#13 Hillsdale (1-1/0-1 GLIAC) at Ashland (1-1/0-1 GLIAC)
Saturday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.
Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at Dwight Schar Athletic Complex
Football Alumni Night
Hear, Here
This Hillsdale-AU game will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM (1340) with Ken Carman on the play-by-play and Don Graham providing the commentary. The campus radio station, WRDL-FM (88.9), will also air the game live with Matt Brubaker describing all the action. Marcus Walsh will handle the color commentary.
Talking Tickets
Tickets are still available for this week's game and can be purchased by contacting football ticket manager Dana Freeman at 419-207-6163.
Looking Ahead and Behind
The Eagles are 1-1, beating Bloomsburg at home in the season's first week and then losing last Saturday night at Indianapolis, 17-12. The Eagles outgained the Greyhounds, 378-242, but threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. AU allowed Indy to rush for 11 yards. In 2009, the 'Hounds managed just 16 rushing yards. Last week's performance against the run was AU's best since Sept. 30, 2006, when the Eagles yielded just nine rushing yards in a 24-21 win over Mercyhurst at Community Stadium.
Like AU, Hillsdale won its first game, stopping Ferris State, 35-17. Last week, the Chargers played at top-ranked Grand Valley State and lost, 44-41. GVSU had to come from behind to get the victory, scoring 10 points in the final 1:17. Two of those points came when the Lakers blocked a PAT, picked up the loose football and went in to score. Hillsdale was ranked 11th last week and is ranked 13th in this week's AFCA poll. The Chargers went 10-3 last season and finished second in the GLIAC. Last year's team earned the first NCAA Division II playoff berth in school history. The Chargers won their first-round game, winning an overtime game at Minnesota State-Mankato. HC lost in the second round at Grand Valley State.
Saturday Night Lights
It's not Texas and it's not Friday, but maybe Buzz Bissinger would be interested in coming to Ashland this week (Bissinger is the author of Friday Night Lights. Before settling on two Texas high schools as the theme of his book, he considered centering his story around the storied Massillon, OH, program).
Ashland and Hillsdale bring back a staple of their series this week when they play on Saturday night. This is the first night game to be played at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex and it is the first on-campus night football game in school history. The winner of this game receives the Traveling Trophy. That piece of hardware has been awarded since 1991 when AU head coach Dr. Fred Martinelli and HC head coach Dick Lowry came up with the idea of an annual trophy. This is the 41st consecutive year the teams have met on the gridiron.
Years ago, the Eagles and Chargers annually played on a Saturday night. The schools are three hours apart and by playing at night, the teams avoided motel costs. Plus, over the years, this has been a keen rivalry. It has remained that way through several league changes and coaching changes.
The spotlight this week will illuminate two teams battling for their first conference victory. It will also shine on HC quarterback Troy Weatherhead, who is considered one of the top players in the GLIAC. Weatherhead is the most accomplished quarterback the Eagles have seen this season. A year ago, he led the conference in passing yards (3,348). He comes into this game completing 81.5 percent of his passes (44-of-54) and he's the conference leader in pass efficiency (189.5 rating) and is third in passing yards per game (261.0). Last week at Grand Valley State, he completed 22-of-28 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
"He does a great job of getting rid of the football," said AU defensive coordinator Tim Rose. "Ferris State sacked him twice, Grand Valley State got him once. Ferris State did a great job of taking away the running game and then got blown up with the passing game."
"He knows their system very well," added secondary coach Brad Wilson. "He moves well in the pocket and his offensive line does a good job of protecting him. He's got a great arm. The No. 1 thing is that he knows their offense and doesn't make bad decisions."
Weatherhead is the second record-setting quarterback HC coach Keith Otterbein has worked with recently. Before Weatherhead, the Chargers had Mark Nicolet, who is now the Hillsdale quarterbacks coach. In this same time period, the Eagles had a quarterback of their own – Billy Cundiff – who was named a first team All-America and rewrote the Ashland record book. This is not the Ashland-Hillsdale series from the 1970s and 1980s. Former AU assistant coach Dr. Frank Condino, now the athletic director at IUP, remembers coaching a game in the series where the teams combined to throw three passes in 60 minutes of football.
Players change, coaches change, game plans change, but the intensity of Hillsdale-Ashland does not. This is just the third week of the season, but already this is a key game with conference and postseason ramifications.
Sound Bites From Ashland
Rose on the Hillsdale offense.
"This is a veteran unit. They are the real deal offensively. They have to be one of the top one or two offenses in our league. It (offensive line) hasn't dropped off in size, it's like they have a cookie cutter. They're big and efficient."
Saga of the Series
Hillsdale holds a 23-17 edge in the series. The teams first met in 1970. Ashland has won four of the last six meetings. AU's last win in the series came in 2008 at Hillsdale, 24-17. A year ago in Ashland, the Chargers won, 38-19. The last time the Eagles defeated the Chargers in Ashland was in 2006, 30-24.
The longest winning streak in the series belongs to Hillsdale, which downed the Eagles nine straight times from 1981-1989. During that stretch, the Eagles were shut out three times and held to seven points or less five times. AU's longest winning streak against HC is three games (2004-2006).
2009 – Hillsdale 38 at Ashland 19 – AU entered this game ranked 15th in the country. The Chargers used a large, experienced offensive line and tailback Vinnie Panizzi to wear down the Eagles. Hillsdale ran for 283 yards and averaged 5.8 ypc. Panizzi gained 231 yards on 28 carries with scoring runs of 2, 3 and 7 yards. The Chargers sacked Cundiff seven times. Considering the pressure he was under, Cundiff did pretty well – he completed 17-of-26 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. AU trailed, 21-13 at halftime and 35-13 after three quarters. The Chargers led in total offense, 435-307.
2008 – Ashland 24 at Hillsdale 17 – Hillsdale turned the ball over four times – two lost fumbles and two interceptions – and that was the difference in this game. All four of those turnovers came in the red zone – the AU goal line, AU 7, AU 13 and AU 6. That last turnover came with 2:33 left in regulation and the Eagles clinging to a seven-point lead. Panizzi had 140 yards rushing and a touchdown on 29 carries and Cundiff completed 20-of-29 passes for 294 yards and a pair of TD passes.
Series Notes
- Hillsdale has shut out the Eagles five times. The last time was in 1996.
- In their last four games against AU, Hillsdale has averaged 32.0 ppg.
- The teams have played one overtime game. That came in Ashland in 1998 and in two overtime sessions, the Eagles prevailed, 30-27.
- In the first two games Owens coached against Hillsdale, the Eagles gave up a total of three points, winning 24-0 (2004) and 7-3 (2005).
- Lately, close games have been the exception rather than the rule. Only three of the last six games have been decided by seven points or less.
Ashland's Best Against Hillsdale
DeWyan Allen (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard-Davidson) – Back in 2008, Allen was a defensive back and he posted a career-high 15 tackles (11 solo) to go with two pass breakups at Hillsdale. Allen is a running back this year.
Alan Dunson (Columbus, Ohio/Walnut Ridge) – Dunson's success on special teams is well known. One of his best days as a wide receiver came against Hillsdale in 2007 when he caught six passes for 41 yards.
Joe Horn (Waynesfield, Ohio/Waynesfield-Goshen) – In his last three games against Hillsdale, Horn has caught 12 passes for 192 yards (16.0 ypc.) with two touchdowns. In the 2008 game he caught five passes for 125 yards (25.0 ypc.) and two touchdowns.
Tarell Lewis (Redford, Mich./Bowling Green) – Lewis has played one game against the Chargers. That came in 2008 when he had seven tackles (five solo), a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
About Ashland
Head Coach Lee Owens – Owens is in his seventh season as AU's head coach. His record at AU is 42-26 and his career record is 82-87. Owens has guided the Eagles to pair of NCAA playoffs appearances (2007, 2008). Before taking over the program at AU, Owens spent nine years as the head coach at the University of Akron. Owens also served a stint (1993-1995) as an assistant coach at Ohio State.
Before coaching on the college level, Owens was a successful high school coach in Ohio. His record on the prep level in 11 seasons is 89-32-2. Owens coached four years at storied Massillon Washington High School where he went 35-13. He won a state championship in 1985 while coaching at Galion (14-0). His record at Galion was 33-11-1 and his Galion team won the state title with a 6-0 victory over Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. Owens has never held a coaching job outside of Ohio. Owens is 4-2 against Hillsdale.
Recapping Last Week
Indianapolis relies heavily on a hard-hitting defense and exceptional special teams play for its success. The 'Hounds put both of those assets on display last Saturday night in a 17-12 victory over the Eagles. The loss was Ashland's fifth in its last seven trips to Key Stadium. Ashland outgained the 'Hounds, 378-242, but had four turnovers (three interceptions, one lost fumble).
The Indy defense delivered some hits that would clear the sinuses better than Dristan. Safety Craig Ray had 18 tackles (15 solo) and linebacker Mike Davis was in on 15 tackles (five solo). Another linebacker, Mike Dum, had 10 tackles (three solo) and an interception. Ashland was in front, 3-0 at halftime thanks to a 36-yard field goal by Gregg Berkhire (Ashland, Ohio). Indy took the lead for good, 7-3, on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Rob Doyle to wide receiver Mar'Quone Edmonds with 12:25 left in the third quarter. Another Berkshire field goal, from 33 yards, cut the Indianapolis lead to 7-6 with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter.
The 'Hounds used a 27-yard Aaron Puntarelli field goal to take a 10-6 lead with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Indianapolis linebacker Tyler Peterman intercepted a pass at the AU6 early in the fourth quarter and returned the theft to the AU2. Moments later, on a fourth-and-two play, backup quarterback Paul Corsaro scored on a 2-yard run and Indy was in front, 17-6. That deficit was too much for the Eagles.
Players to Watch
Freshman defensive lineman Jamie Meder (Parma, Ohio/Valley Forge) is tied for first in the GLIAC in sacks (three) and tackles for loss (four). The rookie had seven tackles and a sack at Indianapolis. Another newcomer on the defensive line, junior Jeris Pendleton (Chicago, Ill./Joliet Junior College), has 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Those two, plus junior defensive end Matt Stoinoff (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain), have done a lot to clog the middle of the line and take away the running game of opposing teams. Their presence has also made life easier for starting linebackers Julian Goodwine (Dayton, Ohio/Thurgood Marshall) and Carmon Wolfe (Tonawanda, N.Y./Erie C.C.). Goodwine, a junior, is tied with Lewis for the team lead in tackles. Both players have 17 stops. Goodwine had seven tackles last week. Wolfe, a senior, is third on the team in tackles (16/four solo). Wolfe had a team-high nine tackles (three solo) at Indianapolis. Stoinoff had seven tackles and a sack against the Greyhounds.
The secondary, in addition to Lewis, is home to senior safety Quinton Scott (Fort Wayne, Ind./Indiana State). Scott has nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He is AU's top returning tackle from last season (65 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss). Another safety, sophomore Tyler McFarlin (Ashland, Ohio), is tied for fifth on the team in tackles (14/six solo). Junior cornerback Logan Kerr (Ashland, Ohio) is tied for first in the GLIAC in pass breakups (four). He has an interception and three breakups to go with 15 tackles (nine solo).
Sophomore quarterback Taylor Housewright (Ashland, Ohio) is third in the GLIAC in total offense (311.5 ypg.). Housewright is AU's leading rusher with 136 yards on 16 carries (8.5 ypc.). Last week, he rushed for a team-high 71 yards on 12 carries and completed 24-of-37 passes for 239 yards. On the year, Housewright has completed 40-of-63 passes (63.5 percent) for 487 yards and two touchdowns. A year ago, Housewright played in five games and completed three of nine pass attempts.
The Eagles feature one of the most productive wide receiver tandems in the country in Horn and senior Christian Livingston (Newark, Ohio). Livingston led last year's team in receptions (57). He also leads the team in receptions this season (nine, 17.4 ypc.). Horn has caught seven passes for 178 yards (25.4 ypc.). Horn has been named second team all-conference each of the last two years and Livingston was a GLIAC honorable mention pick in 2009.
Junior D.J. McCoy (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) was Ashland's leading ground gainer a year ago with 833 yards on 160 carries (5.2 ypc.). He has gained 97 yards in two games.
Berkshire is the AU kicker. This year, he has also assumed the punting duties. Berkshire established a school, single-season record for kicking points in a season (81) last season. He was 16-of-20 on extra points and 33-of-35 on extra points. This year, he's 3-for-4 on field goal tries. He's 3-for-3 from 30 to 39 yards. Berkshire is averaging 42.3 yards per punt. Four of his 10 punts have touched down inside the 20-yardline and he has three punts that have traveled 50 or more yards.
Nest Eggs
- McCoy has three 100-yard rushing games in his career and all came last season. The last time he hit the century mark was on Oct. 3, 2009, at Wayne State when he had 170 yards on 38 carries. His career high came last year at Tiffin when he gained 179 yards on 15 trips. The junior was fifth in the GLIAC in rushing yards per game (83.3) last season.
- The Eagles lead the GLIAC in rushing defense (73.0 ypg.), are third in total defense (263.5 ypg.) and fourth in scoring defense (15.5 ppg.).
- Berkshire is 11-for-12 on field goal tries at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at the Dwight Schar Athletic Complex. His only miss is from 60 yards. Berkshire is averaging over 40 yards per punt. The last time an AU did that for a full season was Mark Ambos in 1991 (40.7).
- AU has allowed 31 points this year. The last time the AU defense performed better over a two-game stretch came in 2008 when the Eagles permitted 23 points in a two-week stretch, beating Tiffin, 34-6 and Hillsdale, 24-17.
- Last week marked the first time since the 2007 playoff game at Central Washington where the Eagles outrushed the opposition and lost. The Eagles outrushed the Greyhounds, 139-11. Between that playoff game and last week's loss, AU went 7-0 when outrushing the enemy.
- Horn has caught at least one pass in the last 25 games he has played.
- The Eagles are converting 36 percent of their third-down opportunities. In 2009, AU's success rate was 41 percent. In 2008 it was 49 percent and it was 50 percent in 2007.
- Ashland has five quarterback sacks. As well as the defense has played, that sack total trails the pace AU was on after two games in 2009 (seven) and 2008 (eight). The 2007 team had three sacks after two games in 2007.
- Ashland is 6-3 on Football Alumni Day.
The Trophy Case
Each week, the AU Gridiron Club names an offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week. This week's recipients are listed below.
Game Offense Defense Special Teams
Bloomsburg Housewright Kerr Berkshire
Indianapolis Knez Meder Berkshire
About Hillsdale
Head Coach Keith Otterbein – Otterbein was the 2009 GLIAC coach of the year and 2009 region coach of the year. A 1979 Hillsdale graduate, Otterbein is in his ninth season at Hillsdale where he is 49-43. His overall record as a college head coach is 109-82-3. This is the second GLIAC school Otterbein has served as the head coach. He was also the head coach at Ferris State for nine seasons and during his tenure in Big Rapids, MI, the Bulldogs were one of the top teams in the country. At FSU (1986-1994), Otterbein guided three teams to the NCAA playoffs. He won 30 of his last 36 games at Ferris State. Otterbein took over at Hillsdale after serving as the running backs coach at Ball State (1995-2001). As a player at HC, Otterbein was named the team's top linebacker for three consecutive seasons.
Players to Watch – Weatherhead is not the only weapon the Chargers feature on offense. Wide receiver Andre Holmes led the GLIAC in receiving yards (1,076) last season and
is up to his old tricks again in 2010. The senior has caught 16 passes for 197 yards (12.3 ypc.). He's second in the conference in receiving yards per game (95.8). The conference leader is HC's Mike Blanchard, who has caught 16 passes for 204 yards (12.8 ypc.). Blanchard is averaging 102.0 receiving yards per game. He also leads the GLIAC in punt return average (13.0 ypr.). Blanchard caught seven passes for 79 yards last week and Holmes had six grabs for 65 yards.
On the ground, the Chargers have found a machine in sophomore Joe Glendening. He's rushed for 312 yards on 54 carries (5.8 ypc.) with five touchdowns. Last week at Grand Valley State, Glendening had 224 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries.
Up front, the Chargers have a reliable veteran in senior center Phil Doerfler. He was a second team All-GLIAC choice in 2009.
HC's top tackler is senior strong safety Cody Henderson. He's recorded 17 tackles (10 solo). The cornerbacks are sophomore Ben Karaba and junior Nick Hixson. Karaba has 15 tackles (eight solo) and an interception and Hixson has 14 takedowns (seven solo). Hixson is also a factor on special teams – he's returned six kickoffs where he's averaging 20.8 ypr. Linebacker Kyle Carson, a senior, has 14 tackles and an interception. He had a career-high 10 tackles at Grand Valley State.
Defensive end David Bakker, a junior, has a team-high 2.5 sacks.
The Rundown on the Chargers
- Last week marked the second time in school history the Chargers scored 40 or more points and lost. The other time came in 2007 against Ferris State when the Chargers lost to the Bulldogs, 44-41.
- Hillsdale hasn't lost consecutive games since the 2006 season when it lost to Northwood and Findlay.
- How talented were the Chargers a year ago? In 2009, HC had six first team All-GLIAC selections, a player who was a first team All-America (offensive lineman Jared Veldheer) and another player who was a second team All-America (defensive lineman Drew Berube. Veldheer was picked in the third round by the Oakland Raiders and is the starting center for the NFL team. Kicker Mark Petro signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets and wide receiver A.J. Kegg signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns.
- Hillsdale's biggest opponent at this point could be sleep deprivation. This is the Chargers' third consecutive night game.
- The Chargers appeared in the preseason poll of every major publication and website that covers Division II football. This year is the first time since 1993 that HC was ranked in the preseason polls.
- The Chargers use a 4-3 scheme on defense and the multiple one-back set on offense.
Eagle Elite
Four former Ashland teams will be honored at this year's Football Alumni Night activities.
This is the 55th anniversary of the 1955 Mid-Ohio Conference that was coached by Bob Brownson. That team went 7-2.
The second team to be honored is the 1960 outfit that won a Mid-Ohio Conference crown with a 6-3 mark. The head coach of that team was Dr. Fred Martinelli.
The next team to be honored is the 1980 team that won a Heartland Conference crown. Martinelli also coached that team. It listed two All-Americas – Tom Bishop and Jim Few.
The final team to be honored this year is the 1985 unit that was 6-4. That group of Eagles won a fourth Heartland Conference title in five years. Scott Valentine, now the head coach of the Ashland High School football team, played on the 1985 team. So did running back Antoine Gaiter, who is third in career rushing yardage (3,683) at Ashland. Martinelli was the head coach of the 1985 team.
It is expected that 105 former players will be in town this Saturday.
A Perfect Fit
With Cundiff as the quarterback, the Eagles were never wary about throwing the ball down the field. This year, with Housewright at quarterback, the Eagles use more of a moving pocket and short passing game. That works well for Housewright and it has also been a positive for H-Back Mike Knueven (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier).
Knueven has caught seven passes for 45 yards (6.4 ypc.) with a touchdown. A year ago in 11 games, Knueven caught three passes for 21 yards (7.0 ypc.).
"We're a different type of team," explained offensive coordinator Mike Bath. "We have to take advantage of Taylor's strength, some of that is with a moving pocket. Mike's a scrappy kid. He's a tough kid."
Knueven's toughness was demonstrated last week. He took several monster hits and at one point, had to leave the field. But he returned and ended up with five receptions for 32 yards.
"He played through some pain," praised Bath.
The fact that Knueven is seeing the ball on a more consistent basis will bring him more notoriety. But even though Knueven is catching more passes this season, he's still known more for his blocking prowess. Knueven was named a preseason All-America by Consensus Draft Services and he got on that list because of his blocking.
Still, having some more passes being tossed his way is a nice reward for the junior.
"Bill would sit back in the pocket and could make all the throws," Bath said. "For us right now, Mike fits. He's become more of a viable option."
Night Flight
Since 2006, the Eagles are 3-4 in night games. AU's recent history with night games is a bit bizarre. Ashland has lost its last five home night games. The last time the Eagles won at home, at night, was on Aug. 28, 2004, when AU defeated Saint Joseph's 48-7. That game was at Ashland's Community Stadium.
That game against Saint Joseph's was delayed by thunderstorms. Fans at the game might remember that Owens and the Eagles walked from the Sarver Athletic Complex to Community Stadium and got caught in a downpour. That was the first game Owens coached at AU.
On Sept. 8, 2007, Ashland hosted Grand Valley State in a night game – or tried to. That game was in the early stages when an electrical storm passed through town, sending the teams to the locker rooms. Because the storm front stayed in the area for a considerable amount of time, the game was never resumed.
This Saturday begins a new era of night football at AU and the Eagles and their fans hope all the excitement stays on the field.
"I think it will be unbelievably exciting to play a night football game in the new stadium," said AU director of athletics Bill Goldring. "It will change the dynamics of how we view football on this campus. In the past when we played night football it was away from campus. I believe this will be an electric atmosphere and it will be a great experience for our team and fans. It's something we've been looking forward to for a long time."
On Deck
Ashland will play at Northern Michigan next Saturday (Sept. 25, 4 p.m.).
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