The Game
Off to another 3-0 start to the year, the Oilers remain in the top-ten in the country after dominating Kentucky Wesleyan last week. Things get tougher in Week 4 as another top-25 team and G-MAC title contender, Northwood, rolls into Donnell Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 26. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm as the game will serve as Findlay's Homecoming Game. 

The Series
The football history between Findlay and Northwood dates back to November 3, 1962, when the Oilers delivered a 70-0 shutout over the Timberwolves, establishing the largest margin of victory in the series' history. Findlay controlled the early years of the matchup, winning the first five meetings through 1992 before Northwood began making its mark as the two programs built a competitive conference rivalry. The Timberwolves experienced their most dominant stretch in the mid-2000s, putting together a six-game winning streak against the Oilers spanning from 2003 to 2008.

In recent years, the rivalry has tilted back toward Findlay, with the Oilers winning seven of the last ten meetings to hold a narrow 14-13 advantage in the all-time series. Home-field advantage has played a significant role throughout the matchup's history; Findlay owns a dominant 11-4 record on home turf compared to a 3-9 mark in Midland. Coming off back-to-back victories, including a 27-17 win in 2024 and a 31-16 triumph in 2025, the Oilers currently hold a two-game winning streak in a series.

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

The University of Findlay football team returns to Donnell Stadium for a top-25 showdown against Northwood on Homecoming weekend. This marks the second top-25 matchup of the season for the Oilers, who set the tone for their campaign in Week 1 with a 30-10 road victory over then #9 UIndy. Findlay enters Saturday's contest with a nice run of success on Homecoming where it has not lost a game game since 2018.

Findlay's offense has been explosive through the opening three weeks, averaging 43.7 points and 473.3 yards of total offense per game. Quarterback Chase Harrison, this week's G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week, orchestrates the passing attack with 628 yards and eight touchdowns, relying heavily on conference-leading wideout Delon Hurt (218 receiving yards, 3 TDs) and receiver Julian Johnson (184 receiving yards). On the ground, the Oilers generate 226.0 rushing yards per contest at 6.3 yards per carry, powered by the backfield duo of Christian Davis (258 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Dominic Bennett (252 rushing yards, 2 TDs).

Defensively, the Oilers have been dominant, holding opponents to conference-leading 9.0 points and 207.7 total yards per game. The defensive front has erased opposing rushing games, surrendering just 58.7 rushing yards per outing, while collecting 11 sacks and four interceptions. Linebackers Jon Slaper (22 tackles) and Christion Stokes (21 tackles) lead the unit in stops, while Carl Biddings anchors the pass rush with four sacks. Special teams have added an extra dimension as well, highlighted by Cameron Wright's 58-yard punt return touchdown.

Coming off a 64-0 shutout against Kentucky Wesleyan, Findlay enters the matchup clicking in all three phases. With G-MAC standings implications on the line in this game, the Oilers will look to protect home turf and extend their Homecoming winning streak in front of what should be a large Donnell Stadium crowd.

About the Opponent – #23 Northwood Timberwolves (3-0, 1-0 G-MAC)

After breaking a nearly two-decade postseason drought with a historic 9-3 campaign, a G-MAC runner-up finish, and an NCAA DII Playoff berth, the Northwood Timberwolves have firmly re-established themselves as a force on the gridiron. What head coach Dustin Beurer built in his first two seasons culminated in last year's breakthrough, recapturing the physical, winning standard of the legendary Pat Riepma era. The Timberwolves show zero signs of slowing down. Ranked in the national Top 25 once again, Northwood has been stellar out of the gates, jumping out to a 3-0 start, again combining a solid offense with a suffocating defensive front to prove that their resent success is not an anomaly, but is the new standard in Midland.

Offensively, the Timberwolves continue to operate as one of the most balanced and efficient units in the region, averaging 32.3 points and 444.7 total yards per contest. Under center is redshirt sophomore quarterback Ethan Hamby, the reigning G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year, who continues to prove his is one of the elite talents in the conference.

Hamby leads all conference passers with a 147.8 efficiency rating, completing 73.1% of his throws (76-of-104) for 792 yards and four touchdowns to anchor the league's topranked passing attack (292.3 yards per game). Complementing Hamby's play, Northwood's ground game adds 152.3 yards per game and has already punched in nine rushing touchdowns. That complimentary football makes the Timberwolves dynamic in crunch time. Nowhere is this execution more lethal than inside the red zone where Northwood has converted 92% of its trips (11-of-12) directly into touchdowns.

While the offense flashes and puts up the gaudy numbers, Northwood's defense provides the stopping power to make opponents crumble, allowing just 11.7 points per game to rank third in the conference. Up front, the Timberwolves have a line that completely erases opposing running games, leading the G-MAC by holding opponents to just 35.7 rushing yards per game, which is no surprise when opponents pick up just 1.3 yards per carry.

Northwood's front seven has been dynamic as well, racking up 16 sacks through three games. Defensive lineman Charlie Lovell leads the charge in opposing backfields, recording 4.0 tackles for loss, the fifth-best mark in the confefence.
This combination of top-notch offesnive play paired with a stingy defense has Northwood in a position where it once again is playing physical, winning football. As conference play unfolds, the Timberwolves look every bit the part of a legitimate G-MAC title contender and a dangerous regional threat primed for another postseason appearance.

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