Oilers Head to Tiffin on Saturday
The University of Findlay football team will be on the road this week to take on Tiffin University on Saturday, Oct. 12. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
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 hold a commanding 20-1 advantage in the all-time series dating back to the 1986 campaign when Findlay defeated Tiffin by a score of 35-3.
Findlay won by a score of 41-17 last year against Tiffin in Donnell Stadium behind 299 passing yards and three touchdowns from Clay Belton.
Monterae Williams added 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Oilers churned out 511 yards of total offense in the victory.
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 3-2 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 secured a 38-21 win over McKendree last week in Lebanon, Ill.
The Oilers offense was in high gear as they rolled up 621 yards of total offense in the victory. They also tied a school record with 33 first downs.
Findlay's defense also had their best outing of the season, holding the Bearcats to only 293 yards.
Verlon Reed completed 24-of-36 passing attempts for 335 yards and a touchdown while also rushing four times for 52 yards.
Daiquone Ford gashed the Bearcat defense for a career-high 229 rushing yards on 30 attempts. The Myrtle Beach, S.C. native also scored three rushing touchdowns and added two receptions for 22 yards in the game.
Trevor Smith paced the defense with nine tackles while Brad Fenton made seven stops.
For Findlay's 2013 season statistics, please click on the following link:
For Findlay's 2013 roster, please click on the following link:
The Dragons
The Dragons are 1-4 on the year and are coming off of a 34-30 win against Malone last week.
Antonio Pipkin and Joey Frendo lead the offense from the quarterback position.
Pipkin has thrown for 666 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 154 yards and four more scores.
Frendo has thrown for 633 yards and two scores, averaging 211.0 passing yards per game.
The Dragons also have a deep group of receivers and have seven players with more than 100 yards receiving. Jeremy Armstrong (310), Tony Shead (261), Marcus Beaurem (230), Tyler Jones (218), Jerry Brown (143) and Jacob Schneider (123) are all over 100 yards for the year.
For Tiffin's 2013 season statistics, please click on the following link
For Tiffin's 2013 roster, please click on the following link:
Record Catching
Senior wide receiver Seth White is closing in on becoming the all-time reception leader at Findlay. White has recorded 137 career catches and is only two receptions away from breaking the record of 138, which is shared by Jeff Rowe (2000-03) and Rick Hatfield (1976-79).
White also ranks sixth all-time at Findlay with 1,761 career receiving yards and is chasing Hatfield for fifth place. Hatfield accumulated 1,920 receiving yards during his career.
In addition, senior tight end Jaryd Brown is eighth all-time with 111 career receptions and eighth all-time with 1,399 career receiving yards.
He is chasing Darren Paige (2005-07) for ninth place on the all-time receptions list. Paige caught 117 passes for the Oilers during his tenure with the team.
An Elite Offense
The Oilers lead the GLIAC and rank 12th nationally in yardage per game, racking up 533.2 total yards per contest. They lead the conference in passing yards per game at 304.0 and rank fifth in rushing yards per game with 229.2 per outing.
There passing yards per game ranks 23rd in the nation and their rushing yards per game is the 25th best mark in NCAA Division II football.
Individually, junior quarterback Verlon Reed ranks tenth nationally in total offense per game at 342.2.
A Workhorse Back
Sophomore running back Daiquone Ford ranks second in the GLIAC and fourth in the nation in rushing yardage per game, churning out 162.6 yards per contest.
Ford is tied for the league-high in rushing touchdowns with 11 on the year, which is also the fifth best total in the nation, and leads the GLIAC with 139 attempts.
He has run for over 100 yards in four games this season and posted a career-high 229 yards in the Oilers 38-21 win at McKendree on Oct. 5.
Airing it Out
Junior quarterback Verlon Reed leads the GLIAC and ranks tenth nationally in completion percentage at 68.5 and ranks second in the conference and 24th nationally in passing yards per game at 284.6.
Reed is also in a tie for third place in the GLIAC in touchdown passes with seven so far.
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.
Putting Points on the Board
The Oilers are averaging 38.8 points per game on the year, the fifth best total in the GLIAC.
Moving the Chains
The Oilers are averaging 26.6 first downs per game, the second best total in the GLIAC. Their first down average is also the 14th best mark in the nation.
Sticky Hands
Junior wide receiver Lloyd Henry leads the conference in receptions with 38 on the year. He is also the league leader in receiving touchdowns with five on the season and ranks third with 108.0 receiving yards per game.
The Garfield Heights, Ohio native ranks 19th nationally in receptions and 21st in receiving yards.
Senior wide receiver Seth White is ranked eighth in the conference in receiving yards with 380 and is ninth in the league with 25 catches.
Playing on an Island
Junior defensive back Feraris Golden leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally in passes defended with 11 on the year. He has broken up eight passes and recorded three interceptions, the second best total in the GLIAC. His three picks is also the 11th best mark in all of NCAA Division II football.
Teammate Harold Jones-Quartey, a junior defensive back as well, ranks third in the GLIAC with seven passes defended on the year.
The Swiss Army Knife
Senior Seth White does a little bit of everything for the Oilers football team. On the year, White has made 25 receptions for 380 yards and two touchdowns. He has also made 4-of-6 field goal attempts and connected on 12-of-13 point after attempts.
White is also averaging 36.4 yards per punt and has placed five inside the 20-yard line. For good measure, White has also recorded 33 passing yards and caught one two-point conversion on the year.
Laying the Wood
Senior linebacker Trevor Smith ranks fifth in the GLIAC in tackles with 47 on the year.
He racked up a career-high 17 tackles against Northern Michigan on Sept. 14.
Returning for Records
Senior running back Demetrius Trapps is tied for first all-time at Findlay in kick returns with 64 attempts and ranks second all-time in career kick return yardage at 1,396.
He is tied with Carey Lennox (2000-03) for first place in returns and is chasing Lennox in the return yardage department as well. Lennox recorded 1,463 return yards during his tenure with the team.
Antagonizing the Quarterback
Junior defensive end Kevin Brewton ranks sixth in the GLIAC with 4.0 sacks on the year. Junior defensive end Josh Lee is also among the league leaders and ranks tenth in the conference with 3.0 sacks on the season.
As a team, the Oilers rank third in the GLIAC in sacks with 13 on the season.
Getting Good Field Position
The Oilers are averaging 29.8 yards per kick return, the second best mark in the GLIAC. Their total is also the fourth best mark in all of NCAA Division II football.
Freshman defensive back Tory Clark leads the GLIAC and ranks seventh nationally with a 33.3 kick return average.
GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week
Junior quarterback Verlon Reed was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30 after passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 156 yards rushing and two scores on the ground in the Oilers 40-19 win over Michigan Tech on Sept. 28.
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.
Racking up the Points
The Oilers scored 51 points in their win over Urbana this season Under head coach Rob Keys, the Oilers have hung 50 or more points on an opponent twice now. They also accomplished the feat in a 50-27 victory against Tiffin in 2011.
The team has scored over 40 points in a game eight times since Keys took over control of the program in 2011.
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.
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: