#22 Ashland (2-0/1-0 GLIAC) at Ferris State (2-0/1-0 GLIAC), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Top Taggart Field/Big Rapids, Mich.
Sights and Sounds
This week's game can be heard live on WNCO-AM (1340) with Matt Brubaker on the play-by-play and Don Graham handling the commentary. The game can be heard at wncoam.com.
Looking Ahead and Behind
For the first time this season, the Ashland University Eagles are ranked in the nation's Top 25. In this week's AFCA poll the Eagles are ranked 22nd. AU is 2-0 after last week's 7-0 victory over Wayne State. WSU was ranked fifth last week and is 19th this week.
This week's game is Ashland's first road game of the season. It is the first of two consecutive road contests. After this Saturday's game at Ferris State, the Eagles will visit Northern Michigan (Sept.22). A win this week would give the Eagles their first 3-0 start since the 2005 season. That year, the Eagles won at Saint Joseph's (30-15), at Ferris State (24-21) and at home against Gannon (22-19) in the first three weeks of the season.
Ferris State is off to a 2-0 start. Last week the 'Dogs won at Lake Erie, 49-21
Ashland-Ferris State
Ashland is the GLIAC South Division and Ferris State is in North Division. The Eagles were picked to win the South Division title in the GLIAC Coaches' Preseason Poll. FSU was picked sixth out of eight teams in the North.
- The Eagles hold a 13-9 edge in the all-time series.
- This series began in 1967. AU won that initial meeting, 21-7.
- AU and Ferris State last met in 2009. That year the Eagles won in Big Rapids, Mich., 44-23. AU has a three-game winning streak at FSU, winning in 2009, 2007 (37-35) and 2005 (24-21). Ashland's last loss in Big Rapids came in 2002 (30-8).
- AU has won three of the last five matchups with the Bulldogs. The last FSU victory in the series came in 2008 in Ashland, 25-24.
- In 1997, AU defeated a Bulldogs team that was ranked fourth in the country, 26-7. That snapped a four-game FSU win streak against the Eagles.
- In the first three games in this series, FSU scored a total of seven points.
- The highest scoring game in the series came at AU's Community Stadium in 1998 when the Eagles held off the Bulldogs, 59-37.
- Owens is 3-3 against Ferris State.
Ashland-Ferris State – 2009
On the second week of the season, the Eagles went to FSU and came away with a 44-23 win. Quarterback Billy Cundiff completed 14-of-20 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. This marked the college debut of current AU quarterback Taylor Housewright (Ashland, Ohio). He came off the bench to attempt one pass, which fell incomplete.
Tailback D.J. McCoy rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Wide receiver Nick Bellanco caught five passes for 155 yards. He had a 79-yard TD reception. The Eagles outgained Ferris State, 531-378.
The Eagles had four sacks and recorded 10.0 tackles for loss. Current defensive backs Donnie Dottei (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) and Brian Gamble (Massillon, Ohio/Illinois) had four tackles each.
The win evened AU's record at 1-1. In the opener, the Eagles lost at 15th-ranked Bloomsburg, 10-7.
Ashland Head Coach Lee Owens
Lee Owens is in his ninth season as AU's head coach. He was named to that position in December, 2003. He is the 14th head coach in AU football history.
- Owens is 57-33 at Ashland. He is second in career wins, trailing only Dr. Fred Martinelli (217). Owens is third in career winning percentage (.633) at AU. The only coaches he trails are Bob Brownson (.672/1954-57) and Martinelli (.641/1959-63).
- Owens has guided the Eagles to the NCAA playoffs twice (2007, 2008). He is the only football coach in school history to do that and he is the lone Ashland football coach to win a postseason game (27-16 over Minnesota State, 2008).
- Under Owens, the Eagles have won eight or more games in a season four times and have won nine games twice (9-2/2005, 9-4/2008). He went 5-6 in his first season at Ashland (2004). In the two seasons before he arrived the Eagles won a total of four games.
- Since Owens became the head coach 10 players have been recognized as All-Americans. Last year, defensive lineman Jeris Pendleton was taken in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's the first AU player to be drafted since 1972.
- Before arriving at AU, Owens spent nine years as the head coach at the University of Akron. His career record as a college head coach is 97-94. He also served as an assistant coach under John Cooper at Ohio State (1992-95).
- As a high school head coach in Ohio, Owens had an 89-32-2 mark in 11 seasons. His 1985 Galion team won a state title with a 14-0 record. Owens was also the head coach at Massillon Washington (1988-92), Lancaster (1987), Galion (1983-87) and Crestview (1981-82).
- Owens is a 1977 Bluffton College graduate and he earned his master's degree at AU in 1981.
Last Look at Last Week
The Eagles ran their record to 2-0 last week by winning a defensive slugfest against fifth-ranked Wayne State, 7-0. This marked the second straight year a WSU team ranked in the nation's top 10 came to Ashland and left with a loss. A year ago, the Warriors were ranked sixth in the nation and absorbed a 20-17 loss.
Last Saturday night, the Eagles sacked WSU quarterback Mickey Mohner four times and intercepted him twice. The first pick, a steal by Gamble, came at the WSU 7-yardline. It took AU three plays to reach the end zone, Housewright capping the drive with a 4-yard pass to tailback Jordan McCune (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork). Freshman Greg Gallaway's (Ashland, Ohio) extra point made it 7-0.
The Eagles had eight tackles for loss (40 yards). Ashland limited the Warriors to 10 first downs and 162 yards of total offense. WSU, which lives by its ground game, was held to 76 yards rushing on 37 carries (2.1 ypc.). At halftime, the Warriors had 56 yards of total offense.
AU linebacker Cody Bloom (Napoleon, Ohio) recorded a career-high 16 tackles (13 solo). Senior safety Tyler McFarlin (Ashland, Ohio) had eight tackles (six solo) and one tackle for loss. Sophomore safety Eric Schwieterman (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul) had six tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss and an interception. In two career games against WSU, Schwieterman has three interceptions.
"There were some unbelievable offensive plays," said Owens in reviewing the game. "It's just that the defenses on both sides of the ball played so well."
Comb-ing Through the Line
Sophomore linebacker Domi-on Combs (East St. Louis, Ill.) is this week's OhioCollegeFootball.com defensive player of the week. Combs had seven tackles (five solo) and a sack (10 yards) in last week's victory.
The 5-7, 203-pound Combs has embraced the underdog's role since arriving at Ashland. Little was expected of him at the beginning of last season and he ended up seeing regular action and finishing fourth on the team in tackles (54/27 solo). Also, as Combs has pointed out on numerous occasions, he's not a physically big linebacker. His game is based on speed and knowing the scheme.
"I'm a little guy and I can get under them," said Combs last Saturday night after he spent a good portion of the game in the WSU backfield. "Coach (Matt) Stoinoff and I worked on that all week."
"All week he stayed and got extra reps," noted Owens. "He just cares, he wants to be good. We're trying to find roles for guys on this team. We're playing a lot of guys on offense and defense."
Owens said that one play from last week's game concerning Combs sticks in his mind. Combs was on the far side of the field and the Warriors ran their tailback, Toney Davis, to the other side of the field. The sophomore raced across the gridiron and got in on the play.
"He was like a bullet out there," marveled Owens. "A lot of guys out there could run, they weren't all linemen."
Full Go at Fullback
On national recruiting day last spring, Owens pointed out that Steve Nagy (Hudson, Ohio) was the first true fullback the Eagles had recruited since Ray Kent. Kent was a 6-0, 240-pound product of Uniontown, Ohio, and Green High School. Nagy is 6-0, 226 pounds.
Nagy scored a pair of touchdowns in his first game. That gained him some notoriety, but the rookie's value comes in his ability to help open running lanes for AU tailbacks Anthony Taylor (Arlington, Va./Washington-Lee) and McCune. His presence also allows the Eagles to play multiple people and emphasize their best assets.
"We weren't able to get him the ball like we did the first week," Owens said. "He still blocked well. We have a lot of confidence in him. We can use (Logan) Slavinski more as an H-Back and (Alex) Renner can be more of a blocking tight end and (Matt) Schweitzer more as a receiving tight end. They all get good at their specific skill sets."
Owens was asked who came into their rookie year more prepared to make an immediate impact – Kent or Nagy. The AU head coach wouldn't commit either way on that query.
"Ray played right out of the gate, too," pointed out Owens. "They both got off to good starts."
Finding Wide Open Spaces
Sophomore wide receiver Eric Thompkins (Canton, Ohio/South) established career, single-game highs last week for catches (eight) and receiving yards (80). His previous highs were five catches and 78 yards. The longest reception Thompkins had against Wayne State went for 19 yards.
Thompkins, who is a sprinter on the AU track and field team, is known for his breakaway speed. Yet this game may demonstrate that he's maturing as a complete wide receiver.
"He had an unbelievable catch staying in bounds along the boundary," said Owens.
"He had a great summer, he worked hard in the summer," said passing game coordinator Tom Stacy. "He spent a lot of time working with Taylor (Housewright) catching a lot of extra balls. I think he's starting to reap the benefits. He's better all the way around. He's stronger, more physical.
Thompkins caught 29 passes in 11 games last season. He averaged 13.7 ypc., with three touchdowns. There is nothing wrong with those numbers – for a rookie or a veteran – but Stacy says those final figures don't do Thompkins justice.
"Playing as a true freshman last year was a tough experience for him," said the AU assistant coach. "He's much more confident. I think he's got a chance to be a real good one."
There seems to be little debate about who is AU's No. 1 receiver – that title belongs to senior Anthony Capasso (Columbia Station, Ohio/St. Edward), who has nine catches. But through two games the Eagles have received steady production from the other wide receiver spots. Thompkins has nine catches and sophomore Dan Piko (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist Academy) has six receptions.
"Dave Elliott (assistant coach) has done a nice job of bringing those guys along," observed Stacy. "He's experienced at the college level and he's taken a special interest in all of these guys."
Grounded
In the opener against Indianapolis the Eagle defense played against a team that figures to have one of the best passing attacks in the country. Last week, the Eagles were matched up against Wayne State's powerful, two-back offense. That team is content to pound away at a defense. Now, the Eagles get a look at an option offense. That can cause a different set of problems.
"We have to play assignment football," emphasized Owens. "That's a huge challenge for any defense, especially when you can't simulate it in practice."
AU has had success in the past stopping ground-oriented running attacks. A year ago at Northwood against the Woodbone offense, the Eagles allowed three points and 111 rushing yards.
AU defensive coordinator Tim Rose cautions that too much can be read into that.
"They run a lot more counters and misdirections," said Rose of Ferris State. "They're in the pistol. It's really a lot different in structure and philosophy.
"All spring, all summer and two games this season it's all out the window," continued Rose in talking about preparing for the 'Dogs. "It doesn't matter if you have veterans or new people, it's all the same, it's a whole different concept on defense. Every game is a season by itself. It's about matchups and it's about being right that day. You try to do everything you can to be right, to give your players a chance."
Miller Field Mania
Last year's game against Wayne State drew 4,620 fans. That's the second highest attendance figure in the facility's history. The largest crowd in the field's history was 4,874 against Hillsdale on Sept. 18, 2010. Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field opened in 2009.
Meder's Running
Junior defensive lineman Jamie Meder (Parma, Ohio/Valley Forge) is a two-time, first team All-GLIAC selection. He's also been named to the OhioCollegeFootball.com preseason all-star team and was named a third team preseason All-American by Beyond Sports Network. Meder was tabbed as a preseason All-American by D2football.com. In his career, Meder has 23.0 tackles for loss. He paced the Eagles in that category last year with 10.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage. In 2010, Meder was named the GLIAC freshman of the year. He's the only AU player to receive that award.
Full Bloom
Junior linebacker Cody Bloom (Napoleon, Ohio) led the Eagles in tackles last season with 109 (53 solo). He's the first AU player to reach the century mark in tackles since safety-linebacker Tom Brenner in 2008 (126). Brenner and Bloom are the only AU players to post 100 tackles in the last seven seasons. The last player to notch consecutive 100-tackle seasons was linebacker-safety Devin Conwell (118/2004, 121/2003). OhioCollegeFootball.com has picked Bloom as its 2012 preseason defensive player of the year and he was tabbed as a preseason honorable mention All-American by Beyond Sports Network.
Bloom has gotten off to a great start in 2012. Against Indianapolis, he had nine tackles (seven solo) and a third quarter interception at the Ashland 10 that snuffed out the Greyhounds' last major scoring threat. He followed that up with those career-best 16 tackles last week. After two weeks of play, Bloom has the most tackles in the GLIAC and he's second in tackles per game (12.5).
Hometown Hero
Housewright is in his third season as the starting quarterback. The Ashland native is second at AU in career touchdown passes (42). He's third in career completions (373), third in career passing yardage (4,585) and has two of top four single season completion percentage totals (.673-2010-second, .614/2011-fourth) in school history.
Housewright and Billy Cundiff are the only quarterbacks in school history to toss five touchdown passes in a game. Housewright did that against Findlay in 2010.
Rookie on the Run
A year ago, McCune rushed for a team-high 834 yards. McCune is the first freshman to lead the team in rushing since Paul Bockmore in 1999 (624 yards). His final total is the highest by a rookie since Matt Otero gained 1,030 yards in 1997.
Coaching Carousel
The Eagles have added a number of new coaches since last season. That list includes Joe Palcic (secondary), Reggie Gamble (defensive line), Mitch Browning (tight ends/running backs), Patrick Tresey (graduate assistant, offense), Dirk Dickerhoof (graduate assistant, defense) and Matt Stoinoff (student coach). Additionally, Stacy will now coach the quarterbacks and will be the passing game coordinator while Geiser is the associate head coach, running game coordinator, offensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach.
Conference Call
Ashland had three first team All-GLIAC selections in 2011 – Meder, Pendleton and Berkshire. Bloom was a second team pick and Berkshire was named to the second team as a kicker. Ashland's honorable mention selections from last season were Capasso, defensive back Donnie Dottei (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer), Housewright, McCune, defensive back Mike McMillan (Hagerstown, Md./Mendocino College) and Stoinoff.
Gridiron Club Players of the Week
After every game the Eagles win this season, the AU Gridiron Club will honor a player of the game for offense, defense and special teams. Last week's recipients can be found below.
Game Offense Defense Special Teams
Indianapolis Housewright Gamble Capasso
Wayne State Thompkins Meder Housewright
Yard Markers and Milestones
- Ashland is third in winning percentage among the 21 schools that have played GLIAC football. Grand Valley State (.794./239-60-3) is first, Butler (.750/22-7-1) is second and the Eagles (.593/130-89) are third. Saginaw Valley State (.588/185-111-3) is fourth.
- Geiser is the only assistant coach on the Ashland staff who has been with Owens all nine years the head coach has been at AU.
- Last week's shutout was the first for AU since a 49-0 whitewash of Tiffin in 2010. Since Owens became the head coach the Eagles have shut out three teams. In addition to last week's game, AU blanked Hillsdale, 24-0 (2004) and Gannon, 27-0 (2005).
- Under Owens, the Eagles are 24-20 (.546) on the road.
- The Eagles had eight different players catch a pass last week. The last time that happened was at Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 20, 2011. The last time the Eagles utilized more players in the passing game was on Oct. 13, 2007, when AU stopped Northern Michigan, 47-21 in Ashland.
- The Eagles are third in the GLIAC in time of possession (32:04).
The Scouting Report – The Ferris State Bulldogs
Head Coach – Tony Annese (First Season)
Last Year's Record – 6-5/5-5 GLIAC
Noteworthy
Tony Annese comes to FSU after three years at Grand Rapids Community College. In his tenure there he was 30-4 and the program won NJCAA Division II national championships in 2009 and 2011. The football team was 7-11 in the two years before he arrived. A year ago, Grand Rapids averaged 50 points per game and over 500 yards in total offense per game…this FSU team runs the option and runs it well. The Bulldogs are averaging 42.0 ppg., and a GLIAC-best 364.0 rushing yards per game…FSU won at Lake Erie last Saturday, 49-21 and had 665 yards of total offense, 364 yards on the ground…the Bulldogs held LEC to 293 total yards…Ferris State has punted once in two games…the Bulldogs are converting at a 52 percent rate on third down (14-of-27) and at 71 percent (5-of-7) on fourth down…Ferris State defeated St. Francis (Ill.) in its opener, 35-24…FSU is outscoring the opposition, 28-3 in the third quarter.
Watch List
Running back Skyler Stoker, a 5-11, 204-pound senior, has rushed for 194 yards on 26 carries (7.5 ypc.) and is producing 97.0 rushing yards per game. He's fourth in the GLIAC in rushing…the Bulldogs have used two quarterbacks this season and both are youngsters. Jason Vander Laan, a 6-4, 222-pound redshirt freshman, has rushed for 138 yards on 25 carries (5.5 ypc./69.0 ypg.) and has completed 23-of-31 passes (74.2 percent) for 164 yards and a touchdown. He left last week's game with an injury. Taylor Masiewicz, a 6-4, 195-pound sophomore, has completed 9-of-12 passes with three TD passes and no interceptions…Mike Elias, a 6-2, 225-pound senior linebacker, has a team-high 16 tackles (seven solo) and one interception…Alex Brajack, a 6-1, 220-pound linebacker, has 14 tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss…Jordan Morgan, a 6-4, 252-pound senior defensive end, has 13 tackles (nine solo) and a pair of sacks.
Owens on Ferris State
"The concern is 'How do we match up with the option offense?' Against a team that runs the option, they run it 40 times. They'll run the option to beat you. That creates problems. When they execute it well it causes problems and it was 600 yards well last week."
Up Next
The Eagles will be in Marquette, Mich., next Saturday (Sept. 22, 2 p.m.) to play Northern Michigan. That's the last GLIAC North Division foe the Eagles will play during the
2012 regular season.
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