Oilers Host Kentucky Wesleyan on Homecoming
Game Notes
The Game
The Oilers return to Donnell Stadium for their homecoming game against Great Midwest opponent Kentucky Wesleyan College. The game will be played on Friday, October 20 at 7:00 pm.
The Series
Friday night will be the first ever meeting between these two football programs.
Radio
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:
Video Stream
Video streaming for the contest will be provided by UFTV and the Great Midwest Network.
Coach Keys Weekly
Don't forget to tune into 88.3 FM "WLFC" for Coach Keys Weekly. The show is aired at 7:00 pm on Tuesdays.
Fans are also encouraged to send questions in for coach Keys through Twitter. Please send questions throughout the week on Twitter Tim Montgomery @Oilersonair.
Follow the Oilers on Social Media
Follow the Oilers on social media to keep up with all the exciting news surrounding UF athletics.
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Head Coach Rob Keys
Head coach Rob Keys is in his seventh season at the helm of the Oilers football program in 2017. He has recorded a 44-28 record with the program as a head coach, which includes a 37-26 mark in conference games. With the Week 7 win over Hillsdale, Keys secured his sixth winning season in seven years as head coach at Findlay.
For Findlay's 2017 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
The Oilers (6-1, 3-0 GMAC)
The Oilers are one of the hottest teams in the country and are currently riding a five-game win streak that has propelled them to 6-1 with four regular season games remaining. Although the Orange and Black are not ranked in the top-25, they are on the cusp as they received 16 points in the latest poll.
Findlay's current run is one for the books. The 6-1 start is the best in the seven years that Rob Keys has been head coach and with six wins already this season, it guaruntees the Oilers a winning regular season, the sixth under Keys.
In the winning streak, the Oilers are outscoring opponents 257-36, winning those five games by an average of 44.2 points. The 257 points scored in those five games are the most points scored in a five-game stretch at Findlay since 1997. On the flip side, the defense has held the opposition to just 36 points during the streak, the least amount of points allowed in a five-game stretch since 1995.
The offense of the Oilers has been led by junior quarterback Rhys Gervais and senior running back Daouda Sylla. As good as Gervais was in his first two season, as far as efficiency goes, he is even better in 2017. The Puyallup, Wash. native has thrown for 1,145 yards and is completing 70% of his passes, his highest to-date. He has thrown just four interceptions this year, compared to nine at this point last season, and has a career-high passer rating of 177.1. Lining up behind him is Daouda Sylla who is 61 yards shy of becoming the 21st back at Findlay to reach the 1,000 yard mark in at least one of his seasons at Findlay. He currently leads the Great Midwest in rushing attempts (137), rushing yards (939), rushing touchdowns (12), and is the only rusher in the league with 100+ rush yards per game (134.1 ypg).
2017 Season Statistics
2017 Roster
The Panthers (2-4, 1-2 GMAC)
The Panthers of Kentucky Wesleyan College enter today's contest with a 2-4 record overall and a 1-2 mark in Great Midwest play which has them sitting in fifth in the current conference standings.
Coming off their second victory of the season, a game which was won on a late touchdown pass from Mike McGee to Alex Gray, the Panthers have put their faith in the arm of their sophomore quarterback from Crestwood, Ky. McGee is currently third in the Great Midwest with 1,471 passing yards, second with 13 touchdown passes, third with 122 completions, and second with 201 attempts. He leads an offense whose total yards per game of 322.5 ranks 134th in the country (out of 168), but whose passing offense of 260.3 yards per game is good for 36th in the country. The disparity comes from a lackluster running game which sports just 62.2 yards per game, ranked 164 out of 168 in the nation. Part of that trouble may stem from an offensive line that starts two freshman and a sophomore. That line is allowing 3.8 sacks per game, worst in the conference and 161 out of 168 in the country.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers start just three seniors and are allowing 42 points per game, second-to-last in the conference and 156th in the country. The damage against that unit has been done on the ground as they are allowing 234 rush yards per game, second-worst in the Great Midwest. However, the Panthers' passing defense is one of the best in the league as they allow just 197 yards per game through the air, second-best in the conference.
G-MAC Preseason Poll
The Oilers were picked to finish third in the eight-team Great Midwest Athletic Conference this season. Findlay received two first place votes and is selected to finish behind Ohio Dominican and Hillsdale College. Alderson Broaddus, last year's G-MAC champion, received one first place vote.
Streaking
The Oilers current five-game winning streak is the first under Rob Keys and is the first to happen at Findlay since 2002 when Findlay, coached by Dan Simrell, began the season with wins over IUP, Wayne St., Northwood, Michigan Tech, and Mercyhurst. If Findlay's streak extends to six games, it will be the first six-game streak since 1997 when the Oilers went 14-0 and won an NAIA National Championship.
Dominating Opponents
The Oilers have outscored their opponents 257-36 over the course of their five-game winning streak, winning those games by an average of 44.2 points. The 257 points scored is the most points scored over any five-game stretch in the NCAA DII era, and the most at the University of Findlay since 1997 when the Oilers scored 269 points over five games.
Along with the massive offensive numbers, Findlay's defense has held its opposition to just 36 points in five games, the least amount of points allowed over a five-game stretch since 1995 and the least amount of points allowed over a five-game stretch in the NCAA Division II era of Oilers' football.
Against Different Conferences
Findlay has played opponents representing four different conferences this season. They are 1-1 against the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), 1-0 against the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), 1-0 against the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), and 3-0 against the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC).
Links
NCAA Division II Stats
NCAA
NCAA Division II Football
American Football Coaches Association
D2Football.com
Great Midwest