Rueve throws 4 TD passes; Findlay cools Lake Erie

Rueve throws 4 TD passes; UF 3-0 for first time since 2015 by Joshua Morgretjmorgret@advertiser-tribune.com FINDLAY – Matt Rueve was ready from the first whistle. The senior transfer quarterback for Findlay needed just two passes after a Makya Matthews run to get the Oilers in the end zone. It was that kind of day for Rueve, Matthews, and Findlay, as the Oilers pounded Lake Erie, 42-6, in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play Saturday at Donnell Stadium. "There's a plethora of guys, but that's what makes it so awesome being out there," said Rueve, who threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers. "There's not just one guy that you're targeting. All of these guys are making each other get open and get better. We just have a great squad." Findlay improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in league action. The Oilers are 3-0 for the first time in a full season since 2015. That year, Findlay started 3-0, but lost its next three games en route to finishing 6-5. "We have a strain to finish and continue to work on the little details every week," Rueve said. "We want to go 1-0 every week. That's what we talk about. We don't talk about the outcome. We talk about the fight that we're getting ready to go into. I'm proud of the way we're fighting." Matthews picked up 17 yards on the first play of the game. Rueve then hit Redd Douglas for 30 yards, and Douglas again for a 28-yard touchdown. Just 72 seconds in, Findlay was up 7-0. Lake Erie (1-3, 0-1) intercepted Rueve on the next Oilers drive, but UF limited the damage of the turnover by holding the Storm a Jaffer Murphy 37-yard field goal. Findlay responded with another nice drive. While Matthews chewed yards on the ground, Rueve hooked up with different receivers, including Donovan O'Leary for a 5-yard TD pass on the first play of the second quarter.Aided by three straight UF penalties, Lake Erie was on the move once again. But the Oilers' defense stiffened, Murphy came on for another field goal. He connected from 43 yards, but Findlay had again kept the Storm out of the end zone. "You don't want to let a team score early," UF coach Kory Allen said. "I was so proud of our defense for keeping that offense out of the end zone for the entire game. They have a really good kicker. We knew when they crossed the 40-yard line that he's a weapon." From there, it was all Oilers. Brycen Yarmo caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rueve with 4:29 to play in the second quarter. That helped Findlay take a 21-6 lead into halftime. Early in the third quarter, it was the Rueve-to-Cam Childers show. Childers caught passes of 21 and 24 yards before tallying an 8-yard TD catch.An interception by Christion Stokes led to a 1-yard TD rumble by Matthews later in the third quarter. Matthews, who finished with 92 yards on 27 carries, added another 1-yard score in the fourth quarter. "I think we were able to be persistent," Allen said of a balanced UF offense. "I thought our offensive coordinator, Kyle Ohradzansky, did a good job of getting in and out of things. They were sending the house at us over and over and over again. They got us a couple times, but I think we kept with it and I thought Matt stayed poised in the pocket." The Oilers' defense was stout throughout. Not only did UF limit Lake Erie to a pair of field goals, the Storm had 28 carries for 18 yards. Lake Erie had negative yards rushing at halftime. "I'm really proud of our defensive line and coach (Anthony) Gore, our D-line coach," Allen said. "They've been working to find the right blend. We talk about earning the right to rush the passer and by stopping the run on first and second down, you earn the right to rush the passer on third down." Rueve was 16-of-21 for 227 yards. Childers tallied five catches for 66 yards while Douglas finished with three receptions for 64 yards. Findlay will have a chance to go 4-0 for the first time since 2002 on Saturday when the Oilers host Hillsdale at 2 p.m. back at Donnell Stadium. Lake Erie 3-3-0-0 - 6Findlay 7-14-14-7 - 42 FIRST QUARTERUF – Redd Douglas 28 pass from Matt Rueve (Cameron Shirkey kick), 13:48LE – Jaffer Murphy 37 field goal, 4:00 SECOND QUARTERUF – Donovan O'Leary 5 pass from Rueve (Shirkey kick), 14:57LE – Murphy 43 field goal, 10:34UF – Brycen Yarmo 10 pass from Rueve (Shirkey kick), 4:29 THIRD QUARTERUF – Cam Childers 8 pass from Rueve (Shirkey kick), 10:34UF – Makya Matthews 1 run (Shirkey kick), 2:30 FOURTH QUARTERUF – Matthews 1 run (Shirkey kick), 7:45