Oilers Head to Hillsdale to Open 2021 Spring Campaign
The Game
This season will consist of six contests, all of which will be played against Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) opponents.
When the ball is kicked off on Saturday, March 13, it will be the first game for the Findlay Oilers football program in 483 days and will be the first time in program history a season has been played in the spring. The Oilers, picked second in the G-MAC Preseason Poll, are headed to take on the Hillsdale College Chargers in Hillsdale, Michigan in a conference matchup that is set to kick off at 1:00 pm.
Tickets
General admission tickets are $8 and go on sale starting on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00 pm.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
The Series
This will be the 30th meeting all-time between the Oilers and Chargers, a matchup that was first played in 1925. The Oilers are 12-17 against Hillsdale but are winners of five of the previous six games and are scoring an average of 38 points per game.
Radio Coverage
Due to COVID 19 protocols, visiting media is not permitted at Hillsdale College, therefore there will not be a radio broadcast of the game on 88.3 WLFC.
Video Stream
Video streaming of the contest will be produced by Hillsdale College 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 tenth season at the helm of the Oilers football program in 2021. He has recorded a 63-37 record with the program as a head coach, which includes a 51-31 mark in conference games. He has coached Findlay to winning records in eight of his nine seasons including 2017 when he lead the Oilers to their first-ever NCAA Division II Playoffs.
For Findlay's 2021 coaching staff, please click on the following link:
Findlay Oilers (0-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
In a season that cannot end in the NCAA DII Playoffs, the goal for 2021 is simple; win the conference. That is a goal that has yet to be reached by the program, although it has come within a single win on multiple occasions including last season.
Despite no G-MAC titles, since joining the conference in 2017 the Oilers have recorded 25 wins which is the most among G-MAC programs. Findlay's 67 all-conference selections are also the most among G-MAC schools in that time frame, so there is little doubt that the talent the Oilers posses is enough to get the job done.
Last season, Findlay picked up 23 all-G-MAC awards, the most of any team in the conference. Of those 23 players, 10 are not on the 2021 roster, which leaves some holes that need to be filled. Arguably, one of the most noticable gaps is on the offensive line where three all-conference selections left due to graduation. However, first-team senior left tackle Logan Bailey is back and will anchor an Oilers offensive line that has a reputation as one of the best in the region.
Second-team all-conference quarterback, senior Matt Winzeler also returns to the Findlay offense and is poised to improve on what was a standout first season. Last year, the Toledo, Ohio native threw for 2,577 yards, completing 197 passes. He ranked second in the G-MAC with 27 touchdown passes and ended the year throwing four touchdown passes in four of his final five games.
Derek Lynch, an honorable-mention all-conference performer last year, has earned the top spot on the depth chart in 2021 and is slated to start in the opener against the Chargers. Lynch carried the ball 43 times for 351 yards and four touchdowns last season and had back-to-back 100-yard games in the middle of the season. His backup in the opener, senior Brian Benson, is no slouch and will undoubtedly get a solid dose of carries himself. Benson is a first team all-conference selection in each of the previous two seasons and was an honorable mention all-American in 2018. Last season Benson ran for 889 yards on 150 carries and he enters 2021 just 148 yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
As good as the Oilers offense can be, its defense may just be the team's calling card in 2021. Last season, Findlay ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 21.9 points per game, and ranked third in total defense at 361 yards per game allowed. Where the Oilers' defense shined was in its' ability to change possessions. Findlay led the G-MAC and ranked fifth in the country last season with 22 turnovers gained and had a turnover margin of +15. Of those 22 turnovers, 16 came via interception which also led the league.Of those 16 interceptions, nine belonged to now junior, Christopher Jefferson, which were the most interceptions in the country regardless of division. Jefferson was named conference and regional Defensive Player of the Year and was named first team all-American by multiple publications for his efforts.
Also returning on defense is second-team recipient, senior defensive lineman Kyle Gibson, who had 39 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries last season. With first-team recipient Isaac Miles lost to graduation, the linebacking corps will be one of the best in the conference and is anchored in the middle by Pitt transfer and Findlay native, Kyle Nunn. Outside Nunn will be the services of second-team all-conference honoree, senior Jack Trombetti and honorable mention all-G-MAC recipient, senior Cade Rogers.
2021 Season Statistics
2021 Roster
Hillsdale Chargers (0-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
The Chargers enter the spring 2021 campaign coming off an up-and-down 2019 season. Hillsdale finished 6-5 and 4-3 in the G-MAC, and had the league's third best scoring offense (28.9 points per game), and fourth-best defense (23.9 points per game).
For the Chargers, improving upon that 2019 record and returning to conference title contention requires more consistency offensively, especially in the passing game. Sophomore quarterback Luke Keller had a solid first season for a freshman thrust into a starting role in 2019, passing for 2,113 yards and 16 touchdowns.
With a year under his belt as the starter, Keller will be looking to build on that promise and show improvements in accuracy and limiting turnovers, while creating more explosive plays in the passing game After a strong showing in fall practices, Keller seems poised to do just that.
Keller will have plenty of experienced weapons to throw to, as the Chargers return five of their top six receivers, led by senior Konnor Maloney, a second-team All-G-MAC player in 2019 who's eighth all-time in career receiving yardage for the Chargers and just outside the top 10 in both receptions and touchdowns.
Hillsdale does have holes to fill offensively with the graduation of tailback David Graham, who finished his career fifth on the Chargers' all-time rushing list, as well as three starters on the offensive line, including G-MAC Offensive Lineman of the Year Mark Konkle.
Several players will get a chance to win the tailback job and replace Graham, with sophomore Michael Herzog, who played at wide receiver last season, the closest to locking down the position after a strong fall camp.
Up front, Hillsdale will rely on its experienced junior guards, All-G-MAC honorable mention Cole Johnson and Jared Clark, to set the tone for a young but talented unit.
Defensively, Hillsdale must contend with some big losses from a unit that was more impactful than the raw numbers indicated in 2019.
Four of the Chargers' six leading tacklers move on, led by G-MAC Defensive Back of the Year Drake Temple, but the cupboard is far from bare for Hillsdale.
The Chargers return two impact players in the secondary in junior Zach Herzog, the Chargers' leading tackler in 2019 and a first-team All-G-MAC safety, and senior Alex Anschutz, a second-team All-G-MAC honoree and playmaker at Hillsdale's hybrid linebacker/safety Star position.
Up front, junior defensive tackles Nate Chambers and Joe Royer spearhead a line that should be more effective with better health in 2021. The Chargers are expecting big things from junior defensive end Kyle Parran, who looked poised for a breakout headed into 2019 but was limited by injuries for most of the season.
Kyle Kudla and Jonathon Burton step into the Chargers' starting linebacker roles after strong play in part-time action last season.
Special teams, always an emphasis for Hillsdale under Keith Otterbein, should be bolstered by the return of 2018 honorable mention All-G-MAC punter Jack Shannon, who missed all but one game last season with an injury. At kicker, true freshman Julian Lee will get the first crack at replacing graduated senior Bryce Sealock, a first-team All-GMAC kicker in 2019.
Lee is one of several true freshman who could play a bigger than normal role for freshmen this season for the Chargers. Thanks to the postponement of the season to the spring, the Class of 2024 got a full fall camp with Hillsdale, instead of the four weeks of practice they usually get in the fall before the season starts. That, plus a full semester in the weight room, has the freshmen far ahead of where they usually are at the start of the season and in a much better position to potentially contribute for the Chargers in 2021.
Links
NCAA Division II Stats
NCAA
NCAA Division II Football
American Football Coaches Association
D2Football.com
Great Midwest