STEVENS POINT, Wis. - The nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans (No. 9 according to
D3football.com and No. 14 according to the
AFCA coaches poll) traveled to Stevens Point on Saturday (Oct. 26) to battle WIAC foe, UW-Stevens Point at Community Stadium at Goerke Park. The Titans (5-2, 3-1 WIAC) had a dominant win over the Pointers (1-6, 0-4 WIAC) by a score of 42-7.
The UW-Oshkosh accumulated 446 yards of total offense (296 through the air and 150 on the ground) against the Pointers' 339 yards of total offense, and the Titans were able to accomplish this in 17 less plays than the Pointers. Titan quarterbacks were 18-of-26 and averaged 16.4 yards per pass. The Titans committed five penalties for 45 yards against the Pointers' four penalties for 35 yards. The Titans also totaled 22 first downs compared to the Pointers' 16.
Brooks Blount (Fifth • Waukesha) started the game for the Titans at signal caller, throwing for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns, and completing 17 of his 20 pass attempts. Four different Titans hauled in touchdown passes Saturday, including tight end Cole Schwalbe (Jr. • Waukesha), who caught two passes for 67 yards and a score. The Titans were led on the ground by running back
Justice Lovelace (So. • Kenosha) and he accumulated 60 yards on eight attempts, finding pay dirt twice. Defensively, Oshkosh recorded two interceptions coming from defensive backs
Taye Derrico (Fr. • Appleton) and
Chad Gerig (Jr. • Stillman Valley, Ill.). Linebacker
Caleb Noennig (Sr. • Crystal Lake, Ill.) registered a career-high 10 total tackles in Saturday's contest (4 solo).
The Pointers muffed the game's opening kickoff and were able to recover at their own 8-yard line. The Pointers picked up a first down after two rushes from freshman quarterback Zay Segner. The Pointers continued to march down the field getting to their own 40 yard line where the drive stalled and they were forced to punt it away. The Titans received the punt and downed it at their own 26 yard line. The drive started with two big runs from Lovelace, putting the Titans in enemy territory at the 47-yard line. After a few missteps, the Titans converted on 4th-and-9 with a pass to
Cade Oiler (Sr. • Watertown) for 20 yards to get the Titans to the red zone at the 18. Blount then had a rush up the middle to get the Titans to the Pointers' 9-yard line, and then completed a pass to wideout
Trae Tetzlaff (Sr. • Waukesha) to put the Titans on the doorstep at the 5-yard line. Lovelace then punched it in for the Titans' first score of the game. Stevens Point started the next drive at its own 28. The Pointers were able to get up to Oshkosh's 45-yard line where they attempted a fake punt that was unsuccessful.
The second quarter started with the Titans punting to the Pointers and then forcing another turnover on downs to get the ball back at the Stevens Point 44. The Titans marched down the field and capped the drive off with another Lovelace touchdown, putting Oshkosh up 14-0 with 8:59 to go in the second quarter. The Pointers looked to get some offense going starting on their own 25 but were off the field in three plays after their quarterback threw an interception to Gerig. The Titans were able to strike quickly in three plays, scoring on a 25-yard touchdown pass to receiver
Londyn Little (Jr. • Columbia, Ill.), extending the Titans' lead 21-0 with 6:35 to go in the second. The Pointers again received the kickoff and started their drive at their own 25. The Pointers marched down to the Oshkosh 3-yard line, when on 3rd-and-5, their quarterback was picked off again in the back of the endzone, this time by Derrico. Oshkosh bullied itsir way down field setting up 2nd-and-1 where Blount found Jon Matthieu (Jr. • Sheboygan Falls) for a 23-yard reception to put the Titans within striking distance. The drive was capped off with a
Kellan Mella (Jr. • Plymouth) touchdown reception. Stevens Point received the kickoff and let the clock run down to head to halftime with the Titans up 28-0.
Oshkosh received the second half kickoff and ran one play offensively on which they scored on a 59-yard toss to Schwalbe to extend the lead to 35-0 with 14:42 in the third quarter. The Pointers' next drive was quick with the Titans forcing a 3-and-out. The Titans again marched right down the field and Blount tossed his fourth touchdown of the game to
Doug Burson (Jr. • Yorkville, Ill.), putting Oshkosh even further up 42-0. The next two drives ended on punts and the Pointers found the endzone early in the fourth quarter, putting the score at 42-7. The Pointers then recovered a fumble but were unable to score and had a turnover on downs. The Titans punted on their next drive and the Pointers had yet another turnover on downs on their next drive. The Titans got the ball with two minutes to go and sealed away the game, a 42-7 defeat of the Pointers.
Oshkosh is on the road again next Saturday (Nov. 2) heading to Carson Park in Eau Claire, for another conference matchup against the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds.
