The Game
Records go out the window when Findlay and Ashland meet in any sport, but especially on the gridiron where the two have met more than any other D2 teams in the state. The Oilers are ranked 16th in the country and face off against an Ashland team whose season has not played out the way they hoped, but none of that matters once the ball is kicked off. The two teams will square off in the D2 national Game of the Week on Amazon Prime in Donnell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 12:03 pm.

The Series
In a series that dates back to 1924, Ashland holds the all-time advantage with a 31-18-4 record against the Oilers. Prior to last season's matchup, the Eagles had won three straight against Findlay, including a heartbreaking four-overtime loss for the Oilers in 2023. Last season, however, in a matchup between two top-15 teams, Findlay came away with a 14-3 victory, securing a share of the G-MAC title in the process.

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#16 Findlay Oilers (3-0, 1-0 G-MAC)
2026 Findlay Football Coaching Staff

Looking to rebound from their first loss of the 2026 season, the Oilers did so in a big way last Saturday against Ohio Dominican. After the Panthers got on the board with an early field goal, Findlay outscored Ohio Dominican 41-0 the rest of the way, including 28 points in the final 15 minutes of play.

Findlay's offense has been potent through the first five games of the season, averaging 36.6 points and 412.8 yards per game. The Oilers have relied on a balanced attack, averaging 162.0 rushing yards and 250.8 passing yards per contest.

Chase Harrison has continued to provide a steady presence under center for the Oilers, totaling 1,084 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. The duo of Christian Davis and Dominic Bennett has found consistent success on the ground, with Davis averaging 5.4 yards per carry for 319 yards, while Bennett has emerged as an explosive play threat, averaging 7.8 yards per touch for 281 yards. Junior transfer receiver Nash Biglin is coming off his biggest game in an Oilers uniform, hauling in seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown against Ohio Dominican.

On the defensive side, the Oilers have excelled at containing opposing rushing attacks. Findlay ranks second in all of Division II in yards per rush allowed, with opponents averaging just 1.86 yards per carry. Linebacker Jon Slaper leads the team with 40 tackles and seven tackles for loss, while defensive backs Christion Stokes and Luke Weihrauch follow with 30 and 28 tackles, respectively. Findlay also leads Division II with 55 tackles for loss on the season. Helping fuel that success up front are defensive linemen Carl Biddings and Elijah Shankle, who have each recorded 4.5 sacks.

The Eagles, who opened the season ranked No. 12 in the country and were picked as the favorites to win the G-MAC, now sit at 1-4 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. Ashland has gone through a gauntlet thus far, taking on two teams currently ranked in the top 25 in Grand Valley State University and Indiana (Pa.), along with Walsh and Tiffin, who have either spent time in the top 25 or received votes throughout the season.

On offense, the Eagles have yet to find a consistent source of production at the quarterback position, with three different players seeing time under center. Freshman quarterback Coy Hamic got the nod in the second half of their game against Tiffin, completing 8-of-17 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.

Junior running back Willtrell Hartson is beginning to find his stride, coming off his best back-to-back games over the last two weeks. Across those games, Hartson has totaled 179 yards on 40 carries. Hartson has scored one of the Eagles' two rushing touchdowns on the season.

Similar to Findlay, the Eagles also rank among the top teams in Division II in multiple defensive categories. They rank seventh in total defense and fifth in rushing yards allowed per carry. A large reason for this defensive success has been redshirt junior linebacker Jack Talkington, who leads the team with 50 tackles and four tackles for loss. He also leads the Eagles with 2.5 sacks and two interceptions, serving as a Swiss Army knife for Ashland.

Ashland enters Saturday's matchup looking to turn around a difficult start to the season. Despite a 1-4 record, the Eagles have faced a challenging schedule and boast one of the stronger defenses in Division II. With a young and developing offense complemented by a defense that has consistently kept them in games, Ashland will look to lean on its defensive strength and create enough opportunities to create an upset bid this Saturday.

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