Oilers Head to #10 Saginaw Valley State
The University of Findlay football team (1-0, 1-0) will head to University Center, Mich. on Saturday, Sep. 15 to battle #10 Saginaw Valley State University (2-0, 1-0). The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Coach to Cure MD
The University of Findlay football team will be participating in Coach to Cure MD for their football game at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, Sep. 15.
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) sponsored program seeks to raise awareness and money to fund research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most prolific lethal genetic disorder of childhood.
Coaches from the Oilers staff will be wearing patches on the sideline to promote this drive during their game against the Cardinals, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in University Center, Mich.
For more information, please click below:
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 the internet. You can watch the games live by clicking on the following link:
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 8-2 in the all-time series against Saginaw Valley State, but have never beaten them on the field. Both wins were credited due to forfeits by the Cardinals during the 2005 and 2007 seasons.
The Cardinals won the first game between the two programs by a score of 31-6 in 2000. The have also out-scored Findlay by a 380-114 margin in their ten meetings.
The two schools last met during the 2009 campaign as Saginaw Valley State came away with a 24-16 victory.
Andrew Beam threw for 217 yards and one touchdown while Monterae Williams recorded 77 yards on the ground.
Mike Chambers had six catches for 53 yards and also threw a touchdown pass to Dustin Zielaskiewicz, who caught six passes for 47 yards.
Head Coach Rob Keys
Rob Keys is currently in his second season as the head coach of the Oilers football team and his squad off to a 1-0 start.
Last year, Keys guided the Oilers to a 6-5 record, which included a 6-4 mark in GLIAC play. The record represented a five-win upgrade from the 2010 campaign when the Oilers crawled to a 1-10 mark.
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 2012 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
The Oilers
The Oilers began their season with a 45-10 thrashing of Northern Michigan University on Thursday, Aug. 30 at Donnell Stadium. The Oilers used a big, 21-point third quarter to blow the game open as they won their ninth opener in the past 11 years.
The Oilers racked up 522 yards of total offense in the win and averaged 7.2 yards per play. They threw for 309 yards in the game and rushed for 213 while converting 9-of-14 third down plays.
Clay Belton finished the game by going 12-of-21 for 288 yards and two scores while Monterae Williams churned out 87 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, carrying the ball 23 times.
With 87 yards rushing, Williams moved into second place all-time at UF in career rushing yards and now has 3,399 for his career.
Seth White caught four passes for 85 yards, Jaryd Brown hauled in four receptions for 73 yards and a score while Nathan Morris made three catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Lloyd Henry added two receptions for 63 yards while Daiquone Ford totaled 71 yards on 11 carries to go along with a touchdown on the ground.
For Findlay's 2012 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2012 roster, please click on the following link:
Saginaw Valley State Head Coach
Jim Collins is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Cardinal program and has his squad off to a 2-0 start.
Collins came to SVSU from Capital University (Ohio), where his teams compiled a record of 44-13 over his last five seasons and reached the NCAA Division III playoffs each of the past three years. In his 11 seasons at the helm of Capital University, turning around a football program that had not enjoyed a winning season since 1991 prior to a 7-3 finish by the Crusaders under Collins in 2001. He finished with an overall record of 66-51, setting school marks for victories in 2005 (10) and again in 2006 (11), and concluded the 2005-07 seasons ranked 5th, 3rd, and 15th nationally. His teams were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual national champion each time.
Collins was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year three times (2001, 2003 and 2006). He also won awards as the American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2005, the Football Gazette North Region Coach of the Year in 2006, and the Lee Tressel Ohio College Coach of the Year in 2006.
The Cardinals
Saginaw Valley State is currently ranked tenth in the nation as they sport a 2-0 record.
Junior quarterback Jonathan Jennings leads the team and is averaging 288.5 passing yards per game. He has also thrown six touchdowns on the season.
Jeff Janis is a favorite target of Jennings and has hauled in 18 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns in two games.
Defensively, Grant Caserta leads the team with 9.0 tackles per game.
For Saginaw Valley State's 2012 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Saginaw Valley State's 2012 roster, please click on the following link:
An Explosive Offense
The Oilers are averaging 45.0 points per game and 522.0 yards of total offense per outing. The points per game ranks fourth in the GLIAC and 17th nationally while their yardage is the third best in the GLIAC and the 12th best in all of NCAA Division II football.
Defense Wins Championships
The Oilers are allowing only 10.0 points per game this season, the third best total in the GLIAC.The mark is also the 13th best in the nation.
Airing it Out
The Oilers are averaging 309.0 passing yards per game, the best total in the GLIAC. The yardage total is also the 19th best in the nation.
Individually, senior quarterback Clay Belton ranks second in the GLIAC in passing yards per game at 288.0.
Moving the Chains
The Oilers are converting third downs on a 64.3 percent success clip, the best total in the GLIAC.
Toting the Rock
Senior running back Monterae Williams ranks sixth in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game at 87.0.
White Open
Junior wide receiver Seth White ranks fourth in the GLIAC in receiving yards per game at 85.0.
One Man Wrecking Crew
Senior quarterback Clay Belton is racking up the yardage this season and ranks second in the GLIAC in total offense at 300.0 yards per game. His total is also the 20th best mark in the nation.
Doing it All
Junior wide receiver Seth White is a jack of all trades for the Oilers football team, serving as a receiver, kicker and punter.
This season, White has four catches for 85 yards, has kicked five extra points and one field goal and has averaged 28.7 yards per punt.
A Tackling Machine
Senior linebacker Brandon Butler leads the Oilers defense with 8.0 tackles per game, the 22nd best mark in the GLIAC.
Breaking Up Passes
Junior defensive back Jamon McClain has broken up three passes this year, the best total in the GLIAC.
He also leads the team in interceptions with one thus far.
Piling Up Yards
Senior running back Monterae Williams will have the opportunity to break the school record for career rushing yards during his final season with the Oilers.
Williams, who ranks second all-time at UF in rushing yardage, has rushed for 3,399 career yards and is only 611 yards shy of eclipsing the record of 4,009, which was set by former standout Nelson Bolden. Bolden achieved the rushing yardage total from 1977-80, helping the Oilers capture the 1979 NAIA National Championship in the process.
The Canton, Ohio native rushed for 937 yards and six touchdowns during his first season in 2009. For his performance, he was tabbed the GLIAC Freshman of the Year as well as second team all-conference.
In his sophomore season, Williams earned honorable mention all-conference accolades with 1,107 rushing yards and four scores. He then followed with 1,268 yards and 18 touchdowns last year as a junior. His performance on the field earned him first team all-conference honors.
This season, Williams has rushed for 87 yards in one game.
A Workhorse of a Back
Senior running back Monterae Williams has racked up the carries during his career at Findlay and is currently ranked third all-time in rushing attempts. During his career, Williams has carried the ball 735 times and is chasing Robert Campbell (2000-03), who rushed 750 times during his tenure with the Oilers for second place.
Finding the End Zone
Senior running back Monterae Williams has scored 31 touchdowns during his career, the sixth best mark in the history of Findlay football. Williams is chasing Dana Wright (1984-86) for fifth place in the record book. Wright scored 35 touchdowns during his career with the Oilers.
Senior Captains
Seniors Monteae Williams, Brandon Butler, Clay Belton and Richard Sumlin were each elected to serve as captains this season by the Oilers.
Preseason Honors
Eight student-athletes from the Oilers football team earned preseason honors from Ohio College Football as the organization released their FCS/NCAA Division II all-Ohio teams on Friday, Aug. 17.
Senior running back Monterae Williams, junior tight end Jaryd Brown and senior center Scott Dearwester each earned first team honors on the offensive side of the ball while senior defensive tackle Richard Sumlin and senior linebacker Brandon Butler were tabbed first team on defense.
Williams was also tabbed the preseason favorite for Offensive Player of the Year, an award he captured last season.
Junior wide receiver Seth White earned second team honors on offense and as a punter as well while junior offensive lineman Justin Music and junior linebacker Kenny Klatt were also second team selections at their respective positions.
Preseason GLIAC Poll
The Oilers football team was picked to finish third in the South Division of the GLIAC as the league office unveiled their annual preseason poll on Aug. 15.
The Oilers received 97 points in the poll, which included one first place vote. Ashland University was picked as the favorite to win the division and received 113 points and ten first place votes.
Ohio Dominican was picked one spot ahead of the Oilers in the poll as they received 108 points to go along with five first place votes.
Grand Valley State University is the favorite in the North Division as the Lakers received 108 points and six first place votes. National runner-up Wayne State University was second, receiving 99 points and four first place votes.
The Oilers finished last season with a 6-5 record, which included a 6-4 mark in the GLIAC. Their record was a five-game improvement from the 2010 campaign, when they finished 1-10.
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: