Findlay Hosts William Jewell in Home Opener
The Game
After two weeks on the road, the Oilers will finally play their home opener on Saturday, Sep. 15 in Donnell Stadium as they host the William Jewell Cardinals at 1:00 pm. The game is just the second-ever meeting between the two schools, which debuted the matchup a season ago.
The Series
The Oilers and Cardinals first met last season in Liberty, Missouri with Findlay cruising to a 55-17 victory. The Oilers led just 6-0 through the first quarter, but scored 42 points in the second and third quarters to bury the home team.
Rhys Gervais was spot-on as he completed 16-of-19 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns. That completion percentage of .842 was the second-highest of Gervais' career.
Daouda Sylla ran the ball 24 times for 136 yards and a score while Michael Campbell rushed 17 times for 105 yards and two scores.
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 produced by UFTV and will stream live on the Great Midwest Digital 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.
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Head Coach Rob Keys
Head coach Rob Keys is in his eighth season at the helm of the Oilers football program in 2018. He has recorded a 49-31 record with the program as a head coach, which includes a 37-27 mark in conference games. He has coached Findlay to winning records in six of his seven seasons including last season when he lead the Oilers to their first ever NCAA Division II Playoffs.
For Findlay's 2018 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
Findlay Oilers (1-1, 1-0 G-MAC)
This season, Findlay began with a dominating performance on the road in Owensboro, Ky. as they beat down Kentucky Wesleyan by 50 points. After the win, the Oilers jumped to #19 in the AFCA National Poll and took on #9 Ferris St. in Findlay's first top-25 matchup in nine years. The battle in Big Rapids favored the Bulldogs as the home team would lead by 24 at the half and end with a 46-point advantage on the board.
Findlay's ground game has been its calling card thus far as the Oilers have rushed for 562 yards and seven touchdowns in just two games. Senior all-conference back Michael Campbell is leading the attack as he has gained 145 yards on the ground and scored twice. Junior Richard Wilson and sophomore Demondre Blanks each have piled up more than 100 yards rushing in a system seemingly designed to test the strength of an opponents defensive front. Thus far, five different running backs have scored rushing touchdowns for Findlay, but with the arm of all-conference quarterback Rhys Gervais in the backfield as well, the Oilers are far from being a one-trick pony.
2018 Season Statistics
2018 Roster
William Jewell Cardinals (0-1, 0-0 GLVC)
Out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the William Jewell College Cardinals have struggled to find their way since joining Division II competition in 2012. Now in their seventh season in the NCAA, the Cardinals have just 17 wins to 49 losses and have never had a winning season.
After a 2-9 season last year, WJC opened up the 2018 season last week against the no. 1 team in the country in Texas A&M-Commerce and, despite trailing 21-0 early in the second quarter, rallied to lose the contest by just ten points at 27-17. After a 2017 season where the Cardinals consistently conceded 50+ points, the squad from Liberty, Missouri has something to prove when they come take on their second 2017 NCAA Playoff team in a row.
The Cardinals are led on the field by their dual-threat sophomore quarterback, Will Schneider. The Shawnee, Kansas native led his team last week in rushing and passing yards and accounted for both Cardinal touchdowns. Last season, Schneider spent the season as WJC's backup, appearing in just five contests.
Schneider's favorite target a week ago was senior Bulla Graft. The La Jolla, California product caught seven passes for 69 yards and a score. Four other receivers had at least two receptions in the game.
Defensively, senior Thaddeus Glenn led the Cardinals with 12 tackles, nine of which were solo stops, while senior Justice Taylor had eight tackles and an interception and junior Donte' Colum has eight tackles, a pass-breakup, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Links
NCAA Division II Stats
NCAA
NCAA Division II Football
American Football Coaches Association
D2Football.com
Great Midwest