Story, photo courtesy of Micigan Tech Athletics

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- The Michigan Tech football team put together its most complete game of the season in a 44-7 thrashing of No. 13 UW-Oshkosh at Titan Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Michigan Tech completes the nonconference slate 3-1 while UW-Oshkosh suffered its first loss of the season, with the Huskies spoiling the Titans final game of their three-game homestand.

"It was great to get the win against a good football team. This was the first time all fall that I felt we had the advantage up front on both sides of the football," Tech head coach Dan Mettlach said. "I thought our guys played Michigan Tech football today and I'm proud of that."

UWO received the ball first with the Huskies deferring to the second half, The Titans trekked 43 yards in 6:09 ending in a 40-yard field goal attempt that was altered by the Huskies. MTU established the run game in their opening drive with runs from sophomore Jake Rueff and a 22-yard rush by quarterback Alex Bueno, making his first appearance for the Black & Gold.

Defense was the key for both teams in the first quarter as neither team produced points.

The Huskies figured out the Titans in the second quarter, producing 10 first downs compared to zero by the opposition while putting up 23 points—the most offensive output in a quarter this season. Defensively, the Huskies allowed a stingy three yards on eight plays. 

Rueff amassed 52 rushing yards in MTU's first scoring drive–with his longest of the drive being for 25 yards, before finding the endzone on a seven-yard carry at the 8:53 mark of the second. 

With 3:39 to play in the first half, the Huskies began to find success through the air with quarterback Alex Fries delivering a 45-yard bomb to Brandon Michalak wide-open in the endzone in a drive that took four plays to trek 61 yards in 1:31 to make it a two-touchdown affair.

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Michigan Tech got the ball back on their 48-yard line after a squib kick was recovered by punter Brendan Lach. Rueff helped the Huskies get downfield with 28 yards gained on the ground before lightning struck twice with Fries hitting Michalak on a similar play this time being a 30-yard bomb into the endzone for Michalak's second touchdown of the day making it 20-0 and silencing a crowd of 1,949 at Titan Stadium.

The Huskies got the ball back with 41 seconds in the half after the UW-Oshkosh quarterback threw an interception to Chase Koch, the first of his career, on their second play of the drive. Avery Kucharski connected on a field goal from 28 yards with two seconds left in the half to make it 23-0 heading into halftime.

Neither team could find the endzone on their opening drives in the second half. However, a desperate Titans team took 5:55 to go 63 yards and couldn't convert on fourth down allowing Michigan Tech to once again spread the field.

In 1:55 Tech ventured 83 in four plays with two runs by Rueff totaling 20 yards and two receptions for Darius Willis, his second being the longest touchdown pass of the day for Fries (46 yards) to make it a 30-0 affair after the extra point by Avery Kucharski.

The Titans continued to struggle with the Huskies' defense earning 28 yards in nine plays only to be halted by an interception by Josh Cribben which was followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the UW-Oshkosh. The interception with the penalty set the Huskies on the Titan's 13-yard line with Asher Gregory earning a 12-yard run and then two plays later a one-yard rush to the endzone pushing the score to 37-0.

After another scoreless drive by the home team, the Huskies began to look to their reserves to make plays down the stretch. Bueno, who to this point had made a name for himself with his legs, found redshirt freshman Ethan Hull down the home sideline for the longest touchdown of the day going 71 yards to the house.

UW-Oshkosh got on the scoreboard in the final 2:40 of regulation going 73 yards in eight plays capped by a two-yard rush by Tristian Taylor, although the game was already decided as the Huskies kneeled out to take the 44-7 victory.

Dante Basanese led the Huskies with 13 total tackles (seven solo, six assisted) and Owen Watson finished with nine total tackles. 

Fries threw for 127 yards on nine-for17 and three touchdowns. Bueno rushed for 46 yards and threw for 75 yards and his first career touchdown. Willis (76), Michalak (75) and Hull (71) each had over 70 yards receiving. Rueff had a coming-out party with 137 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

The Huskies take a much-deserved bye week and shift their focus to GLIAC play hosting Wayne State on Oct. 5 for Homecoming and the 50-year reunion of the 1974 undefeated team.