Painesville, Ohio – The University of Findlay football team played their first away game of the 2025 season on Saturday, Sep. 20, facing Lake Erie College Storm in Painesville, Ohio. Findlay won the debut Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) game of the season with a score of 33-3. That win, the 13th in a row against LEC, gives the Oilers a 3-0 record on the year while Lake Erie falls to 0-3.
The Storm got the scoring started in the first quarter, converting on a 37-yard field goal just five seconds before the first 15-minute frame expired.
A second lost fumble of the game gave the Storm the ball back early in the second quarter, but a punt was forced by Findlay's defense, which has now allowed a total of just six points in its' last two outings.
On the ensuing drive, the Oilers eventually faced a first and goal from the four and, after being kept out of the endzone three times, a fourth-and-goal past from freshman Andrew Leonard to senior Tristan Cross put UF in front.
In the third quarter, Lake Erie, still trailing by just seven, forced a punt. On the play, return man Curtis Thomas muffed the punt at his own two yard line. The ball was recovered up by Findlay sophomore Samuel Lawanson in the end zone for a touchdown.
The Oilers put the game on ice in the middle of the fourth quarter when senior Izzy Ogunmoyero intercepted a short screen pass at the 50 yard line. With nothing but green turf in front of him, Ogunmoyero raced into the end zone for Findlay's first interception returned for a touchdown since Kijana Caldwell and Shemar Watson each recorded one against KWC back in 2022.
Findlay out gained Lake Erie 352-to-230 and dominated the time-of-possession, keeping the ball for 34:00 minutes. A big key to UF's success on Saturday was fourth-down success. The Oilers went for it on fourth down a total of five times, succeeding on four of those attempts.
True freshman Andrew Leonard, a finalist for Ohio's Mr. Football award last year, completed 17-of-26 for 195 yards and two touchdowns in his first taste of college ball. He was called into action after starter Chase Harrison went injured on the second series of the game.
Sophomore Brennan Remy led the receiving corps with seven receptions for 73 yards while senior Mitch Nielsen had three receptions for 60 yards. Furlong and Cross each recorded a touchdown reception.
On the ground, junior Dominic Bennett had ten carries for 50 yards to lead the rushing attack.
Findlay's defense, which has now gone back-to-back games without allowing a team in the endzone for the first time in two years, was led by sophomore Jayon Harvey and senior Sam Weihrauch. Each player had five tackles in the game. Weihrauch also tallied 1.5 tackles-for-loss including a half sack.
Senior Christion Stokes had four tackles and a team-high 2.0 tackles-for-loss and two pass breakups.
Findlay will now return home for its' only night contest of the season, a 7:00 pm start on Saturday, Sep. 27 against Thomas More.
