Findlay, Ohio – In a complete 180-degree turn from this match up a season ago, the University of Findlay football team relied on its' stout defense to come away with a victory against the Wayne State Warriors on Saturday, Sep. 13 in Donnell Stadium. These two teams combined for 72 points in an Oilers' win in 2024, but today it was a 7-3 victory for the Orange and Black to improve to 2-0 on the year while Wayne State falls to 0-2.
The Oilers elected to receive to start the ballgame and, early on, Wayne State showed it was far from the same team that UF took on last season. A pair of negative plays were forced by an inspired Warriors defense, forcing a punt. UF would return the favor as a three-and-out quickly gave the ball back to the home team.
Both teams traded blows through a scoreless first quarter. Five minutes into the second frame, Findlay forced a punt and started a drive on its' own ten yard line. The Oilers offense found something it liked on the series, ripping off consecutive chunk plays for the first and only time during the contest. A 37-yard pass to senior Bryan Hunt was followed by plays of 13, 17, and 11 yards in succession, setting Findlay up in the red zone. A 16-yard run by sophomore Christian Davis capped the 90-yard drive with a touchdown, the only scored by either team on the day.
Fast forward to the fourth quarter, the Oilers' defense stood tall on what proved to be one of the two most important stops of the game. Wayne State, starting on its' own five yard line, buckled up the chin straps and drove the length of the field, breaking into the red zone on a 27-yard reception that gave WSU first and goal from the two. Findlay's defense held.
An incomplete pass was followed by two rushes that gained only a yard. Now fourth and goal from the one, the Warriors committed a false start, forcing a field goal try. While the Green and Gold did get on the board, that drive, which chewed up nearly ten minutes of clock, was a win for the Oilers.
A quick three and out gave the ball back to WSU with 4:19 to play and, unlike a year ago, it was the defense that was called on to go win the game for the home team.
The Warriors drove into Findlay territory and reached the 23 yard line with just over a minute to play. Quarterback Champion Edwards looked up the left side for his receiver but airmailed the ball, straight into the reliable hands of senior Adonai Bumba who recorded his first interception of the year, ending the ballgame.
For the second time in as many games, Findlay's defense held its' opponent to less than 100 yards, allowing just 57 yards on 21 carries. It also kept the Warriors' passing game at bay, surrendering just 183 yards through the air while giving up just 19 completions in 29 attempts.
An often overlooked phase of the game, the Oilers' special teams also played a big role in the outcome of Saturday's victory. Junior punter Owen Clevenger helped UF win the battle of field possession with five punts that totaled 215 yards, an average of 43 per attempt. Two of those punts pinned the Warriors inside their own 20.
Senior Sam Weihrauch led the way for Findlay's defense, recording ten tackles including two tackles-for-loss. Senior Johnny Harris had five stops, including a TFL, while sophomore Jayon Harvey had five tackles and a pass breakup.
Junior Chase Harrison completed 14-of-21 passes for 178 yards and had an interception on the day. His favorite target was senior Bryan Hunt who had eight receptions for 98 yards. Christian Davis, who scored the lone touchdown of the day, had 27 yards on ten carries.
Unbeaten through non-conference action, the Oilers now turn their attention Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play with the first road trip of the season next week. Findlay heads to Painesville, Ohio for a matchup with the Lake Erie College Storm on Saturday, Sep. 20. That game will kick at 2:00 pm.
