#5 Wayne State (0-0) at Ashland (1-0)
Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.
Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at Dwight Schar Athletic Complex
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 www.wncoam.com. The campus radio station, WRDL-FM (88.9), will also do the game live.
Looking Ahead and Behind
The Eagles are coming off a 37-14 win over Indianapolis last Thursday night (Aug. 30) at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field. For the second consecutive week the Eagles are listed, "Among Others Receiving," in the AFCA poll.
Ashland was picked to win the South Division in the GLIAC Coaches' Preseason Poll. AU was 6-5 in 2011, 6-4 in GLIAC play. AU returns 14 starters, nine on offense and five on defense.
Wayne State enters this encounter ranked fifth in the country. This week's game is the first of the season for the Warriors. A year ago, WSU went 12-4 and advanced to the NCAA national championship where the Warriors lost to Pittsburg State, 35-21. Wayne State was picked second behind Grand Valley State in the North Division in the GLIAC Coaches' Preseason Poll.
A year ago in Ashland, the Eagles nipped the Warriors, 20-17. Gregg Berkshire kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to break a 17-17 tie. The Warriors came to Ashland ranked sixth in the country. AU ended a 10-game WSU winning streak with the victory.
This is the GLIAC opener for both teams.
2012 GLIAC Coaches' Preseason Poll
South Division
School (first place votes) Points
1 Ashland (10) 113
2 Ohio Dominican (5) 108
3 Findlay (1) 97
4 Lake Erie 73
5 Walsh 49
6 Tiffin 43
Notre Dame 43
8 Malone 42
Ashland-Wayne State
Ashland and Wayne State were together in the GLIAC South Division a year ago. This year, WSU has been shifted to the North Division. That will do nothing to dampen what has developed into a spirited rivalry. The last three AU-Wayne State games have been decided by seven points or less.
- The Eagles lead the all-time series, 21-6.
- This series began in 1975. The Eagles won that first meeting, 26-21.
- AU has won four of the last five meetings. In addition to last year's victory, in 2010 the Eagles won in Detroit, 40-35.
- The last time the Warriors defeated the Eagles was in 2009, at Wayne State. With running back Joique Bell rushing for 272 yards and scoring six touchdowns, the Warriors held off the Eagles, 47-40.
- Wayne State's last win in Ashland came in 2003 at Community Stadium by a 29-19 count. This is Wayne State's second trip to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field. WSU is looking to break a four-game losing streak in Ashland.
- WSU head coach Paul Winters was an assistant coach under Lee Owens at Akron. AU assistant coaches Doug Geiser and Tom Stacy were also on that staff. Wayne State defensive coordinator Brad Wilson served as AU's secondary coach a year ago.
- Ashland's longest winning streak against the Warriors is seven games (1987-93). AU also owns a six-game winning streak (1995-00) against Wayne State. The Warriors have never won consecutive games against the Eagles.
- Owens is 6-2 against Wayne State.
Ashland-Wayne State – 2011
It would be hard to argue that Berkshire's last-second field goal to beat the Warriors wasn't the top highlight of the 2011 season. That is the highest ranked team AU has defeated since a 26-7 triumph at fourth-ranked Ferris State in 1997. With the win, Ashland moved to 5-2, 5-1 in the GLIAC.
To get in position for Berkshire's game winner, the Eagles moved 30 yards in two plays. That drive was set up thanks to an interception by defensive back Eric Schwieterman (Norwalk, Ohio/St. Paul). The interception was his second of the game. Schwieterman also had six tackles in what would prove to be his final game of the year. A knee injury he sustained against the Warriors put him on the shelf for the rest of the season.
Mother Nature was a factor in last year's game. The wind was gusting to 26 miles per hour and throwing into that breeze was a losing proposition. AU completed 9-of-17 passes for 78 yards and Wayne State completed 13-of-26 passes for 99 yards with a pair of picks.
WSU was in front, 7-0 after one quarter and 10-3 at halftime. Ashland trailed, 17-3 entering the fourth quarter and rallied to score 17 points in the final 15 minutes. In that fourth quarter comeback, quarterback Taylor Housewright (Ashland, Ohio) threw a 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver David Soucie (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Brecksville). That capped a 15-play, 80-yard march and brought the Eagles to within 17-10 with 10:58 left in regulation. Tailback Anthony Taylor (Arlington, Va./Washington-Lee) scored on a 4-yard run with 6:23 to go to tie the score.
There wasn't much to separate the teams on this day. It was three points on the scoreboard and two yards in total offense – Ashland outgained the Warriors, 244-242. WSU had eight penalties and two turnovers, Ashland had seven penalties and one turnover.
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 56-33 at Ashland. He is second in career wins, trailing only Dr. Fred Martinelli (217). Owens is third in career winning percentage (.629) 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 96-94. 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 opened the 2012 season last Thursday night with a 37-14 non-conference win over Indianapolis. The Eagles were matched against an offense that was one of the best in the nation in 2011. Ashland limited that unit to 14 points and 319 yards of total offense. Indy quarterback Chris Mills, the 2011 GLIAC offensive back of the year, completed 22-of-38 passes for 184 yards. He was intercepted twice. Wide receiver Mar'quone Edmonds, a preseason All-American, was held to eight catches and 44 yards. AU recovered one Indianapolis fumble, giving them three takeaways in the opener.
Ashland scored on its first two possessions to take a 10-0 lead. The Greyhounds cut that margin to 10-7 by the end of the first quarter. At halftime the Eagles were in front, 17-7. Indy running back Klay Fiechter scored on a 2-yard run with 10:34 to go in the third quarter to cut the Ashland lead to 17-14. AU rallied to score the game's next 13 points and led, 30-14 with 10:16 to go in regulation.
The Eagles showed great balance on offense. The ground game accounted for 207 yards, 104 by Taylor. Sophomore Jordan McCune (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) had 80 yards on 17 carries. Freshman fullback Steve Nagy (Hudson, Ohio) scored a pair of touchdowns. He reached the end zone on a 1-yard run and caught a 7-yard TD pass from Housewright. Housewright was 16-of-25 passing for 216 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 7-yard scoring run.
Talent Pool
Two players who appeared in last year's Ashland-Wayne State game are now in the NFL. Former Ashland University defensive lineman Jeris Pendelton was picked in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and is a reserve with the team. Pendleton is the first AU player to be selected in the draft since Bill Overmyer was taken by Philadelphia in 1972.
Former Wayne State defensive back Jeremy Jones has made the roster of the Chicago Bears as a free agent. The Bears played the Cleveland Browns in their final preseason game and Jones made a huge statement that he belonged on the club with four tackles and an interception. The Bears open the NFL season against Indianapolis while the Jaguars will play at Minnesota.
Taylor's Time
Before this season began, Owens and the coaching staff promised more carries for Taylor. Last week, Taylor had 14 carries for 104 yards (7.4 ypc.). That was the first 100-yard game of his career and the 14 carries is also a career high. Taylor's previous highs for yards (79) and carries (12) came a year ago at Tiffin (Oct. 8). Taylor was third on last year's team in rushing (390 yards) and he averaged 7.5 carries per game.
Taylor and McCune give the Eagles an interesting tandem. This duo offers an excellent blend of power and speed and provides the Eagles with several options in attacking a defense. Owens still believes there will be work for senior Justin White-Reid (Akron, Ohio/Copley) and redshirt freshman Jimmy Luther (Hartville, Ohio/Lake), but right now, the bulk of the load will be handled by Taylor and McCune.
"I feel comfortable with it, it keeps both guys fresh," said Owens of playing the two. "We're not afraid to use Justin or Jimmy in there. We started with Jordan, but him not having a good spring and being hurt most of camp, Anthony's ahead of him carrying most of the load. They are different styles of runners. They complement each other. Both are effective and they're different."
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 two seasons, Meder has 21.0 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 got the 2012 season started in the same fashion he ended the 2011 campaign. 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.
Sure Thing With Gamble
Last week marked the first time junior safety Brian Gamble (Massillon, Ohio/Illinois) had taken the field for the Eagles since the 2009 season. He ended the 2009 season as a first team All-GLIAC selection. Gamble had a team-high 11 tackles last week (eight solo). In his last two games against Indianapolis (he also played against Indy in 2009), Gamble posted a total of 26 tackles (20 solo).
"Gamble really played well," Owens said. "Everybody's better when he's out there. He makes everybody better."
Berry, Berry Good
For the past two years, Jeris Pendleton caused havoc in the middle of the line. A first team all-conference pick, Pendleton was one of the top defensive linemen in the country and he rarely lost the battle inside. Against Indianapolis, senior nose tackle Mikel Berry (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Penn State) effectively shut down the middle of the line. Berry had five tackles (three tackles) and forced a fumble against the Greyhounds.
"Mikel Berry probably played his best game as a nose tackle replacing Jeris," said Owens. "We needed that."
Hometown Hero
Housewright is in his third season as the starting quarterback. The Ashland native begins his senior season second at AU in career touchdown passes (41). He's third in career completions (354), third in career passing yardage (4,404) and has two of top four single season completion percentage totals (.673-2010-second, .614/2011-fourth) in school history. Housewright moved from fifth to third in career passing yardage last week, passing Marcus Lee (4,207) and Dave Biondo (4,344).
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.
Here's the Catch
Over the final three games of last season, wide receiver Anthony Capasso (Columbia Station, Ohio/St. Edward) caught 23 passes for 379 yards (16.5 ypc.) with four touchdowns. In the final game of last season, at Lake Erie, Capasso caught 13 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. That reception total is one shy of the school record (14 by Mike Hull vs. Findlay, 2002). Capasso led the Eagles in receptions (53) last season.
Last week against Indianapolis, Capasso caught a team-high six passes for 120 yards with a long catch of 52 yards. Dating back to last season, Capasso has three consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards. Capasso also returned three kickoffs for 78 yards (26.0 ypr.) against Indianapolis. Capasso averaged 22.4 ypr., a year ago on 14 kickoff returns.
"He's picked up right where he left off," said Owens. "If you have a wide receiver in your heavy formation and teams try to single cover you, we've always had one guy who could stretch that single coverage. Anthony does that."
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.
Thursday Night Lights
Last week's game marked the first time AU hosted a Thursday night game at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field. The Eagles drew 4,064 fans to the game, including 1,000 students. That last number is what caught the attention of Owens and AU director of athletics Bill Goldring.
"That's great representation," said Owens.
The AU head coach would like to open on a Thursday every year. It gives him some extra preparation time going into the second week of the season and he believes a Thursday night date adds something special to an opening game.
"Even if we had lost to them, I think it's good," commented Owens.
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
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.
- A win this week would give the Eagles their first 2-0 start since 2005. That year the Eagles got off to a 3-0 start with wins over (Saint Joseph, Ferris State and Gannon).
- In nine openers under Owens the Eagles have averaged 28.4 ppg., and have scored 30 or more points five times.
- Ashland-Wayne State games can provide some interesting storylines. In 2007 against the Warriors, quarterback Billy Cundiff became the first player in school history to throw five touchdown passes in a game. In 2005, tailback Jason Schwalm set school, single-game records for carries (45) and rushing yards (292) in a 27-3 win over WSU. The school single-game record for sacks – 3.5 by Bill Royce – came against Wayne State in 1993. In 2002, Austin Wellock set an AU record and tied an NCAA Division II record with six field goals in a 25-20 Ashland win in Detroit. No Division II kicker since then has had six three-pointers in a game. Wellock's field goals came from 28, 35, 32, 37, 31 and 23 yards. Finally, the school single-game record for yards per punt – 50.3 by Mark Ambos – was set against Wayne State in 1990.
The Scouting Report – The Wayne State Warriors
Head Coach – Paul Winters (48-43, 9 years)
Last Year's Record – 12-4/7-3 GLIAC
Noteworthy
Last year was the most successful season in the history of Wayne State football as the Warriors went 12-4 and advanced to the national title game…the Warriors finished second in the GLIAC South Division a year ago…in 2011 the WSU defense was a turnover machine, the Warriors forced 36 turnovers (23 interceptions/13 fumbles) in 16 games…the Warriors went 4-1 in the postseason and all those games were on the road. Of WSU's final 10 games last season eight were on the road. That string began with the game at Ashland. WSU was 8-1 on the road last season with the lone setback at Ashland.…head coach Paul Winters was named the AFCA Division II coach of the year in 2011…Jones was the first defensive player in school history to be named a first team All-American…left tackle Joe Long was named the Gene Upshaw Award winner, which goes to the top lineman in the nation. The Warriors have to replace both starting offensive tackles from last season. They do bring back a pair of senior guards…the Warriors averaged 200.6 rushing yards per game last season…seven WSU players received All-American honors last season.
Watch List
Quarterback Mickey Mohner, a Painesville, Ohio, native, owns three of the top four pass efficiency ratings in school history. In 2011, Mohner completed 55.7 percent of his passes, had an efficiency rating of 144.20 and threw for 2,799 yards. He had 25 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions….running back Toney Davis, a junior, rushed for 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns last season…Davis is joined in the backfield by fullback Chet Privett, a 5-11, 235-pound junior…senior cornerback Aaron Cornett was named a Lindy's Preseason All-American. Last season he had 90 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss (52 yards), 3.0 sacks and three interceptions. Cornett was second on the team in tackles…linebacker Ed Viverette led last year's team in tackles for loss (15.5-75 yards) and was second in sacks (7.5-48). He was third on the team in tackles (83/46 solo). In last year's game against AU he had eight tackles, forced a fumble and had a pass breakup…free safety Antwon Robinson had five interceptions in 2011…wide receiver James Jackson is highly dangerous, from the line of scrimmage and on special teams. He returned 11 kickoffs last season and brought two of those kicks back for touchdowns.
Owens on Wayne State
"Not only do they beat you on the scoreboard, they physically beat you. That was their secret throughout their playoff run. They were more physical than any team they played. They start with playing physical football. That's where it starts at Wayne State. If you don't match that it's going to be long night."
Up Next
The Eagles will take to the road next week (Sept. 15, 7 p.m.), playing at Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich.
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