Columbus, Ohio – The University of Findlay football team, ranked #16 in the country, battled Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) opponent Ohio Dominican University on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Panther Stadium
in Columbus, Ohio. Despite a frustrating start, the Oilers exploded late for a 41-3 victory to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while the Panthers fell to 2-3 (1-2 G-MAC).
The win also marks Findlay's fourth consecutive victory in its series against ODU and is the second time in the last four that the Oilers have not allowed ODU to reach the endzone. It is also the third time this season that the Findlay defense has held an opponent scoreless in the second half.
Ohio Dominican struck first with a 37-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, but Findlay answered quickly. On their first possession, senior Chase Harrison connected with senior Nash Biglin for a 25-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. A 28-yard field goal by Zachary Barzd later in the opening quarter stretched Findlay's advantage to 10-3.
However, the Oilers struggled to take full advantage of their first-half opportunities due to costly turnovers. Findlay turned the ball over three times before halftime, losing a fumble late in the first quarter and throwing interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second. A 39-yard field goal by Barzd was the only other score Findlay could manage before the break, keeping the margin at 13-3 heading into the locker room.
Following a scoreless third quarter that saw another lost fumble, Findlay's offense found its rhythm in a big way. The Oilers erupted for 28 points in the fourth quarter alone to put the game completely out of reach. The 28 fourth-quarter points are the most scored by Findlay in a single fourth quarter since scoring 28 against Tiffin in 2014.
The floodgates opened early in the final frame when junior quarterback Andrew Leonard capped a six-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Just 90 seconds later, following an ODU fumble recovered by the Oilers' defense, Harrison threw his second touchdown pass of the day on a 24-yard strike to senior Denny Furlong. Junior Christian Davis added a 5-yard touchdown run, and senior Dominic Bennett sealed the route with a 5-yard touchdown rush of his own with 3:24 remaining.
Findlay dominated the total yardage battle, outgaining Ohio Dominican 473 to 162. The Oilers' defense stifled the Panthers' rushing attack, holding ODU to -3 net rushing yards on 34 carries, forcing 10 punts, and allowing just 1-of-14 third-down conversions.
Senior Josh Woods led the defensive unit with seven tackles, including 3.0 tackles-for-loss. Junior Jon Slaper added seven tackles and a sack, while junior Eric Jones recorded five tackles, a sack, and 2.0 tackles-for-loss.
Harrison paced the passing game, completing 24 of 31 passes for 308 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Furlong topped the receiving corps with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Biglin hauled in seven receptions for 86 yards and a score. On the ground, Davis led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown.
The Oilers are back at Donnell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 10 when they return to G-MAC action against the Ashland University Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 pm. The game, which has been selected as one of the nation's games of the week, will be simulcast on both FloCollege and Amazon Prime.
