OSHKOSH, Wis.- For the first time since 2018, the UW-Oshkosh football team defeated UW-La Crosse on Saturday (Oct. 12), holding the Eagles to just three points in the second half in the 34-33 win.
 
The Titans (3-2, 1-1 WIAC), ranked No. 20 in the nation by D3football.com and 23rd by the American Football Coaches Association, scored first with a rushing touchdown in the first quarter. The Eagles (2-3, 0-2 WIAC), ranked No. 12 and 18, then scored 23 unanswered points and entered halftime with a 30-14 lead. After a field goal for La Crosse at the start of the third quarter, scoring was all Titans, adding another rushing touchdown and two passing.  
 
Oshkosh's 377 total offense yards closely followed La Crosse's 392. The Eagles led 142-88 in rushing yards while the Titans held a 289-250 edge through the air. UW-Oshkosh went six-of-14 on third down chances and three-of-four on fourth down, scoring all four times they entered the red zone.
 
Cole Warren (Fr. • Roscoe, Ill.) completed 26 of his 42 passing attempts for a season high 289 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 24 rushing yards on six attempts with another score.
 
Receiving, Trae Tetzlaff (Sr. • Waukesha) caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns while Dan Fynaardt (Sr. • Waukesha) recorded 64 yards and a score on four receptions.
 
The Titans' fourth touchdown was scored by Justice Lovelace (So. • Kenosha), who rushed 16 times for 45 yards. He also caught five passes for 74 yards.
 
UW-Oshkosh received the opening kickoff and marched 89 yards down the field to score and take the early lead. Lovelace punched the ball into the endzone on a 3-yard run.
 
UW-La Crosse tied the score late in the first quarter on 1-yard run and took the lead in the second quarter by scoring on a 3-yard run, a safety and a 6-yard pass. Warren and Tetzlaff connected for a 23-yard touchdown with 3:40 remaining in the first half after a muffed punt return was recovered by Kenny Satori (So. • Denmark) at the La Crosse 28-yard line. The Eagles scored once more with 34 seconds in the half, making the score 30-14.
 
La Crosse received the second half's opening kickoff and was held to a field goal, its only score of the half. Warren capped off an 8-play, 90-yard possession with a 3-yard touchdown run with 4:51 left in the third quarter and the Titans cut the deficit to 33-20 entering the final quarter.
 
Connor Lund (Sr. • Rhinelander) intercepted Eagles quarterback Kyle Haas early in the fourth quarter, returning the ball six yards to the Oshkosh 41-yard line. The Titans then ate up nearly six minutes of game clock, scoring when Warren threw to an open Fynaardt under the uprights. A quick three-and-out for La Crosse was made up of two short rushing attempts and a sack for Curtis Jaskulke (Jr. • Stoughton), forcing a punt. Oshkosh then took three minutes and 10 plays to again reach the endzone and take the lead on Nolan Mobley's (Sr. • Oak Creek) extra-point. The Eagles regained control of the ball with 1:01 remaining on the clock and converted two fourth downs before stalling out at the Oshkosh 24-yard line. La Crosse kicker Michael Stack just missed the field goal attempt to the left as time expired, sealing the upset win for the Titans.
 
The Titans will remain at home, playing No. 11/11 UW-Platteville (5-0, 2-0 WIAC) on homecoming at 1:35 p.m. next Saturday (Oct. 19). Oshkosh is 54-49-4 all-time against the Pioneers and has won eight of the last 10 matchups between the two teams.