Oilers Open Season At Northwood
The University of Findlay football team (0-0, 0-0) will begin the 2011 campaign on the road as they travel to Midland, Michigan on Saturday, September 3 to face Northwood University (0-0, 0-0) in a non-conference contest. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 pm in Hantz Stadium.
Sights and Sounds
All Oilers football games can be heard on 88.3 FM "WLFC" or on the internet via their web site.
You can listen to the broadcast by clicking on the following link:
The University of Findlay will also broadcast all of their home football games on America One. The games can be viewed on your computer for a small fee by visiting America One website at the following address:
UF athletics will also offer live stats for all home games. A link to this process can be retrieved by clicking on the live stats window located on the left side of the Oilers athletic website.
The Series
The Oilers currently trail in the all-time series against Northwood 10-8 dating back to the 1962 season when they defeated the Timberwolves 70-0.
The two programs last met during the 2009 campaign with Findlay coming out victorious by a score of 14-0 in Donnell Stadium.
As a team, the Oilers were out-gained 287-279 by Northwood in total yards as Findlay managed only 37 yards rushing. They did however pass for 242 as Andrew Beam completed 20-of-33 passes.
Jonathan Mora hauled in six catches for 103 yards while Dustin Zielaskiewicz made six grabs for 61 yards and a score.
Defensively, Joe Knopick was all over the field, making 17 stops to go along with one fumble recovery.
Head Coach Rob Keys
Rob Keys was hired as the head coach of the Oilers football program on December 16, 2010. He will enter his first season at the helm of the program in 2011.
Keys was previously the co-defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator for the Oilers from 2000-04.
In 2010, Keys served as the defensive backs coach at the University of New Hampshire. He helped coach the team to an 8-5 record in 2010 and a spot in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoffs. The Wildcats, who were ranked #10 in the nation, were then upended by the #5 University of Delaware Blue Hens 16-3 in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Before his time with the Wildcats, Keys spent four years as the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach at Slippery Rock University (2006-10).
Prior to his work at Slippery Rock, Keys served one season as the safeties coach and special teams coordinator at Indiana State University (2005) after his five-year run at Findlay.
Keys also spent three seasons coaching at his alma mater, West Virginia University, coaching running backs, special teams, tight ends, tackles, quarterbacks and wide receivers.
As a player at West Virginia, Keys was a two-year letter winner and a 1995 team co-captain. He won the Mountaineer Club Award twice (1994-95), the highest honor a West Virginia player can receive. He was also given the Scott Shirley Award for the special teams MVP in 1995 and participated in the USF&G Sugar Bowl and Carquest Bowl during his tenure as a player.
Keys graduated from West Virginia in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and then later earned his master's degree in the same field in 1998 from WVU as well.
He also obtained a post-graduate degree from the Marine Military Academy (Harlingen, Texas).
Coach Keys and his wife, Jenifer, are the parents of three daughters, Katie, Casey and Kaylee.
For Findlay's 2011 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
The Oilers
The Oilers were picked to finish fifth in the South Division of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in preseason polling.
The Oilers received 36 points in the poll, which tied them with Lake Erie College.
Junior running back Monterae Williams returns after gaining 1,107 yards in 2010.
Williams, who was an honorable mention all-conference pick last year, was the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2009.
Also returning will be junior offensive lineman Scott Dearwester, junior defensive lineman Richard Sumlin and sophomore linebacker Kenny Klatt, who all earned honorable mention all-conference accolades last year.
For Findlay's 2010 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Northwood Head Coach
Head coach Mike Sullivan is in his fourth year at the helm of the Timberwolves program and has totaled a 14-17 record during his tenure.
Sullivan has been at Northwood for the past 11 seasons, serving in a variety of capacities. He has served as the Associate Head Coach for six seasons as well as the offensive line coach.
Sullivan came to Northwood after holding the dual position of head football coach and athletic director at Pinconning High School in 1999. Prior to that role, he was an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State under former head coach Jerry Kill from 1995-99. Sullivan was SVSU's offensive line and tight ends coach during that span. He was also the recruiting coordinator and weight training co-coordinator.
The Timberwolves
Northwood was picked to finish fifth in the North Division of the GLIAC this year and ended last season with a 5-6 record.
The offense will be led by dual threat junior quarterback Aaron Shavers, who threw for 1,194 yards and 13 scores. He also tallied 985 yards rushing and ten touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, junior Spencer Remtema returns after finishing second on the team with 81 tackles.
For Northwood's 2010 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Northwood's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Piling Up Yards
Junior running back Monterae Williams enters the 2011 season as the Oilers most decorated player. In 2009, Williams was tabbed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year and also earned second team all-league honors. Last year, Williams was named honorable mention all-conference and is looking to add to his accolades this season.
During his freshman year, Williams rushed for 937 yards and six touchdowns and followed with 1,107 yards and four scores during his sophomore campaign.
For his career, Williams has rushed for 2,044 yards and will have the opportunity to crack the top-five mark in school history this season.
Nate Sprunger (1989-92) currently has the fifth best total in career rushing yards at 3,021.
Consensus Draft Services
Sophomore linebacker Kenny Klatt has been tabbed as a preseason honorable mention All-American by the Consensus Draft Services (CDSdraft.com).
As a freshman, Klatt led the Oilers with 114 tackles and averaged 10.4 stops per game to rank 14th in all of NCAA Division II football. For his efforts, he was named honorable mention all-conference.
Fast Starts
The Oilers have won their opening game in eight of the past nine seasons beginning in 2002 when the Oilers defeated Indiana University (PA) 37-34. In 2003, the Oilers defeated Tiffin University 51-31. In 2004, the Oilers defeated Tiffin University 40-21 and in 2005, the Oilers defeated Tiffin University again, 31-10. In 2006, the Oilers opened with a 25-24 victory over the University of Charleston and then shutout the Golden Eagles last year 20-0 in Donnell Stadium which was followed by a 26-0 win at Urbana University in 2008. In 2009, Findlay defeated Urbana by a score of 42-21 at home.
Dominating Non-Conference Games
The Oilers are currently 8-2 in non-conference games since entering the GLIAC during the 1998 season. Findlay has also won eight out of their last nine games against non-conference opponents dating back to the 2002 campaign.
Preseason GLIAC Coaches Poll
The Oilers were selected to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division during the 2011 season as the league office unveiled their annual preseason coaches poll on August 18.
The Oilers received 36 votes, to tie Lake Erie College.
The Oilers finished last season with a 1-10 record, which included a 1-9 mark in the GLIAC.
AFCA/NCAA Division II Poll
1. Minnesota-Duluth (28) - 15-0
2. Delta State - 11-4
3. Northwest Missouri State (1) - 12-2
4. Abilene Christian - 11-1
5. Grand Valley State - 11-2
6. North Alabama - 9-4
7. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 10-2
8. Augustana - 11-2
9T. Albany State - 11-1
9T. Bloomsburg - 10-3
11. Shepherd - 12-2
12. California (Pa.) - 10-2
13. St. Cloud State - 10-3
14. Wingate - 9-3
15. Central Missouri - 11-3
16. Nebraska-Kearney - 9-2
17. Mercyhurst - 10-3
18. Washburn - 8-4
19. West Texas A&M - 8-4
20. Valdosta State - 8-3
21. Wayne State - 9-2
22. Central Washington - 8-3
23. Kutztown - 10-2
24. Henderson State - 7-4
25T. Hillsdale - 9-3
25T. Shaw - 9-3
For complete NCAA Division II football statistics, please click on the following link:
For information about the American Football Coaches Association, please click on the following link:
For more information about NCAA Division II football, please click on the following link:
For more information on the GLIAC, please click on the following link: