First Place on the Line as Findlay Hosts Ohio Dominican

The Game

It is the only matchup of undefeated teams in the country this week as Ohio Dominican comes to do battle on the gridiron with Findlay on Saturday, April 10 in Donnell Stadium at 6:00 pm. Both teams are 3-0 this season and have conference championship aspirations that depend heavily on Saturday's outcome.
The Series

This will be the ninth all-time meeting between these two programs, all of those contests coming since 2010. Ohio Dominican has had the advantage, winning seven of the eight games played including six in a row. The last Findlay win came on October 15, 2011, a 27-24 victory in Findlay.

The most lopsided score in the series' history came in October of 2012 when ODU defeated the Oilers 63-31. Since joining the G-MAC, ODU has beaten Findlay three times by an average of 16 points.

In 2018 and 2019, the Findlay/ODU matchup was selected as part of the NCAA DII National Showcase which nationally broadcasted the top games in the country.

Radio Coverage

Saturday's contest can be heard in Findlay by tuning in to 88.3 WLFC or listeners can stream online by visiting 883wlfc.com.

Video Stream

Video streaming of the contest will be produced by Findlay's UFTV and will be streamed on the Great Midwest Digital Network.

Findlay vs Ohio Dominican Video

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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 66-37 record with the program as a head coach, which includes a 54-31 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:

2021 Coaching Staff

Findlay Oilers (3-0, 3-0 G-MAC)

Through three games this season, the Oilers have been the most explosive team in the conference as far as scoring, putting up an absurd 44.7 points per game, almost 15 points more per game than Tiffin who sits in second in that category. It is the second time in three years that the Oilers have averaged at least 44 ppg through three games. But that success has not all been a result of a powerful offense as Findlay has accounted for four defensive or special teams touchdowns, the most of any team in the conference.

 

Senior quarterback Matt Winzeler has made a name for himself as the Oilers signal-caller this year and leads the conference in quarterback efficiency at 149.2. Through three games he has completed 45-of-76 pass attempts for 571 yards and eight touchdowns, the most touchdown passes in the conference this season. However, the Oilers do have a capable backup in junior Jay Vanderjagt who can provide a wrinkle at any point during the game.

 

Catching the passes, senior Marlin Richardson has proven to be one of the top receivers in the G-MAC this year as he ranks second in the league with 246 receiving yards and leads the league with four touchdown receptions. He leads a receiving corps at Findlay that has accounted for 659 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

 

As has been the case in the past, Saturday's game will feel like a heavyweight slugfest and ball control will be key as Findlay and ODU are the top two in the conference in time of possession. That being the case, the Oilers rushing attack will be on full display. The Oilers have built themselves into a program that produces talented running backs and that remains the case this season. Led by senior all-American Brian Benson, the Oilers have rushed for 564 yards and five touchdowns as a team this season. Benson takes the bulk of the carries as he has run 38 times for 208 yards and two scores this year, but the Oilers have proven to be deep at that position as senior Derek Lynch and freshman Aidan Eubanks both have 100-yard games this season.

 

Defensively, it is easy to point to returning first-team all-American Christopher Jefferson as the leader as he ranks second on the team with 18 tackles and already has two interceptions, one for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery, which also went for a touchdown. Sophomore Jordan Grimes has 17 tackles including a tackle-for-loss and senior Cade Rogers has 13 tackles and a fumble recovery. But at just ten points per game allowed, this brand of the Oilers defense is more than just the flash of a strong secondary. Findlay's leading tackler is junior linebacker Kyle Nunn who has 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, and a half-sack this season. In the trenches, the story has been the emergence of junior Reggie Micheaux. The reigning G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week has 17 tackles from his defensive end position. He has four sacks and eight tackles-for-loss this season, both of which lead the conference. Also on the defensive line, senior Ervin Besingi has seven tackles including four tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.

2021 Season Statistics
2021 Roster

Ohio Dominican Panthers (3-0, 3-0 G-MAC)

Although their scores have not been the most impressive this season, the Ohio Dominican Panthers still have a zero in the loss column as they enter play Saturday. That success is a result of a defense that has been stifling.

This season the Panthers' defense has allowed just a single touchdown which came in the fourth quarter of their most recent contest with Kentucky Wesleyan. Prior to that score, ODU's defense had not allowed a touchdown in 12 consecutive quarters. They allow just 202.7 yards per game and just 4.0 points per game, both of which lead the conference. Despite that success, Kentucky Wesleyan did seem to find a rhythm late as they were driving late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game but ran out of time, ending the potential game-winning drive just 25 yards short as the clock hit zero.

Senior linebacker Dauson Dales is the leader of the defensive unit and leads the G-MAC with 43 tackles this season, averaging more than 14 tackles per game. Second on the team in tackles is freshman Michael Powers, a transfer from West Virginia, who has 20 stops including 2.5 tackles-for-loss.

Offensively, junior Evan Ernst has been one of the most accurate passers in the conference in his time as the starting quarterback for ODU. This season, Ernst has completed 65% of his passes for 473 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday he will likely reach the 5,000 yard mark for his career as he is just 110 yards shy of that mark. That would make him the third straight starting quarterback at ODU to reach that milestone, joining Mark Miller (2010-14) and Grant Russell (2014-17).

Most of the carries will go into the arms of senior Frederick Pitts V who is just 16 yards shy of 1,000 in his career. This season Pitts has rushed 52 times for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

2021 Season Stats
2021 Roster

Links

NCAA Division II Stats
NCAA
NCAA Division II Football
American Football Coaches Association
D2Football.com
Great Midwest