The NCAA Division III recently released its final statistical rankings for football. Included in the listings were several mentions of UW-Oshkosh and its student-athletes.

UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) led the nation in both field goals (19) and field goals per game (1.9) while ranking 33rd in scoring (8.7 points per game). Tom Roszak (So. • Greenfield) ranked 11th in punting (40.0 yards per punt), Nick Kilton (Jr. • Waukesha) 40th in kickoff returns (23.5 yards per return) and Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) 44th in total offense (225.4 yards per game).

As a football team, UW-Oshkosh ranked third in net punting (36.9 yards), ninth in turnover margin (+1.5), 23rd in kickoff returns (21.69 yards per return), 48th in rushing offense (197.0 yards per game), 48th in scoring offense (31.1 points per game), 52nd in pass efficiency defense (100.7 rating), 72nd in total offense (380.2 yards per game) and 73rd in total defense (312.1 yards per game).

The UW-Eau Claire football team totaled 404 yards of offense in a 31-19 victory over UW-Oshkosh in the season finale on Saturday (Nov. 13) in Eau Claire. The Blugolds end the season with a 7-3 record (4-3 WIAC), while the Titans wind up with a 5-5 record (2-5 WIAC), their first non-losing football season since 1995.

UW-Eau Claire started out quick, holding UW-Oshkosh to a three-and-out and then scoring on the Blugolds first possession of the game. Nels Fredrickson connected on passes of 21 and 24 yards before hitting Matt Evensen for a nine-yard touchdown strike and a 7-0 lead.

After a turnover on downs by the Titans, the Blugolds appeared to be heading in for another score until Jacob Malzahn (Jr. • Kenosha) recovered a UW-Eau Claire fumble and returned it 82 yards for a game-tying touchdown. The Blugolds regained the lead early in the second quarter on a one-play scoring drive. After a Titan punt, Fredrickson hit Tony Hull on a short crossing pattern but the speedster got the corner and ran it in the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown reception and a 14-7 Blugold advantage.

UW-Oshkosh stayed in the game behind the leg of plaeckicker Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville), who hit a pair of field goals in the second quarter to make the score 14-13 late in the half. The field goals came from 43 and 23 yards, giving the kicker 19 successful attempts on the season, extending his WIAC record. He finished the season with the second most field goals in a season in NCAA Division III history.

Raschke’s 23-yarder came with just 1:04 left in the half and it appeared that the Blugolds were content with a lead as they came out with two consecutive rushing plays. A 15-yard UW-Oshkosh penalty put the Blugolds in scoring range and Fredrickson completed passes of eight and 18 yards to Hull. With six seconds left, UW-Eau Claire lined up for a field goal but holder Jesse Kryzanowski took the ball and threw a deep pass to Don Kahl for a 26-yard touchdown pass and a 20-13 lead with one second left in half.

The Blugolds extended the lead with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter when Eddy Kaiser plunged in from two yards out. The touchdown was set up by a 36-yard pass from Fredrickson to Darin Kryzanowski. The point-after was good for a 28-13 lead.

Neither team added to its’ point total until just 3:21 remained in the game, when Andy Schneider kicked a 21-yard field goal to give UW-Eau Claire a 31-13 lead. UW-Oshkosh quartrback Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) threw a nine-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the game to finish the scoring a 31-19.

Fredrickson led the way for the Blugolds, finishing the game 23-of-37 for 305 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He finishes his career third on the all-time UW-Eau Claire passing yards list. Darin Kryzanowski led all receivers with six catches for 90 yards while Hull finished with four receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Joe Gast finished the game with just 34 rushing yards, but finishes the year with a team-best 915 yards. He has now led the Blugolds in rushing the last three straight seasons.

Wara finished 23-of-50 for 224 yards and one touchdown.

Justin Jacobs scored on a one-yard touchdown run in overtime as the UW-Whitewater football team kept their WIAC title aspirations alive by defeating upset-minded UW-Oshkosh, 22-16, on Saturday (Nov. 6) at Titan Stadium.

UW-Whitewater's victory moved the Warhawks (7-2) into a three-way tie for the WIAC lead with UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point, all with 4-2 league records. Next Saturday (Nov. 13), the WIAC concludes its 2004 schedule with four games, including UW-La Crosse (5-3) at UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point (6-3) at UW-River Falls (2-7). The season also finishes for UW-Oshkosh (5-4/2-4 WIAC) as the Titans travel to UW-Eau Claire (6-3/3-3 WIAC).

UW-Oshkosh had the first possession of the football in overtime, but the Titans fumbled the pigskin on their first offensive play and had it recovered by the Warhawks' A.J. Raebel. UW-Whitewater, ranked 18th in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, took advantage of UW-Oshkosh's mishap on the ensuing possession as Jacobs finished a six-play, 25-yard scoring drive with his one-yard touchdown plunge.

UW-Oshkosh forced the extra session by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to create a 16-16 tie. The Titans cut their deficit to 16-9 on a Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) 30-yard field goal with 7:20 to play and then evened the score on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) to Chris Kirch (So. • Lake Geneva) and an extra point by Raschke with 2:44 remaining. Following a stop of UW-Whitewater, the fourth quarter ended with Wara throwing an incomplete pass to end zone on a play that began at the Warhawks' 38-yard line.

Defense dominated the flow of play through three quarters as UW-Whitewater forced nine punts and yielded just 155 yards of offense, including only 18 in the air, while UW-Oshkosh forced seven punts and allowed just 247 yards of offense, including only 64 on the ground.

Both teams scored three points in the first period as Raschke and UW-Whitewater's Michael Chaulk booted field goals. Raschke gave the Titans a 3-0 lead on his 32-yard kick at the 12:41 mark of the period, while Chaulk tied the contest with his 28-yard kick at the 2:18 mark of the frame. Raschke's field goal, his 15th of the year, established a WIAC single-season record.

UW-Whitewater took a 10-3 lead at the 13:33 mark of the second quarter as Jim Lesczynski scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jacobs and Chaulk kicked the extra point. UW-Oshkosh made the score 10-6 on the next possession as Raschke made a career-best 44-yard field goal at the 10:13 mark of the period. Raschke's field goal was his NCAA Division III-leading 17th of the season.

UW-Whitewater increased its advantage to 16-6 when Keiya Square scored on a one-yard touchdown run at the 8:52 mark of the third quarter. The Titans kept their deficit at 10 points as Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg) blocked Chaulk's kick of the extra point. The remainder of the third quarter resulted in little offense as both teams punted three times each.

UW-Whitewater finished the game with 297 yards of offense, including 224 in the air. Jacobs completed 19 of 37 passes for 205 yards, with Lesczynski catching 10 of his aerials for 129 yards. Colin Burns, who entered the contest averaging a WIAC-leading 158.6 yards per game, was held to a season-low 69 yards on 26 carries by the Titans.

UW-Oshkosh totaled 267 yards of offense, but 155 of them came in the fourth quarter when it rallied to send the game to overtime. Wara completed 14 of 32 passes for 132 yards and gained another 25 yards on the ground in 23 carries. Kirch led the Titans in two statistical categories as he rushed 13 times for 67 yards and caught five passes for 51.

Robb Widuch had 17 tackles, including two for a loss, to lead the Warhawks, while Nick Zolper added 13. The Warhawks also received 10 tackles, including three quarterback sacks, and two forced fumbles from Jason Boehlke.

UW-Oshkosh's defensive effort was led by Craig Korth (Sr. • Menasha) and Dan Mulqueen (Sr. • Milwaukee). Korth registered 10 tackles, including two for a loss, while Mulqueen compiled eight tackles, including four for a loss.

The UW-River Falls football team lost a 28-25 decision to UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Oct. 30) in River Falls.

After trailing all of the game, the Falcons grabbed a 25-21 lead with 6:49 to play. But UW-Oshkosh took the ensuing kick off and drove 81 yards in eight plays to get the go-ahead touchdown to get the win.

The Falcons trailed 12-3 at the half. UW-Oshkosh opened the scoring at 9:34 of the first quarter when running back Aaron Chaltry (Sr. • Peshtigo) scored on a one-yard run. The point after kick failed. The Falcons got to within 6-3 with 1:34 to play in the half when Spasimir Bodurski kicked a 41-yards field goal. But UW-Oshkosh took the kick off and drove 78 yards in eight plays to score. Wide receiver Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg) caught a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) for the score. The Titans took just 1:09 off the clock. The extra point kick attempt was blocked.

The Falcons got to within 12-10 at 11:40 of the third quarter. Nathan Anderson scored the touchdown on a 15-yards run. UW-River Falls drove 78 yards in eight plays and took 3:13 off the clock. UW-Oshkosh responded with a 15 play, 65 yards drive that took 4:58. Wara scored on a four-yard run and once again the UW-Oshkosh point after kick attempt was blocked, giving the Titans an 18-10 lead with 6:36 to play in the third quarter.

The Falcons responded by scoring the next time they had the ball. John Peterlik raced 50 yards to score and finished a five play, 85-yard drive that took just 2:16. Peterlik ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game, 18-18, with 4:14 to play in the third quarter.

With 12:17 to play in the game, UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke kicked a 25-yard field goal to give the Titans a 21-18 lead. The field goal capped a 19 play, 69-yard drive that took 6:52 off the clock. The Falcons took back the lead with 6:49 to play in the game when Peterlik scored his second rushing TD of the game on a one-yard run. With the point after the Falcons led 25-21. That drive took 11 plays and went 61 yards in 5:21.

That set up the winning UW-Oshkosh drive and touchdown by Wara.

Peterlik finished with 175 rushing yards and quarterback Dave Affeldt rushed for 113 yards on 23 carries. The Falcons did not attempt a pass in the game. Four Falcon defenders finished with 11 or more tackles - Dan Buker had 15, Nate Gray 14, Matt Farmer 12 and Ben Gillett 11. Bruce Baillargeon intercepted a pass and Dylan Dabrowski recovered a fumble.

Wara led UW-Oshkosh with 144 rushing yards. He was 14-21 passing for 147 yards and one TD. Patek made four catches for 26 yards. Defensive back Bryan Kent (Fr. • Pewaukee) made 11 tackles to lead the Titans and Dan Mulqueen (Sr. • Milwaukee) made 10 stops. Ryan Neff recovered two fumbles and had one tackle for loss.

In a football contest that featured one big performance after another, it was UW-Stevens Point’s Chase Kostichka who had the game-ending play in the Pointers' 22-16 overtime victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Oct. 23) in Stevens Point.

UW-Stevens Point scored on the first possession of overtime when Brett Borchart hit Tony Romano on a short slant pattern on a third-and-four play. Romano weaved through the Titans’ defense for a 19-yard touchdown, but the extra point missed and gave UW-Oshkosh an opportunity.

The Titans gained one yard on their first two plays and on third-and-nine, Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) was pressured and forced to heave a pass toward the end zone that Kostichka picked off at the one-yard line to end the game.

In addition to overtime, the day was made longer when, with 4:13 left in the first quarter and UW-Stevens Point holding a 3-0 lead, the game was delayed 37 minutes as a severe thunderstorm roared over the stadium. Lightning and heavy rains forced the teams to the locker rooms and made the field slick for the remainder of the contest.
UW-Stevens Point expanded the lead to 10-0 with 10:09 left in the second quarter when Borchart leaped into the end zone from four yards out to cap a 10-play, 64-yard drive.

UW-Oshkosh totaled just 81 yards in the first half, but got its offense on track on the opening drive of the second half, traveling 64 yards in six plays and scoring on a 17-yard pass across the middle from Wara to Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg).

The Titans’ defense also stood tough, forcing UW-Stevens Point to punt on all four third quarter possessions. After a punt with 1:54 left in the quarter gave the Titans the ball on the Pointers’ 42-yard line, Wara went deep to Chad LaLuzerne (So. • Algoma), who made a diving catch in the end zone. UW-Oshkosh missed the extra point to hold a 13-10 lead.

The Pointers were stopped on downs at the UW-Oshkosh 15-yard line early in the fourth quarter and forced to punt on their next two drives. However, after holding UW-Oshkosh to a three-and-out with 3:47 left, the Pointers drove 63 yards in eight plays and scored with 2:27 left when Borchart bootlegged untouched into the end zone from one yard out on second down. The Titans blocked the extra point to remain within three points.

UW-Oshkosh rallied with another big play on first down as Wara appeared to overthrow his intended receiver, but fullback Aaron Chaltry (Sr. • Crivitz) raced down the right sideline and caught the pass in stride for a 60-yard gain to the 15-yard line. The Titans threw three straight incomplete passes and Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) nailed a 32-yard field goal into a driving wind and rain with 1:31 left to tie the game.

UW-Stevens Point drove to the Titans’ 39-yard line with one minute left before UW-Oshkosh’s Bryan Kent (Fr. • River Hills) made a diving interception. The Titans moved the ball to the Pointers’ 42-yard line with four seconds left and a Hail Mary pass in the end zone was knocked down to send the game to overtime.

UW-Stevens Point entered the game with the fifth-ranked passing offense in the NCAA Division III, but Borchart was held to 206 yards on 23 of 46 attempts. The Titans, on the other hand, typically average 25 pass attempts per game, but Wara was 19-for-44 for 268 yards.

LaLuzerne caught six passes for 96 yards for the Titans and Romano had 91 yards on five catches for the Pointers. Kurt Kielblock had 76 yards on nine catches, including eight in the second half for UW-Stevens Point. Cody Childs rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries as the Pointers totaled 225 yards rushing.

UW-Oshkosh's Tom Roszak (So. • Greenfield) averaged 42.5 yards on 11 punts against UW-Stevens Point, including a career-best 76-yard boot that went for a touchback. He also had four punts of 50 yards in the game. Roszak, who also had a 73-yard punt against UW-La Crosse on Oct. 9, is the first person in the WIAC to have two punts go 73 yards or more in the same season since UW-La Crosse's Gould Nichols accomplished the feat in 1948.

Craig Korth (Sr. • Menasha) led UW-Oshkosh with 14 tackles, including 11 solo and three for a loss. The Titans also received 13 tackles, including 10 solo, from Kent. Clint Bakken led UW-Stevens Point with eight tackles, including six solo.

Perfection dressed itself in black and gold on Saturday (Oct. 16) at Titan Stadium.

There's no other way to describe it.

The Titans humiliated visiting UW-Platteville in almost every way possible to earn a 54-6 victory on Homecoming weekend in a WIAC football game.

"That's a big win for these kids," UW-Oshkosh coach Phil Meyer said. "They earned it through practice each week and they deserve it. I'm really happy for those guys."

The contest was close for all of 100 seconds. On the Titans' first play from scrimmage, quarterback Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh), on a play-action pass, hooked up with wide receiver Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg) for a 55-yard touchdown.

UW-Oshkosh (4-2, 1-2 WIAC) was never seriously threatened thereafter.

Meyer seemed most please with the fact that his players were able to put two brutal losses behind them.

The Titans were blown out by UW-Stout, 49-17, on Sept. 25 and lost by a touchdown to UW-La Crosse last Saturday (Oct. 9). It's also the biggest WIAC victory for UW-Oshkosh since Nov. 1, 1969, when the Titans defeated UW-Superior 49-0, also on Homecoming. And it's the biggest win over UW-Platteville since a 60-0 win in 1920.

"Finally, we won a game in conference by a substantial margin," Meyer said. "Most of our wins have been down to the wire, down to the end. So it does feel good to win something like this where you are in total control the whole game."

The Titans exploded in the second quarter to score three touchdowns.

An interception by UW-Oshkosh defensive back Bryan Kent (Fr. • Pewaukee) set up an 11-play, 51-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Aaron Chaltry (Sr. • Peshtigo).

On UW-Platteville's first offensive play of the ensuing possession, quarterback Brent Nelson's pass hit the helmet of a UW-Oshkosh player and rocketed into the hands of defensive end Ryan Neff (So. • Merrill) for another interception. That eventually led to a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Andrew Stern (Jr. • Wisconsin Rapids).

Chaltry scored his second touchdown of the quarter on UW-Oshkosh's next series, which began when UW-Platteville's punter dropped the snap and had his punt blocked.

The Titans led 31-0 at halftime against a team that came into Saturday's game having given up 30 first-half points the entire season.

The final outcome could have been worse, but UW-Oshkosh had to settle for three Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) field goals in the second half.

UW-Platteville came into the game averaging 281.4 passing yards per game, but UW-Oshkosh switched up its defense enough to confuse whichever Pioneer was under center at the time, UW-Platteville used three different quarterbacks, none of which had much success. Nelson was the worst offender, throwing five interceptions. He combined with Michael Schmidt and Ryan Munz to complete only 18 of 44 pass attempts for 156 yards and six total interceptions.

Meanwhile, UW-Oshkosh's offense was a model of efficiency. Wara threw for 139 yards and rushed for 74 more. Stern set a personal best with 164 rushing yards on 32 carries with two touchdowns.

As a team, UW-Oshkosh gained 559 yards compared to 226 for Platteville.

Meyer warned that now is no time to be overconfident. The Titans matched their victory total from last season, but that didn't concern the UW-Oshkosh head coach. The only thing that mattered to him was a 1 p.m. kickoff next Saturday (Oct. 23) at UW-Stevens Point.

"Our whole thing the whole year is taking it one game at a time," he said. "We've matched up pretty good over the years (with Point). I think we match up well, and it's going to be a heck of a game."

Scott Burnoski caught two of his school-record tying 13 passes for second half touchdowns as the nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse football team held on to defeat upset-minded UW-Oshkosh, 28-21, on Saturday (Oct. 9) at Titan Stadium. UW-La Crosse, which was playing its 800th game in school history, entered the contest as the third-ranked team in the NCAA Division III by the internet site D3Football.com.

Burnoski, UW-La Crosse's career leader in both pass receptions (152) and pass receiving yardage (2,424), pulled the Eagles (3-1/2-0 WIAC) to within 14-13 of the Titans (3-2/0-2 WIAC) on his four-yard touchdown catch from Steve Tennies at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. Two possessions later, Burnoski gave UW-La Crosse a 20-14 lead when he grabbed a six-yard touchdown pass from Tennies at the 14:22 mark of the fourth period.

UW-La Crosse, which has won its last 19 meetings with UW-Oshkosh, increased its advantage to 28-14 on Corey Geldernick's 13-yard touchdown run and Jedediah Jensen's extra point kick at the 8:44 mark of the fourth quarter. The Eagles went 80 yards in six plays for the touchdown, with Geldernick rushing four times for 54 yards.

Refusing to quit despite a 14-point deficit with five minutes to play, UW-Oshkosh took the football after a 25-yard punt by Jensen and marched 36 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown. The Titans converted a pair of fourth down plays on the drive and made the score 28-21 on Nick Wara's (Sr. • Oshkosh) three-yard touchdown run and Lucas Raschke's (Fr. • Clintonville) extra point kick with 2:26 remaining.

UW-La Crosse recovered UW-Oshkosh's on-side kick following the score, but was forced to punt with one minute left in the game. The Titans took the football on their own 25-yard line after an 11-yard punt by Jensen and paraded to the Eagles' 32-yard line as time expired. UW-Oshkosh operated 11 plays on its potential game-tying drive, including incomplete passes by Wara to end zone on the last two plays of the contest.

The first quarter of the 57th meeting between UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh went scoreless as the two teams combined for six punts, including 58 and 73-yard boots by the Titans' Tom Roszak (So. • Greenfield). The two combatants engineered 21 points in the second quarter, with UW-La Crosse taking a 7-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Matt Pagel and an extra point kick by Jensen at the 8:23 mark of the period.

UW-Oshkosh took UW-La Crosse's ensuing kickoff and marched 74 yards in nine plays to tie the game at 7-7. The Titans evened the score on Wara's fourth down, 31-yard touchdown pass to Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg) and Raschke's extra point kick at the 4:47 mark of the frame. UW-La Crosse fumbled on its next possession and the miscue resulted in UW-Oshkosh taking a 14-7 lead at the 1:56 mark of the quarter. The Titans took their seven-point lead on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Wara to Steve Stoltz (Fr. • Greendale) and an extra point kick by Raschke.

UW-La Crosse had 381 yards of offense in the game, with Tennies completing 24 of 39 passes for 211 yards. Burnoski totaled 114 yards on his 13 pass receptions, while Andrew Lehman compiled 53 yards on his six grabs. Ben Dorsey, who left the game in the third quarter with an injury, led UW-La Crosse in rushing 104 yards in 17 attempts.

Wara accounted for 251 of UW-Oshkosh's 310 yards of offense by completing 16 of 31 passes for 199 yards and rushing 18 times for 52 yards. Patek caught four of Wara's passes for 57 yards, while Chad LaLuzerne (So. • Algoma) grabbed four for 34.

Defensively, Kevin Fitzgerald led UW-La Crosse with 16 tackles, including seven solo. The Eagles also received nine tackles from both Josh Otto and Deke Stanek. Nick Kilton (Jr. • Waukesha) and Craig Korth (Sr. • Menasha) each had 13 tackles to pace UW-Oshkosh, while Jason Manikowski (So. • Cudahy) totaled 11. Kilton led all players with 10 solo tackles.

UW-Stout scored 28 third quarter points and cruised to a 49-17 win over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Sept. 25) in Menomonie.

Ryan Englebert and Matt Sprester both showed they were recovered from an automobile accident last October that ended their 2003 season.

Englebert started off the third quarter parade with a 55-yard touchdown jaunt, splitting two would-be tacklers and heading for paydirt only three minutes into the second half.

Sprester followed suit three minutes later, taking a pass in the middle of the field and racing 53-yards for the score to put UW-Stout (2-0, 1-0) up, 28-7.

UW-Stout wasted little time getting on the board again in less than a minute.

UW-Oshkosh quarterback Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) had a pass batted back to him, but then was hit and fumbled the ball. UW-Stout linebacker Steve Schils picked up the loose change and scored from 13 yards out for a 35-7 lead.

The Titans (3-1, 0-1) drove, but only managed a field goal of 33 yards by Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter.

Two minutes later, UW-Stout quarterback Nick Ohman found Jesse Wendt on the visitors sideline and hit him in stride. Wendt bobbled the ball a couple of times, but hauled it in and went 48 yards to score and a 42-10 UW-Stout lead with four minutes left in the period.

Englebert added another score in the fourth period, a 21-yard run. The Titans closed the game's scoring with 1:40 to play, a one-yard touchdown run by Tyler Jandrin (Fr. • Casco).

UW-Stout jumped out to a 7-0 lead only two minutes into the first half. John Henry Freeman scored on a 9-yard pass from Ohman. The score was set up with a 37-yard pass from Ohman to Sprester.

The Titans tied the score at 7-7 on a Wara two-yard run with three minutes left in the quarter.

UW-Stout answered back on the ensuing drive. Wendt returned the kickoff 22 yards, then hauled in a 20-yard pass from Ohman. Seth Mattison also pulled in a 20-yard pass, setting the stage for Englebert's first score on the day, a 2-yard run.

UW-Stout tallied 416 total yards of offense, 241 in the air, 175 on the ground. Ohman completed 9-of-22 passes for 204 yards. Sprester made four catches for 113 yards, while Wendt had three grabs for 90 yards. Englebert rushed 16 times for 122 yards.

The Titans finished with 283 yards of offense, 154 by rush, 129 by pass. Wara completed 14-of-33 passes for 108 yards. Andy Moriarty (So. • Mequon) rushed for 60 yards, and Wara for 38. Chad LaLuzerne (So. • Algoma) led the Titans with five pass receptions.

The UW-Oshkosh football team is off to a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season following its 40-0 non-conference victory over Albion College (Mich.) on Saturday (Sept. 18) at Titan Stadium.

UW-Oshkosh (3-0) recorded its first shutout in 32 games by receiving major contributions from its offense, defense and special teams. Offensively, the Titans scored three touchdowns, totaled 409 yards on 78 plays and controlled possession of the football for 38 of the game's 60 minutes. Defensively, UW-Oshkosh scored one touchdown, yielded just 139 yards on 72 plays, intercepted four passes and recovered one fumble. The Titans' special teams got into the act by returning a fumble for touchdown, averaging 41.6 yards on six punts and making both of its field goal attempts.

UW-Oshkosh, which has scored 140 points in its first three games of the 2004 season, took advantage of two Albion College (1-1) fumbles in the first quarter to take a 13-0 lead. Scott Salvinski (Fr. • Oshkosh) recovered both fumbles for the Titans, including the second one that he returned off a poor Albion College center snap in punt formation for a one-yard touchdown. Salvinski's first fumble recovery set up a short UW-Oshkosh scoring drive, a four-play, 18-yard march that concluded with a one-yard touchdown run by Aaron Chaltry (Sr. • Peshtigo).

UW-Oshkosh increased its lead to 20-0 in the second quarter when Andy Moriarty (So. • Mequon) finished a three-play, 21-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. Ryan Radtke (So. • Peshtigo) set up the score by returning a pass interception 16 yards. The Britons punted on their next two possessions of the period and both times the Titans countered with field goals, kicks of 24 and 27 yards by Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville).

The Titans went to the halftime break leading 26-0 on the scoreboard and holding advantages of 11-5 in first downs, 261-17 in offensive yards and 18:50-11:10 in time of possession. Prior to allowing Albion College 19 yards on its last possession of the first half, UW-Oshkosh's defense held the Britons to just a negative two yards of offense in 30 plays.

After a scoreless third quarter, UW-Oshkosh added 14 points in the fourth. The Titans extended their lead to 33-0 by parading 94 yards in 16 plays for a touchdown. Chaltry ended the drive by running three yards for his second score of the game. It took just 36 seconds for UW-Oshkosh to reach the end zone again as Craig Korth (Sr. • Menasha) intercepted an Albion College pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown.

UW-Oshkosh's offensive attack was balanced, with 219 yards gained in the air and 190 on the ground. Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) completed 14 of 24 passes for 182 yards and rushed 13 times for 62 yards to lead the Titans in bith categories. UW-Oshkosh also received 57 yards rushing from Moriarty and 33 from Chaltry. Chaltry led the Titans with four pass receptions for 77 yards, including a 43-yard catch on the game's first offensive play.

Shane Schutz (Jr. • West Bend) led the UW-Oshkosh defense with seven tackles, including two for a loss, while Bryan Kent (Fr. • Pewaukee), Korth and Dan Mulqueen (Sr. • Milwaukee) added five each. Kent also had two of the Titans' four pass interceptions.

Albion College, which was shutout for just the second time in 49 contests, gained 113 of its 139 yards in the air as Steve Wasil completed 18 of 46 passes. Wasil, who also had a team-high 30 rushing yards, completed 10 of his passes to Craig Nabozny for 68 yards.

Defensively, Albion College was led by the 12 tackles of Raymond Burton and the nine each of Dan Holka and Joel McDade.

Scoring 30 points in the first quarter, including nine before its offense took to the field, the UW-Oshkosh football team trampled Concordia University, 67-20, on Saturday (Sept. 11) in Mequon. The victory enabled the Titans to remain unbeaten in three meetings with the Falcons, a NCAA Division III Playoff participant a year ago.

UW-Oshkosh followed its 30-point first quarter with 17 points in the second period, seven in the third and 13 in the fourth. The 67 points were the most scored by UW-Oshkosh since a 76-0 victory over UW-Milwaukee during the 1912 season. The margin of victory was the Titans' largest since a 54-0 win over the University of Minnesota-Morris in 2000.

It took just 88 seconds for UW-Oshkosh (2-0) to score against Concordia University (0-2) and another 126 to do it again. The Titans grabbed a 6-0 lead when Jacob Malzahn (Jr. • Kenosha) recovered Aaron Chaltry's (Sr. • Peshtigo) block of a Concordia University punt in the end zone. UW-Oshkosh increased its advantage to 9-0 when the Falcons had a center snap in punt formation sail out of the end zone.

UW-Oshkosh's offense made its debut at the 11:26 mark of the first quarter and quickly moved 52 yards in four plays for a score, an eight-yard touchdown run by Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh). Following a Ryan Radtke (So. • Peshtigo) pass interception on the Falcons' next possession, Wara capped a four-play, 32-yard drive by tossing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Steve Stoltz (Fr. • Greendale).

Concordia University ended UW-Oshkosh's string of 23 unanswered points when it scored on Glenn Duran's nine-yard touchdown pass to Jon Collier at the 4:36 mark of the first period. The Titans responded to the Concordia University score by marching 68 yards on its ensuing drive for a touchdown. Chaltry finished the nine-play trek with a one-yard touchdown run.

UW-Oshkosh took a 47-14 lead to intermission as Wara and Andy Moriarty (So. • Mequon) rushed for touchdowns and Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) kicked a 20-yard field goal. Wara ran five yards to finish a three-play, 53-yard drive for the Titans, while Moriarty scampered 11 yards to close a three-play, 20-yard march. Concordia University's lone score in the second quarter was a 21-yard run by Immanuel Mills.

The third quarter was relatively quiet as the only score in the period was a 30-yard fumble return by the Titans' Dan Mulqueen (Sr. • Milwaukee).

UW-Oshkosh closed its scoring in the fourth quarter on touchdown runs of 10 yards by Wara and seven by Tyler Jandrin (Fr. • Casco). The only score for Concordia University in the final period was a 54-yard touchdown pass from Brad Sonneborn to Collier.

UW-Oshkosh rolled up 24 first downs and 453 yards of offense against Concordia University. The Titans gained 267 yards on the ground, including 108 on 17 carries by Moriarty and 51 on 10 attempts by Jandrin. Wara, who rushed for 27 yards and three touchdowns, completed 11 of 17 passes for 186 yards and one score. Stoltz caught four passes for 58 yards and one touchdown, while Chad LaLuzerne (So. • Algoma) hauled in three passes for 94 yards.

Defensively, UW-Oshkosh yielded 11 first downs and 255 yards of offense. Eric Stenbroten (Fr. • Monticello) paced the Titans with nine tackles, including three for a loss, and a fumble recovery. The Titans also received six tackles from Scott Salvinski (Fr. • Oshkosh) and five tackles, including three for a loss, from Ryan Neff (So. • Merrill).

Raschke scored 11 points for the Titans in the contest, including eight extra points and his fifth field goal of the season.

Brandon Parker rushed for 97 yards on six attempts and caught two passes for 16 yards to lead Concordia University. The Falcons also had Mills rush 16 times for 80 yards and one touchdown, Collier catch three passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns and Sonneborn complete four of nine passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. Concordia University had six turnovers in the contest, including four fumbles. Last Saturday, the Falcons compiled 502 yards of offense, including 441 on the ground, in their 52-39 loss to Monmouth College (Ill.).

Mike Litrenda had 11 tackles to lead Concordia University's defense, while Fred Mask recorded nine.

Lucas Raschke (Fr. • Clintonville) booted a school-record four field goals as the UW-Oshkosh football team opened its 110th season with a 33-21 victory over Upper Iowa University on Saturday (Sept. 4) in Fayette, Iowa. It was the 22nd win for the Titans in their last 24 season openers, including a 38-3 victory over the NCAA Division II Peacocks a year ago.

Raschke opened the game's scoring by kicking a 40-yard field goal at the 9:37 mark of the first quarter. He then extended the Titans' lead to 6-0 on a 19-yard field goal at the 1:29 mark of the first period and 16-0 on a 25-yard field goal at the 7:40 mark of the second. Raschke, who also kicked three extra points in the contest, gave UW-Oshkosh a 33-14 lead on a 22-yard field goal with 6:45 remaining in the game.

Raschke and Aaron Chaltry (Sr. • Peshtigo) accounted for all of the scoring in the first half as the Titans took a 23-0 lead to intermission. Chaltry scored 12 points for UW-Oshkosh in the second quarter by entering the end zone on touchdown runs of eight and seven yards. Chaltry's eight-yard scoring ramble with 9:23 left in the second period capped a 72-yard drive for the Titans, while his seven-yard scoring gallop with 55 seconds remaining before the halftime break closed a 76-yard scoring march.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0) made the score 30-0 by taking its first possession of the third quarter 96 yards for a touchdown. Andy Moriarty (So. • Mequon) finished the Titans' impressive scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown stroll at the 10:14 mark of the period.

Upper Iowa University (0-2) crawled back into the game by scoring three touchdowns within a span of 19 minutes. The Peacocks registered their first points of the contest at the 8:07 mark of the third quarter on Jay Lehman's 31-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Montalto. Upper Iowa University cut its deficit to 30-14 at the 12:47 mark of the fourth quarter when David Epps recovered a UW-Oshkosh fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Peacocks created the game's final score on Lehman's 11-yard touchdown run with 4:12 left to play. Josh Slater kicked all three extra points for Upper Iowa University.

UW-Oshkosh racked up 379 yards of offense against its second-time opponent, including 229 on the ground. Moriarty led the Titans with 81 rushing yards, while Ian Mayes (Fr. • Oshkosh) added 60 yards, Joe Patek (Fr. • Cedarburg) 32 and Chaltry 30. The Titans had 150 yards passing as Nick Wara (Sr. • Oshkosh) completed nine of 17 passes for 140 yards and Patek one of three passes for 10 yards. Chaltry and Steve Stoltz (Fr. • Greendale) each caught two passes for 29 yards to pace the Titans.

Upper Iowa University matched UW-Oshkosh's production in the air, but managed only 50 yards on the ground. Lehman led the Peacocks' passing game by completing 13 of 23 tosses for 152 yards. Gary Glasby had 35 yards to lead all Upper Iowa University rushers, while Montalto caught a team-best four passes for 79 yards.

UW-Oshkosh's defense forced seven Upper Iowa University punts and two fumbles. Jason Manikowski (So. • Cudahy) and Shane Schutz (Jr. • West Bend) had seven tackles to lead the Titans, while Jacob Malzahn (Jr. • Kenosha) and Rob Fett (Jr. • Appleton) added six each. Malzahn had three tackles for a loss, including one of the Titans' four quarterback sacks. Travis Smith had 18 tackles to lead Upper Iowa University.

With its 110th season of intercollegiate competition on the horizon, the UW-Oshkosh football team has been working with a sense of purpose and pride to bring the Titans back into contention for an upper-division finish in the WIAC.

The optimism for the 2004 campaign, Phil Meyer's fifth as UW-Oshkosh's head coach, is generated by the return of 17 starters and a very productive off-season weight training and conditioning program. In all, 33 lettermen return to the UW-Oshkosh program this fall, giving the Titans a more experienced squad than the one that won its first four games of the 2003 season before losing its last six. UW-Oshkosh finished seventh in the WIAC a year ago with a 1-6 record.

UW-Oshkosh returns nine seniors to its 2004 team, including defensive tackle Dustin Drexel who has started 28 games and offensive guard Pat Hughes and quarterback Nick Wara who have started 20 contests each. This year's senior class also features the 19 career starts of offensive tackle Jesse Turkow, 18 of linebacker Dan Mulqueen and the 15 of both fullback Aaron Chaltry and linebacker Craig Korth.

The Titans return nine of last year's 11 offensive starters, with the only absentees being wide receiver Mike Kinateder and tight end Chad Lindsley. UW-Oshkosh averaged 20.3 points and 370.4 yards per game a year ago, with 612 yards coming in a 45-36 loss to UW-Eau Claire and 472 yards in a 38-3 win over Upper Iowa University.

The offensive reins belong to Wara, who begins his third season as the Titans' starting quarterback. Last year, Wara completed 172 of 309 passes for 2,056 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing 112 times for 398 yards and five scores. In last season's finale against UW-Eau Claire, Wara accounted for a school-record 499 yards of offense by compiling 371 yards and two touchdowns passing and 128 yards and two touchdowns rushing. Wara enters his final collegiate season having completed 336 of 628 passes for 3,805 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has 265 career rushes for 814 yards and seven touchdowns.

Poised to backup Wara are junior Mike Budziszewski and redshirt freshman Joe Patek, who played in the 2003 Wisconsin High School All-Star Football Game. Budziszewski's career resume includes nine pass completions in 26 attempts for 117 yards and one touchdown.

UW-Oshkosh returns its top-six rushers from 2003, including starters Andrew Stern, a junior, at halfback and Chaltry at fullback. Limited to only six starts last season due to injuries, Stern still managed to rush for a team-leading 535 yards and two touchdowns while catching 24 passes for 206 yards. Stern rushed for 142 yards against Upper Iowa University and 125 against UW-Stout a year ago. In 2002, Stern led the Titans in rushing with 452 yards. Chaltry, primarily a blocking back, rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns last season while adding eight pass receptions for 170 yards and two scores. Looking to carry the football more this fall are sophomore halfbacks Chris Kirch and Andy Moriarty. Kirch rushed for 368 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Moriarty added 179 yards and two scores.

Due to several departures, UW-Oshkosh's receiving corps will have a new look as only returning starter Chad LaLuzerne, a sophomore, has experience. Last year, LaLuzerne made the most of his six starting assignments by catching 24 passes for 355 yards. LaLuzerne ranked second on the 2003 team in pass receiving yardage and third in pass receptions. Expected to compete for the other starting wideout position are senior Jeff Koepsell and sophomore Tom Roszak. UW-Oshkosh will also feature a new starting tight end due to the loss of Lindsley and backup Bob Docherty, the Titans' top-two pass receivers of a year ago.

With the return of all five starters, UW-Oshkosh's offensive line has the potential to be the most productive interior unit the Titans have had in several years. In addition to Hughes' 20 career starts at left guard and Turkow's 18 at left tackle, the Titans also welcome back junior Mike Basch's 17 career starts at right guard, sophomore Shawn Dahlke's 10 at right tackle and sophomore Joe Schmitz's 10 at center. Adding depth to the offensive line are sophomore guards Pete Caruso and Joe Zander.

UW-Oshkosh's defense returns eight of last year's 11 starters, with the only departures being defensive end Jason Boehlke and cornerbacks Noah Paquin and Jon Thomas. The Titans yielded an average of 23.5 points and 336 yards per game last season, with the latter medium ranking second in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh held four opponents under 14 points last year and five competitors under 315 offensive yards.

The Titans' top defensive area may be the line, where Drexel and 2003 starters Mike Arendt, a junior tackle, and Ryan Neff, a sophomore end, return. In addition to Drexel's 28 career starts, Arendt has gained the starting nod 11 times and Neff eight. The group also welcomes back junior tackles Rob Fett and Jason Hartwig, players who combined to start six games a year ago.

Drexel has been a pillar in the Titans' defensive front most of his career, totaling 113 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and nine quarterback sacks. Last year, he compiled 43 tackles, including 10 for a loss and five quarterback sacks. Neff had 39 tackles, including 13 for a loss, while Fett registered 22 tackles, Arendt 19 tackles and Hartwig seven.

UW-Oshkosh should also be extremely strong at linebacker, where 2003 starters Korth, Mulqueen and junior Jacob Malzahn return. Korth led the Titans with 88 tackles a year ago, including nine for a loss. In 2002, Korth ranked second on the team with 68 tackles, including 11 for a loss. Mulqueen listed third on the team with 67 tackles last year, including 18 for a loss and four quarterback sacks. He totaled 46 tackles for the Titans in 2001. Malzahn has made 10 career starts for UW-Oshkosh, including eight last year when he recorded 38 tackles, including eight for a loss.

Seeking more playing time at the linebacker position are juniors Joe Gabriel, Shane Schutz, who made two starts for the Titans in 2003, Craig Stenbroten and Adam Story and sophomore Dustin Stumpf. Last fall, Schutz totaled 21 tackles, while Gabriel and Stenbroten had seven each.

The Titans' defensive secondary also has extensive experience with the return of senior Ryan Slowik, junior Nick Kilton and sophomores Jason Manikowski and Ryan Radtke. Manikowski started all 10 games for the Titans last fall, while Slowik started six and Kilton five. Kilton also started nine contests and Slowik two in the defensive backfield in 2002.

Manikowski tallied 67 tackles last season to rank third on the team with Mulqueen. He also had two forced fumbles, one tackle for a loss and one pass interception. Kilton counted 46 tackles, including three for a loss, last year, while Slowik totaled 32 tackles, including four for a loss, and one pass interception. Radtke had 11 tackles and one pass interception a year ago. In 2002, Kilton had 37 tackles, including three for a loss, and two pass interceptions, while Slowik had 30 tackles. Slowik's father, Bob, is the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.

UW-Oshkosh welcomes back half of its kicking game this season with the return of Roszak as its punter. Last year, Roszak averaged 36.2 yards per boot and placed 15 punts inside the 20-yard line. Due to the loss of Kinateder, who kicked eight field goals and scored a team-leading 49 points, the Titans' place-kicking duties will likely fall on the foot of Patek.

But, when the Titans make their 2004 home debut on Sept. 18 against Albion College (Mich.), they will do so in a facility that includes a new playing surface.

Since 1970, UW-Oshkosh's home football venue has featured natural grass. This fall, thanks to overwhelming community support, Titan Stadium will now exhibit artificial grass, a product called "Prestige" by Tarkett Sommer. The new Titan Stadium field is part of the renovation and overall construction of the $5.7 million Oshkosh Sports Complex, a building project that will be completed in four phases over the next few years.

UW-Oshkosh begins its 110th football season with three non-conference games, including the opener on Sept. 4 in Fayette, Iowa, against second-time opponent and NCAA Division II independent Upper Iowa University. The Peacocks posted a 1-9 record last year, including a 38-3 season-opening loss to the Titans. UW-Oshkosh has won 21 of its last 23 season openers, with setbacks in 2001 and 2002 coming to Wartburg College (Iowa).

With the 2004 baptismal behind them, the Titans travel to Mequon on Sept. 11 for their third meeting with Concordia University. The Falcons had a 9-2 record last fall, with their only blemishes being losses of 21-3 to UW-Oshkosh and 52-13 to UW-La Crosse in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs. Concordia University, which also lost a 35-25 decision to UW-Oshkosh in 2002, captured last year's llini-Badger Football Conference title with a 7-0 record.

UW-Oshkosh shows off its new home field on Sept. 18 by hosting first-time opponent Albion College. The Britons compiled a 6-4 record last year, including a second-place 4-2 mark in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Albion College has put together a 117-30-1 record since 1989, highlighted by 11 league championships and a NCAA Division III title in 1994.

The first of seven consecutive WIAC games begins for UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 25 when the Titans travel to UW-Stout. UW-Oshkosh has won two of its last three contests with UW-Stout, including a 15-7 decision a year ago. The Blue Devils registered a 6-4 record (4-3 WIAC) last fall.

Following an open date on Oct. 2, UW-Oshkosh remains home on subsequent Saturdays to host two-time defending WIAC champion UW-La Crosse on Oct. 9 and Homecoming opponent UW-Platteville on Oct. 16. UW-La Crosse is heavily favored to win the 2004 WIAC crown after posting a 17-6 record the past two seasons, including a 10-2 mark (6-1 WIAC) a year ago. UW-Platteville, which posted a 3-7 record (1-6 WIAC) last season, is matched as UW-Oshkosh's Homecoming enemy for the third time since 1996.

UW-Oshkosh's fourth and final home game of the 2004 season is scheduled for Nov. 6 against UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks fashioned a 7-3 record last year, including a 5-2 mark in the WIAC.

UW-Oshkosh ends the year by playing three of its last four games on the road, encounters at UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 23, UW-River Falls on Oct. 30 and UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 13. UW-Stevens Point had an 8-2 record (5-3 WIAC) last year, while UW-River Falls went 2-7 (2-5 WIAC) and UW-Eau Claire 5-5 (4-3 WIAC). UW-Eau Claire defeated UW-Oshkosh in last year's season finale, 45-36.

UW-Oshkosh accumulated a 4-6 record last year, including 1-6 ledger in the WIAC.

Each UW-Oshkosh football game of the 2004 season can be heard locally on radio stations WOSH (1490 AM) and WRST (90.3 FM).