Next Man Up Rings True In AU Senior Day Victory Over Chargers

Ashland University's football team ran out to a big lead on Saturday (Oct. 30) afternoon against Hillsdale, then held on for a 28-17 victory on Senior Day at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
The Eagles improve to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after retaining the Traveling Trophy, while the Chargers are 4-5, 3-2.
 
Head coach Lee Owens said after the game that each of his seniors will get a game ball commemorating the victory.
 
"I don't know if there's been a senior class with more adversity in their careers, that I've coached," Owens said. "Losing a season to the pandemic…then to have all the injuries. It's a credit to this group. This is the most fired up I've seen our team."
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Ashland wasted little time taking a 6-0 lead, as freshman quarterback Trent Maddox found freshman tight end Nabil Abdus-Salaam for a two-yard touchdown pass just 68 seconds into the game.
• The Eagles went up 12-0 late in the first quarter when Maddox hit junior wide receiver Malik Wooldridge for a 26-yard score.
• Three minutes and 21 seconds into the second quarter, sophomore tailback Larry Martin went in on a two-yard touchdown run to up the Eagles' lead to 19-0.
• Junior kicker Storm Elsesser then made field goals of 38 yards late in the first half and 33 yards with 7:40 to go in the third quarter, to increase the Eagle lead to 25-0.
• Hillsdale spoiled the shutout late in the third when running back Logan VanEnkevort went in to the end zone on a nine-yard scamper.
• Leading 25-7, Ashland looked to work the clock. The Chargers, however, got the score to within 15 points at 25-10 with a 43-yard Julian Lee field goal, but 8:42 was left on the clock.
• Hillsdale once again marched down the field, and cut its deficit to 25-17 with 4:58 to go in regulation when quarterback Garrit Aissen found H-back Alec Foos for a nine-yard major.
• The Eagles did finally run the clock out, and with 20 seconds to go, Elsesser made a 22-yard field goal for the final margin of victory.

 
NOTES

• Sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Barnett was a terror on Saturday, recording three sacks, four tackles for loss, seven total tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. He may be the only player in program history with a three-touchdown game (as a running back in 2019) and a three-sack contest.
• "We just came in with a different aggression today," Barnett said. "We had to match their physicality to beat them."
• Martin ran for a career-high 159 yards on 24 carries and had a TD, and fellow sophomore tailback Eli Potts finished with 91 yards on 18 totes, as the Eagles rushed for 289 yards.
• "I hope I can keep it going," Martin said. "We're in the full swing of things. Our linemen produced again, and we were all on the same page."
• Said Potts, "Larry and I both…they couldn't really stop us on the run."
• Freshman quarterback Trent Maddox was 11-for-26 for 154 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
• Ashland forced three turnovers, and one of those was an interception by senior cornerback Joe Freeland on Senior Day.
• "A lot of that technique came into play today," Freeland said. "When I saw the route concept, I was like, 'Yeah, I know what's going to happen.'"

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will play its last two games on the road, starting on Nov. 6 at noon vs. Findlay (6-3, 4-1).