receiving corps with three receptions apiece while Stephan Flores and Justin Kasuboski both chipped in two catches. Steger had a team-leading 81 receiving yards to average 27 yards per catch.
Carson Raddatz, who snared an interception and earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and CJ Sykes made a team-leading six tackles apiece for the UW-Oshkosh defense, which also received five stop each from Brandon Kolgen, Kyle Scharenbroch, Bryce Edwards, Nick Noethe and Brody Milz.
Kolgen, Tyler Staerkel and Tory Jandrin accounted for the Titans' three sacks in Alabama.
UW-Oshkosh placekicker Jaydon Haag made all four extra points but missed his first career field goal – from 25 yards – after connecting on all 12 field goals in 2019 and entering 2021 as a D3football.com Preseason All-American. Haag also averaged 36 yards on seven punts during the season opener.
Jaylen Grant, the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week, played a pivotal role in the win at Huntingdon College, returning a kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown and setting up UW-Oshkosh's first score with a 59-yard kickoff return. Grant averaged 46.5 yards on four kickoff returns, setting a program record with 186 yards, including the 93-yarder that ranks as the fourth longest in school history.
The Northern Michigan University offense was led by Davis at quarterback and running back Tyshon King last Saturday. Davis was 11 of 18 passing for 179 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. King rushed 17 times for 158 yards and a score.
Eight different Wildcats caught passes in the season opener, including Wyatt Smith with a team-high three grabs for 39 yards. Yale Van Dyne hauled in two receptions for 91 yards, scoring on a 16-yard strike for a 20-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. Cox's decisive touchdown with 6:20 to play came on his lone reception of the game.
Andre Whitley and Brady Hanson made a team-best seven tackles apiece last Saturday while Will Borchert and John McMullen both added five stops apiece for a Wildcats squad that did not force a turnover. McMullen had 1.5 sacks among his two tackles for loss, and Zach Keen and Rashad Harris both added sacks of their own.
On special teams Wildcats placekicker Daniel Riser missed both of his field goal attempts and made three of four extra points. Riser, who doubles as the Northern Michigan University punter, averaged 38 yards on three boots in the opener.
Northern Michigan University, the 1975 Division II champion, lost nine straight games to finish 1-9 after winning the 2019 home opener, 30-9, over McKendree University. The Wildcats, like the Titans, did not play in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
UW-Oshkosh, the reigning WIAC co-champion, is seeking to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2017.