Rivalry Renewed | Oilers Set to Host Ashland
The Game
Two home games remain on the Oilers' regular-season schedule for 2019. On Saturday, Nov. 9, an old rivalry is renewed as the Ashland Eagles come to town in a game that will kick off at noon.
The Series
One of the most storied series in program history, Findlay will take on Ashland for the 48th time on Saturday. The Eagles hold a 28-15-4 advantage in the series that includes a win in the first-ever meeting that took place in 1924, a 33-0 win for the Eagles.
Findlay has beaten Ashland just once in their last ten matchups, a 35-28 victory in 2013. The last time these teams met came in 2016, a game the Eagles won on their home turf by a score of 35-3.
Radio Coverage
Every Oilers football game will be broadcast on 88.3 WLFC and can be listed to locally on the radio or streamed online at WLFC.com.
Video Stream
Video streaming for the contest will be produced by the Findlay Media Network and aired on the Great Midwest Digital Network.
Click any of the options below to find the contest live:
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Head Coach Rob Keys
Head coach Rob Keys is in his ninth season at the helm of the Oilers football program in 2019. He has recorded a 62-36 record with the program as a head coach, which includes a 51-30 mark in conference games. He has coached Findlay to winning records in seven of his eight seasons including 2017 when he lead the Oilers to their first ever NCAA Division II Playoffs.
For Findlay's 2019 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
Findlay Oilers (6-3, 5-1 G-MAC)
Despite three losses, the Oilers are arguably in a position where they can control their own destiny. Two of Findlay's three losses are to national top-six teams, both of which were decided by five points or less, and the other is to another quality opponent in Ohio Dominican. A win against Ashland and nationally ranked Tiffin, paired with what would be a G-MAC Championship, would seem to be an impressive enough resume to put the Oilers in the NCAA Playoffs for the second time in three years.
Findlay quarterback Matt Winzeler has had an impressive first season in the Orange and Black. He has completed 161 passes for exactly 2,000 yards making him just the sixth quarterback in school history to reach the 2,000-yard mark in a single season. He has also thrown 19 touchdown passes and is the only quarterback in the league to have a throwing, rushing, and receiving touchdown this season.
Leading the attack on the ground has been 2018 all-American, Brian Benson. Benson has carried the ball 130 times this season, the same number of carries he had a season ago. His 783 yards are third-most in the G-MAC this season while his 112 yards per game rank second. Benson is 217 yards shy of becoming the 22nd back in school history to reach that milestone. The rushing attack has not been all on Benson's shoulders, however. In fact, Findlay has four tailbacks with 230+ yards this season, all of which rank in the top 12 in the conference in rushing (Benson (783), Nate Slagel (542), Derek Lynch (291), Lance Mitchell (238)).
Ruben Flowers has also been a welcome sight to Oilers fans in his first season with Findlay. Flowers needs 229 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season. That would make him just the fourth player in school history to reach 1000 receiving yards in a season, the most recent of which was Jason Moore who had a school record 1,115 in 2016.
Defensively, Findlay has been a turnover-forcing machine. The Oilers lead the conference and rank 13th in the country with 21 turnovers gained this season which has led to a turnover margin of +12, the eighth-best in the nation.
That charge has been led by sophomore Christopher Jefferson who is tied for the national lead, regardless of division, with eight interceptions. He already holds the G-MAC record for INT in a season and is one shy of tying the Findlay record.
2019 Season Statistics
2019 Roster
Ashland Eagles (6-3, 5-2 GLIAC)
In 2016, the last year Findlay and Ashland met, the Eagles finished the season 9-2 and a GLIAC South Division title and were left out of the NCAA Playoffs despite reaching as high as #5 in the national poll and finishing the season ranked #20. The next season the Eagles entered the playoffs ranked #9 in the country and knocked off the defending national champion Northwest Missouri State in the first round before a second round exit at the hands of Harding.
That led to high expections in 2018, but last year did not go the way that many thought it would for the Eagles. Ranked 15th to open the season, it was a dissapointing 6-4 season in Ashland that included losses to Indiana (PA), Ohio Dominican, Ferris State, and Grand Valley State, all of which are perenially good programs.
Enter the 2019 season. Again, as is always the case, expectations were high entering the year as the team began the fall ranked 23rd in the preseason poll. But, as was the case in 2018, the Eagles opened two losses in their first three games, both to ranked opponents. In fact, prior to their loss this season in week seven to Wayne State, the Eagles had not lost a regular season game to an unranked opponent since 2016 when the Michigan Tech Huskies knocked off the #9 Eagles in Hougton, Mich. on a last minute touchdown.
Links
NCAA Division II Stats
NCAA
NCAA Division II Football
American Football Coaches Association
D2Football.com
Great Midwest