Oilers Host Chargers in Final Home Game
The University of Findlay football team (5-4, 5-3) will be at home for the final time this season on Saturday, November 5 when they face Hillsdale College (6-2, 6-3). The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest is scheduled to begin at 12 pm in 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 trail in the all-time series against 15-7 dating back to the 1925 campaign when the Chargers were victorious by a score of 18-0.
Last season, Hillsdale topped Findlay by a score of 31-3 at Muddy Waters Stadium.
Monterae Williams led the offense with 71 yards on 17 carries while Ray Ballard registered 26 yards on four carries.
John Soli completed 12-of-21 passes for 90 yards with an interception as Dustin Zielaskiewicz and DaJerrian Smith recorded five catches apiece.
Zielaskiewicz had 44 yards receiving while Smith totaled 37.
Defensively, Richard Sumlin and Kenny Klatt led the team with nine tackles apiece.
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 5-4 start with a 5-3 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 fell 34-19 to Ashland last Saturday on the road.
Clay Belton completed 17-of-38 passing attempts for a career-high 292 yards and three touchdowns, but also set a new single game record with five interceptions in the loss.
Seth White caught a career-high nine passes for 99 yards and a score while Jaryd Brown recorded four receptions for 78 yards.
Nathan Morris caught one pass for 72 yards and a score.
Monterae Williams was held to only 35 rushing yards on 13 carries in the game.
Defensively, Isaiah Ballard registered a team-high 12 tackles while Brandon Butler had ten.
Ballard also tallied a season-high 154 kickoff return yards, which included a season-best 62-yard return.
For Findlay's 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Hillsdale Head Coach
Head coach Keith Otterbein is currently in his tenth season at the helm of the Chargers football program.
Including a very successful nine-year run with Ferris State, Otterbein has established himself as one of the GLIAC's most successful football coaches. On Sept. 5, 2009, he won his 100th career game, a distinction only one other current GLIAC head coach has. He also guided the team to a 10-3 record in 2009 and its first-ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance, which included a 27-24 win over Minnesota State-Mankato in the first round.
Following the 2009 season, Otterbein captured GLIAC Coach of the Year and Super Region 3 Coach of the Year honors. He was also recognized with those awards in 1992 and 1994 at Ferris State, firmly entrenching his place as a dean of football coaches in the GLIAC.
The Chargers
The Chargers are coming off of a 14-10 win over Northwood University last week.
Anthony Mifsud led the offense with 248 yards passing and a score while also rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Brad Spencer gained 97 yards on the ground while Nick Hixson recorded four catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Devin Moynihan led the defense with 11 tackles and a forced fumble while Skyler Davis had four stops and an interception in the win.
For Hillsdale's 2011 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Hillsdale's 2011 roster, please click on the following link:
Forcing Turnovers
The Oilers are currently fifth in the GLIAC with a +6 advantage in the turnover column. The total is also the 30th best mark in the nation.
Churning Out Rushing Yards
The Oilers are ranked third in the GLIAC and are 28th in the nation in rushing yards per game at 209.2.
Individually, junior running back Monterae Williams ranks second in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game at 125.8 per contest, which is also the 11th best mark nationally.
Getting In the End Zone
Junior running back Monterae Williams has scored 17 touchdowns this season, the second best total in the GLIAC.
Wiliams has found the end zone 16 times on the ground and one other time through the air. His touchdown total is the fourth best in the nation.
Making Stops
Junior linebacker Brandon Butler ranks fourth in the conference in tackles per game at 9.2.
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard is fifth with 8.9 tackles per game while senior defensive back Donte Johnson is 18th at 7.6 stops per contest.
Knocking the Ball Loose
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard currently leads the GLIAC and all of NCAA Division II football in forced fumbles with six on the season.
Ballard has also recovered four fumbles, which is also the best mark in the GLIAC as well as the fourth best total in the nation.
Junior linebacker Brandon Butler has also benefited from Ballard and ranks seventh in the GLIAC with two fumble recoveries on the year.
Making Plays in the Return Game
The Oilers currently rank third in the GLIAC in punt return average at 11.2. They also rank second in the league and 25th nationally in kick return average, gaining 23.2 yards per attempt.
Individually, junior Demetrius Trapps ranks second in the GLIAC and 25th in the nation in punt return average at 12.2 while senior Isaiah Ballard is third in the GLIAC in kick return average at 29.1, the 13th best mark in the nation.
Moving the Chains
The Oilers are averaging 21.6 first downs per game, the fourth best total in the GLIAC. They are also ranked seventh in time of possession, controlling the ball for 29:17 per game.
3 Points
Freshman kicker Zack Housholder is currently tenth in the GLIAC with six field goals.
Defending the Pass
The Oilers have picked off ten passes on the year, the fifth best mark in the GLIAC.
GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard was tabbed the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Oilers 35-31 win at Lake Erie College on October 22.
Ballard earned the honor by returning four kicks for 152 yards. Ballard averaged 38.0 yards per return and had a season-high 53-yard gain on a return in the second quarter.
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 September 24.
Ballard had a big hand in the Oilers forcing six turnovers as he caused three fumbles and returned one 39-yards for a score.
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.
Williams has rushed for 1,132 yards in nine games this season and trails Nelson Boldon, who rushed for 1,351 yards in 1979, for the fifth highest single season total in school history.
For his career, Williams has rushed for 3,176 yards, which is the fifth best mark in school history.
He is chasing Robert Campbell (2000-03), who rushed for 3,262 yards, for fourth place all-time.
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: