Ashland (6-4/6-3 GLIAC) at Lake Erie (2-8/1-8)
Saturday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m.
Jack Britt Memorial Stadium, Painesville, Ohio
Hear, Here
This week's Ashland-Lake Erie game can be heard live on WNCO-AM (1340) with Matt Brubaker handling the play-by-play and Don Graham providing the commentary. The game can be heard at www.wncoam.com.
Looking Ahead and Behind
The Ashland University Eagles look to close out the season with a win on their first-ever trip to Painesville, Ohio. This will be AU's second game against Lake Erie, the first meeting came in the final game of last season. Last Saturday, the Eagles lost at home to Ohio Dominican, 20-17.
Lake Erie snapped an eight-game losing streak last Saturday with a 52-42 win at Tiffin. That point total is a school, single-game record. The Storm rushed for a school record five touchdowns. This is Lake Erie's second season in the GLIAC.
The Ashland-Lake Erie Series
This series began last year.
A recap of last year's game can be found below.
2010 – at Ashland 87, at ODU 17 – The Eagles established school, single-game records for points, points in a quarter (42) and margin of victory (70 points). Ashland set GLIAC records for points in a game, touchdowns in a game (12), third quarter points (42), second half points (49) and margin of victory. Wide receiver Joe Horn tied school, single-game records for touchdowns (six) and points (42). Horn tied the conference record for touchdowns and points. Kicker Gregg Berkshire (Ashland, Ohio) set a school single-game mark and tied the conference single-game record for extra points (11).
Horn caught four touchdown passes, had a rushing touchdown and returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. Horn's kickoff return came on the first play of the game. AU outgained the Storm, 609-286 and forced seven turnovers (five interceptions, two fumbles).
About Ashland
Head coach Lee Owens – Owens is in his eighth season as AU's head coach. His record at Ashland is 55-32. His career record on the college level is 95-93. Before taking over the AU program, Owens spent nine years as the head coach at the University of Akron. Owens has guided the Eagles to a pair of NCAA playoffs appearances (2007, 2008). Owens is the only coach to lead AU to the postseason twice and he's the only coach in school history to win a postseason game (27-16 over Minnesota State, 2008). Owens has won eight or more games in a season at Ashland four times.
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. He 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 there was 33-11-1 and his 1985 team won the state title with a 6-0 triumph over Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in the state championship game. Owens has never held a coaching job outside of Ohio.
Eye on the Eagles
Sophomore linebacker Cody Bloom (Napoleon, Ohio) is second in the GLIAC in tackles per game (9.7). Bloom has 97 tackles (45 solo). He had a team-high 11 tackles last Saturday. Bloom has reached double digits in tackles in three of the last four games. His season high in tackles is 14. Senior defensive end Matt Stoinoff (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) is second on the team in tackles (62/30 solo). Stoinoff has three sacks and is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (nine). Stoinoff has moved into fourth place in career tackles for loss (28.0) at AU. Former linebacker Luke Busson is third (28.5).
Senior defensive back Tyler Krummel (Akron, Ohio/Hoban) is third on the team in tackles (57/34 solo). Krummel has two interceptions and is tied for seventh in passes defensed (nine/0.9). Senior defensive lineman Jeris Pendleton (Chicago, Ill./Joliet Junior College) is tied for seventh in the conference in sacks (four). Pendleton has 47 tackles (18 solo) and 7.5 tackles for loss. Another defensive lineman, sophomore Jamie Meder (Parma, Ohio/Valley Forge), has 48 tackles (22 solo) and three sacks. He shares the team lead in tackles for loss (nine) with Stoinoff. Junior defensive back Donnie Dottei (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) is tied for second in the conference in interceptions (5/0.5 per game).
Jordan McCune (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork), AU's freshman slot back, has rushed for a team-high 776 yards on 172 carries (4.5 ypc., 77.6 ypg.). McCune is ninth in the conference in rushing yards per game. He is ninth in scoring (72 points/7.2 ppg.) and is fifth in touchdowns (12). Another freshman, Anthony Taylor (Arlington, Va./Washington-Lee), has gained 381 yards on 81 carries (4.7 ypc., 38.1 ypg.). Senior slot back D.J. McCoy (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) has 345 yards on 72 carries (4.8 ypc., 43.1 ypg.).
Junior quarterback Taylor Housewright (Ashland, Ohio) has completed 133-of-217 passes (61.3 percent) for 1,468 yards and 11 touchdowns. Housewright has been intercepted three times. He is ninth in the GLIAC in pass efficiency (132.1). Junior wide receiver Anthony Capasso (Columbia Station, Ohio/St. Edward) has a team-high 40 catches for 535 yards (13.4 ypc.) with six touchdowns. Last week, Capasso posted career, single-game highs of seven catches and 101 yards. Capasso has caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games.
Berkshire, AU's senior punter-kicker, is the GLIAC leader in punting (42.9 ypp.). Berkshire also leads the conference in kick scoring (79 points/7.9 ppg.) and field goals per game (16-of-27/1.60). He is second in PAT kicking (31-of-32). This is the third time in his career Berkshire has kicked 16 field goals in a season. No one at AU has ever kicked more than 16 field goals in a season. That number has been reached five times.
The Eagles lead the GLIAC in interceptions (15-223) and pass efficiency defense (112.9). AU is second in turnover margin (+12/1.2) and punting (36.2 net punting average) and are third in total defense (328.4 ypg.), rush offense (128.1 ypg.), red zone defense (73.7 percent/28-of-38) and opponent third down conversion rate (36.1/56-of-155).
Ashland In the NCAA
Here's where the Eagles rank in this week's NCAA statistics.
Individual
Berkshire – Field Goals Per Game – 4th, 1.60 fpg.
Punting – 7th, 42.9 ypp.
Dottei – Interceptions – T21st, 5/0.5
Team
Fewest Penalties Per Game – T7th, 4.20
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game – 8th, 36.00
Interceptions – T24th, 15
Interceptions Thrown – T1st, 3
Net Punting – 17th, 36.18 ypp.
Turnovers Lost – 7th, 11
Turnover Margin – T10th, 1.20
Last Look at Last Week
Last Saturday at Miller Stadium, the Ohio Dominican Panthers held the football hostage. In doing so, they kidnapped Ashland's plans for a GLIAC championship and a possible trip to the NCAA playoffs.
Using an effective ball-control offense that featured runs by quarterback Jeremy Fudge and tailback Mike Noffsinger and a short passing game built around Fudge and wide receiver Tyler Purcell, ODU stopped the Eagles, 20-17. The loss ended an eight-game home winning streak for the Eagles.
Noffsinger had 104 yards rushing on 31 carries. Fudge completed 25-of-35 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 50 yards on 12 carries. ODU led in time of possession, 33:08-26:52. In the second half, the Panthers had the ball for 18:12. The Eagles had the ball for 2:58 in the fourth quarter. ODU ran 80 plays compared to 58 for Ashland. In the second half, ODU ran 41 plays while the Eagles had 23 snaps on offense.
With the game tied, 17-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Panthers stopped McCune on a fourth-and-one play from the ODU 30. The visitors took over and used 14 plays to cover 55 yards. That drive ended with a 33-yard Chris Vortkamp field goal. AU got the ball, ran five plays and punted and ODU took over at its own 28 with 6:03 left in regulation. Ashland never got the ball back as the Panthers ran out the clock in going 50 yards in 13 plays.
AU had taken the early lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by McCune with 5:52 left in the first quarter. Vortkamp kicked a school-record 47-yard field goal with 8:57 left in the first half to narrow the AU lead to 7-3. Berkshire answered with a 41-yard field goal with 1:55 left in the half to make it 10-3. ODU tied the game, 10-10, with 28 seconds left in the half when Fudge found Purcell with a 26-yard TD pass.
The Eagles regained the lead, 17-10 when Housewright and Capasso teamed up on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 10 minutes to in the third quarter. The Panthers drew even with 3:50 left in the third quarter on a 5-yard pass from Fudge to running back Bylal Humphrey.
ODU went 13-of-21 (61.9 percent) on third down. Entering the game, opponents were converting at 32 percent on third down against AU. The Panthers outgained the Eagles, 344-274. Neither team had a turnover.
Owens on Last Week's Game
"They did a great job converting on third down. They executed well. We didn't seem to have an answer."
Gridiron Club Players of the Week
Each week, the Ashland University Gridiron Club presents players of the week for offense, defense and special teams. This week's recipients can be found below.
Game Offense Defense Special Teams
Bloomsburg McCune Pendleton Berkshire
Indianapolis Housewright Pendleton Berkshire
Hillsdale Capasso Meder Soucie
NMU Vermillion Stoinoff Stackhouse
Northwood Knueven Meder Dottei
Tiffin Housewright Dottei Stackhouse
Wayne State Taylor Schwieterman Berkshire
SVSU McCoy Krummel Dottei
Findlay Wasserbeck Dottei Combs
ODU Capasso Beatty McFarlin
Brains and Brawn
Dottei is not expected to play this week due to a leg injury and that is going to leave two holes that need to be plugged.
As a safety, Dottei has played a large role in stabilizing the secondary. He's also a regular on four special teams units and he'll be greatly missed there. Dottei and Berkshire have been locked in a tight battle for the lead in special teams points.
"He's made some plays, stopped some fakes on punts," said Owens. "That's the kind of player he is. He has really good instincts. You can't just be smart and play, you have to have skill too. You want your safeties to be able to play that way. He's been able to do that."
Dottei is regarded as one of AU's most intelligent players. There's one school of thought that says the junior's other abilities are overlooked because of his ability to think on and off the gridiron. Owens is having none of it.
"I don't think you can ever overestimate intelligence," said the AU head coach.
Next Week, Next Year
Throughout this season the Eagles have always had a great incentive to keep playing. There's always been a conference title or a chance at an NCAA playoff berth on the line. This week that won't be the case. Owens was asked if that worries him. He replied that it does and he hopes his team can respond to a standard he's preached throughout his time at Ashland.
"It's always easier to go into the offseason with a win," Owens said. "Not that we'll ever be happy or satisfied with seven wins, but it's better than six wins. It's nothing you ever have to apologize for, not in our conference. But it's more than that. It's getting up off the ground, dusting ourselves off and going out and playing again. It's the cornerstone of the program, never give up, always getting back up."
Next Week, Next Year, Part 2
A year ago at Miller Stadium, the Eagles dominated the Storm to the tune of 87-17. Some fans who look at that score would say that there is no way Lake Erie can make up that much of a gap in a year. Owens knows better.
In 1995, his first year as the head coach at Akron, the Zips lost to Miami (Ohio), 65-0. The next year at Akron, Miami came to town with a possible bowl berth on the line. The Zips won that game, 10-7.
"We're saying, 'Let's finish right," said Owens. "We'll be challenged to do that. It's a formula for the disaster in the last week of the year. I've seen it happen too many times. I've been on the other side of it."
Yard Markers and Milestones
- In the last two games, Capasso has caught 17 passes for 174 yards (17.4 ypc.)
- Meder has 19.5 career tackles for loss. He's played 21 games.
- McCune's rushing total is the highest by a freshman at AU since Matt Otero had 1,030 yards in 1977.
- Bloom is on track to reach 100 tackles. The last AU player to hit the century mark in tackles was Tom Brenner with 126 in 2008.
- Berkshire's current yards-per-punt average (42.9) ranks as the third highest in school history. A year ago, Berkshire set the school single season record (43.5 ypp.).
- The Eagles have 19 interceptions since the start of last season (21 games).
- Since the start of last season AU is 6-1 against teams from Ohio.
- Under Owens, Ashland has scored 40 or more points 24 times (in 87 games).
- A win on Saturday would give AU seven wins and mark the fifth time in eight seasons under Owens AU has had seven or more victories.
- Ashland is 6-1 in the final game of the regular season under Owens.
- Berkshire's 63-yard punt last week was his longest of the season. He averaged 52.8 ypp., on four punts. The only game in his career he had a better punting average came last season at Miller Stadium against Saginaw Valley State when he punted three times and averaged 59.3 ypp., with a career-long 68-yard punt.
The Scouting Report
Lake Erie
Head Coach Mark McNellie – McNellie is in his fifth season at LEC. This is his fourth year leading the Storm as a varsity program. His career record is 15-27. Last season, he guided the Storm to a 3-8 record, 3-7 in the GLIAC. McNellie is the only head coach in the program's history. He is a 1988 Baldwin-Wallace grad. McNellie came to LEC after 17 seasons as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst. During his time there he coached the defensive line, the linebackers and was the defensive coordinator. His final four years there he was the associate head coach. McNellie spent two years as an assistant at Fairmont State before joining the MC staff.
Storm Fronts
Lake Erie runs the Spread offense and on defense uses the 3-4…LEC returned 22 starters from last season…in last week's win at Tiffin, the Storm's Rod Smith rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Lake Erie had 270 yards rushing against the Dragons…LEC had lost eight straight games before last week's win. The Storm's other win this season came in the season opener against Gannon, 13-10…kicker Sam Marcotte is 1-for-3 inside of 30 yards and 8-for-11 from beyond 30 yards…LEC started its football program as a club sport in 2007…entering last week's action, LEC's first eight GLIAC opponents had a 51-29 record and a .638 winning percentage.
LEC Leaders
Gus Armbruster – A 6-0, 220-pound senior linebacker, Armbruster has 69 tackles (39 solo).
Sean Bedevelsky – A 6-0, 190-pound senior quarterback, Bedevelsky is one of the league's best quarterbacks. The Brunswick, Ohio, native has completed 169-of-266 passes (63.5 percent) for 1,917 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. In the GLIAC he's fifth in total offense (261.4 ypg.), seventh in passing yards per game (213.0) and eighth in pass efficiency (133.2). He's also rushed for a team-high 436 yards (4.1 ypc.).
Steve Bensinger – A 5-11, 185-pound senior defensive back, Bensinger has 61 tackles (31 solo) and three interceptions. He's 10th in the league in punt return average (16-108/6.8 ypr.).
Cameron Bryant – Bryant, a 5-11, 215-pound senior linebacker, has 77 tackles (31 solo).
Kevin Chapman – A senior linebacker who creates havoc on a weekly basis, Chapman is tied for sixth in the GLIAC in tackles for loss (9.5). He's tied for eighth in sacks (four). The 6-1, 230-pound Chapman has 72 tackles (29 solo).
Brandon James – James is Bedevelsky's favorite target. The 6-3, 225-pound wideout has caught 66 passes for 765 yards (11.6 ypc.). James is third in the conference in receptions per game (6.6) and he's seventh in receiving yards per game (76.5). At Tiffin James caught seven passes for 95 yards.
David Romeo – A 6-1, 185-pound senior wingback, Romeo has caught 29 passes for 404 yards (13.9 ypc.). He has two touchdown catches.
Owens on the Storm
"Lake Erie is a good football team. They can play toe-to-toe with anybody in their stadium. Their quarterback is awfully good. Revenge is a great motivator. We need to be ready to play. I know we'll be challenged. This isn't going to be an easy place to play. I've watched them play every team in our conference down to the wire up there. They play an up-tempo offense and they can wear a defense down. It's a high-octane, fast-break offense that puts up a bunch of points and a bunch of yards."
Up Next
The 2012 schedule is still being finalized and should be released soon.
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