UW-Oshkosh comes up short in title game
Titans’ offense is shut down in title matchup
Salem, Va. – As usual, UW-Oshkosh’s defense performed superbly.
Mary Hardin-Baylor’s defense was just a little better.
The result was a hard-fought 10-7 victory for the Crusaders in the Stagg Bowl on Friday night, denying the Titans in their first bid for the NCAA Division III football championship.
“We lost to the best team in the country, 10-7,” Oshkosh coach Pat Cerroni said. “We have nothing to hang our heads about.
“Give all the credit to Mary Hardin-Baylor’s defense. They have the best defensive team in the country, no doubt about it.”
It was the first national championship for the Crusaders (15-0), who knocked off perennial champion Mount Union in the semifinals. UMHB lost to Linfield in 2004, the last time Mount Union did not appear in the title game.
Oshkosh (13-2) won a defensive battle the week before in dispatching John Carroll, 10-3. This time they were on the other end of it, unable to cope with the speed of UMHB’s defenders and a stout line.
The Titans entered the game with an average of 264 yards rushing per game but were completely shut down by the Crusaders’ speed on the edges and stout defensive line. In 29 carries, Oshkosh managed a total of only 30 yards rushing and finished with a meager total offensive output of 215 yards.
“I believe in the old adage that defense wins championships,” said UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg. “We’re very proud of our defense. We knew this would be a tough game. Oshkosh is so good on both sides of the ball.”
It was not easy for Oshkosh to hold the Crusaders to 10
points because quarterback Blake Jackson showed why he was considered the most dynamic player at his position in Division III. Jackson rushed for 119 yards and passed for 171 more, giving him 290 of UMBH’s total of 332 yards.
“There were a ton of great athletes on the field tonight but No. 7 (Jackson) is exceptional,” Cerroni said. “He has done that all year.”
The Titans had one last chance to try to pull the game out after UMHB kicker John Mowery missed a 19-yard field goal attempt with 2:23 remaining. They drove to the Crusaders’ 35, but quarterback Brett Kasper was picked off on a pass over the middle by linebacker Matt Cody and that did it.
Things looked much brighter at the beginning of the game for Oshkosh, which drove 64 yards in nine plays on its first possession for a 7-0 lead. The big play of that drive was a 39-yard strike over the middle from Kasper to wide receiver C.J. Blackburn. The Titans went to the wildcat formation on the goal line, with tailback Dylan Hecker taking direct snaps on three consecutive plays, scoring from 2 yards out.
But that was the last hurrah for the Titans’ offense. They would manage only 151 yards of offense the rest of the game and failed twice on fourth down deep in UMHB territory, going for it rather than trying field goals into the wind.
“Their defensive line played great,” said Hecker, who finished with only 29 yards on 13 carries. “We had some success on the first drive. After that, they played better and figured us out a little bit.”
Mary Hardin-Baylor responded to that opening touchdown with a timeconsuming, 20-play drive that took 8:23 off the clock. The Crusaders had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Mowery, however, cutting the lead to 7-3.
The next time the Crusaders had the ball, Oshkosh cornerback A.J. Plewa picked off a Jackson pass on the right sideline at midfield. The Titans drove to the 25, but rather than try a 42-yard field goal into the wind, they went for it on fourth and 10 and Kasper was sacked.
Mary Hardin-Baylor moved quickly down the field, covering 75 yards in only 11 plays as Jackson’s elusiveness and strength as a runner was on full display. Jackson covered the final 21 yards on three keepers, lunging over from a yard out to put the Crusaders up, 10-7.
Oshkosh tried to answer before the half, driving to the Crusaders’ 23 with just over a minute remaining. Kasper tried to go over the middle to his favorite target, wide receiver Sam Mentkowski, but safety Jaedon Johnson stepped in front on the 1-yard line for the interception.
Mentkowski broke his collarbone for the second time this season in the second half, badly hurting Oshkosh’s chances. With other receivers banged up, Kasper had to work to complete passes, finishing 20 of 33 for 185 yards with two interceptions.
“We held them to 10 points; that’s pretty good,” Cerroni said. “If you like offense, this wasn’t the game you wanted to see. It was a defensive battle.
“We weren’t just satisfied to be here. We wanted to win the game. Their defense just played a little better than ours.”