Despite turnovers on three of its first four possessions, the nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse football team held on for a 31-20 victory over UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Nov. 11) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

UW-La Crosse (8-1/6-1 WIAC), ranked eighth in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, will find out Sunday (Nov. 12) if it has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs.

UW-La Crosse had three turnovers in the first half, including two at the UW-Oshkosh one-yard line. The Eagles finally broke through in the second quarter as Mike Schmidt scored on a one-yard run with 9:21 left. Corey Geldernick rushed for 38 of UW-La Crosse’s 39 yards on the possession, including a 25-yard run to the Titans’ 14-yard line.

After forcing a UW-Oshkosh punt, UW-La Crosse drove 68 yards in seven plays scoring as John Schumann hit Jason Wagner for a 25-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-seven with 4:48 remaining.

UW-Oshkosh (5-5/3-4 WIAC) came right back on the next possession as Dieter Juedes (So. • Sheboygan Falls) hit Andy Heiman (Jr. • Clintonville) with a 23-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining in the first half.

UW-Oshkosh was forced to punt on its first possession of the second half and UW-La Crosse drove 49 yards to make it 21-7 as Schumann hit Scott Swanson on a 24-yard touchdown pass. After a Titans’ fumble, the Eagles took a 28-7 lead with 6:46 remaining as Geldernick scored on an eight-yard run.

On the ensuing possession, UW-Oshkosh went 81 yards on 12 plays to cut the deficit to 28-14 as Tyler Jandrin (Jr. • Casco) scored on a one-yard run. Early in the fourth quarter, the Titans’ blocked Brett Nagan’s punt and returned it to the Eagles’ 13-yard line setting up Andy Moriarty’s (Jr. • Mequon) two-yard touchdown run to cut the margin to 28-20, but Lucas Raschke’s (Jr. • Clintonville) extra-point was blocked by Steve Teeples.

After forcing a UW-La Crosse punt on the next possession, Juedes was intercepted by Jacob Buswell at the Titans’ 36-yard line setting up Dylan Rude’s 33-yard field goal with 5:12 left for a 31-20 UW-La Crosse lead. UW-Oshkosh then turned the ball over on downs and UW-La Crosse ran out the clock to end the game.

UW-La Crosse finished with 257 yards rushing, including 149 from Geldernick on 23 carries. Dan Hall had 85 yards rushing on 15 attempts. Schumann was nine-of-21 passing for 144 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while Eric Kettenhofen was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 45 yards. The Eagles totaled 401 yards of total offense.

UW-Oshkosh finished with 224 yards, including 140 rushing and 84 passing. Chris Kirch (Sr. • Lake Geneva) led the Titans with 59 yards rushing while Moriarty added 51 and Steve Levonowich (So.• Kenosha) 49. Juedes was 9-of-19 passing for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Heiman, Kyle Nakatsuji (So. • West Allis) and Kyle Kubasa (Sr. • West Allis) each had two catches for UW-Oshkosh.

Nick Ihde and Drew Kiefer each had nine tackles for the Eagles while Eric Stenbroten (Jr. • Monticello) had 11 for the Titans.

Andy Moriarty scored three touchdowns and became UW-Oshkosh's all-time leading rusher as the Titans rallied to defeat UW-Eau Claire, 25-21, in a WIAC football contest held Saturday (Nov. 4) in Eau Claire.

Moriarty carried the football 36 times for 200 yards, with his last attempt going four yards and a touchdown to give the Titans a 24-21 lead with 3:42 to play. Moriarty also scored on three-yard touchdown runs at the 7:13 mark of the first quarter and 9:54 of the fourth.

Moriarty became UWO’s all-time leading rusher with his day on the ground. He now has 2,755 yards with one game to go. He passed the old mark set by Ron Cardo, who rushed for 2,706 yards during his time with the Titans from 1965, 1968-70.

Following the Moriarty touchdown that put the Titans in the lead, UW-Eau Claire made a tough comeback on the ensuing series. During the drive that lasted 14 plays and 3:09, the Blugolds drove all the way from their own 31-yard line to the UW-Oshkosh five-yard line. The drive ended with Bryan Kent intercepting an UW-Eau Claire pass in the end zone to seal up the Titans’ fifth win of the season.

The Titan defense had a bend-but-don’t-break kind of day against the Blugold offense. On the ground, UW-Oshkosh surrendered just 88 yards. However, UW-Eau Claire’s quarterback Kyle Paulson completed 26-of-46 passes for 291 yards. During his day he connected with eight different receivers. His only touchdown pass was a 38-yard completion to Matthew Evensen in the fourth quarter.

Lucas Raschke moved further up the list to be UW-Oshkosh’s best kicker with his 29-yard field goal. Raschke also fell victim to UW-Eau Claire’s special teams defense in the second quarter. The Blugolds blocked a Raschke punt, this is the fourth punt UW-Eau Claire has blocked this season.

UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh have met 104 times on the gridiron, but few have been as dramatic as Saturday’s (Oct. 21) contest in Stevens Point.

Ryan Graboski kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal in overtime and Lincoln Berg had two forced fumbles that were both returned for touchdowns as the Pointers pulled out a 27-24 decision, marking the seventh consecutive year that the rivalry has been decided by less than a touchdown.

In fact, UW-Oshkosh appeared to have the game won in regulation when Bryan Kent (Jr. • Pewaukee) stepped in front of a Pointer pass receiver and looked to have returned his second clutch interception of the game 38 yards for a winning touchdown with 13 seconds left. However, Kent was called for pass interference to nullify the score and send the game to overtime. Pointers’ quarterback Brett Borchart was injured on the play as both teams’ backup quarterbacks finished the game.

In overtime, UW-Oshkosh had two short rushing plays and then backup quarterback Dieter Juedes’ (So. • Sheboygan Falls) pass was intercepted by Kasey Morgan at the three-yard line. UW-Stevens Point's Adam Spoehr caught his first pass of the game on a third and-11 play from the 26-yard line and carried tacklers for six yards to within a foot of the first down. Graboski then drilled the game-winner for just his fourth career field goal and first from longer than 25 yards.

UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 14-0 lead, using a 99-yard drive on its first possession that was capped by the first of three one-yard touchdown runs by Tyler Jandrin (Jr. • Casco). Jandrin finished off another 16-play, 73-yard drive early in the second quarter with his second score from the one-yard line.

UW-Stevens Point (3-4/1-3 WIAC) came back with a 25-yard field goal by Graboski and then Berg had the first of his two big plays. In perhaps the turning point of the contest, Berg came behind Titans’ quarterback Joe Patek (Jr. • Cedarburg) on a blitz and simply stole the ball away from behind and sprinted 25 yards for the score

The Pointers took a 17-14 lead into halftime as Borchart connected with Jacob Dickert on a fade pattern in the corner of the end zone from four yards out on a third-and-goal play with 1:31 left in the half.

After the Titans tied the game on a 20-yard field goal by Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville), Berg struck again for the Pointers with another blindside blitz on Juedes. Berg, who also had a game-high 13 tackles, hit Juedes from behind to force the ball loose. Brandon Czys scooped up the fumble and rambled eight yards for a go-ahead score.

UW-Oshkosh (4-4/2-3 WIAC) tied the game at 24-24 on another one-yard score by Jandrin with 8:21 left in the game. Both teams traded punts and the Pointers drove to the Titans’ 32-yard line where Kent picked off a tipped pass and returned it 43 yards to the Pointers’ 35-yard line with 3:05 left.

UW-Oshkosh was stopped on three rushing plays and Raschke had a 48-yard field goal attempt sail wide right with 35 seconds left. Instead of playing for overtime, UW-Stevens Point played for the win and it nearly backfired on Kent’s apparent interception return for a touchdown.

UW-Stevens Point managed just 24 yards rushing on 19 carries as the Titans out-gained the Pointers 395-238, including 183-11 in the first quarter. Dickert had nearly half of the Pointers’ offensive yards with 12 catches for 113 yards.

Tight end Kyle Kubasa (Sr. • West Allis) had seven catches for 88 yards for the Titans as Patek was 11-for-15 for 192 yards passing before his third-quarter injury. Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) had three catches for 96 yards – all in the first quarter.

Jason Hartwig (Sr. • Port Washington) and Josh Wara (Jr. • Oshkosh) both had six tackles to lead UW-Oshkosh. Hartwig's total included a pair of tackles for a loss. The Titans also received five tackles from both Scott Salvinski (Jr. • Oshkosh) and Eric Stenbroten (Jr. • Monticello).

From the looks of the opening drive, it looked like it was going to be a happy homecoming game for the UW-Oshkosh football team Saturday (Oct. 14) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. But the 11-play drive that gave the Titans a one touchdown lead over UW-Platteville was as good as it got for the hosts, who watched opportunity after opportunity march by like a nightmarish homecoming parade as they fell to the Pioneers, 21-14.

"We had fumbles, dropped picks, dropped passes, missed field goals, and we couldn't stop them in some key situations," UW-Oshkosh head coach Phil Meyer said. "We didn't deserve to win at all, and they did. "You can't do the things we did and expect to squeak out a victory. It ain't going to happen. They played better and tougher than we did."

That's not the way it looked in the opening minutes, when the Titans had their way with the Pioneers during a 69-yard march that ended with fullback Tyler Jandrin's 1-yard touchdown plunge. But a first half that began so promisingly descended into a frustrating situation that, in the final minutes, became an unmitigated disaster.

Two missed field goals and three crucial turnovers kept UW-Oshkosh stuck on seven points and gave Platteville the opportunity to make two trips to the end zone – the second a 40-yard interception return by Jared Baganz in the closing minutes that put the Pioneers up, 14-7, and the Titans in a dicey situation.

"I told them, 'I could get real mad at you right now, but it's not going to do any good,'" Meyer said of his halftime lecture. "We were still in the ball game, but we needed to regroup and get after it."

The comedy of errors didn't follow the Titans to the third quarter, but results didn't improve and they had to settle for trading touchdowns with the Pioneers and went into the final period trailing, 21-14.

Seemingly ready to put the day's frustrations behind it, UW-Oshkosh opened the fourth quarter on a roll and quickly found itself in position to at least knock a few points off its deficit. But a swing pass on fourth and 2 at the UW-Platteville 7-yard line clanged off the hands of running back Steve Levonowich, who had a pair of defenders waiting for him even if he made the catch, and gave the ball over to the Pioneers.

Four plays later, UW-Platteville returned the favor with a fumble the Titans recovered and quickly turned into another visit to the Pioneers' doorstep.

But with a little over 7 minutes remaining, the drive stalled and Raschke pulled a 26-yard attempt wide right. UW-Oshkosh didn't touch the ball again. Not exactly known for its fierce ground attack, UW-Platteville nonetheless ran 14 straight plays and ate up the rest of the clock.

The win got the Pioneers to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the WIAC. The Titans fell to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in league play, and instead of going into next week's match-up with Stevens Point in the midst of a three-game winning streak, they're now forced to take a long, hard look at what could have been and try to regroup.

"No matter how you cut it, a loss is always going to hurt for a couple of days," Meyer said. "But you need to take it like a man and worry about the challenge ahead."

After watching opponents storm back on them week after week this season, the Blue Devils engineered one of their own Saturday, scoring 21 unanswered points on UW-Oshkosh to erase a 17-point Titans lead.

But running back Tyler Jandrin’s 1-yard plunge regained the lead for the Titans and made the score 23-21 with 13 seconds remaining, where it would stay in yet another home heartbreaker for Stout at Williams Stadium.

“After losing two games in the way we did the last two weeks, it shows the character of our kids to be able to come back from 17 points like that,” Stout coach Todd Strop said. “We’ve still got to find a way to win at the end of the game.”

Stout (2-3, 0-2 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) had its chances as two of UW-Oshkosh’s fourth quarter drives ended in turnovers. Blue Devils free safety Rob Weinstein saved a touchdown when he forced Andy Heiman to fumble after a long reception and recovered at the Stout 6-yard line.

UW-Oshkosh (3-2, 1-1) was threatening two drives later from the Stout 24 when linebacker Stephen Schils recovered an Andy Moriarty fumble with 1 minute, 53 seconds remaining.

But instead of pounding the ball down the middle and putting the game on ice, Stout attempted a reverse to Antawan Walker on second down that was disrupted. Quarterback Tanner Kattre never was able to get the ball cleanly to Walker, and the fumble gave UW-Oshkosh its best field position of the afternoon inside the Stout red zone.

The Titans converted a third down, and a defensive holding call on third-and-goal from the 3 gave them a new set of downs at the 1.

They only needed one.

“I think we gave Stout a couple gifts,” UW-Oshkosh coach Phil Meyer said of his team’s three turnovers. “But we got the gift at the end and our guys punched it in. That was our challenge, to come up here and win because we haven’t won here in a long time.”

Quarterback Kyle Opahle made the start for the Blue Devils, though Kattre was said to have earned the spot after Stout’s nonconference schedule.

Strop said Opahle was chosen this week for his arm, and the junior found Jesse Wendt for 38 yards in the first half.

But he left the game in the second quarter and spent the second half sidelined on crutches with a brace on his right leg.

“We talked about a quarterback change (last) Sunday, and we felt coming in that we had to take deep shots at this team,” Strop said. “Kyle we felt gave us the best chance to do that.”

Kattre made the most of the second chance, passing efficiently for 130 yards and a score. And his tendency to run helped Stout this week as the coach staff called numerous draws for Kattre, who racked up 81 yards and a TD on the ground.

“It’s hard to feel good about (my game) right now,” Kattre said. “When I got my chance, I came to play hard. I was looking forward to that opportunity to make sure they didn’t have any more doubts in their minds about who to play.”

The Blue Devils had a tough time stopping Moriarty, who finished with 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Stout managed to keep Joe Patek relatively under wraps, holding the 6-foot-6 quarterback to 136 passing yards and an interception, Weinstein’s fourth in five games.

The UW-Oshkosh football team held a WIAC opponent scoreless for the first time in 16 years when it defeated UW-River Falls, 24-0, on Saturday (Sept. 30) in River Falls.

UW-Oshkosh's shutout, the Titans' second of the 2006 season, was its first against a WIAC enemy since a 3-0 victory over UW-Superior on Sept. 15, 1990. The Titans opened the 2006 campaign on Sept. 2 with a 57-0 triumph over Ripon College.

UW-Oshkosh (3-2/1-1 WIAC), which lost 14 of its previous 15 games with UW-River Falls, intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and benefited from a missed field goal to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard. Prior to Saturday's contest, UW-Oshkosh hadn't shutout UW-River Falls since a 17-0 win on Oct. 7, 1967.

While the defense was pitching a shutout, UW-Oshkosh's offense was running on all cylinders as it totaled 20 first downs and 435 yards. The Titans averaged seven yards per play to gain 269 yards on the ground and 166 in the air.

Andy Moriarty (Jr. • Mequon) recorded the 10th 100-yard rushing game of his career by rushing 31 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Thanks to the third-best rushing effort of his UW-Oshkosh career, Moriarty moved into fourth-place on the school's all-time rushing list with 2,299 yards. The Titans also received 56 yards rushing from Steve Levonowich (So. • Kenosha).

In the air, UW-Oshkosh's Joe Patek (Sr. • Cedarburg) was exceptional as he completed 10-of-12 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown. Patek completed passes to five different receivers, including Kyle Kubasa (Sr. • West Allis) who caught four for 59 yards and Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) who caught two for 91 yards and one touchdown.

UW-River Falls (1-3/0-1 WIAC) racked up 16 first downs and averaged 4.1 yards per play to total 243 yards of offense. The Falcons, who were celebrating their first night game at Ramer Field since the 1981 season, gained 123 yards rushing and 120 yards passing.

Nathan Anderson rushed 30 times for 101 yards to lead UW-River Falls, while Jeremy Wolff completed 6-of-20 passes for 120 yards. Wolff's favorite target was Josh Grover who caught five passes for 113 yards.

UW-Oshkosh's defense forced three turnovers as Ryan Radtke (Sr. • Peshtigo) and Josh Wara (Jr. • Oshkosh) intercepted passes while Cameron Adams (Jr. • Brookfield) recovered a fumble. Ryan Neff (Sr. • Merrill) led the Titans with seven tackles, including three for a loss, while Adams and Dave Dejewski (Jr. • Hartland) both tallied six.

The Falcons' defensive efforts were led by the 11 tackles of both Ryan Agrimson and Bruce Baillargeon.

Following a UW-River Falls punt, UW-Oshkosh took a 7-0 lead when Moriarty rushed three yards for a touchdown at the 6:51 mark of the first quarter. The four-play, 45-yard scoring drive featured a 34-yard run by Moriarty.

UW-River Falls was denied some points early in the second quarter when UW-Oshkosh's Radtke intercepted a Wolff pass in the end zone. The Titans turned the interception into three points as Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville) completed the 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive by drilling a 36-yard field goal with 9:53 left in the period.

The Falcons had a chance to put three points on the scoreboard late in the second quarter, but Spasimir Bodurski's 43-yard field goal sailed left.

After forcing UW-River Falls to punt, UW-Oshkosh increased its lead to 17-0 when Patek threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Stoltz at the 4:45 mark of the third quarter. The eight-play, 93-yard scoring drive also included a 15-yard run by Moriarty.

UW-River Falls fumbled away the football to UW-Oshkosh's Adams on the ensuing possession and the Titans turned the gift into a 24-0 lead as they strolled 57 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Moriarty finished the scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run at the 12:55 mark of the fourth quarter.

The Falcons had the football two more times the rest of the game, but one possession ended with a punt and another with a pass interception by UW-Oshkosh's Wara at the Titans' 21-yard line.

The nationally-ranked UW-Whitewater football team made a 17-3 halftime lead stand up for the game's final score as it defeated UW-Oshkosh on Saturday (Sept. 23) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium.

UW-Whitewater (3-0/1-0 WIAC) took a 7-0 lead when All-American Justin Beaver scampered a school-record 97 yards for a touchdown at the 4:28 mark of the first quarter. The score came immediately after UW-Oshkosh's Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville) had a punt downed at the Warhawks' three-yard line.

UW-Oshkosh (2-2/0-1 WIAC) punted the football away after losing two yards on three plays on its next possession. The Warhawks took the ensuing possession and marched 16 yards in six plays before Jeff Sheller booted a 42-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the first period.

UW-Whitewater, ranked second in the NCAA Division III by D3football.com, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and the American Football Coaches Association, took the football following another UW-Oshkosh punt and paraded 80 yards in seven plays for a touchdown. The drive was capped by Justin Jacobs' 13-yard touchdown pass to Neil Marvin with 8:23 remaining in the second quarter.

UW--Oshkosh recovered a Beaver fumble late in the second quarter and turned the miscue into three points. Raschke provided the scoring for the Titans as he kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:46 left before intermission. Raschke established a WIAC record on the play by kicking his 32nd career field goal.

Neither team scored in the second half as they combined for seven punts and four change of possessions due to a loss of downs. UW-Oshkosh had five possessions end UW-Whitewater territory in the second half, while the Warhawks had three possessions end on the Titans' section of the field.

UW-Whitewater totaled 15 first downs and 355 yards of offense, but only six first downs and 99 yards offense came after intermission. The Warhawks' 17 points scored were their fewest in 18 games.

Individually, Beaver rushed 43 times for 218 yards and one touchdown. The Warhawks had only one other rushing attempt in the game, a two-yard jaunt by Jacobs. In the air, Jacobs completed 15 of 28 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. Mrkvicka led the UW-Whitewater with six pass receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown.

UW-Oshkosh compiled 15 first downs and 263 yards of offense. The Titans had 253 of their yards in the air as the Warhawks held UW-Oshkosh to just 10 yards rushing in 25 attempts. Steve Levonowich (So. • Kenosha) rushed twice for nine yards to lead UW-Oshkosh.

In the air, Joe Patek (Jr. • Cedarburg) completed 23 of 50 passes for 253 yards. Andy Heiman (Jr. • Clintonville) caught six passes for 68 yards while Andy Moriarty (Jr. • Mequon) grabbed six for 62 and Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) five for 76.

Tristan Borzick led UW-Whitewater with 13 tackles, while Dave DeJewski (Jr. • Hartland) and Jason Manikowski (Sr. • Cudahy each totaled 11.

The UW-Oshkosh football team concluded its non-conference schedule with a 31-10 victory over Lakeland College on Saturday (Sept. 16) in Sheboygan.

UW-Oshkosh (2-1) scored four touchdowns in the contest, all from 29 yards or longer as it jumped to a 28-3 advantage.

The Titans took a 7-0 lead when Tyler Jandrin (Jr. • Casco) rushed 29 yards for a touchdown with 7:56 left in the first quarter. Jandrin's score capped a three-play, 44-yard drive that followed a Lakeland College punt.

Lakeland College (0-3) threatened to score midway through the second quarter, but UW-Oshkosh's Bryan Kent (Jr. • Pewaukee) stopped the Muskies' drive by intercepting a pass and returning it 74 yards for a touchdown. Kent's touchdown helped UW-Oshkosh take a 14-0 lead to intermission.

UW-Oshkosh, unbeaten in three meetings with Lakeland College, scored on its first possession of the third quarter. The Titans marched 74 yards in six plays, scoring on Joe Patek's (Jr. • Cedarburg) 38-yard touchdown pass to Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) with 11:57 left in the third quarter.

Following a 27-yard field goal by Lakeland College's Billy Hughes, UW-Oshkosh took the ensuing kickoff and paraded 80 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Steve Levonowich (So. • Kenosha) finished the drive by sprinting 44 yards for a touchdown. His score gave the Titans a 28-3 lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter.

UW-Oshkosh scored its final points in record-breaking fashion as Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville) drilled a 51-yard field goal with 6:01 left in the contest. The field goal established a school record and marked the fourth-longest boot in WIAC history. It also was Raschke's WIAC record-tying 31st career field goal.

Lakeland College, which participated in last year's NCAA Division III Playoffs, reached the end zone with 41 seconds left in the contest. The Muskies went 51 yards in 13 plays as Brad Wilk finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

UW-Oshkosh totaled 357 yards of offense and 16 first downs. The Titans gained 211 yards on the ground as Levonowich compiled 68, Andy Moriarty (Jr. • Mequon) 53 and Jandrin 42. In the air, Patek completed seven of 17 passes for 146 yards. Andy Heiman (Jr. • Clintonville) led UW-Oshkosh with three pass receptions for 32 yards.

Dave Dejewski (Jr. • Hartland) and Eric Stenbroten (Jr. • Monticello) each totaled eight tackles to lead the Titans.

Lakeland College had 241 yards of offense and 17 first downs. The Muskies passed for 140 yards and rushed for 101. Wilk completed 20 of 41 passes for all 140 yards, including 13 for 117 yards to McArthur White. Brandon Erdman gained 36 yards on the ground to lead Lakeland College.

The Muskies were led on defense by the seven tackles of both John Wagner and Clevela Pierce.

The non-conference victory was UW-Oshkosh's 16th in its last 20 regular season contests.

The Minnesota State University football team turned three UW-Oshkosh turnovers into 20 points as it defeated the Titans, 33-22, on Saturday (Sept. 9) in Mankato, Minn.

UW-Oshkosh (1-1) took a 7-0 lead over its NCAA Division II opponent on Joe Patek's (Jr. • Cedarburg) 48-yard touchdown pass to Steve Stoltz (Jr. • Greendale) with 8:14 left in the first quarter. The five-play, 79-yard scoring drive came after the Titans' Ryan Radtke (Sr. • Peshtigo) intercepted a Minnesota State University pass at the UW-Oshkosh 21-yard line.

Minnesota State University (2-1) tied the score at 7-7 on Nick Wilson's 27-yard pass interception for a touchdown at the 3:37 mark of the opening period. The Titans fumbled away the ensuing kickoff and trailed 14-7 just 35 seconds later as Ben King tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Smith.

UW-Oshkosh cut its deficit to 14-13 when Patek hit Kyle Kubasa (Sr. • West Allis) with a nine-yard touchdown pass at the 8:51 mark of the second quarter. The touchdown capped a nine-play, 49-yard drive.

Minnesota State University went ahead 21-13 as it took the ensuing kickoff and marched 64 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. The Mavericks reached the end zone on King's 20-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Dalton with 4:54 left in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, each team scored a touchdown and missed an extra point.

UW-Oshkosh closed to within 21-19 as Andy Moriarty (Jr. • Mequon) capped a 13-play, 85-yard drive by rushing one yard for a touchdown with 9:05 left in the third period. Minnesota State University returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards and went ahead 27-19 on King's nine-yard touchdown pass to Dalton at the 7:31 mark of the frame.

UW-Oshkosh reduced its deficit to 27-22 on Lucas Raschke's (Jr. • Clintonville) 20-yard field goal with 10:32 remaining in the game. Raschke set a UW-Oshkosh record on the play by making his 30th career field goal.

Following a defensive stop, UW-Oshkosh took the football over at its own 20-yard line with 7:02 to play. However, UW-Oshkosh's attempt at an upset was quickly erased as the Mavericks' Randy Earl intercepted Patek's first-down pass and flipped the football to teammate Dan Ficcadenti who ran 10 yards for a touchdown. The score gave Minnesota State University a 33-22 lead with 6:36 left.

UW-Oshkosh had two more possessions the rest of the game, but both drives ended on misfired fourth-down plays at the Minnesota State University 45-yard line.

UW-Oshkosh totaled 372 yards of offense and 23 first downs. The Titans gained 233 yards in the air as Patek completed 20 of 34 passes, including seven for 48 yards to Moriarty and five for 99 yards to Stoltz. Moriarty also rushed 26 times for 100 yards.

Minnesota State University, a first-time opponent of UW-Oshkosh, compiled 275 yards of offense. The Mavericks had 178 yards in the air as King completed 15 of 28 passes, including four passes for 54 yards to Smith. Bryan Alberty led the Mavericks on the ground by rushing 16 times for 87 yards.

UW-Oshkosh's defense was led by the eight tackles and one pass interception of Radtke. The Titans also received six tackles from Ryan Neff (Sr. • Merrill), Eric Stenbroten (Jr. • Monticello), Scott Salvinski (Jr. • Oshkosh) and Josh Wara (Jr. • Oshkosh).

Ficcadenti had 10 tackles and one touchdown to lead Minnesota State University's defense. The Mavericks also benefited from the eight tackles of Chad Breeden, Melvin Matlock and Brandon Pete.

Counting points on nine of its 11 offensive possessions, the UW-Oshkosh football team rolled to a 57-0 season-opening victory over Ripon College on Saturday (Sept. 2) at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. UW-Oshkosh has won four straight season openers and 24 of its last 26.

UW-Oshkosh (1-0) scored eight touchdowns as Steve Levonowich (So. • Kenosha) and Andy Moriarty (Jr, • Mequon) reached the end zone twice. The Titans also received touchdowns from Joey Fisher (So. • Fond du Lac), Andy Heiman (Jr. • Clintonville), Chris Kirch (Sr. • Lake Geneva) and Kyle Kubasa (Sr. • West Allis). UW-Oshkosh got nine points from its placekickers as Lucas Raschke (Jr. • Clintonville) tallied eight and Brad Budde (Fr. • Stevens Point) one.

While UW-Oshkosh's offense was totaling 483 yards and 22 first downs, the Titans' defense was limiting Ripon College (0-1) to 187 yards of offense and 12 first downs. The Red Hawks moved just 113 yards after the first period.

Things looked bright for Ripon College early in the contest as it benefited from a fumbled UW-Oshkosh punt return to operate the game's first 10 offensive plays. The Red Hawks went 17 yards on their first possession and took the football over again as Danny Murphy recovered a mishandled UW-Oshkosh punt return at the Titans' 40-yard line.

Following Murphy's fumble recovery, Ripon College moved to the UW-Oshkosh five-yard line as Bob Faulds completed a 35-yard pass to Ryan Jahns. The Red Hawks crawled to within one yard of a touchdown on their next two plays, but couldn't get any closer as UW-Oshkosh's Jason Hartwig (Sr. • Port Washington) stopped a rushing attempt on third down while the Titans' Ryan Neff (Sr. • Merrill) sacked Faulds on fourth.

UW-Oshkosh's first offensive possession lasted only four plays as Joe Patek (Jr. • Cedarburg) capped the series with an 83-yard touchdown pass to Heiman at the 7:34 mark of the first quarter. The Titans added 10 points in the second period, including a Levonowich eight-yard touchdown run and a Raschke 30-yard field goal. Raschke's 29th career field goal tied a school record.

UW-Oshkosh exploded for 26 points within a 10-minute span of the third quarter, including touchdown runs of 50 and five yards by Moriarty. The Titans also scored on Patek's 15-yard touchdown pass to Kubasa and Levonowich's six-yard touchdown run.

The Titans picked up a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Kirch scored from two yards out and Fisher from one.

UW-Oshkosh totaled 323 yards on the ground as Moriarty gained 117 on 12 carries, Kirch 90 on 17 and Levonowich 82 on 14. Moriarty has surpassed the 100-yard mark in five of his last six games played.

In the air, UW-Oshkosh compiled 160 yards. Patek owned all 160 yards as he completed seven of 13 passes, including touchdowns. Heiman caught three passes for 99 yards, while Matt Meronk (Jr. • Wittenberg) caught two for 41 yards and Kubasa two for 20.

Ripon College gained 128 of its 187 yards in the air. Faulds completed 11 of 19 passes for 122 yards, but he threw four interceptions. The Red Hawks totaled only 59 yards on the ground, including 28 by Jahns.

UW-Oshkosh had 29 players make a tackle in the game, including Neff and and Mike Mayer (Jr. • Chilton) who compiled seven each. The Titans also received six tackles from Chris Lins (So. • Madison) and five from Eric Stenbroten (Jr. • Monticello).

UW-Oshkosh took the football away from Ripon College five times as A.J. Hollanquest (Jr. • Wausau), Kyle Radke (So. • Oshkosh), Ryan Radtke (Sr. • Peshtigo) and Spencer Schulz (So. • Menomonee Falls) intercepted passes while Dave Dejewski (Jr. • Hartland) recovered a fumble.

Ripon College had Mike Krause, Joshua Kraemer and Eric Saari each totaled six tackles in the game.

Saturday's game was the 33rd between UW-Oshkosh and Ripon College, but the first since 1987. The Titans have recorded seven straight victories over the Red Hawks to lead the all-time series by a 15-12-6 count. Ripon College has been outscored 128-0 in its last three games against UW-Oshkosh.

The UW-Oshkosh football team made some big strides during the 2005 campaign as head coach Phil Meyer guided the Titans to their best season since 1976.

UW-Oshkosh fashioned a 7-3 record a year ago and ranked third in the WIAC standings with a 4-3 mark. The Titans went unbeaten in their three non-conference games last season, including a 27-13 win over eventual NCAA Division III Playoff participant Albion College (Mich.), and ousted WIAC enemies UW-Stout, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire for its highest victory count in league play since 1991.

This fall, UW-Oshkosh returns 37 lettermen that are committed to keep the Titans near the top of the WIAC standings. If successful in their mission, UW-Oshkosh would not only enjoy consecutive winning seasons for the first time since going 8-2 in 1968 and 6-4 in 1969, but also be a threat in the 2006 WIAC championship race.

UW-Oshkosh enters its 112th intercollegiate season with 13 seniors on its roster. Back for their final collegiate seasons are offensive guard Pete Caruso (Oak Creek), offensive tackle Shawn Dahlke (Appleton), tight end Ben Grows (Cedarburg), defensive tackle Jason Hartwig (Port Washington), offensive tackle Brandon Houle (Oshkosh), running back Chris Kirch (Lake Geneva), tight end Kyle Kubasa (West Allis), free safety Jason Manikowski (Cudahy), defensive end Ryan Neff (Merrill), cornerback Ryan Radtke (Peshtigo), offensive tackle Dan Roth (Oconomowoc), linebacker Dustin Stumpf (Neenah) and offensive guard Joe Zander (Columbus).

In all, UW-Oshkosh returns eight starters on offense and eight on defense. The Titans also inherit their placekicking specialist of the past two seasons. Among the starters missing from last season is tight end Bob Docherty who signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs following the 2006 National Football League Draft.

Offensive starters back for the Titans are Dahlke, Houle, Zander, junior running back Tyler Jandrin (Casco), junior running back Andy Moriarty (Mequon), junior quarterback Joe Patek (Cedarburg), junior center Joe Schmitz (Menomonee Falls) and junior wide receiver Steve Stoltz (Greendale). Dahlke has started all 30 games for UW-Oshkosh the past three seasons, while Schmitz owns 22 career starts, Stoltz 20 and Zander 18.

Defensive starters returning for UW-Oshkosh are Manikowski, Neff, Radtke, junior linebacker Dave Dejewski (Hartland), junior cornerback Bryan Kent (River Hills), junior strong safety Scott Salvinski (Oshkosh), junior defensive tackle Ryan Schaffner (Germantown) and junior linebacker Eric Stenbroten (Monticello). Manikowski has started all 30 games for the Titans the past three years, while Neff owns 28 career starts and Radtke and Salvinski 20 each.

UW-Oshkosh’s kicking game is led by the return of junior placekicker Lucas Raschke (Clintonville), a starter for the Titans the past 20 contests. In 2004, Raschke gained All-WIAC first team and NCAA Division III All-America second team recognition.

This year’s roster features several celebrated performers from the 2005 season. Earning All-WIAC first team accolades for the Titans were Moriarty, Neff, Stenbroten and Zander.

Moriarty played in nine of the Titans’ 10 games this past year and still rushed for a school-record 1,349 yards and 10 touchdowns. Moriarty, who also caught a team-leading 25 passes for 256 yards, led the WIAC by averaging 178.3 all-purpose yards per game. He also ranked second in the league by averaging 149.9 rushing yards per game and fourth in scoring by averaging 6.9 points per contest. Moriarty rushed for over 121 yards in six games, including a NCAA Division III-record 59 times for a school-record 316 yards during UW-Oshkosh’s 24-18 overtime win over UW-Eau Claire. He also rushed 36 times for 245 yards in UW-Oshkosh’s 30-28 win over UW-Platteville.

Neff totaled 58 tackles this past year, including 13 for a loss and six quarterback sacks. He ranked second in the WIAC in quarterback sacks and fifth in tackles for a loss. Neff counted 13 tackles during UW-Oshkosh’s 13-10 overtime loss to UW-River Falls and nine during the Titans’ 24-18 overtime win over UW-Eau Claire. His outstanding play helped the Titans hold opponents to just 111.9 yards per game rushing, the second-best mark in the WIAC.

Stenbroten compiled 76 tackles this past year, including 23.5 for a loss and nine quarterback sacks to lead the WIAC in both categories. He also recovered two fumbles and intercepted one pass. Stenbroten totaled 15 tackles during UW-Oshkosh’s 36-7 loss to UW-Whitewater and 13 tackles during UW-Oshkosh’s 13-10 overtime loss to UW-River Falls.

Zander anchored an offensive line that helped UW-Oshkosh average 346.3 yards and 24.5 points per game. The Titans ranked fourth in the league in rushing offense and fifth in total offense.

All-WIAC second team honors in 2005 went to UW-Oshkosh’s Manikowski and Schmitz.

Manikowski compiled a team-leading 82 tackles this past year. He also intercepted three passes. Manikowski totaled 13 tackles and one pass interception in UW-Oshkosh’s 27-13 win over Albion College and 11 tackles in the Titans’ 36-7 loss to UW-Whitewater.

Schmitz joined Zander as an integral part of the Titans’ offensive line.

D3football.com presented NCAA Division III All-West Region awards in 2005 to Moriarty as a second-team selection and Stenbroten as a third-team choice.