The Game
8-0 for just the sixth time in the history of the Findlay football program, the Oilers will be put to the test on Saturday, Nov. 1 when they travel to Midland, Michigan for a date with the 7-1 Northwood Timberwolves. This matchup features two of the top teams, not only in the G-MAC, but in the country and is is a contest that holds big time conference championship and regional ranking implications.

The Series
Findlay and Northwood have played 26 times with each team winning 13 games. The series began in 1962, a 70-0 win for the Oilers which is the largest margin of defeat between the two teams. The Oilers have won five of the last six games against the Timberwolves including a 27-17 win last year, but have struggled playing in Midland where the Orange and Black have not been victorious since 2002.

Small School Saturday
Saturday's game has national attention and has been dubbed one of the top matchups in the country this week. Small School Saturday is a show that started this year and replicates ESPN's College Gameday but is put on by the content creators of D1 Rejects to highlight and bring attention and buzz to the elite games that take place on non-Division I campuses.

Saturday, Nov. 1, kickoff is slated for noon so the Small School Saturday show will take place from 9:00-11:15 am and will include interviews with both head coaches, human interest stories and interviews with players, analysis for games across the country, and more. Fans at the game can attend the show live, similar to what is seen on College Gameday. 

 

Help Fund Championship Experiences
To help fund experiences like this, the University of Findlay relies on the generous support of Oiler Nation. Follow THIS LINK to make a gift in support of the football program. When you give, you directly support the personal approach and championship experience. Everyone at the University of Findlay, including our almost 700 student-athletes, thank you for your support.
 
Tickets
Tickets for Game at Northwood
 
Follow the Action
Video streaming of the contest will be produced by Northwood and streamed on FloCollege.

LIVE STREAM LINK
LIVE STATS LINK
SMALL SCHOOL SATURDAY TAILGATE SHOW
 
#11 Findlay Oilers (8-0, 6-0 G-MAC)
2025 Findlay Football Coaching Staff

Findlay is in the driver's seat in the G-MAC right now and is off to the best start to a season in the NCAA era of the program. Undefeated. 8-0. No. 11 in the country. None of these things matter when ball meets foot on Saturday as the Oilers continue an incredibly tough closing stretch of games that includes regionally ranked Northwood and Ashland the next two weeks on the road and a regular-season finale against rival Tiffin at home.

Coming off of a win against Ohio Dominican in a battle of two of the top defenses in the country, Findlay's numbers on that side of the ball still rank among the best in the nation. The Oilers are allowing just 49.8 rush yards per game, second-best in the country, while their scoring defense of 11.5 ppg allowed ranks third. 

Leading that defense is linebacker Sam Weihrauch, an elite tackler that has 261 stops in his career, 11th-most among Division II active players. This year Weihrauch has 51 tackles including 8.0 tackles-for-loss. By his side is sophomore Kevin Henderson who has made 42 tackles and leads the team and ranks third in the G-MAC with 9.5 TFL. Pair those two with a run-stopping defensive line that includes Carl Biddings, Braden Watson, and Londyn Claxton who have combined for 12 TFL and the front seven for the Oilers can hang with any in the country.

Behind them is a unit of players in the secondary that also pride themselves on being among the best. Defensive back Christion Stokes is tied for the league-lead in pass breakups with nine, strong safety Johnny Harris has 37 tackles and leads the team with two interceptions, and free safety Jayon Harvey is coming off an all-region season and changed the game last week with an interception against Ohio Dominican.

Findlay's offense has come up with scores when they're needed and that starts with wide receiver Denny Furlong who has put together a breakout season. A junior at UF, Furlong has 32 receptions and leads the G-MAC with 639 yards, ranking second with eight touchdowns. He is a two-time G-MAC Player of the Week and is coming off of a game where he had 136 yards and three scores. 

Senior Jayden Farmer is coming off a game where he was relied on to move the chains on multiple occasions. He finished the game against ODU with season-highs in carries (25) and yards (114). Complimenting him is sophomore Christian Davis who has 67 runs for 290 yards. The two have combined for seven touchdowns.

About the Opponent – Northwood Timberwolves (7-1, 5-1 G-MAC)

After years of rebuilding and revamping a proud football program, the Northwood Timberwolves have officially arrived as a force to be reckoned with in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and the region. A four-time NCAA DII Playoff participant, Northwood has not been to the post season since 2006 and, between 2007 and 2024 have a combined record of 67-125 (.349). However, after a winning season last year, the Timbys are off to a 7-1 start to 2025 and are ranked No. 24 in the country by D2Football.com, receiving votes in the AFCA national poll, and were announced as one of three G-MAC teams "under consideration" in the debut of the NCAA Super Region 3 regional rankings this week. In short, head coach Dustin Beurer has turned back the clock to the days of legendary coach Pat Riepma and Northwood is once again a force on the gridiron.

Their year began at home with a five-point win against a fairly lifeless Northern Michigan program but the following week, the Timbys went on the road and defeated Saginaw Valley State 38-14, an SVSU team that later in the season went on the road and defeated GLIAC powerhouse Grand Valley State. That win vs SVSU turned heads and since then, a single-digit loss to nationally ranked Ashland Unviersity is the lone blemish on an impressive resume. 

A tough, hard-nosed football team, Northwood has been stingy on defense and has been electric on offense, ranking second in the G-MAC in both points per game allowed (12.8) and points per game (32.6). Peaking at the right time, Northwood has averaged 49.7 points per game over the previous three weeks and has leaned on the play of redshirt sophomore quarterback Ethan Hamby who has been surgical this season. On the year, Hamby has completed 124-of-192 for 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns, 13 of which have come in the previous four games alone. Most impressively, however, is the fact that Hamby has not yet thrown an interception making Northwood one of just four teams in the country to not have thrown an INT this season. In fact, the Timberwolves have just one turnover this season, the fewest of any team in DII.

Behind Hamby is running back Devin Brown who has the third-most yards in the conference this year, running for 584 yards on 117 carries. Brown, a transfer from Lake Erie College, was the 2021 G-MAC Freshman of the Year and a second team all-G-MAC pick that year. He and Hamby each have a trio of rushing touchdowns but, in short and goal situations, be on the lookout for left tackle Kevin Brown to lineup in the backfield. Brown, at 6-7, 365 pounds, had a trio of carries against Kentucky Wesleyan from the goal line, two of which ended in touchdowns.

In the slot, wide receiver Case Boos is a major threat and leads the G-MAC with 36 receptions while ranking second in yards with 524. Teammate Mitch Rivard has 17 catches for 300 yards and the duo has combined for eight touchdown receptions. Sam Dersa, a grad transfer from Saginaw Valley State, adds to the solid wide receiving corps, pulling in 12 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Timberwolves are stout, especially on third down where they allow a moving of the chains just 28% of the time, seventh-best in the country. Senior Cole Simpson is a game changer and this year leads the team with 54 tackles to go along with four interceptions, tied for fifth-most in the country. Linebacker Jalin Pitchford leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss while linebacker Joe Lathers leads the Timbys with three sacks.

With a balanced attack, elite ball security, and a defense that thrives under pressure, Northwood has not only revived its proud football tradition but positioned itself as a serious postseason threat. The Timberwolves are playing with confidence, purpose, and a chip on their shoulder. If their current trajectory holds, Northwood is a team that has realistic conference title hopes, but beyond that, could be on the verge of its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades.

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