Ashland, Ohio – The University of Findlay football team dropped a heartbreaker on the road on Saturday, Nov. 4, losing 37-35 in four overtimes to longtime rival Ashland University in Jack Miller Stadium. The loss gives the Oilers a record of 7-3 on the year with a 6-2 mark in G-MAC play while Ashland improves to 7-3 with a 7-1 record in the conference.
Saturday marks the first time the Oilers have lost in overtime since a 39-38 defeat to Walsh on October 10, 2015 in double overtime. It was the first time in program history the Oilers have gone to four overtimes making it the longest game played by the Orange and Black.
As rivalry games often are, this one was full of drama as the two teams battled for the 51st time in their storied history. That drama began early as Ashland jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, but the Oilers battled back, tying the game at 14-14 in the back end of the first half.
Findlay started the second half with the ball, but senior quarterback Alec Bornhorst threw an interception on a crossing route to senior Cam Childers, who went down as his feet were tangled up by a defender. However, the Oilers defense, which began that drive with their backs near the goal line, stood strong, forcing a 26-yard field goal.
That momentum carried to the next drive and the Oilers marched 74 yards in eight plays, capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to junior Garret Clark who had no one with 15 yards as he came free on the back side of the play thanks to some misdirection to the right of the formation. That score put the Oilers up 21-17, although the quarter would end 24-24 after a touchdown by Ashland and field goal by Findlay.
Tied in the fourth, Ashland embarked on a drive that spanned six minutes of game clock and reached the Findlay nine yard line. On a third-and-nine from the Oilers nine, junior Johnny Harris intercepted a pass in the end zone from Ashland QB Trevor Bycznski, his first interception thrown in more than 120 attempts. Harris returned the ball to the 25 yard line and gave his offense the ball with four minutes left, needing any kind of points to potentially earn the win.
The Oilers worked their way down the field, running ten plays, eight of which went for six yards or less. The drive stalled out on the Ashland 29, forcing a 46-yard field goal for the win. Kicker Brian Bartholomew, who has been the best kicker in the conference this season, leading the G-MAC with 14 field goals made, lined up for what would be a season-long. The attempt was blocked by the Eagles, who lead Division II and ranked second in NCAA, regardless of Division, with nine blocked field goals this season.
Overtime.
Findlay won the toss and elected to defend first. The Oilers looked to make a huge play on a short completion to Lyburtis when Grey Brancifort popped the ball free and recovered it, however, on the big hit, which was made by Sam Weihrauch, Lyburtis' helmet came off which, by rule, ends the play immediately. Ashland would be kept out of the end zone, but did collect a field goal on the possession.
A touchdown would win as the first overtime continued. The Oilers ran six plays, three of which were runs by their big quarterback, Alec Bornhorst. That drive was stopped on an incompletion to senior Cam Childers, forcing a field goal and second overtime.
Bornhorst found the end zone on a four yard scamper in the second OT, but a failed two point conversion had the Oilers up 33-27, needing a stop. Ashland would score on a touchdown to wideout Dezmin Lyburtus and, being forced to go for two by the NCAA's new overtime rules, failed their attempt when Adonai Bumba popped the ball out of the hands of an Eagles' receiver to force the incompletion.
From that point, as the rules dictate, both teams would trade possessions from the three yard line until there was a winner.
Both teams were successful on their first attempt, making the score 35-35, but the Oilers were stopped on their second attempt, setting up the Eagles with one try from the three to win the game. That attempt was converted, sending the Eagles' sideline into a frenzy.
As was expected, the matchup was fairly even as both teams put up 400+ yards of offense with Findlay ending at 476 and Ashland with 424. The Oilers were solid on third down, converting 11-of-19 while holding the Eagles to just 5-of-14.
Two of the games' standout players came at wide receiver as Findlay's Cam Childers and Ashland's Dezmin Lyburtus went toe-to-toe and both put up career performances. Childers ended the contest with ten receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown while Lyburtis had 11 catches for 220 and two scores. For Findlay, it was the most receiving yards in a game since the end of the 2021 season when Mike Rigerman had 178 yards against Shepherd in the NCAA DII Playoffs.
At QB, Bornhorst finished 24-of-38 through the air for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He did have one interception, the pick at the beginning of the third quarter. He also had 14 totes for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
On the ground, senior Brian Benson rushed 18 times for 99 yards, giving him 3,404 yards in his career which moves him into fourth on the Oilers all-time rushing list, passing both Dana Wright (3,335 – 1984-86) and Jamie Horn (3,379 – 1987-90). Garret Clark tallied 13 carries for 56 yards and had three receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, senior Jordan Grimes, making his case to become an all-league pick, led the team with seven tackles including 1.5 tackles-for-loss while sophomore Sam Weihrauch, senior Brennan Perry, sophomore Adonai Bumba, senior Jeremiah Jackson, senior Grey Brancifort, and senior Charles Omameh all collected five stops. Omameh led the team with two tackles-for-loss.
Saturday's defeat knocks Findlay out of the race for the G-MAC Championship as conference leader Tiffin went on the road and walloped Ohio Dominican today, giving the Dragons at worst a share of the conference crown. The Oilers will take on Tiffin, currently ranked #19 in the country, next Saturday in Donnell Stadium for a second consecutive rivalry game and a chance to force the Dragons to share the title with Ashland. That game on Nov. 11 will kick off at noon in Findlay, Ohio.
