Champions | Football Wins First Conference Title Since 1997
Findlay, OH - Champions.
For the first time in the NCAA Division II era of the Findlay football program, the Oilers are able to call themselves just that. On Saturday, Nov. 13, in front of a crowd of 2,100 people, Findlay defeated the Tiffin University Dragons by a score of 26-21 to secure the program's first Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) title and the first conference championship since 1997. With the victory, the Oilers improve their record to 8-3 overall, the third eight-win season under coach Rob Keys, with a 6-1 mark in the G-MAC.
Findlay's final drive of the game was the perfect synopsis of how Saturday's victory was obtained. Gaining possession with just over five minutes remaining, the Oilers kept the ball on the ground and in the hands of junior Brian Benson for seven of the final eight plays, picking up three first downs in the process. Benson's final run on a third and four went for 32 yards, his longest carry of the game, giving Findlay a first down with the Dragons out of timeouts.
The sideline then sent in the best play call in the sport, the victory formation. Three times quarterback Matt Winzeler's knee hit the turf before Orange and Black jerseys stormed the field, fueled by the raw emotion of victory.
"I feel pretty good", commented a visibly emotional head coach Rob Keys following the victory. "It's hard to put into words what the players and staff did this year. We went through a lot of adversity, but these guys stayed the course. I can't say enough about the coaching staff, and the resiliency of this team is top-notch."
Early on, both teams' offensive strategies were clear. For Tiffin, it was a no-huddle, fast-paced attack in an effort to wear out the Oilers' defense. Findlay was the opposite. The Oilers handed the Dragons a steady dose of the run game behind a big, experienced offensive line. That strategy was the one that prevailed.
The Oilers scored the first touchdown of the game on their second drive, a drive that measured 56 yards in seven plays. On the ensuing kickoff, kicker Austin Snyder, the reigning G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Week, popped the ball up in the air, dropping it into no man's land, a play that was eerily similar to the play used by Tiffin two years ago. Findlay recovered and five plays later, found the end zone again to take a 14-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Benson capped a 56-yard drive with his third touchdown of the day, which, after a blocked extra point, gave Findlay a 20-6 lead.
After the Oilers first drive of the fourth quarter ended in a field goal, Findlay had the momentum and a 26-14 advantage with just 12:28 remaining in the contest. But the game was far from over.
Tiffin then ventured on a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to make it a one-score game at 26-21. The Dragons' defense then forced a three-and-out, giving their team the ball back with 6:19 on their own 37.
Findlay's defense was asked for a stop, and they delivered. After giving up a first down on the first play, the Oilers' stood tall, forcing Tiffin to punt with just over five minutes remaining, leading to the final drive of the game.
All season long, the Oilers have relied on a variety of talented running backs and in Saturday's championship game, the workhorse was junior Brian Benson. The Mansfield, Ohio native had a career day, carrying the ball 38 times for a career-high 244 yards and three touchdowns, the fourth time in his career he has scored three times or more in a game. Benson now has three career games with 200+ yards rushing, just the second tailback in program history with three, 200-yard games. The other is Daiquone Ford (2011-15).
Asked about Benson's performance, coach Keys said, "It shows you the fabric of this team because you think about the running back situation, Brian Benson didn't carry the ball in games five and six, just wasn't performing really well, but he practiced his butt off every single day and stayed the course, and today rushed for a lot."
Findlay outgained the Tiffin offense, which came in as the top offense in the conference, by totaling 420 yards to 375 for the Dragons. Of the Oilers' 420 yards, 257 came on the ground.
The time of possession reflected each team's playing style as Findlay had the ball for more than 36 minutes while the Dragons had possession for just 23:43.
Matt Winzeler made big throws when he had to, completing 14-of-22 for 163 yards. Tight end Mike Rigerman was his top target, totaling seven receptions for 84 yards. Senior Marlin Richardson added four catches for 50 yards, including a ridiculous one-handed grab along the sideline for a gain of 23 yards, setting up a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
As well as the Oilers' offense played, it was the defense that may have been the big difference. Facing the highest-scoring offense in the conference and the back-to-back G-MAC Player of the Year at quarterback, Findlay forced the Dragons into three punts, had three fourth down stops, and forced one turnover.
Leading that unit was Marqis Stokes who had eight tackles including a tackle-for-loss and two important pass breakups. Kijana Caldwell and Johnny Harris also had seven tackles and a pair of bass breakups out of the Oilers' secondary while linebacker Jack Trombetti also tallied seven tackles.
The great disrupter of the game was Ervin Besingi, Findlay's standout defensive lineman who has been having a career season. Besingi finished the game with five tackles, four of which were tackles-for-loss. He also sacked Tiffin's talented quarterback two times, totaling 29 negative yards for the Dragons.
As a unit, Findlay's defense held the Dragons to two touchdowns less than their season point average.
"Back in 2011, this team wasn't real good", commented Coach Keys. "This is a culmination of a lot of work. This doesn't happen overnight."
With the win, the Oilers, ranked tenth in the latest Super Region One poll, will now await the decision of the regional committee to see if their season is strong enough to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The NCAA DII Selection Show will air on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 5:00 pm ET.
To watch the selection show, CLICK HERE.
