Linfield University Athletics

OSHKOSH, Wis. – Luke McNabb passed for two touchdowns, ran for two scores and caught a TD pass to lead the Linfield Wildcats to an impressive 41-15 season-opening victory over the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans Saturday afternoon at J.J. Kellar Field at Titan Stadium.
 
McNabb completed 12 of 20 pass attempts for 224 yards, gained 44 yards on 12 carries, and caught a 7-yard razzle-dazzle TD from receiver Cade Welch with 3:43 left in the second quarter, staking the Wildcats a 28-9 halftime advantage.
 
Linfield (1-0) outgained UW-Oshkosh (0-1) 428-336, including a 192-103 edge on the ground. Dace O'Bagy came off the bench to rush for a game-high 94 yards on 17 carries, all in the second half. Matthew Spurbeck added 61 yards on 12 carries for the 'Cats.
 
Fifth-year senior Kenyon Johnson had a banner day at wide receiver, pulling in six McNabb aerials for 171 yards and one TD, that one coming on a 44-yard bomb down the left sideline midway through the second quarter.
 
On the game's first offensive play, Johnson and McNabb hooked up for a 49-yard strike, setting the table for Jace Swygard's 1-yard run with the game just three minutes old. McNabb added a 6-yard scamper five minutes later, giving Linfield an early 14-0 lead midway through the first period.
 
A Titans safety and a 1-yard rushing TD by quarterback Demir Ashiru cut the lead to 14-9. The Wildcats never wavered, scoring the next 24 points to open up an insurmountable 38-9 cushion 2½ minutes into the fourth quarter.
 
The Wildcats converted all six of their red-zone opportunities, controlled the time of possession, 33:48 to 26:12, and held UW-Oshkosh to 0-for-9 on third down. The Titans also went 1-for-4 on fourth down, further adding to their offensive frustrations.
 
Ashiru passed for 287 yards and ran for 64 yards on 16 carries, but the North Central transfer was sacked three times, twice by Kellen Wiggins and once by Axl Yarbrough. JJ Thompson was credited with a team-high six tackles, including four unassisted. Max Kirsch and Paavan Bankston each finished with five tackles while Elijah Bright-Lee had four stops.
 
'CAT SCRATCH
Saturday's announced attendance was 1,315. . . Johnson, a 2025 All-America cornerback, made his first career start at wide receiver. . . entering the game, Linfield's series record versus UW-Oshkosh was a less-than-stellar 0-3, including a 31-14 loss in McMinnville last season. . . prior to Saturday, the Wildcats were also 1-4 in games played in the state of Wisconsin. . . their only win in Wisconsin was over UW-Stevens Point in 2004. . . Linfield's 41 points and 428 total offensive yards were the most in a season opener since 2022. . . starting safety Brady Crenshaw was whistled for targeting with 5:44 to play in the first quarter and was disqualified from further participation. Based on new rules for targeting calls, Crenshaw will not be held out of Linfield's upcoming game Sept. 19 at Chapman.

AHEAD
As noted above, the Wildcats enjoy a week of rest before heading to Southern California in two weeks to battle the Chapman Panthers in a 7 p.m. matchup at Ernie Chapman Stadium in Orange. The last time Linfield played at Chapman was November 23, 2019, when the Wildcats absorbed an epic 68-65 triple overtime playoff setback. More recently, the 'Cats knocked off the Panthers 28-13 in the second game of the 2025 season at McMinnville's Maxwell Field.