Tiffin University will battle Findlay in their regular season finale.
Posted: Nov 13, 2019
Tiffin University and Findlay will go head to head for the GMAC Championship and a likely postseason NCAA regional berth Nov. 16 at Findlay's Donnell Stadium at 12 pm.
Tiffin University is currently ranked 21st in the country and 8th in the region. A win would secure an unbeaten season in conference play and their first ever GMAC title.
Tiffin and Findlay also met at the end of the 2018 season, with Findlay spoiling Tiffin's final home game with a 38-16 win on Nov. 10. The Dragons started well, taking a 13-0 lead after the first quarter, but the Oilers turned up the defense and outscored TU 38-3 over the final three quarters.
Tiffin and Findlay have played each other 27 times, and the history has not been kind to the Dragons as the Oilers hold a 26-1 advantage in the series. This includes an 18-game win streak that dates back to TU's only victory, a 31-20 win on Oct. 23, 1993.
FINDLAY NOTES
- Findlay was picked third by the conference coaches in the GMAC Preseason Poll, but the Oilers were one of just two teams to earn first-place votes with two.
- The Oilers have three losses on the year, but all three are to very quality opponents. Their lone GMAC loss was on the road at Ohio Dominican (21-10) early in the season, while the other two were both on the road at top-10 opponents, #2 Ferris State (24-23) and #6 Notre Dame (24-19).
- Findlay looked very impressive a week ago, routing former GLIAC rival and traditionally very strong Ashland by a final score of 53-18. The game was close at the start, as the Oilers led by nine, 20-11, at halftime, but Findlay outscored Ashland 33-7 in the second half to run away with the win.
- Running back Nate Slagel had a career day for the Oilers, gaining 143 yards from 15 attempts on the ground with two touchdowns. He also added a pair of touchdowns receiving and 46 yards through the air to combine for a 198-yard, 4 TD afternoon.
- The Oilers also won the turnover battle handily, forcing five Eagle turnovers while not coughing up the ball once. Christopher Jefferson, the GMAC leader in interceptions, picked off a pass and forced a fumble, while Cade Rogers tallied two interceptions.
FINDLAY OFFENSE
- Findlay is currently second in the GMAC behind Tiffin in both points per game with 37.0 and total yards per game with 454.6. UF and TU are the only GMAC schools averaging over 400 yards of offense.
- The Oilers take care of the ball very well, ranking sixth in Division II and second in the conference with just nine lost turnovers on the season.
- Matt Winzeler leads the team and is fourth in the conference with 215 yards passing per game. He also has 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the year, while completing 171 of 302 attempts (56.6%) and holding an efficiency of 138.9.
- Findlay's offense is built upon the ground game, as they have two running backs in the top five in the conference in terms of yards per game. Brian Benson is second with a 109.1 average, 873 total yards, and three touchdowns, while Nate Slagel is fifth at 68.5 per game, 685 total, and nine touchdowns.
- Three other Oilers have scored three touchdowns on the ground this season in Derek Lynch, Lance Mitchell, and quarterback Winzeler.
- Ruben Flowers leads the receivers and ranks third in the GMAC with 82.2 receiving yards per game. He also has seven touchdowns and six receptions per game.
- Tanner Schroeder is next with 26 receptions, 368 yards, and three scores through the air.
FINDLAY DEFENSE
- Findlay's defense is third in the conference in points allowed per game at 18.9, but ranks second in total defense at 344.3 yards allowed per contest.
- In addition to taking care of the ball offensively, the Oilers also force a lot of turnovers, ranking 30th in the nation with 21. That leads to a 1.33 turnover margin that is second in the conference and ninth in Division II.
- The turnover numbers are due in large part to defensive back Christopher Jefferson, who is second in the nation with nine interceptions on the season. Jefferson is also fourth on the team with 57 tackles, and has accumulated two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and six pass breakups.
- Richard Sheler leads the team and ranks seventh in the GMAC with 65 tackles, also recording three tackles for loss and an interception.
- Isaac Miles has 63 tackles on the year, two sacks, and seven tackles for loss to lead the Oiler linebacking corps.
TIFFIN NOTES- Picked fourth by the conference coaches in the GMAC Preseason Poll, the Dragons continue to exceed expectations, holding down the top spot in the conference with an undefeated 6-0 mark.
- Dating back to when Tiffin joined the GMAC last year at the start of the 2018 season, Tiffin is 12-2 against conference competition.
- Since 2016, Tiffin is 31-11 (.738 winning percentage), the highest winning percentage of any GMAC school over that four-year stretch. Ohio Dominican is next at .718 (28-11) followed by Findlay (.689, 31-14) and Hillsdale (.636, 28-16).
- After Hillsdale ended Tiffin's undefeated 9-0 start last year, the Dragons got revenge on the Chargers last Saturday to the tune of a 35-24 win at Frost-Kalnow Stadium. Tiffin never trailed, eventually building a late 18-point lead before Hillsdale scored in the final minute to cut it to an 11-point win.
- JaQuan Hardy was the star offensively, picking up his sixth 100-yard game rushing of the season with 192 yards on 23 attempts and two touchdowns, averaging a whopping 8.3 yards per carry. Nick Watson also had two touchdowns on the ground, while Stanley Jackson had a touchdown on 91 yards receiving.
- Tiffin's run defense was especially impressive, holding star Hillsdale running back David Graham to just 76 yards on 23 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per run. The Dragons also picked off Charger QB Luke Keller twice, with interceptions recorded by The-Moor Kelly and Jermaine Wimpye.
TIFFIN OFFENSE
- The Dragon offense has been a machine in 2019, leading the conference in both points per game (43.6) and total yards per game (517.2). Those marks are also 10th and 5th in DII, respectively.
- Tiffin does it both on the ground and through the air, ranking 24th nationally in passing offense at 270.2 yards per game and 17th in rushing offense at 247.0 yards per game.
- Nick Watson ranks in the top two in in multiple GMAC categories with 169 completions, 2363 yards, 262.6 yards per game, 25 touchdowns, and a 158.4 rating. Nationally, he is 10th in passing touchdowns, 15th in passing yards per game, 28th in completions per game, 20th in passing efficiency, and 26th in completion percentage.
- JaQuan Hardy ranks first in the GMAC at 133.1 rush yards per game and second with 13 rushing touchdowns. Of running backs with at least 35 attempts, he leads the conference at 7.8 yards per carry. In Division II, he is fifth in yards per carry and eighth in rushing yards per game.
- Kyle Brunson joins with Hardy to form Tiffin's potent ground attack. In five games this year, he has 78 attempts for 403 yards and a touchdown.
- Stanley Jackson Jr. leads the conference in receiving yards with 979, over 150 more than the next wideout despite having played either one or two less games than the rest of the top 10. His average of 122.4 yards per game is second nationally, nine touchdowns is 23rd in DII, and 7.8 receptions per game is 11th in the country.
- Devin Butler is also in the top 10 in the conference in receiving, ranking seventh with 61.4 yards per game on 39 catches with four touchdowns. Gavin Woods is not too far behind, piling up 339 yards and five touchdowns.
TIFFIN DEFENSE
- Tiffin also leads the GMAC in scoring defense (18.1 points allowed per game) and total defense (312.2 yards allowed per game).
- TU is first in the conference and is 19th nationally with 14 interceptions on the year.
- Carrington Contee has taken over the team lead with 63 tackles on the year, and also is tied for the team lead and ranks tied for fourth in the GMAC with three interceptions.
- Ross Moore also has three picks while ranking sixth on the team with 41 tackles.
- Charlie Cleveland has 49 tackles and is second in the GMAC with 13.5 tackles for loss and leads with 8.5 sacks.
- Jacob Mertus is second on the team with 50 tackles. The senior also has three tackles for loss.
- Latrell Robinson has also been a force on the line, recording 48 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and five tackles for loss on the season.
