The Game
One of the most heated rivalries in DII football, the #22 Findlay Oilers travel east on Route 224 to take on the Tiffin Dragons on Saturday, Nov. 16 with kickoff set for noon. Pride is always on the line when these teams meet, but there are also serious G-MAC title and NCAA Playoff implications, as well, as Findlay can claim at least a share of the G-MAC crown and would lock up a playoff spot with a win. Tiffin and Findlay would win a share of the G-MAC Championship should TU win, if Kentucky Wesleyan knocks off Ashland on Saturday.

"The Battle of 224"
This week the Oilers and Dragons announced a collaborative effort to help elevate what has become a fierce and meaningful late-fall matchup by announcing the creation of "The Battle of 224" trophy which will travel home with the winning program each year.

In the all-time series, Findlay holds a 32-4 record in the 36 games played but, since the two teams have been in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), the matchup is split at three wins apiece. 2022 was the last time these two teams met in Frost-Kalnow Stadium and, in the middle of a snowy, blustery day, the Oilers came away with a 27-25 victory.

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Tickets
Tickets for Findlay at Tiffin

Follow the Action
Video streaming of the contest will be produced by Tiffin University and streamed on the Great Midwest Digital Network and is free of charge.

Radio Broadcast (WTUD Tiffin Radio)
LIVE STREAM LINK 
LIVE STATS

#22 Findlay Oilers (9-1, 7-1 G-MAC)
2024 Findlay Football Coaching Staff

At the beginning of the season, every team in the country dreams of being in the situation that Findlay is currently in, possessing the ability to control its' own destiny. That is the case on Saturday for the Oilers as every goal they have is still in front of them. A win means at least a share of the conference championship which would be the first since 2021 and just the second in the NCAA era of the program. It would also all but guarantee a spot in the NCAA DII Playoffs and, depending on other action in the region, could give Findlay its' first home playoff game in 27 years and the first such game since joining the NCAA.

While the game this weekend has so much that makes it have an elevated feel, the winning team will likely be the one that plays with controlled emotion, treating it like any other game during the year.

On paper, this contest features the top two offenses in the conference with Findlay coming in at second in the league, scoring 33.4 points per game. The Oilers lead the G-MAC in passing yards this season, but only by six yards, throwing for 2,638 yards.

Leading that attack is quarterback Matthew Rueve who has tossed for 2,453 yards this year and a league-leading 26 touchdowns. He started of the year on fire, throwing for 18 touchdowns in the first five games and, on the year, has tallied six games of three passing touchdowns or more.

Findlay has a trio of receivers that make life comfortable for Rueve as Redd Douglas, Bryan Hunt, and Delon Hurt all have more than 30 receptions and more than 475 yards this season. Douglas and Hurt each have four touchdown receptions while Hunt leads the squad with six.

On the ground, Jaden Farmer has fought through injuries, battling his way to 127 carries and 631 yards this year. He has seven rushing TDs while Makya Matthews, who has rushed for 576 yards, has six scores.

Allowing just 18.9 points per game this year, the Oilers' defense will be called on to have one of its' best games of the year on Saturday and, if recent performances are any indication, they will be up to that task. Findlay is one of three teams in the G-MAC that allows less than 300 yards of total offense per game.

Through the air, the Oilers allow just 179 yards per game, third-best in the league. That effort is led by freshman Jayon Harvey who leads the league with 15 passes defended this year and is tied for the lead league with four interceptions. Also impacting the passing game, in a different way, is defensive lineman Londyn Claxton who leads the team with 6.5 sacks including five in the past two games combined. Romaro Warren Jr., the team's second leading tackler, has five sacks.

Should the game come down to it, kicker Cameron Shirkey has been solid this year, making all 45 of his extra point attempts. He is also 9-for-13 on field goal attempts this year with a season-long of 43 yards which he has done twice. His career long came last year as a member of the Notre Dame College squad, kicking a 47-yarder against Charleston.
 
About the Opponent – Tiffin Dragons (7-3, 6-2 G-MAC)

Chosen third in the G-MAC preseason, the Tiffin Dragons are once again proving to be among the elite teams in the league. Coming off of an undefeated regular season and home playoff game last year, TU entered 2024 with lofty expectations and goals. An early loss on the road against #8 Lenoir-Rhyne and loss against perennial conference contender Ashland weren't necessarily bad losses, although no team wants to be ok with a defeat. The game that has Dragons fans kicking themselves came last weekend at Hillsdale when the Chargers used a late score to pick up the victory. That defeat all but ended Tiffin's chance at winning back-to-back conference titles, although a win against Findlay and an unlikely KWC win against Ashland would give them a share of the crown. But even without a realistic chance at winning it themselves, the Dragons would love nothing more than to spoil the party for the #22 Oilers, and this TU team, while not as dominant as a year ago, is certainly capable of just that.

On paper, the Dragons are loaded with talent, especially on offense. TU is scoring a league-best 34.5 points per game and posses the ball for almost 33 minutes per game, also the best in the G-MAC. Picking up 417 yards per game of total offense, the best in the league, makes them a tall task for any team, but they also get it done on defense as they allow just 254 yards per game, the best in the conference and second-best total in Super Region 1. It may seem insignificant at times, but in a game that can be decided by one or two plays, penalties could be a factor and that's an area where the Dragons have struggled, ranking ninth in the conference at almost 8 penalties per game.

Quarterback Alex Johnson, a transfer from the University of Washington, is one of the elite passers in the country, completed 68% of his throws which is the best in the conference and eighth-best in the nation. His 2,538 passing yards are fourth-best in the region while his 25 passing touchdowns are third in the region and tenth in Division II. Through ten games this year, Johnson, a two-time G-MAC Athlete of the Week, has three four-touchdown games and three 300-yard games.

Mixing in the run has not been a bad choice either as the league's top tailback calls the Tiffin backfield home. Ronald Blackman leads the G-MAC in carries, yards, yards per game, and touchdowns on the ground. His best performance this season came Nov. 2 against Kentucky Wesleyan when he toted the rock 23 times for 207 yards and two scores. He can also be a weapon through the air as he has at least two receptions in every game except one this season and has five receiving touchdowns, as well.

The main target through the air is Jalen Thomas who leads the G-MAC with 65 catches and 960 yards. Six times this year Thomas has gone over the 100-yard receiving mark in a game including a season-high 132 yards vs KWC. Wideouts Javier Willis and Ethan Holbrook are also threats, collecting 408 and 402 yards, respectively. Holbrook leads the team with six touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the Dragons rank fifth in the country with four touchdowns scored and have recorded 18 takeaways. Kenneth Byrd leads the team with 56 tackles, but it is Khris Walton who is this year's version of a Dragons game-wrecker. Walton has 53 stops including 12.5 tackles-for-loss, the most in the conference this season. He is coming off of a season-high three TFL, all three of which were sacks, against Hillsdale. On the back end, Justin Wimpye has four interceptions which is tied for the league-lead.

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