Oilers Looking For 1st Win, Host Tiffin On Saturday
The University of Findlay football team (0-2, 0-01 will host Tiffin University (0-2, 0-1) on Saturday, September 17. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest is scheduled to begin at 12 pm inside Donnell Stadium.
Special Events
Fricker's will be providing free food for the first 750 fans to purchase a ticket to the Oilers football game against Tiffin on Saturday, September 17. Gates will open at 10:30 am with kickoff scheduled for 12 pm at Donnell 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 hold a commanding 18-1 advantage in the all-time series dating back to the 1986 campaign when Findlay defeated Tiffin by a score of 35-3.
Last year, the Oilers defeated the Dragons 10-7 at Frost Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin, Ohio.
Monterae Williams led the offense with a career-high 39 carries for 171 yards and also caught two passes for 17 yards as well.
Zach Tate completed 10-of-20 passes for 120 yards while Steve Winner made two receptions for 34 yards in the win.
Defensively, the Oilers received an outstanding game from Craig Hoying, who set a school record with four sacks in the game.
Hoying, who made seven total tackles and 5.5 stops for a loss in the win, eclipsed the mark of 3.5 sacks set by Mike Roach against the Dragons in 2008.
Kenny Klatt had a team-high nine tackles while Mark Johnson tallied seven stops, one interception and one sack.
Head Coach Rob Keys
Rob Keys is currently in his first year as the head coach of the Oilers football team and has his squad off to a 0-2 start 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 fell 30-23 in double overtime against Northern Michigan last week.
As a team, the Oilers registered 484 yards of total offense on a school record 107 plays. They gained 197 yards on the ground and 287 in the air.
Clay Belton finished the game by completing 26-of-52 passes for 287 yards, but tossed four interceptions in the loss. His 52 passes broke the single game of 49 set by Anthony Lanzara against Saginaw Valley State University in 2008.
Monterae Williams carried 25 times for 143 yards and a score while Alex Kovach hauled in a career-high six receptions for 108 yards.
Defensively, Richard Sumlin had 12 tackles, which included 0.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss.
Brandon Butler registered ten tackles while Isaiah Ballard had six tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and four passes defensed.
For Findlay's 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Tiffin Head Coach
Head coach Gary Goff is in his first year as the head coach at Tiffin University and has his Dragons off to a 0-2 start.
Goff came to the Dragons after a highly successful season at West Virginia Wesleyan. Goff, who served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wesleyan, led the team from a 2-8 season in 2009 to a 9-2 mark in 2010, tying the most wins in school history in the process. The team was ranked nationally for the first time in school history while breaking 12 offensive school records.
Prior to West Virginia Wesleyan, Goff coached at Princeton University where he was the Pass Game Coordinator and Receivers Coach. He was also Co-Offensive Coordinator and Receivers Coach at New Mexico State University for four seasons where he helped lead the team to a ranking of 2nd nationally in passing offense and 3rd nationally in total offense. That team also broke 21 offensive school records while ranking 15th in the nation in scoring offense. Goff also coached the nation's top receiver, two-time All-American Chris Williams, who later signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Goff, who has been offensive coordinator for three different teams, also served in that capacity at Iowa Wesleyan University. He also coached for two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana University, helping that squad to lead the nation in total offense.
Goff played for powerful NCAA Division II Valdosta State under Hal Mumme. Goff was a receiver/kick returner and was also team captain his senior year, leading the team to the Gulf South Conference Championship in 1996. That squad also earned an NCAA play-off berth and the nation's top ranking during the regular season.
The Dragons
Tiffin University is off to a 0-2 start and fell 55-0 to Wayne State University last weekend.
James Capello completed 22 of 37 passes for 148 yards and one interception during the loss.
Kody David led the Dragons defense with seven tackles, while Mike Virgin and Logan Kaminski added six tackles apiece.
For Tiffin's 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Tiffin's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Total Offense:
The Oilers are averaging 433.0 yards per game, the fourth best mark in the GLIAC and the 35th best in the nation.
Keeping Them Out Of The End Zone:
The Oilers rank fourth in the GLIAC in points allowed as their opponents are scoring only 22.0 points per game.
Churning Out Rushing Yards:
The Oilers currently rank third in the GLIAC and 27th in the nation in rushing yards per game at 208.0. Individually, junior running back Monterae Williams leads the GLIAC in rushing yards per game at 143.5.
His total is also the 11th best nationally.
Sticky Hands:
Red-shirt sophomore tight end leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 6.0 receptions per game. On the season, Brown has caught 12 passes for 148 yards and a score.
Air Attack:
Junior quarterback Clay Belton ranks third in the GLIAC in passing yards per game at 225.0.
Vertical Threat:
Junior wide receiver Alex Kovach ranks sixth in the league in receiving yards per game at 78.5 while teammate Jaryd Brown, a red-shirt sophomore tight end, ranks seventh with 74.0 receiving yards per contest.
Getting Good Field Position:
The Oilers are averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return, the third best total in the GLIAC.
The yards per return is the 26th best mark in the nation.
Making Stops:
Junior linebacker Brandon Butler ranks eighth in the conference in tackles per game at 10.0.
Junior defensive lineman Richard Sumlin checks in 12th overall with 9.5 tackles per contest.
Defending The Pass:
The Oilers currently rank first in the GLIAC in pass defense, surrendering only 106.5 yards per game through the air.
The total is also the fifth best mark nationally.
Not In My House:
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard is leading the GLIAC in passes defended as he is averaging 2.5 per game.
The total is also the sixth best in all of NCAA Division II football.
Controlling The Ball:
The Oilers are averaging 23.0 first downs per game, the best total in the GLIAC. They are also ranked third in time of possession, controlling the ball for 33:17 per game.
Breaking Records:
In the Oilers 30-23, double overtime loss to Northern Michigan on September 10, the team set a new school record by recording 107 plays.
Individually, junior quarterback Clay Belton broke the school record for most passing attempts with 52, but also tied a school record with four interceptions.
Piling Up Yards:
Junior running back Monterae Williams is 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.
This season, Williams has rushed for 287 yards in two games.
For his career, Williams has rushed for 2,331 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.
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:
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: