Oilers Win in Overtime, 43-42 Over #22 Wayne State
The University of Findlay football team defeated #22 Wayne State University by a score of 43-42 in overtime on Saturday, November 12 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Oilers battled the Warriors all day long and eventually took their first lead at 35-28 when junior running back Monterae Williams scampered into the end zone from eight yards out with 2:41 to play in regulation. The lead was short-lived however as Mickey Mohner hit Troy Burrell with a 59-yard touchdown strike on the first play of the ensuing possession.
In overtime, the Warriors scored on a 15-yard run by Josh Renel to begin the extra session, but the Oilers answered with a one-yard plunge from Williams. Never shying from a gutsy call, head coach Rob Keys instructed his team to go for the two-point conversion and the Oilers succeeded when sophomore tight end Jaryd Brown hauled in a pass from junior quarterback Clay Belton to give Findlay the victory.
Belton finished the game by completing a season-high 27-of-40 passing attempts for 280 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 35 yards on six carries during the win.
Sophomore wide receiver Seth White hauled in a career-high 11 receptions for 111 yards and a two scores while Brown set a new career-high with nine catches for 145 yards and a score.
White also threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Brown, connected on five point-after-attempts and averaged 34.0 yards per punt.
Red-shirt freshman wide receiver Nathan Morris registered three receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown while Williams finished the game with 28 carries for 96 yards and two scores.
Defensively, three Oilers had double digit tackle numbers as sophomore linebacker Kenny Klatt (11), red-shirt freshman linebacker Torrence Garland (10) and junior linebacker Brandon Bulter (10) led the team on the day.
Junior defensive tackle Richard Sumlin made two sacks while senior defensive back Isaiah Ballard picked off a pass.
Ballard also totaled four tackles and accumulated 31 yards on punt returns and 26 more on kickoff returns.
Mohner threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns for Wayne State while Burrell caught five passes for 166 yards and two scores in the contest.
As a team, the Oilers churned out 490 total yards and converted 53 percent (8-of-15) of their third down attempts in the win.
The Oilers, who finished last season with only one win, end the 2011 campaign with a 6-5 record. They also posted a 6-4 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).