Box Score
Box score

FINDLAY, Ohio-  On a wet and chilly fall afternoon, the University of Indianapolis football team garnered a convincing 20-3 win at Findlay Saturday.  UIndy (3-2, 2-2 GLIAC) spoiled the Oilers' homecoming with the win, as the Greyhound defense forced four turnovers and held the home team to just 85 yards from scrimmage.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Hounds promptly marched 80 yards down the field for their third opening-drive touchdown of the season, punctuated by a one-yard TD run from Paul Corsaro.  Indianapolis took advantage of two Oiler personal-foul penalties on the initial series, while freshman QB Chris Mills went 4-for-5 for 27 yards.

On the Oilers' ensuing drive, Findlay (1-4, 1-3) answered with a 41-yard field goal from Cameron Stevens to make it 7-3 Hounds.  There the score would stay for the balance of the quarter.

Early in the second, the Indianapolis defense added to its league-leading takeaway total when cornerback Collin Coffer earned his fourth career interception and first of the season, giving the UIndy offense great field position at the Oiler 32.

Working with a short field, UIndy earned a first down on a 10-yard scamper from Will Brucker but was later forced to kick.  A 31-yard boot from Aaron Puntarelli upped the UIndy lead back to seven.

Both defenses held firm from that point, as nothing but punts followed until the break.  The halftime stats showed the teams were dead-even in rushing yards, but the difference came in the passing game, as the Hounds out-gained their hosts 74 to six through the air in the first 30 minutes.

After the teams traded punts to open the second half, Coffer garnered his second pick of the day to eventually set up another Greyhounds score.  The junior DB intercepted freshman quarterback Zach Tate at midfield and returned it 18 yards to position the Hounds again at the UF 32.

The Hounds later earned 1st and goal at the four but couldn't punch it in.  With Puntarelli on for the 20-yard attempt, the Oilers blocked the field goal and tried to advance it.  The move back-fired, however, as UF junior Donte Johnson fumbled the ball, allowing Ryan Forney to recover and give the Hounds a fresh set of downs.

Now with 1st and goal from the three, UIndy got within in inches of the goal line, but again opted to kick on fourth down.  Puntarelli was true on this chip shot, bringing the score to 13-3 with 4:12 left in the third.

As the final quarter got underway, the Indianapolis defense continued to come up with big plays. Linebacker Max Davis forced a Tate fumble on the first play of the fourth.  Nate Jackson recovered to give the ball back to Mills and the Greyhounds offense.

Freshman running back Klay Fiechter immediately took the first-down play 49 yards to the Oiler three.  Two plays later, Corsaro's jump pass to tight end Dustin Burford and Puntarelli's ensuring extra point capped the game's scoring.

Later, the Hounds put the game away with a 13 play, eight-and-a-half minute drive that  all but sealed the win.  The clock-eating drive featured a 30-yard rush from Joumeel McLaurine, part of 175 rushing yards for UIndy.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis held Monterae Williams and the Findlay running game to just 64 yards on the day.  The sophomore running back came into the contest averaging 108.5 rushing yards per game, good for fourth in the GLIAC and 22nd in Division II.

Mills finished 15-for-27 for 121 yards and no interceptions.

UIndy returns to Key Stadium next weekend for Homecoming.  The Hounds host Northwood Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.


Notes:  UIndy's 20-3 win at Findlay marked its first GLIAC road win of the season  … Findlay's three points marked the lowest total allowed by the Greyhounds this season and the second lowest total scored by the Oilers in the 16-game all-time series with the Hounds  ... UIndy now leads the all-time series 10-6  ... Findlay's 85 yards of total offense  was easily the lowest total in any GLIAC game this season and the lowest by a UIndy opponent since game-by-game statistics are available (2002)  … Greyhound running backs Klay Fietcher (Bluffton, Ind. /Norwell) and Joumeel McLaurine (Columbus, Ind./East) each had a career-long run in the game, breaking off 49 and 30 yards, respectively … With two picks vs. Findlay, junior cornerback Collin Coffer (Indianapolis, Ind. /Lawrence North) became the second Greyhound this season to notch a multi-interception game … UIndy upped its league-leading turnover margin to +13 … The Hounds have yet to lose a fumble this season.