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| Football Returns Home to Face Ferris State |
 The Game Ferris State University (1-4, 1-4) vs. The University of Findlay (3-2, 2-2) Time Saturday, October 1, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. (Donnell Stadium) Sights and Sounds You can catch all the action of The University of Findlay’s football team on 1330 AM “WFIN”. Also, all games will be broadcasted live via Teamline on the internet. To catch a game on the web, please log onto the Oilers website and click on the blue Teamline link. WFIN will also broadcast all of Findlay’s football games online. To reach WFIN’s site, please log onto the Oilers website and click on the blue WFIN link at the bottom of the page. For more information about WFIN, please click on the following link: Special Events Saturday’s game will be The University of Findlay’s annual faculty/staff/student appreciation night at the stadium. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last till 6:30 p.m. All faculty, staff and students wishing to attend should bring a valid UF ID to receive a complimentary game ticket and free Papa John’s pizza. The event will take place outside the North end of the stadium and will also feature live entertainment from the popular rock band, Robbie’s Delight. The Voice of the Oilers This football season, Tim Montgomery can be heard as the voice of the Oilers. Montgomery, who was raised in Findlay, is a 1986 graduate of Findlay High School. He then later attended The University of Findlay where he received his bachelor of arts in Education. Montgomery brings 15 years of experience to the position. He has worked with WFIN in previous years and is currently a history and government teacher at Allen East High School. He currently lives in Findlay with his wife, Lori, and their two children, Zach and Olivia. Manning the color commentary for Findlay’s football games will be Jason Granger. Granger is no stranger to UF football, having played for the Oilers from 1995-99. A 1999 graduate from The University of Findlay, Granger was a part of two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship teams at Findlay during the 1995 and 1997 seasons. Granger currently resides in Bluffton, Ohio with his wife, Beth. He is the owner of Granger Financial, which is a member of Strategic Financial Resources. Coaching Ranks Findlay – Head coach Dan Simrell is currently in his sixth season with the Oilers. He has a 29-30 overall record in his tenure. This season will be his 35th as a collegiate coach. Simrell currently ranks third on Findlay’s all-time list in coaching victories with 29. He trails Byron Morgan Sr. (55) and Dick Strahm (183). No Place Like Home Simrell currently has a 18-12 record within the friendly confines of Donnell Stadium. In comparison, he is 11-18 on the road. In the GLIAC The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has long been regarded as one of the premier conferences in NCAA Division II football. Currently, Simrell has a 25-29 record in league play. Rewarding a Job Well Done Simrell has twice been named the top coach in a conference. The first time came in 1984 when he was named the Mid American Conference Coach of the Year after leading Toledo to a 9-2-1 record and a Glass Bowl victory. In 2002, Simrell was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year after leading the Oilers to a 9-2 record. Ferris State - Ferris State’s head coach is Jeff Pierce. He is currently in his 11th year with the Bulldogs. Pierce owns the distinction of being the Bulldogs’ all-time leader in wins as a coach. He reached the milestone a season ago (9/4) in Ferris’ overtime win at Ashland. Under Pierce, FSU has won or shared three GLIAC titles (1995-96, 99) while earning consecutive (1995-96) NCAA-II Playoffs berths, including a semifinal-round appearance in 1995. Pierce graduated from Ferris State with a degree in trade-technical teacher education in 1979, earning a pair of President's Academic Awards along the way. He completed graduate school in 1985 with a master's degree in athletic administration from Central Michigan University. He is currently 5-2 in his career against the Oilers and is 4-1 all-time against Dan Simrell. The Series The Oilers currently lead the Bulldogs 9-8 in the all-time series which dates back to the 1934 season. In that year, the Oilers came away with a 12-6 win. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Oilers 35-7 in Big Rapids, Michigan. Ferris State’s Andrew Terry set a NCAA record in the game by rushing for a remarkable 410 yards on 38 carries. The Oilers were led by Michael Simpson, who tallied 123 yards on 16 rushes in the loss. As a team, Findlay turned the ball over three times and gave up 568 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs averaged 8.1 yards per game in the win. The Bulldogs have won five of the last seven meetings. For a box score to Findlay’s 35-7 loss to Ferris State last year, click on the following link: The Oilers The Oilers fell 34-17 to #19 Northwood University last Saturday afternoon in Midland, Michigan after giving up 24 points in the final quarter of play. Findlay gave up 346 yards rushing to the powerful woodbone attack of the Timberwolves and 487 total yards in the loss. Michael Simpson led the offense with 100 rushing yards on 27 carries. Simpson also added a touchdown in the game. Caleb Meyer, making his first career start as the quarterback for Findlay, completed 13-of-27 passes for 143 yards and two interceptions. Mike Leach, the starter at quarterback for the fist four games of the year, came on in relief to complete 5-of-6 passes for 80 yards. Leach also threw one touchdown and one interception in the loss. Darren Paige led Findlay’s receivers with five receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. On defense, the Oilers were led by Marqual Miller and Kevin McCann. Miller tallied 11 tackles and one interception while McCann racked up ten stops in the loss. For Findlay's 2005 season statistics, please click on the following link: For Findlay's 2005 schedule, please click on the following link: For Findlay’s 2005 roster, please click on the following link: The Opponent Ferris State posted a 33-27 conference victory over Mercyhurst last Saturday (Sept. 24) afternoon in FSU’s sixth annual Hall of Fame Game at Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich. It was the Bulldogs first win of the season. Sophomore quarterback C.J. Van Wieren set a FSU single-game rushing record by a quarterback with his 194 yards on the ground. He also threw for 219 yards and was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week. Junior middle linebacker Mike Klobucher registered his fourth consecutive double-figure tackle game with 13 total stops in the win. As a team, the Bulldogs racked up 533 total yards on offense in the win. Key Player Ferris State’s Carlton Brewster was named a 2005 preseason All-American by several gridiron publications and online services, which include Lindy’s magazine, Hansen’s Football Gazette, www.CollegeSportsReport.com, and D2Football.com. Brewster was recently named to Detroit Free Press’ All-Small College Football Team, which is comprised exclusively of student-athletes from Michigan colleges only. The 2004 All-GLIAC First-Team pick was recognized as a honorable mention All-America honoree by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and D2Football.com a season ago. This season, Brewster is fourth in the GLIAC in receptions per game at 5.0 and sixth in the conference in receiving yards per game at 69.2. For Ferris State’s 2005 season statistics, please click on the following link For Ferris State’s 2005 schedule, please click on the following link: For Ferris State’s 2005 roster, please click on the following link: Interesting Facts In the Polls The Oilers were picked to finish sixth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Findlay received 87 points in the poll. They trailed Grand Valley State (143 points), Northwood (129), Saginaw Valley State (127 points), Michigan Tech (99 points) and Ferris State (95 points). The Pax Watch Senior kicker Jeff Pax needs only two field goals to tie the record for most field goals in a career at Findlay. Pax currently has 16 made field goals and trails Steve Trout and Greg Philipp who each made 18 during their career. Trout played for the Oilers from 1969-72 while Philipp played from 1976-79. Wrapping Up Sophomore Kevin McCann is currently ranked 14th in the nation in tackles per game. On the season, McCann is wrapping up 11.2 ball carriers per game. His tackles per game also ranks fifth in the GLIAC. Defending the Pass Senior Melvyn Griffin is currently fourth in the nation in defending the pass. He is averaging 2.0 pass deflections per game and leads the Oilers with three interceptions on the year. As a team, Findlay has made nine interceptions on the season. Rolo to the Rescue enior Roland Hamilton has twice been named the GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week this season. He captured the honor for his performances against Hillsdale and Northern Michigan. He has already broken the school record for career punting yardage this season and also broke the school record for most punting yards in a game. In the game, he punted 12 times for 442 yards. His 12 punts tied the school record for most punts in a game. As a field goal kicker, Hamilton has really shined this season. He is currently ninth in the nation in field goals made per game at 1.4, and has connected on 7-of-9 attempts on the year. Running the Ball The Oilers, who have had one of the most devastating rushing attacks in the nation the last few years, is starting to click on the ground in 2005. The return of junior Michael Simpson from injury has sparked the offense and currently has the Oilers ranked 59th in the nation in rushing yards per game (155.8). The ranking has jumped 15 spots since Simpson has returned. In the Red Zone Games are usually won and lost in the red zone. Currently, the Oilers are fourth in the GLIAC in red zone offense, converting 16-of19 times this season. On the other side of the ball, Findlay ranks third in the GLIAC in red zone defense, only allowing opponents to score in 11-of-16 tries inside the 20 yard line. Projected Starters Findlay Defense #33 Austin Beach - DE Findlay Offense #4 Caleb Meyer - QB Findlay Special Teams #24 Roland Hamilton - K Ferris State Defense #98 Kyle Walker - DE Ferris State Offense #18 C.J. Van Wieren - QB Ferris State Special Teams #3 Justin Rudy - K (P) – Probable AFCA Top 25 Poll 1. Grand Valley State - 4-0 For more information about the American Football Coaches Association, please click on the following link: For more information about NCAA Division II football, please click on the following link: For more information about football in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, please click on the following link: |
