Oilers Looking For 3rd Straight Win, Battle Indianapolis
The University of Findlay football team (2-2, 2-1 will hit the road on Saturday, October 1 to face the University of Indianapolis (2-2, 1-2). The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest is scheduled to begin at 6 pm in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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 Indianapolis 10-5 dating back to the 1955 season when they defeated then Indiana Central by a score of 41-7.
Last year, the Greyhounds defeated Findlay 20-3 at Donnell Stadium.
Findlay turned the ball over four times in the game and managed only 85 yards of total offense. The Greyhounds meanwhile racked up 299 yards of total offense and escaped the game with no turnovers.
The Oilers have lost their last six games against the Greyhounds with their last victory coming in 14-10 fashion during the 2002 campaign.
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 2-2 start with a 2-1 record in the GLIAC 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 won 26-20 at Grand Valley State last weekend to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Lakers.
The Oilers forced six turnovers in the win and were led by Monterae Williams, who finished with 96 yards and two scores on 22 carries.
Clay Belton passed for 150 yards and racked up 60 more yards on the ground.
Seth White caught a career-high eight passes for 63 yards as well.
Defensively, Donte Johnson led the team with 11 tackles while Isaiah Ballard and Bryan Womack recorded ten stops apiece.
Ballard also forced two fumbles and recovered another, which he returned 39-yards for a touchdown.
Zack Housholder kicked two field goals in the win as well for the Oilers.
For Findlay's 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Indianapolis Head Coach
Head coach Bob Bartolomeo is currently in his second season at the helm of the Indianapolis football program.
Last season, Bartolomeo led his team to a 6-5 record.
He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Indy for six seasons before taking over as head coach.
With 35 years of experience, primarily in central Indiana, Bartolomeo has coached at nearly every level, from high school to Division II to Division I bowl games.
The Greyhounds
The Greyhounds are coming off of a 28-16 loss at Michigan Tech last Saturday.
Chris Mills passed for 125 yards and a score while Rob Doyle passed for a touchdown as well to go along with 101 yards.
Ryan Forney caught eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Nate Jackson and Jerrett Ban led the defense with 11 and ten tackles, respectively.
The Greyhounds have not committed a turnover in 25 consecutive quarters dating back to last year. They are the only team in Division II without a turnover this season.
For Indianapolis' 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Indianapolis' 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Total Offense
The Oilers are averaging 419.5 yards per game, the fifth best mark in the GLIAC and the 40th best in the nation.
Forcing Turnovers
The Oilers currently lead the GLIAC with a plus-eight advantage in the turnover column. The total is also the fourth best mark in the nation.
Churning Out Rushing Yards
The Oilers currently rank third in the GLIAC and 20th in the nation in rushing yards per game at 233.2.
Individually, junior running back Monterae Williams leads the GLIAC in rushing yards per game at 133.0 per contest, which is also the sixth best mark nationally.
Air Attack
Junior quarterback Clay Belton ranks tenth in the GLIAC in passing yards per game at 186.2.
Making Stops
Junior linebacker Brandon Butler ranks sixth in the conference in tackles per game at 9.2.
Defending The Pass
The Oilers currently rank first in the GLIAC and 14th in the nation in pass defense, surrendering only 150.0 yards per game through the air.
The team has also picked off six passes on the year, the second best mark in the GLIAC.
Individually, senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard ranks fifth in the league in passes defensed with five while junior defensive back Bryan Womack checks in third with two interceptions.
Knocking The Ball Loose
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard currently leads the GLIAC and all of NCAA Division II football in forced fumbles with four on the season.
Junior linebacker Brandon Butler and Ballard have also been a beneficiary of the Oilers knack of knocking the ball loose and rank first in the GLIAC with two recovered fumbles apiece.
Their totals are also the 12th best nationally.
Pinning Them Deep
Sophomore Seth White ranks sixth in the conference in punting yards per attempt, averaging 39.3 yards per kick.
His average per punt is also the 40th best in the nation.
Defense Wins Championships
The Oilers currently rank sixth in the GLIAC in total defense, allowing only 341.8 yards per game.
Moving The Chains
The Oilers are averaging 23.0 first downs per game, the second best total in the GLIAC. They are also ranked fourth in time of possession, controlling the ball for 31:24 per game.
Dual Threat
Junior quarterback Clay Belton ranks ninth in the conference in total yardage, racking up 210.2 yards per game.
3 Points
Freshman kicker Zack Housholder is currently tied for second in the GLIAC and ranks 13th in the nation with six field goals.
He is chasing the single season school record of 14, set by Cameron Stevens in 2009.
GLIAC & National Defensive Player Of The Week
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard was tabbed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and NCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Oilers 26-20 win at Grand Valley State University on Saturday, September 24.
Ballard had a big hand in the Oilers defense forcing six turnovers as he caused three fumbles and returned one 39-yards for a touchdown.
The Toledo, Ohio native also notched a season-high ten tackles and made one stop behind the line of scrimmage in the victory.
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 532 yards in four games.
For his career, Williams has rushed for 2,576 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, which is 445 yards more than Williams' total.
Nelson Boldon (1977-80) is the all-time leader in rushing yards at UF. He accumulated 4,009 yards during his tenure with the Oilers.
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.
Links
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: