Oilers to Host Huskies on Homecoming
The University of Findlay football team will host Michigan Technological University on Saturday, Sept. 28. The Homecoming game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. inside Donnell Stadium.
Free Food from Outback for the First 750 Fans
Outback Steakhouse will be providing free meals to the first 750 fans that purchase a ticket to the game. The gates will open at 1:30 p.m. for this event.
Coach to Cure MD
The University of Findlay football team will be participating in Coach to Cure MD for their football game on Saturday.
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 Huskies.
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 6-3 in the all-time series against the Huskies dating back to the 2000 season when Michigan Tech rolled to a 34-0 victory.
The Huskies claimed a convincing 35-10 win over the Oilers last year in Houghton, Mich.
Clay Belton completed 20-of-48 passing attempts for 219 yards and a score, but had the two interceptions.
Daiquone Ford and Monterae Williams paced the Oilers ground game with 52 yards apiece while Seth White hauled in six passes for 57 yards and a score.
Brandon Butler led the defense with 14 tackles while Richard Sumlin had eight stops, including 4.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
Head Coach Rob Keys
Head coach Rob Keys is currently in his third season at the helm of the Oilers football program and has his team off to a 1-2 start.
In his second season with the Oilers, Keys posted a 7-3 record with the same mark in GLIAC competition. The Oilers showed improvement from their first season under Keys and saw six players earn either first or second team all-conference honors.
Keys led the Oilers to a 6-5 record during his first season as head coach, which included a 6-4 mark in the GLIAC. The win total marked a five-game improvement from the year before and included standout wins against Grand Valley State University and Wayne State University.
The Oilers, who had lost 11 straight to GVSU, claimed a 26-20 win on the road against the Lakers in the fourth week of the season and then defeated #22 Wayne State University on the road by a score of 43-42 in overtime to close the campaign.
Keys, who was hired as the head coach of the Oilers football program on December 16, 2010, previously served as 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.
For Findlay's 2013 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
The Oilers
The Oilers suffered a narrow 35-34 defeat at the hands of Saginaw Valley State University last Saturday at Donnell Stadium.Findlay had two turnovers and also had two kicks blocked in the loss.
Findlay racked up 493 yards of total offense in the game and gave up 489 total yards to the Cardinals. They rushed for 228 yards and threw for 265 while the Cardinals rushed for 146 yards while adding 343 through the air.
Daiquone Ford recorded a career-high 33 carries for a career-high 180 yards and four touchdowns while Verlon Reed completed 21-of-30 passing attempts for 265 yards. He also rushed for 34 yards in the loss.
Lloyd Henry racked up ten catches for 135 yards and a score while Seth White hauled in six passes for 75 yards.
Trevor Smith paced the defense with eight tackles while Ray Ballard had seven.
For Findlay's 2013 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2013 roster, please click on the following link:
Michigan Tech Head Coach
The Huskies are coached by Tom Kearly, who is in his eighth season at the helm of the program. This year Kearly has his team off to a 2-0 start.
Last season, Kearly led the Huskies to a share of the GLIAC North Division title with a 7-3 record.
The Huskies are 46-29 since Kearly took over the program and has helped the team compile a 79-57 mark since joining the Michigan Tech program 12 years ago.
Prior to coming to Michigan Tech, Kearly spent 19 seasons at NCAA Division I Central Michigan, including the last six as associate head coach and last nine as offensive coordinator. During that time, Kearly coached 13 All-Mid-America Conference players, two MAC most valuable players, and the school's only NCAA Division I First Team All-American. His 1996 offense set a then-MAC record for total offense with an average of 477 yards per game.
Kearly began his coaching career as a student assistant at Winona State in 1979. He spent the 1980 season as defensive secondary coach at Michigan Tech before moving to CMU as a graduate assistant working with the secondary. He became a full-time assistant coach for the Chippewas in 1983, coaching outside linebackers. In 1987, Kearly moved to the offensive side of the ball, working with the offensive backfield. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1991.
The Huskies
The Huskies are 2-0 on the season and have featured a dominating defensive attack. On the year, the Huskies are giving up only 24.0 rushing yards per game and a mere 197.0 yards of total offense to their opponents.
Offensively, Charlie Leffingwell is averaging 168.5 yards per game on the ground while Tyler Scarlett is throwing for 235.0 yards per contest through the air.
Jordan McConnell is chipping in 100.0 yards per game as a receiver and has 11 catches on the year.
For Michigan Tech's 2013 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Michigan Tech's 2013 roster, please click on the following link:
Record Catching
Senior wide receiver Seth White has made 128 career receptions for the Oilers, which ranks fifth all-time at Findlay. He is chasing Dustin Zielaskiewicz (2007-10) for fourth place in the standings as Hamby racked up 129 catches during his tenure with the team.
White also ranks seventh with 1,608 career receiving yards and is chasing Dustin Zielaskiewicz for sixth place. Zielaskiewicz accumulated 1,624 receiving yards during his career.
In addition, senior tight end Jaryd Brown is tied for ninth all-time with 106 career receptions and eighth all-time with 1,334 career receiving yards.
He is tied with Ty Rhoad (2001-03) for ninth place on the all-time receptions list. Rhoad caught 106 passes for the Oilers.
Returning for Records
Senior running back Demetrius Trapps is chasing several return records this season. Trapps ranks third all-time at Findlay in kick returns with 61 attempts and third all-time in career kick return yardage at 1,332.
Steve Blackburn (1969-72) currently resides in second place in both categories at Findlay. Blackburn registered 63 kick returns for 1,341 yards during his tenure with the program.
Airing it Out
Junior quarterback Verlon Reed leads the GLIAC in completion percentage at 69.1 and ranks second in the conference and 19th nationally in passing yards per game at 307.3.
His 65 completions on the year is also the second best mark in the conference.
Reed threw for a career-high 363 yards against Northern Michigan on Sept. 14, one yard shy of the school record 364, which was set by former quarterback Billy Noonan against Ashland on Nov. 8, 2008.
Sticky Hands
Junior wide receiver Lloyd Henry leads the conference and ranks 12th in the nation in receptions with 27 on the season. He also leads the GLIAC with 407 receiving yards and is averaging 135.7 yards per game, the best total in the league. His receiving yards is also the sixth best mark in the nation.
Henry accumulated a career-high ten receptions for 175 yards and two scores against Northern Michigan on Sept. 14.
Senior wide receiver Seth White checks in eighth with 16 receptions on the year and ranks ninth with 227 receiving yards.
Putting Points on the Board
The Oilers are averaging 38.7 points per game on the year, the third best total in the GLIAC.
The Swiss Army Knife
Senior Seth White does a little bit of everything for the Oilers football team. On the year, White has made 16 receptions for 227 yards and a touchdown. He has also made 4-of-6 field goal attempts and connected on 12-of-13 point after attempts.
Among kickers in the GLIAC, White ranks second in the conference with 24 total points. He is also averaging 33.8 yards per punt with two placed inside the 20-yard line. And for good measure, White has also recorded 33 passing yards and caught one two-point conversion on the year.
Moving the Ball
The Oilers rank second in the GLIAC and 13th nationally in yardage per game, racking up 520.0 total yards per contest. They lead the conference in passing yards per game at 339.7 and rank fourth in the league in yards per pass at 9.6. Findlay's passing offense is also ranked 15th nationally in yardage per game.
Individually, junior quarterback Verlon Reed ranks 19th nationally in total offense per game at 334.0.
A Workhorse Back
Sophomore running back Daiquone Ford ranks third in the GLIAC and 11th in the nation in rushing yardage per game, churning out 146.3 yards per contest.
Ford is also ranked second in the GLIAC in rushing attempts with 82 on the year and second in rushing touchdowns with seven so far.
Ford ran for a career-high 180 yards and four touchdowns against Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 21 and also posted 172 rushing yards against Urbana on Sept. 5.
Laying the Wood
Senior linebacker Trevor Smith ranks sixth in the GLIAC in tackles per game, making 11.0 stops per outing.
He racked up a career-high 17 tackles against Northern Michigan on Sept. 14.
Getting After the Quarterback
Junior defensive end Josh Lee ranks third in the conference with 3.0 sacks on the season.
As a team, the Oilers rank third in the GLIAC in sacks with nine on the season.
Getting Good Field Position
The Oilers are averaging 32.4 yards per kick return, the best mark in the GLIAC. Their total is also the fifth best mark in all of NCAA Division II football.
Record Smashing
The Oilers threw for 427 yards in their 41-31 loss at Northern Michigan on Sept. 14, which established a new school record. The previous record of 364 passing yards in a game was set in a 45-38 loss to Ashland on Nov. 8, 2008.
A Bolt of Lightning
Junior wide receiver Nathan Morris returned a kickoff 91-yards for a score against Urbana on Sept. 5 to mark the first time an Oilers player had accomplished the feat since the 1991 campaign.
Milan Smith was the last Oilers player to return a kick for a score and he did it from 92 yards out on Oct. 19, 1991 against Geneva College.
The school record for the longest kick return is 93 yards, accomplished by Adam Burdette against Wayne State during the 2000 campaign.
Morris was also named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the win over Urbana.
A Nose for the Ball
Senior defensive back Ray Ballard has recovered six fumbles during his career with the Oilers, the most a Findlay player has pounced on since Joe Knopick scooped up seven from 2006-09.
Captains
Senior tight end Jaryd Brown, senior offensive lineman Justin Music, senior Seth White and senior Jamon McClain were voted as captains for the Oilers football team in 2013.
GLIAC Preseason Poll
The Oilers were picked to finish third in the GLIAC South Division this year, receiving 69 total points and one first place vote in the annual coaches poll.
The Oilers finished the 2012 campaign with a 7-3 record, which was good for a tie for second place with Ohio Dominican in the South Division.
Preseason All-American Honors
Senior defensive back Ray Ballard was voted a 2013 preseason NCAA Division II All-American by USA College Football.
Ballard, a second team all-conference performer last year for the Oilers, was tabbed a first team All-American by the organization.
Senior wide receiver Seth White also earned praise from the organization and was tabbed a preseason honorable mention selection.
Preseason All-Ohio
Ohio College Football released their annual preseason All-Ohio teams on Aug. 6 and four Oilers were tabbed first team.
Senior wide receiver Seth White, senior tight end Jaryd Brown and senior offensive lineman Justin Music all earned first team honors on offense while senior defensive back Ray Ballard captured first team honors on the defensive side of the ball.
White, who earned preseason honorable mention All-American accolades by USA College Football, has played a variety of roles during his career with the Oilers. Last season White led the team with 698 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He caught 48 passes on the year, averaged 36.5 yards per punt and connected on all 30 of his extra point attempts while drilling four field goals as well.
Brown earned honorable mention all-conference honors last year as a junior when he led the team with 50 receptions. He racked up 646 receiving yards, caught five touchdown passes and ran for another while averaging 64.6 yards per game.
Music has been a mainstay on the offensive line with 30 starts in his career at both tackle and guard. He has been named honorable mention all-conference in each of the past two years as well.
Ballard, a preseason first team All-American selection by USA College Football, earned second team all-conference accolades as a junior. He racked up 47 tackles and also registered five tackles for a loss and four sacks from his safety position in 2012. The Columbus, Ohio native also forced three fumbles and recovered three fumbles as well.
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: