Oilers Picked to Finish 2nd in G-MAC

The University of Findlay football team was picked to finish second in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in 2018 as the league office unveiled their Under Armour Preseason Coaches Poll on Aug. 1.

The Oilers received 54 points and a pair of first place votes in the poll. Ohio Dominican University was picked as the favorite with 59 points and five first place votes.

Under Armour Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Ohio Dominican – 59 (5)
2. Findlay – 54 (2)
3. Hillsdale – 51 (1)
4. Tiffin – 48 (1)
5. Walsh – 34
6. Malone – 27
7. Alderson Broaddus – 23
8. Lake Erie – 15
9. Kentucky Wesleyan – 13

The Oilers, who are ranked 21st in the nation in the Street & Smiths preseason poll, finished last season with a 10-3 record and was one of the final 16 teams remaining in the country as they made it to the second round of the NCAA DII Playoffs after a round one win over no. 2 Shepherd. The Oilers' ten wins were the most in the NCAA era of the program.

Despite losing three G-MAC Players of the Year and three players who earned all-American honors, the Oilers return a plethora of talent including 14 first or second team all-GMAC performers from last season. Highlighting those returning are senior quarterback Rhys Gervais, who owns nearly every season or career passing record at Findlay, senior receiver Jason Moore, who has more receiving yards and touchdowns than any player in Oilers' history, and junior linebacker Isaac Miles, who has played in every game since he arrived on campus two years ago.

Led by Head Coach Rob Keys, the Oilers scored 578 points last year, a new Findlay record, and averaged 44.5 points per game (fifth in the country) while putting up 515.5 yards of offense per contest (third in the country). Findlay led the G-MAC in multiple categories including scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, total defense, rushing offense, and passing defense. The Oilers led the country with 359 first downs last season and was the only team in college football, any division, that picked up 3,300 yards on the ground and through the air.