Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay football team, ranked #25 in the country, played host to the Walsh University Cavaliers on Saturday, Nov. 2 and came away with a 28-17 victory. That win is the third in a row for the Oilers, who improve to 8-1 on the year with a 6-1 record in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) while Walsh falls to 4-5 with a 3-4 mark in league play. This marks the eighth consecutive victory against the team from North Canton, Ohio, moving the overall series to 11-1 in favor of the Oilers.
On a perfect November afternoon, Donnell Stadium played host to two of the top three scoring offenses in the conference with Findlay coming into the game at 34.9 points per game and Walsh scoring 31.8 points per game. The Oilers offense struggled to gain momentum at times, but it did plenty enough to win, especially with the play of the team's defense which also answered the call when it was needed the most.
Walsh chose to take the opening kickoff, but was quickly turned away, failing to reach midfield.
Findlay's first offensive series would be its' longest of the game, both in terms of time of possession and length. The Oilers chewed up nearly seven minutes, covering 84 yards in 15 plays, nine of which came on the ground. Junior Jayden Farmer capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, putting the Oilers in front early.
The Oilers would not trail over the duration of the game, a theme in the series as Walsh has not held a lead at any point against UF since the first quarter in 2019.
A short four-play drive was all that the Cavs could muster as the Oilers got the ball back for its' offense, however a fumble, the first of four by Findlay on the day, put Walsh in position to score, which it did on a field goal early in the second quarter.
The second fumble of the afternoon came when UF was attempting a field goal on its' next drive. Trouble with the snap turned into a 15-yard loss and a turnover on downs. Findlay's defense would step up, forcing a quick three-and-out, a drive that ended with a sack by senior James Gladden.
Both teams traded three-and-outs, still feeling each other out midway through the second frame. Another fumble by Findlay came with inside of four minutes to play, turning the ball over again, however a big sack on third down by freshman Jon Slaper halted any progress for the Cavs, keeping the UF lead intact.
A pair of touchdowns in the third quarter seemed to put the Oilers in firm control of the game, although Walsh did finally crack the goal line, as well, scoring its' first touchdown in two years against UF. Findlay's second score of the third came via some razzle-dazzle as wide receiver Mitch Nielsen took a handoff and found quarterback Matt Rueve wide open near the home sideline. Rueve sidestepped a defender and rumbled into the end zone for a 16-yard score.
Findlay went on to earn an 11-point victory in a game that, while it ended with just an 11-point margin, felt like it was uphill sledding for the Cavs all day long.
A big part of that was because of the Oilers defense which spent most of the afternoon in the Cavs backfield. Findlay recorded 14 tackles-for-loss, the most by UF in a game since it had 15 against Alderson Broaddus back in 2019. Those TFL included nine sacks, the most in the NCAA era of the program.
Walsh managed just 56 yards on 41 carries and threw for 177 yards, totaling 233 yards of offense. Findlay bullied the Cavs on the ground, pounding the pigskin for 285 yards, an average of 6.6 yards per carry. Through the air, the Oilers had just 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Leading the way for UF was the play of Jon Slaper who would finish with 11 tackles. He had 5.5 tackles-for-loss, tied for the most by any player in a single game in Division II this season. Those TFL are the most by a player at Findlay since Craig Hoying had 5.5 TFL against Tiffin back in 2010 and rank second in a single-game in G-MAC history. Also defending through the air, Slaper had a pair of pass breakups, as well.
Sophomore Isaiah Kenney had nine tackles and two pass breakups in the game while freshman Kevin Henderson had seven stops, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery.
Also spending most of his day in the Cavs backfield, junior Londyn Claxton had seven tackles including 3.5 TFL and a game-high 2.5 sacks. Junior Sam Weihrauch had five tackles including 1.5 TFL and a sack.
Offensively, Rueve had a complete game, going 18-for-31 through the air for 124 yards and a touchdown. He also had five carries for 69 yards, including a 45-yarder, and one reception for a touchdown.
On the ground, Farmer was unstoppable, rushing the ball 23 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Findlay will play its' final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 9 when the Northwood Timberwolves come to town. That game will kick off at noon.
