The Titans, hoping to finish their season at 4-5 overall, fell behind early and saw their season end at 3-6 overall, 2-5 in the WIAC.

Reggie Stauss passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, while Randy Borgardt added two touchdown passes for the Warhawks (2-5, 5-5).

Whitewater dominated every facet of the game, rolling up 446 total yards compared to the Titans' 131. Chad Wurth paced the Whitewater ground game with 127 yards on 33 carries. Reggie Stauss added 165 yards through the air on 13-of-21 passing.

The Warhawks started off fast, racing out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead thanks to three Oshkosh turnovers.

Steve Tenhagen caught the first of his two touchdown passes from Stauss just two minutes into the contest following a Warhawk interception.

The Titans fumbled on their next possession and Whitewater again cashed in on its chance when Wurth found the end zone from 2 yards out.

Another fumble led to Reggie Stauss' 1-yard TD run at the 5:49 mark of the first quarter.

Eric Stauss got into the scoring act early in the second quarter, hauling in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Reggie Stauss to put Whitewater up 28-0 at the half.

Tenhagen added a third-quarter touchdown reception, while Eric Stauss caught a fourth-quarter TD to close out the Titans.

Alan Beversdorf led the Oshkosh offense, completing 5-of-13 passes for just 57 yards. Former Oshkosh North standout Nick Wara didn't fare much better, completing 2-of-9 passes for 10 yards.

Matt Kimmler led the Titans' rushing attack with 35 yards on 12 carries, while Matt Kaufman added 31 yards on eight attempts.

In its last two home games, the UW-Oshkosh football team showed glimpses of excellence, beating UW-Stout and UW-Stevens Point in convincing fashion.

In its home finale Saturday (November 3) at Titan Stadium, UW-Oshkosh showed it is still too inconsistent to compete for the WIAC title, dropping a 38-17 decision to UW-River Falls. The loss dropped the Titans to 3-5 overall, 2-4 in the WIAC with one game to play, and with their shot at a winning season finished, they're playing for pride.

"It's about heart right now," said senior cornerback Willie Jude. "We're coming off two tough losses, we have to bounce back. It's about character."

Early on, UW-Oshkosh was unable to capitalize on a large number of UW-River Falls penalties, unable to establish a running game and unable to secure the football. In the second half, the Titans rallied, but were unable to stop the Falcons' running game.

"We were good in spurts," said Jude. "We were good, but we still didn't win, and that's the goal of the game."

UW-Oshkosh head coach Phil Meyer did not attempt to sugarcoat his team's lack of execution.

"With a team like this, you can't drop passes, you can't throw interceptions, you can't fumble," said Meyer. "This is the first game I can really say that turnovers really hurt us."

A UW-Oshkosh fumble set up the Falcons' first score. Midway through the first quarter, Titans senior quarterback Alan Beversdorf fumbled, and Nick Basham recovered for UW-River Falls on the UW-Oshkosh 17. Five plays later, Dustin Vogelgesang plunged in from 1 yard out.

UW-River Falls (3-5, 3-3) returned the favor, with Aaron Greisen fumbling Kris Johnson's punt. Senior free safety Mike Mabry recovered for UW-Oshkosh on the UW-River Falls 8, and Beversdorf hit junior split end Steve Wagner two plays later to tie the game.

On the ensuing drive, UW-Oshkosh stopped UW-River Falls on three plays, but punter Adam Bergdahl hit Neil Mantor for a 30-yard gain on a fake punt, and Rob Ohman capped the Falcons' drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

"We've been coming all year, I've been waiting for it to happen," said Meyer. "Sure enough, they hit it. That was a big point in the game."

Ohman scored on a 29-yard run to give River Falls a 21-7 halftime lead.

"It seems they were doing some things well, then (UW-River Falls) would pop a long one," said Meyer. "They gave up some long runs, and that's the thing against UW-River Falls, you can't give up that big run."

Bergdahl gave UW-River Falls a 24-7 lead in the third quarter with a 37-yard field goal, but missed two more attempts to leave the door open for UW-Oshkosh.

Beversdorf hit Wagner with a 7-yard touchdown pass, and senior placekicker David Gaulke made a 42-yard field goal to pull UW-Oshkosh within 24-17 with 8:06 to play.

The Titans defense held, and Oshkosh got the ball back with 4:04 left, but a five-play drive quickly fizzled, and the Titans turned the ball over on downs. After a 30-yard Taylor Hall run set up Ohman's 1-yard touchdown run, Matt Palas returned a Beversdorf interception 55 yards for the final score.

UW-Oshkosh was unable to generate a rushing game, compiling a deceiving 35 yards on 29 carries. Backup quarterback Nick Wara, a freshman, gained 31 yards on three quarterback keepers on the last three plays of the game.

UW-River Falls rushed for 358 yards, led by Ohman's 143 and Hall's 133.

Beversdorf was 26-of-48 passing for 258 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Wagner caught eight passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns, junior split end Jeremy James caught seven passes for 73 yards and senior pslit end Justin May caught six passes for 43 yards.

Junior free safety Nick Carlson led Oshkosh with 12 tackles, senior linebacker Lucas Jachthuber had 11, junior linebacker Justin Schneider had eight and sophomore linebacker Derick Bielmeier had seven.

The longest rivalry in WIAC history renewed Saturday (October 20) at Titan Stadium and the outcome found UW-Oshkosh surprising UW-Stevens Point by a 38-31 count for the second straight year. UW-Stevens Point (4-2) entered the contest tied for first place in the WIAC standings and ranked 30th in the NCAA Division III.

Last year, UW-Oshkosh defeated the defending WIAC champion Pointers on their home gridiron to snap a 16-game losing streak in the all-time series. The win on Saturday marked the first time that UW-Oshkosh had beaten UW-Stevens Point in consecutive years since the 1975-76 campaigns. The two neighboring combatants have met a WIAC-record 99 times, with UW-Stevens Point holding a 52-39-8 advantage in a series that began in 1896.

UW-Oshkosh (3-3) and UW-Stevens Point are now 2-2 in WIAC games and part of a six-way tie for second place in the league standings. UW-Eau Claire leads the conference race with a 3-1 record, while UW-Whitewater sits in last at 1-3. UW-Oshkosh returns to action next Saturday (October 27) by playing at UW-Platteville.

UW-Oshkosh, which defeated eighth-ranked and defending WIAC champion UW-Stout in its last game at Titan Stadium (October 6), led UW-Stevens Point 17-14 at halftime and took a 24-14 lead on a 73-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Matt Kimmler early in the third quarter. The Pointers rallied on an eight-yard touchdown run by running back Kurt Kielblock and a 42-yard field goal by Ricardo Vega to tie the game at 24-24 after three periods.

The Titans regained the lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alan Beversdorf to split end Shannon King with 12:15 remaining. The Pointers were driving with under five minutes remaining when running back Jason VanderVelden fumbled at the Titans' 35-yard line. UW-Oshkosh punted on its ensuing possession, but UW-Stevens Point was stopped on its next drive on a fourth-and-one play at the Titans' 46-yard line with 2:40 left. Three plays later, Beversdorf found King for a 48-yard touchdown pass to give the Titans a 38-24 lead with 2:20 remaining. The points were the first allowed by UW-Stevens Point in the final 12 minutes of any game this season.

UW-Stevens Point used just 59 seconds to cut its deficit, traveling 69 yards in three plays to pull within one touchdown. Quarterback Scott Krause hit Kielblock for a 46-yard pass to the 13-yard line and connected with split end Tony Romano for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left. Vega's onside kick attempt went out of bounds and the Titans ran out the clock for the victory.

Both teams had outstanding offensive efforts as the Pointers totaled 427 yards and the Titans 415, which is the most allowed by UW-Stevens Point in any game this season. Beversdorf completed 25 of 33 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns in his best performance of the season. He completed six passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns to King and 10 passes for 100 yards to split end Steve Wagner. Kimmler also added a career-high 141 yards rushing on 31 carries.

UW-Stevens Point was led by Krause, who completed 17 of 31 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 65 yards and two scores. VanderVelden rushed for 92 yards to lead the Pointers.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh was led by senior linebacker Lucas Jachthuber, junior free safety Nick Carlson and senior strong safety Keith Kamps. Jachthuber had eight solo tackles and four assists, Carlson seven solo tackles and one assist and Kamps six solo tackles and two assists.

The UW-Oshkosh football team did its part in making the school's homecoming festivities a success by defeating nationally-ranked and defending WIAC champion UW-Stout, 19-7, on Saturday (October 6) at Titan Stadium.

UW-Oshkosh's win over UW-Stout, the eighth-ranked team in the NCAA Division III, was the first for the Titans over a nationally-ranked opponent since they defeated 12th-ranked (NCAA Division III) UW-Whitewater, 21-3, in the 1987 regular season finale. UW-Stout's loss was the first in 13 regular season contests, including nine in WIAC play.

UW-Stout (3-1 overall & 1-1 in the WIAC) appeared to be on its way to victory in the opening seconds of the game. UW-Oshkosh received the opening kickoff and fumbled on its second offensive play, with the loose ball recovered by UW-Stout's Noah Mayer at the Titans' eight-yard line. Three plays later and just 1:34 into the contest, UW-Stout took the lead as quarterback Matt Lonergan connected with split end Julio Vargas on an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Following a UW-Stout punt, UW-Oshkosh went 59 yards in four plays to tie game, with the drive highlighted by senior quarterback Alan Beversdorf's 43-yard touchdown pass to senior split end Shannon King. The pass play was the longest allowed by the Blue Devils this season. UW-Oshkosh's only points in the second quarter came on a safety when a center snap by UW-Stout in punt formation sailed out of the end zone.

In the third quarter, a pair of UW-Stout fumbles resulted in UW-Oshkosh scores. After a fumble recovery by junior strong safety Nick Carlson, UW-Oshkosh went 55 yards in five plays as freshman running back Matt Kimmler capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. The gallop was the longest allowed by the Blue Devils this season. Freshman defensive tackle Adam Pearson set up UW-Oshkosh's second score of the period by recovering a fumble on the UW-Stout 17-yard line. Unable get a first down, UW-Oshkosh senior placekicker David Gaulke closed the game's scoring with a 36-yard field goal.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2 overall & 1-1 in the WIAC) won the game despite totaling only 188 yards of offense and nine first downs. The Titans gained 94 yards rushing against a UW-Stout defense that entered the contest leading the NCAA Division III by yielding an average of just 6.3 yards per game. Kimmler led all rushers with 98 yards in 32 carries, while Beversdorf completed six of 13 passes for 94 yards. UW-Oshkosh had one pass intercepted in the UW-Stout end zone and ended the contest with the ball on the Blue Devils' six-yard line.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh limited UW-Stout to 275 yards and 11 first downs. The telling story of the game was the ability of the UW-Oshkosh defense to force six turnovers (five fumbles and one interception) and end 11 of UW-Stout's 16 drives under 13 yards gained. Freshman linebacker Dan Mulqueen led the Titans' defensive effort with eight solo tackles, while senior defensive tackle Rick Lewandowski had six solo tackles, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery and Carlson had four solo tackles, one tackle for a loss and two fumble recoveries.

Wartburg, extending its win string to 20 games at home, rallied back after the Titans scored on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Alan Beversdorf to Steve Wagner early in the first quarter.

Junior quarterback Jake Olsen threw three touchdown passes, leading the comeback. He hit senior tight end Andy Hampton with a 35-yard strike and came back with a 50-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Dan Achenbach, each coming in the first stanza. His final strike went to sophomore running back Jerone Boggs in the closing minute of the third quarter.

Olsen finished the game 14 of 25 for 234 yards, a career single-game high, and three touchdowns. Achenbach was his leading receiver with five catches for 108 yards. Junior tailback Justin Beatty hit the century mark with 25 carries for 100 yards, leading a 148-yard rushing effort for the Knights.

UW-Oshkosh's offense was topped by Beversdorf's 16-for-32, 227-yard passing performance. Wagner was his top receiver with seven catches for 130 yards. Defensive back Keith Kamps led UW-Oshkosh in tackles with nine.

UW-Oshkosh, a 54-0 winner over NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Morris in the final game of the 2000 season, seeks to carry some of that momentum into head coach Phil Meyer's second year as head coach of the Titans. Meyer's first UW-Oshkosh squad posted a 3-7 overall record (1-6 in the WIAC) and uplifted the health of the football program due to its competitiveness, hard work and determined efforts of players and coaching staff.

UW-Oshkosh enters the 2001 season returning 41 lettermen, including 15 starters and both kicking specialists.

Offensively, UW-Oshkosh returns eight starters. Among them are senior offensive guard Allan Dreblow, who has started 19 games, senior offensive tackle Luke Venne and senior quarterback Alan Beversdorf, who have started 18 games, and senior split end Shannon King, who has started 15 games the past two years.

At quarterback, Beversdorf adds experience to the position after starting all 10 games last season. Beversdorf completed 165 of 327 passes for 2,211 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago, including 19 of 37 for a career-best 355 yards and three scores in a 38-31 win over defending WIAC champion UW-Stevens Point. In 1999, Beversdorf completed 134 of 266 passes for 1,638 yards and 10 touchdowns, including 331 yards and two scores against UW-Platteville and 321 yards and three scores against UW-River Falls. Also returning is junior Shawn Barth, who completed 7 of 10 passes last season for 66 yards and one touchdown

In the backfield, only two running backs that lettered return, junior Matt Kaufman and sophomore Anthony Renkas. Kaufman rushed for 282 yards and four touchdowns last season, while catching 6 passes for 128 yards and one score. In UW-Oshkosh's season-ending win over the University of Minnesota-Morris, Kaufman rushed for a career-best 103 yards and one touchdown. Renkas rushed for 10 yards in six attempts last year.

UW-Oshkosh's strength on offense could very well be at split end, where five of last year's top seven players at the position return. Looking for a big season after battling through injuries a year ago is King, a four-time NCAA Division III track and field champion. Last year, King caught 35 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns, including nine catches for 151 yards and one touchdown against UW-Eau Claire. In 1999, King received All-WIAC second team accolades after grabbing 58 passes for 939 yards and six touchdowns, including 12 catches for 191 yards against UW-River Falls. King is also one of the league's top kick returnees, receiving All-WIAC second team honors last season after averaging 29.5 yards per kick return. Among his return efforts last year was a 94-yard kickoff return against UW-Platteville.

Other split ends back to compete for playing time is senior Justin May and juniors Jeremy James, Willie Jude and Kris Johnson. Last year, May caught 24 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, while James caught 20 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, Jude four passes for 54 yards and Johnson three passes for 38 yards and one touchdown. James had seven catches for 64 yards against UW-Stout and caught the game-winning 44-yard touchdown pass with 3:37 left in the game to help defeat UW-Stevens Point a year ago. Also returning at split end is junior Paul Zelewski and sophomore Nic Sydorowicz. At tight end, sophomore Chad Lindsley returns after starting all 10 games last season. In 2000, Lindsley caught 11 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown.

In the offensive line, UW-Oshkosh returns starters at left tackle in Venne, left guard in senior Matt Duster, center in sophomore Mike Gaynor and right tackle in Dreblow. Venne was an All-WIAC second team selection a year ago. Other top returnees in the offensive trenches are sophomore Troy Holzhueter, who missed all of last season due to an injury after starting 10 games at right tackle in 1999, and sophomore tackle Lucas Koenecke.

Defensively, seven starters return for the Titans. Expected to spirit the corps is linebacker Lucas Jachthuber, free safety Keith Kamps and defensive tackle Rick Lewandowski, seniors who have started all 20 games the past two seasons. Kamps and Lewandowski each received All-WIAC second team accolades a year ago.

Up front, all three starters return in senior Brendan Burns, sophomore Dustin Drexel and Lewandowski. Lewandowski compiled 53 tackles last year with 11 for a loss and three quarterback sacks. In 1999, Lewandowski also gained All-WIAC second team honors after totaling 46 tackles with 11 tackles for a loss and six quarterback sacks. Burns had 25 tackles with six for a loss and Drexel 23 tackles with four for a loss a year ago. Other top defensive linemen back for the Titans are junior Aaron Johnson, sophomore Andy Matter, junior Dan Phelps, senior Jeff Schilling and sophomore Brian Scott. Scott had 18 tackles with three for a loss during last year.

UW-Oshkosh's group at linebacker also returns with experience, headed by Jachthuber, who registered 62 tackles last season with 10 for a loss. Another starter returning is junior Justin Schneider, who compiled 13 tackles. Other veterans returning at linebacker are sophomore Derick Bielmeier, sophomore Ed Healy, junior Ryan Lemke and sophomore Ben Schmalz. All but Bielmeier, who missed all of last season with an injury, started at least one game for the Titans a year ago.

In the secondary, Kamps returns to headline a contingent after recording a banner 2000 season. En route to last year's all-league mention, Kamps compiled 63 tackles and a team-high six pass interceptions. Another starter returning in the secondary is junior Don Ryan, who totaled 18 tackles and had three pass interceptions last season. Other returnees back to contend for playing time are junior Philip Bradfield, sophomore Zachary Harrod, senior Mike Mabry, sophomore Noah Paquin, sophomore Jon Thomas and junior John Zamiatowski. Zamiatowski, had seven starts last season and made five in 1999, while Paquin got the starting nod five times last year.

Returning to handle the kicking chores is senior place-kicker David Gaulke and punter Kris Johnson. Gaulke, an All-WIAC second team selection in 1999, has made 21 of 34 field goal and 64 of 72 extra point attempts during his UW-Oshkosh career. Last year, he converted four of his 10 field goal and 22 of his 24 extra point tries. Johnson averaged 35.2 yards on 53 punts last season.

Among the freshmen looking to contribute this fall are offensive tackle Pat Hughes of Oshkosh North, defensive end Justin Hoerning of Green Bay Notre Dame, running back Matt Kimmler of Sheboygan Falls, linebacker Dan Mulqueen of Milwaukee Marquette, defensive tackle Josh Walsh of Sheboygan Falls and quarterback Nick Wara of Oshkosh North high schools. All six players participated in the Wisconsin High School All-Star Football Game in July, with Hughes, Kimmler and Wara selected for the contest after receiving all-state second team accolades last fall. In addition, Hughes, Kimmler, Walsh and Wara helped guide their respective high schools to state championship football honors last fall.

UW-Oshkosh ushers in its 107th football season on September 1 by traveling to Waverly, Iowa, for a 7 p.m. contest against first-time opponent Wartburg College. The Knights, 28-3 over the last three years, are ranked nationally in several pre-season polls, including 12th by Lindy's National College Football Magazine and 16th by D3football.com. Wartburg College, which opens a new stadium on the night it hosts UW-Oshkosh, went 9-1 last season and returns eight starters from a defense that allowed an average of just 13.6 points per game. The Knights are members of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC), a league it last won in 1999. Since dropping a 12-6 decision to NCAA Division I-AA Valparaiso University (Ind.) in 1980, UW-Oshkosh has won 20 consecutive season openers.

UW-Oshkosh returns to the Hawkeye State on September 8 by touring to Indianola for a 1:30 p.m. debate with first-time opponent and IIAC member Simpson College. The Storm has gone 41-13 over the past five years, including IIAC championships in 1996 and 1997. Simpson College went 6-4 last year, including a 30-24 loss to Wartburg College. Since 1983, UW-Oshkosh has fashioned a 13-4-1 record in its second game of the season.

The Titans close their challenging stretch of road games on September 15 when they voyage to UW-Stevens Point for a 7 p.m. non-conference squabble. The Pointers, who claimed a share of WIAC championships in 1998 and 1999, may well be plotting revenge after falling to the Titans (38-31) for the first time since 1983 a year ago. UW-Stevens Point was 2-8 last season after going 16-4 the previous two years.

Following a weekend off, the first of seven consecutive WIAC games for UW-Oshkosh begins September 29 when the Titans host UW-Eau Claire in a 7 p.m. contest. The game marks the latest that UW-Oshkosh has opened its home schedule in school history. UW-Eau Claire went 6-4 last year after claiming a share of the WIAC crown in 1998. UW-Oshkosh's home opener has been designated Titan Community Night, a Titan Booster Club fund-raising event now in its 20th year.

UW-Oshkosh's Homecoming opponent on October 6 is defending WIAC champion UW-Stout. The Blue Devils, 10-1 a year ago, were last matched as UW-Oshkosh's Homecoming opponent in 1997. Kickoff for UW-Oshkosh's Homecoming contest is set for 1:30 p.m.

UW-Oshkosh's remaining home games are October 20 against UW-Stevens Point and November 3 against UW-River Falls, both 1 p.m. starts. When the Titans host UW-Stevens Point in late October it will mark the first time that the two combatants have met twice in the same season since 1931. Last year, UW-Oshkosh played UW-River Falls twice.

Besides the three road games to open the season, UW-Oshkosh also travels to UW-La Crosse on October 13, UW-Platteville on October 27 and UW-Whitewater on November 10, all 1 p.m. starts. UW-Oshkosh plays UW-Whitewater in the season finale for the first time in seven years after the two teams played regularly in the season-ending contest from 1966 to 1994.

Each UW-Oshkosh football game can be heard locally on radio stations WOSH (1490 AM) and WRST (90.3 FM).