Titans Close Out Regular Season Against Visiting Falcons

The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh football team will seek to hinder one of the most prolific offenses in the country when the Titans host UW-River Falls on Saturday (Nov. 13). The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference finale begins at 1 p.m. at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

UW-Oshkosh (6-2, 4-2 WIAC), ranked 19th in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, has won 14 consecutive meetings with UW-River Falls. The Titans boast a 29-1 record during their last 30 regular season home games.

UW-River Falls (7-2, 4-2 WIAC) ranks second nationally in first downs and fifth in yards per game while also leading the conference in scoring and rushing yards per contest as the Falcons pursue their first win over UW-Oshkosh since a 13-10 overtime decision Oct. 1, 2005, in Oshkosh.

Despite its current losing streak against the Titans, UW-River Falls owns a 34-29-1 record in a series that commenced in 1920. UW-Oshkosh, the reigning WIAC Co-champion, defeated UW-River Falls by a 41-20 score during their most recent matchup Nov. 9, 2019.

UW-Oshkosh enters Saturday on a three-game winning streak, outscoring league rivals UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-Stevens Point by a combined 146-84 score over the past three weekends, including a 49-17 rout at home against UW-Stevens Point last Saturday (Nov. 6). The Titans have scored at least 43 points each of the past three games.

UW-River Falls, which has scored more than 40 points on five occasions this season, has won its past two games, defeating UW-Platteville, 31-28, on Oct. 30 and UW-Stout by a 57-35 score last Saturday. The Falcons have not been held to fewer than 23 points the entire year.

UW-Oshkosh's four turnovers lost rank second in the nation while its two interceptions thrown and 2.57 tackles for loss allowed per game both rank third in the country. The Titans also lead the WIAC with 4.29 penalties per contest and a .519 conversion rate on third downs, but UW-River Falls counters with a defense that paces the league by limiting opponents to a .285 success rate on third downs.

UW-River Falls, which has picked up 251 first downs on the year, averages 44.6 points and 530.9 yards per game, including 241.9 on the ground, while also leading the WIAC with 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.56 sacks per contest.

UW-Oshkosh quarterback Kobe Berghammer has completed 121 of 199 passes for 1,609 yards with 19 touchdowns and three interceptions. Berghammer has also rushed 61 times for a team leading 416 yards and another five scores.

The Titans rushing attack, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 201.4 yards per game, features five ballcarriers who have scored touchdowns. Peter MacCudden has a team high 62 rushes for 390 yards and one touchdown. Mitch Gerhartz follows with 58 carries for 331 yards and a team best six scores while Mac Winkler has 46 totes for 250 yards and four touchdowns.

Six different Titans have caught receiving touchdowns, including Tony Steger with a team high five. Trae Tetzlaff and Justin Kasuboski have hauled in four scoring passes apiece while MacCudden, Stephan Flores and Steven Makinen have each recorded a pair of touchdown grabs. Steger, averaging a WIAC best 21.1 yards per reception, paces the squad with 24 catches for 506 yards. Tetzlaff has 23 grabs for 348 yards, Kasuboski 22 receptions for 225 yards and Flores 13 catches for 212 yards.

Carson Raddatz and Brandon Kolgen spearhead a UW-Oshkosh defense that has allowed 26.5 points and 355.5 yards per game. Raddatz has made a team high 74 tackles and has one of the unit's five interceptions. Kolgen has collected 11.5 tackles for loss, including a WIAC best 6.5 sacks, among his 30 total stops this season.

Kyle Scharenbroch and Tory Jandrin have both added 48 tackles for a UW-Oshkosh defense that has also received 2.5 sacks from Jandrin, two sacks from Nick Noethe, and one interception each from Kollyn Beyer, Jared Saad, Eli Tranel and CJ Sykes.

UW-Oshkosh placekicker and punter Jaydon Haag has gone 0-for-5 on field goals and 30 of 32 on extra points while averaging 34.9 yards per punt. Jaylen Grant leads the WIAC and ranks 11th nationally by averaging 28.5 yards on kickoff returns.

UW-River Falls dual threat quarterback Kole Hinrichsen has gone 217 of 331 passing on the year for 2,293 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Hinrichsen also has rushed 134 times for 431 yards and an additional eight scores.

Luke Fugate leads the Falcons offensive backfield, gaining 986 yards with 11 touchdowns on 134 carries. Fugate, whose 7.4 yards per carry tops the WIAC, has 23 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns. UW-River Falls running backs Anthony Silva and Kaleb Blaha have combined for 82 rushes for 456 yards and five scores.

The Falcon's aerial attack includes seven players with at least 21 receptions this year, including Andy Groebner with 33 grabs for 499 yards and a WIAC co-leading 10 touchdowns. Jager Reissmann has a team high 38 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns for a deep UW-River Falls receiving corps that has also received at least 21 grabs from Ben Beise (29), AJ Morrison (23), Brady Agrimson (21), and Alex Traxler (21).

The UW-River Falls defense, yielding 26.6 points and 337.1 yards per game, has 13 players who have made between 22 and 36 tackles this year as Dylan Brown, Ben Ertz and Bailey Germain have each made a team high 36 stops.

The Falcons have notched 74.5 tackles for loss, including 23 sacks, while snaring 11 interceptions and recovering a pair of fumbles. Andy Metcalf's three interceptions and Ted Androli's 12 tackles for loss and five sacks lead UW-River Falls.

On special teams UW-River Falls placekicker Cade Henry has made 4 of 5 field goals, including a long of 33 yards, and 50 of 54 extra points. Falcons punter Bobby Patterson is averaging 36.9 yards per boot.

The winner of Saturday's contest between UW-Oshkosh and UW-River Falls could determine the WIAC representative at the inaugural Isthmus Bowl in Verona on Nov. 20. The Isthmus Bowl will feature the top team not selected to play in the NCAA Division III Championship from both the WIAC and College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.