KENOSHA, Wis. – Carthage College football will open its 2018 season this Saturday at Art Keller Field, as the Red Men welcome the fourth-ranked Titans of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at noon.
 
The match-up will showcase the Red Men, coming off back-to-back 7-3 seasons in 2016 and 2017, versus the Titans, who reached the Division III national semifinals with a 12-1 record, in the first ever meeting between the two programs.
 
Under first-year head coach Dustin Hass, who was promoted from defensive coordinator during the offseason, the Red Men will feature a veteran-laden team with 30 seniors.  Of that, 24 are on the two-deep depth chart and 16 are listed as projected starters this weekend. 
 
In 2017, Carthage's defense paced the way as the Red Men ranked seventh nationally in defensive touchdowns (5), eighth in first-down defense (138), 11th in total defense (258.9), 12th in third-down conversion percentage (.267), 21st in fourth-down conversion percentage (.286), 21st in rushing defense (91.6), 21st in team passing efficiency (101.00) and 23rd in turnovers gained (27).  Combining their takeaways with a disciplined offense, the Red Men were Division III statistical champions with a 1.60 turnover margin on the year.
 
Half of the Red Men's twelve all-conference selections from a season ago are returning in 2018, led by d3football.com all-region selection, Connor Calvert at corner back.  On the defensive side of the ball, Calvert will be defensive backfield mate Amani Dennis at safety, as well as linebacker Emmet Trost and tackle Cedrick Fry.  The offense is highlighted by wide receiver Tommy Bazarek and tight end Sean Wells, who were named first and second team respectively.   Additionally, both of the Red Men's 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients will return for their senior seasons, in quarterback Kyle Friberg and defensive end Jeremy Behnke.  Both are projected starters.
 
For Oshkosh, the Titans enter Saturday's game under 12th-year head coach Pat Cerroni, the thre-time WIAC Coach of the Year who has turned the program into a perennial national power out of the Midwest.  Oshkosh has qualified for the Division III playoffs five times in its program's history, all under Cerroni, including the past four years with a trip to the national championship game in 2016.
 
With a potent offense, the Titans ranked second nationally in passing efficiency, seventh nationally in first downs, and tenth in scoring, while leading the WIAC with 484.5 yards per game.
 
Saturday's game will be the fifth-ever against a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team, with the Red Men leading the series, which dates back to 1958, 3-1.  All four of the previous WIAC meetings featured the Carthage facing-off with UW-Platteville.
 
With a large crowd expected paired with Carthage first-year students beginning to move-in, Carthage College's Office of Public Safety will direct traffic to available parking.