Ranked Titans, Falcons To Clash Saturday

RIVER FALLS, Wis.–UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-River Falls for a clash of nationally ranked Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football teams Saturday (Oct. 8). The opening kick is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Smith Stadium at Ramer Field.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by Dfootball.com, and 17th-ranked UW-River Falls enter the 66th meetings between the teams with identical 3-1 overall records and 1-0 marks in league play. The Titans are 14th and UW-River Falls 17th in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll.

The Titans are seeking to avenge a 28-21 home setback to UW-River Falls last season that snapped a string of 14 consecutive UW-Oshkosh victories in the series. Despite losing to UW-Oshkosh in 14 of their past 15 matchups, UW-River Falls owns a 35-29-1 record in the series that began in 1920.

UW-Oshkosh won its league opener, 46-7, over visiting UW-Platteville last Saturday (Oct. 1). The Titans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and held a 43-0 lead entering the fourth quarter. Quarterback Kobe Berghammer played a role in each of UW-Oshkosh's six touchdowns, throwing for four scores, rushing for one touchdown and catching another. Tony Steger, who also tossed a touchdown pass, and Trae Tetzlaff were both on the receiving end of a pair of Berghammer's passing scores.

UW-River Falls similarly cruised at home in its WIAC opener, downing UW-Stevens Point, 56-3, as quarterback Kaleb Blaha threw three touchdown passes and ran for another two scores.

The Titans' lone blemish this season was a 13-10 setback at Division II member Northern Michigan University on Sept. 10. UW-River Falls' only loss also came on Sept. 10 in a 37-34 decision at Division III fourth-ranked Saint John's University (Minn.). During its three victories this season, UW-Oshkosh has outscored opponents, 139-37. UW-River Falls outscored opponents, 182-30, during its three wins.

UW-Oshkosh is averaging 37.3 points and 390.3 yards per game while yielding 12.5 points and 304.8 yards per contest. The Titans pace the conference in scoring defense, passing efficiency rating, turnovers lost, fumbles lost, interceptions thrown, sacks allowed, fumble recoveries and red zone defense.

UW-River Falls counters with an offense averaging 54 points and 570.3 yards per game and a defense ceding 16.8 points and 224.3 yards per contest. The Falcons lead the WIAC in per game scoring (fifth in Division III), scrimmage yards (fifth), passing yards, rushing yards (ninth), first downs (10th), turnovers gained, turnover margin, scrimmage yards allowed, rushing yards allowed (second), tackles for loss (second), interceptions, fumble recoveries (tied with UW-Oshkosh), sacks, passing efficiency defense, and first downs allowed.

Berghammer is the conference leader in both passing and rushing touchdowns, scoring, points responsible for, and yards per completion, throwing for 1,011 yards and 11 scores on the year while rushing for 149 yards and six touchdowns.

Steger has a team-leading 23 catches for 249 yards and four touchdowns. Tetzlaff has hauled in 13 receptions for 313 yards and three scores for the Titans, who have also received touchdown grabs from Berghammer, Terrell Carey, Jimmy Duval, Dan Fynaardt, Nate Smith and DJ Stewart.

The UW-Oshkosh offensive backfield features the trio of Smith, Stewart and Peter MacCudden, who have each carried the ball at least 11 times this season. MacCudden has rushed 34 times for 147 yards while Stewart, who has added a rushing score, and Smith are averaging 5.2 and 5.1 yards per tote, respectively.

Twelve different Titans have contributed at least 10 tackles this season, including Tory Jandrin with 35, Carson Raddatz 22, Bryce Edwards 21, Kyle Scharenbroch 17 and Brandon Kolgen 16. Jandrin is the league leader in tackles per game. Kolgen, who has notched a team-best seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, paces the conference in tackles for loss per contest.

Mitchell Borkovec, Brody Milz, Caleb Noening and Jared Tenpas have each snared interceptions for the Titans. Jandrin, Jared Saad and Jack Satori all have recovered fumbles.

On special teams, Titans kicker Nolan Mobley, the WIAC leader in field goal percentage, is 3-for-6 on field goals and 15 of 16 on extra points. Punter Myles Laurent is averaging 42.2 yards per boot.

UW-River Falls' Blaha, who paces the WIAC at 305.8 yards per game, has thrown for 853 yards and a WIAC co-leading 11 touchdowns while running for a team-best 385 yards and five scores.

Blaha's top receiving targets are Luke Kush with 19 receptions for 195 yards and four touchdowns, and Mason Van Zeeland with 14 catches for 274 yards and four scores. Aaron Childers and Michael Krueger have chipped in two touchdown grabs apiece for the Falcons. Krueger and TJ Little have combined to rush for 353 yards and five touchdowns. Krueger has five rushing touchdowns and is tied atop the conference by scoring 10.5 points per contest.

The Falcons have gotten sack from 11 different players as Carson Steen leads the squad with 2.5. Caleb Johnson and Aaron Borgerding are the top UW-River Falls tacklers with 24 and 21, respectively. Andrew Schumacher, the conference leader in pass breakups, and Michael Brown have accounted for two of the Falcons' nine interceptions.

The UW-River Falls special teams includes kicker Cade Henry, who has made the squad's lone field goal attempt and 5 of 11 extra points; kicker Justin Scheberl, who is 18-for-18 on extra points; and punter Crede Timm, averaging 35.2 yards per kick.

UW-Oshkosh has not lost consecutive games in the series with UW-River Falls since the 2006 and 2007 campaigns.