Oilers Defense Dominant in 38-0 Win Over Malone
The University of Findlay football team evened their record at 5-5 on the season with a 38-0 win over Malone University on Nov. 8 in Canton, Ohio. The shutout victory was the Oilers first since they blanked Northwood University by a score of 14-0 on Sep. 26, 2009.
The Oilers, who now have a 4-5 record in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play, dominated the Pioneers from start to finish and received two huge plays on the defensive side of the ball. Senior linebacker Zach Matracia returned an interception 74 yards for a score and sophomore linebacker Myles Alexander scooped up a fumble and sprinted 16 yards for a touchdown.
Matracia ended the contest with a game-high 12 tackles, also adding a sack, two tackles for a loss and two interceptions. Alexander meanwhile finished with five tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Senior cornerback Nathan Morris recorded an interception in the game while sophomore linebacker Brad Fenton had eight tackles and recovered a fumble.
As a unit, the Oilers defense recorded seven tackles for a loss, three interceptions and two fumbles in the win while holding Malone to only 252 yards of total offense.
Senior quarterback Verlon Reed paced the offense with 136 passing yards and a 62 rushing yards while freshman running back Chauncey Bridges posted 83 rushing yards on 18 carries to go along with a touchdown.
Senior running back Daiquone Ford added 49 yards on the ground and a score while senior wide receiver Lloyd Henry made three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Henry now has 71 catches for 982 yards on the year. He is three catches shy of breaking the single season school record for receptions in a season and needs 46 receiving yards to establish a new mark for yards in a season.
Junior wide receiver Tim Szabo added four catches for 50 yards while senior quarterback Mitchell Faine registered 36 passing yards in the win.
Findlay will be on the road for their final game of the season next Saturday when they head to Marquette, Mich. to take on Northern Michigan University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the Superior Dome.