The Game
For the first time in a full season since 2015, the Oilers are off to a 3-0 start. One more win, and it's the first four-game streak to start a season in 22 years. To achieve that, Findlay will have to take down long-time rival Hillsdale College in Donnell Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 28. The game, which will serve as UF's Homecoming Game, will begin at 2:00 pm.

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Video streaming of the contest will be produced by UFTV and streamed on the Great Midwest Digital Network and is free of charge.
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Findlay Oilers (3-0, 1-0 G-MAC)
2024 Findlay Football Coaching Staff

Despite a 3-0 start to the season, the Findlay Oilers are not focused on the future and are not thinking beyond this Saturday. Instead, those within the program are putting all their effort into "the fight", and this weekend's Homecoming Game against Hillsdale will be just that.

In the last 15 years, the Oilers hold a 9-4 record against the Chargers, but are just 4-3 at Donnell Stadium where Findlay has not beaten Hillsdale since 2019.

Findlay is coming off of a dominating G-MAC-opening win against the Lake Erie Storm where they did not allow a touchdown, winning 42-6. Defense was a big factor in the decision, especially on the ground where the Orange and Black allowed just 18 total yards. Taking on a Hillsdale team that averages just 41.3 yards per game on the ground, look for increased action in the UF secondary.

Should that be the case, the G-MAC's top tackler, junior Christion Stokes, will lead the charge. He has 31 tackles this year and leads the team with a pair of interceptions. Stokes, along with freshman Jayon Harvey, are also tied for the league-lead with five passes defended.

Now a two-time G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week, quarterback Matthew Rueve has been stellar through three games. He is 63-for-91 for a conference-best 835 yards and nine touchdowns. His completion percentage of 69.2% is also the best in the G-MAC. He is just the second QB in program history to throw for nine touchdowns in his first three career starts, joining Rhys Gervais who did so back in 2015.

Cam Childers, Redd Douglas, and Bryan Hunt are a trio of weapons on the outside for Rueve as all have tallied more than 100 yards through the air thus far. Childers is the leader of the bunch, collecting 249 yards on 15 receptions, including a pair of touchdowns.

On the ground, senior Makya Matthews carried the load last week with a career-high 27 carries. On the year, he has 50 totes for 185 yards and a G-MAC-best four rushing touchdowns.

 
About the Opponent – Hillsdale Chargers (0-3, 0-1 G-MAC)

The last playoff appearance for Hillsdale came in 2018, the same year they were crowned as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) champion. That season came under long-time head coach Keith Otterbein, who had been at the helm of the program since 2002. Since that 2018 season, the Chargers have not been the same, failing to win seven games in a single-season since and boasting a record of 25-27. An 0-3 start to the 2024 campaign is not what new head coach Nate Shreffler had in mind, but those losses did come against quality opponents. Regardless of how the season started, the records go out the window any time the Chargers and Oilers match up.

In 2024, Hillsdale is struggling to get their offense going, specifically the ground game where the Chargers rank 156 out of 159 in the country at just 41.3 rush yards per game. With just five trips to the redzone this season, tied for the fourth-fewest in the country, the Chargers have struggled to score, putting up just 14.3 points per game, 134th in the country.

Leading the offense is a pair of quarterbacks, neither of which has established himself as the go-to for the blue and white. Colin McKernan has been the better of the two arms, throwing 36-of-61 for 388 yards and three scores. He does have an interception to his credit. The other option is Cole Canter, a transfer from Wayne State. Canter is 19-of-42 for 334 yards, has one touchdown, and three interceptions. All three of those picks came in the season-opener against Indianapolis.

The top target is sophomore Shea Ruddy who put together a dream start for himself in the first two games. Against Indy, Ruddy had four catches for 126 yards and a score before posting 92 yards on three receptions against Michigan Tech. Last week against Ashland, Ruddy did not have a catch. He and sophomore Jonathan Metzger are the only two players with more than 100 receiving yards for the Chargers.

On the ground, the Chargers are trying to replace standout Michael Herzog who graduated after putting up more than 2200 in two years. Zach Tetler and Kyle Riffel both have 32 carries this year to lead the way. Tetler has 91 yards and Riffel has 66 and one touchdown. The group as a whole has 99 carries for just 124 yards, averaging 1.3 yards per carry.

Not making much room for their running backs on the ground, the offensive line has also had issue protecting their quarterback this season. In three games, Chargers' QBs have been sacked ten times, losing more than 75 yards.

The HC defense is led by linebacker Jacob Vance who has tallied 26 tackles including four tackles-for-loss. Vince Francescone has 19 stops, four TFL, and an interception, while Jack Trachet has 19 tackles and two TFL.

While this squad may not have the same firepower as some in the past, the Oilers are prepared to take the Chargers' best shot, and with images of past team's parading around on Findlay's home turf burned into their memory, UF will be preparing as if this opponent was unbeaten.

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