The Washington University football team will have to go at least another year without an NCAA playoff win, after losing in their first-round matchup to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 49-13 on Saturday.

“We never got into our rhythm,” head coach Larry Kindbom said, following a game in which the Bears struggled to put on the kind of offensive display that had characterized their regular season.

Wash. U.’s Max Barnett dives into UW-Oshkosh’s Evan Thammahong. Barnett had four tackles, two solo, for the game, which the Bears lost 49-13, ending their NCAA tournament run in the first round of competition.

The Titans came into the matchup as the fourth-ranked team in the nation, and they showed why on their opening drive. They needed just five plays to drive from their own 30-yard line to the Wash. U. five. From there, Titans senior running back Devon Linzenmeyer found a path toward the sideline for the five-yard touchdown run.

Oshkosh looked, for the most part, to keep the ball on the ground early on. The Titans handed the ball off to four separate players in the first quarter alone, finding the most success with freshman Mitch Gerhartz. With the last play of the first quarter, Gerhartz broke through to the Bears’ secondary, gaining 37 yards before being brought down by sophomore defensive back Chandler Elmore. Gerhartz started the second quarter in the same way, this time breaking through for a 24-yard gain to the Wash. U. 11-yard line. Two plays later, Gerhartz got the ball on the goal line and powered through the scrum for a two-yard score.

This time, the Bears would respond, putting together their best drive of the afternoon. Senior quarterback J.J. Tomlin found sophomore receiver Matt Goldberg cutting inside from the right sideline for a 15-yard catch. Goldberg found a pocket of space and kept going toward the left side and was eventually brought down after a 37-yard gain. After gaining another first down on a short run from senior running back Austin Smestad, senior tight end Matt Page drew a pass interference call in the end zone, giving the Bears a first-and-goal on the one-yard line. Smestad got the handoff and punched through the pile on the goal line to bring Wash. U. within one score.

After that drive, however, the game began to slip away.

“When we made it 14-7, we felt like we could get right back into the game,” Kindbom said. “But they went right back and scored.”

On the second play of the next Titans drive, coverage broke down in the Bears’ secondary, leaving senior Johnny Eagan open for a 57-yard touchdown.

After Wash. U. was forced to punt again on the next possession, Oshkosh went back to the running game. Once again, Gerhartz broke through for a big gain, this time going for 47 before being forced out of bound at the Wash. U. 1 by a diving Dylan Newcomb, a senior defensive back. The Titans’ offensive line continued to open up holes and provided Linzenmeyer with a huge lane for another touchdown run, which brought the score to 28-7.

Playing in frigid 30-degree weather, with winds as high as 18 miles per hour, the Wash. U. offense struggled to find any of the big aerial gains it usually relies on. On the next drive, Tomlin looked to find Page over the middle of the field, but the ball was underthrown, partly due to gusting winds pushing the ball the other direction. The Titans were able to intercept the off-target throw.

Kindbom, however, did not believe that the conditions were the reason for his team’s overall performance.

“We never used [the weather] as an excuse,” he said. “At the beginning of the week, we saw it was going to be cold and windy. That’s part of the game. It affects both teams, and they coped better.”

Senior defensive back Nick Annin slides into a UW-Oshkosh player to try and cut their lead. Annin had eight tackles, seven solo, for the game.

Oshkosh tacked on one more score before the end of the half. This time, junior quarterback Brett Kasper threw a screen in the backfield to sophomore wide reciever Dom Todarello, who ran the ball down the sideline for a nine-yard touchdown, bringing the halftime score to 35-7.

The Bears came into the second half with a lot of work ahead of them, but could not seem to find any momentum. After driving to the 22-yard line, Tomlin threw for the end zone, where the ball was first tipped and then intercepted. The Titans took the ball at their own two-yard line and went on a 17-play, 98-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a two-yard rush.

The Titans effectively ended the game on their next drive. Wide receiver Riley Kallas took the ball on a quick screen pass and broke several tackles down the left sideline, weaving past defenders for a 45-yard touchdown that brought the score to 49-7.

The Bears would at least be able to find the end zone one more time before the game ended. Senior wide receiver Kevin Hammarlund, who finished with 13 catches for 116 yards, set Wash. U. up on the Oshkosh eight-yard line with a one-handed catch. Tomlin then finally connected with Page, who bobbled the ball initially but managed to reel it in for the score—his only reception of the day. Tomlin finished the day 23-for-40 for 221 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Junior kicker Dan Kalvaitis’ extra point was blocked to cap the scoring.

For the Bears, Saturday saw a successful season come to a disappointing end.

“We didn’t play our football,” Kindbom said. “They ran the ball very well and were big and strong up front.”

Despite graduating a highly talented senior class, including the most statistically prolific quarterback in program history with Tomlin, Kindbom remains optimistic for the future.

“Every year, we graduate a lot of seniors—it’s something we have to cope with every year,” he said. “We always take the first couple weeks [of the offseason] just to process and start getting bigger, stronger and faster.”

The Bears finish the season with an 8-3 record and are still yet to win an NCAA playoff game.