The Oilers 1979 football team captured the school's first national championship under the guidance of head coach Dick Strahm, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. The Oilers, who fell 7-0 to Concordia in the 1978 title game, out-scored their opponents by a 102-21 margin in the 1979 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) playoffs en route to their championship and finished the season with a 10-1-1 record.
Strahm, who would later lead the Oilers to national championship wins in 1992, 1995 and 1997, was tabbed the NAIA National Coach of the Year during the 1979 season. He also earned NAIA District 22 Coach of the Year accolades and led a team that featured 12 all-Hoosier Buckeye selections, ten NAIA all-District 22 picks and five NAIA all-Americans.
After finishing the regular season with a 7-1-1 record, the Oilers began their playoff run with a 41-15 win over Jamestown in the opening round of the NAIA playoffs at Donnell Stadium. The Oilers piled it on early, jumping out to a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back as they rolled up 436 yards of total offense.
Fullback Nelson Bolden led the Oilers offensive attack with 136 rushing yards on 31 carries while quarterback Paul Trina completed 7-of-10 passing attempts for 156. Defensively, end Jerry Campbell and linebacker Jim Ryan led the way with 11 and ten tackles, respectively.
In the second round of the playoffs at a frozen Donnell Stadium, the Oilers scored a 9-0 win over Pacific Lutheran to reach the national championship game. The Oilers defense came up big as they forced nine turnovers in the game. Defensive back Denny Maag led the way with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in the victory.
The Oilers won convincingly in the title game, spanking Northwestern (Iowa) by a score of 51-6 in Donnell Stadium for the school's first national championship. The Oilers defense once again was dominant in forcing nine turnovers and held Northwestern to just 171 yards of total offense. Findlay built a 41-0 lead at the half and were led offensively by Trina, who finished with 124 passing yards and 59 rushing yards.
The Oilers offensive attack during the 1979 season was unstoppable. They gained 4,534 yards of total offense and averaged 246.4 rushing yards per game. Bolden led the charge with 1,324 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns while Trina threw for 1,171 yards and 18 scores. Rick Hatfield was the Oilers top receiver, hauling in 55 catches for 839 yards and 14 touchdowns.
On defense, the Oilers were experts at forcing turnovers, totaling 51 on the year, and held their opponents to a mere 11.0 points per game. Maag recorded nine interceptions while defensive back Tim Tagliapietra had seven.
Pat Gibson, the Oilers leader on the offensive line, earned second team all-Little All-American honors and was also voted a NAIA All-American. Bolden and Hatfield each earned NAIA All-American honors while Tagliapietra and offensive lineman Dave Berger each earned honorable mention All-American accolades.
