Box Score TIFFIN, Ohio – Football coaches often talk about stretching the field.
Saturday (Oct. 8), Frost-Kalnow Stadium and the Tiffin Dragons got stretched out and loosened up like nothing since Jack LaLanne was in his prime as the Ashland University Eagles rolled to a 70-13 victory.
The Eagles had touchdown passes of 59, 23 and 54 yards and runs from scrimmage of 69, 29 and 26 yards. Ashland (4-2/4-1 GLIAC) had a season-high 590 yards of total offense. The margin of victory is the fourth largest in school history. The Eagles scored the game's first 49 points. This was the Eagles' highest output since scoring 87 points against Lake Erie in the final game of last season. This was the second largest point total in school history, trailing only that outburst against LEC.
Finally, this was AU's third consecutive victory and the fourth straight at Tiffin's expense. The Eagles have never lost to the Dragons (0-6/0-5).
Entering Saturday's game, the Eagles hadn't scored a point in the first quarter this season. That changed just 1:09 into the game when senior defensive end Matt Stoinoff (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) intercepted the second pass of his career and rambled 25 yards for his first career touchdown. That's also the first touchdown scored by the defense this season.
Before the horn sounded to end the first quarter, Ashland scored two more touchdowns. First AU quarterback Taylor Housewright (Ashland, Ohio) found junior wide receiver Anthony Capasso (Columbia Station, Ohio/St. Edward) with a 59-yard scoring pass. That score came with 6:11 left in the quarter. With 3:03 to go in the quarter, Housewright connected with freshman wideout Eric Thompkins (Canton, Ohio/South) on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
AU led, 42-0 at halftime and 56-6 after three quarters.
Housewright stayed in the game until there was 12:56 remaining in the third quarter. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. That yardage total is his highest of the year. In addition to the two, first-quarter touchdown passes, he flipped a 54-yard TD pass to freshman slot back Jordan McCune (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork).
McCune took the short throw and barreled through the Tiffin defense for a touchdown. The true freshman scored three times. In addition to that touchdown pass, he had scoring runs of 2 and 1 yards. McCune finished with 71 yards on 15 carries and for the year, has a team-high 602 yards on 120 carries (5.0 ypc.) with nine rushing touchdowns. McCune has scored a touchdown in every game but one this season.
AU's leading rusher was junior slot back Justen White-Reid (Akron, Ohio/Copley). He came off the bench to gain a career-high 119 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns. Ashland averaged 6.1 ypc., and outrushed the Dragons, 293-25.
Capasso caught four passes for a career-high 123 yards. Eight different AU players caught at least one pass.
Junior defensive back Donnie Dottei (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) had two interceptions and leads the Eagles with three thefts. The Eagles also recovered a Tiffin fumble. The Dragons attempted to attack the Eagles with their passing game, using short and intermediate routes to soften up the defense. Tiffin threw the ball 57 times. Quarterback Dan Pitts was 30-of-53 for 302 yards and two touchdowns. The Dragons were just 3-for-15 (20 percent) on third down.
The victory by AU sets up a huge game next Saturday (Oct. 15, 2 p.m.) when the Eagles host Wayne State. The Warriors are 6-0 and ranked sixth in the country. Ashland, Wayne State and Hillsdale are locked in a battle for the GLIAC South Division title and all three times still have NCAA Division II postseason aspirations.
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