Oilers Light Up the Scoreboard in 59-22 Win
The University of Findlay football team claimed a 59-22 win over Tiffin University on Saturday, Sep. 20 at Frost-Kalnow Stadium in Tiffin, Ohio. The victory keeps the Oilers undefeated as they are 3-0 on the season with a 2-0 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
The Oilers scored the first points of the game on a 40-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Verlon Reed, but found themselves down 9-7 when the second quarter began. A 42-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Tyler Bugeja then put the Oilers in front by a score of 10-9 before the Oilers scored two straight touchdowns, less than a minute apart from each other.
The first touchdown came on a 20-yard touchdown pitch and catch from Reed to red-shirt freshman tight end Anthony Federico, which was his first career catch. Junior cornerback Zack Washington then picked off a pass and returned it 52 yards for a score, the first time an Oilers player has returned an interception for a touchdown since senior defensive back Feraris Golden did it against Urbana on Sep. 6, 2013.
After taking a 24-9 lead into the break, the Oilers kicked off the ball in the second half and watched the Dragons march down the field for a score. With their lead cut to eight at 24-16, Federico caught his second career pass, which was another touchdown reception from Reed. The 12-yard score gave the Oilers a 31-16 lead.
The Oilers would tack on another score early in the fourth quarter when sophomore running back Anthony Linnear plunged into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. They would add another one a few moments later when freshman running back Chauncey Bridges ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Oilers a 45-16 lead with 12:20 to play.
After a score by the Dragons, the Oilers would respond with two straight touchdowns. Senior quarterback Mitchell Faine found senior wide receiver Charles Brooks for a 29-yard score. Freshman defensive back Daouda Sylla then picked off a pass and ran 42 yard into the end zone to make the score 59-22 with only a minute to play and cap a 28-point fourth quarter for Findlay.
Bridges rushed the ball 17 times for 114 yards and a score while Reed completed 12-of-18 passing attempts for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Reed also rushed eight times for 63 yards and a score while senior wide receiver Lloyd Henry caught four balls for 54 yards.
Sophomore safety Tory Clark led the defense with eight tackles while senior safety Harold Jones-Quartey had seven tackles and a sack.
Sophomore linebacker Myles Alexander had a great game for Findlay, contributing six tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks while senior linebacker Zach Matracia recorded six stops as well.
Senior punter Alex Irastorza only had to use his leg once during the game, but made it count as he boomed a school record 79-yard punt. His punt eclipsed the record of 73, which was set by Jim Coger against Indianapolis in 2001.
The 59 points scored by the Oilers today is the most a Rob Keys coached team has recorded in his four years at the helm of the program.
The Oilers will return to Donnell Stadium next weekend to host Ashland University. The Homecoming game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.