No. 9 AU Routs Timberwolves At Home, Moves To 4-0

The No. 9-ranked Ashland University football team left little doubt as to the outcome of Saturday (Oct. 1) night's game against Northwood at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
Thanks to a 56-17 win over the Timberwolves, the Eagles continue to tie for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference lead at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the league (Tiffin is 3-2, 3-0). Northwood is 2-3, 1-1.
 
"It's another defensive day where you give up under 250 yards, which is unheard of in college football today," noted Ashland head coach Lee Owens. "And they've got some players."
 
Ashland continues to be the lone Great Midwest undefeated team overall, following its 10^th consecutive win over the Timberwolves. The Eagles have won five in a row and seven of the last eight outings dating back to last season.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Ashland took its first drive of the night and scored a touchdown following an eight-play, 65-yard drive which chewed up 4:01. Junior tailback Larry Martin went in to the end zone on a two-yard scoring run to put AU ahead 7-0.
• Following a forced fumble on a sack by senior linebacker Michael Ayers and a recovery by freshman defensive end Michael Shimek, another junior tailback, Gei'vonni Washington, went in for a two-yard TD jaunt and a 14-0 Eagle lead.
• In the second quarter, Washington went in on a three-yard scoring run to make the score 21-0 – his fifth rushing touchdown in the last six quarters.
• With 4:52 to go in the first half, junior fullback Garret Niss plunged in from a yard out for his first collegiate score to lift the Eagles to a 28-0 advantage. Northwood came back with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Nate Gomez to John Hall for a 28-7 Ashland edge, but Ashland went into the half up by three touchdowns – and with a 230-102 edge in offensive yards.
• Ashland came out ready to score again to start the second half, and the Eagles did just that when senior quarterback Austin Brenner found senior wide receiver Malik Wooldridge for a 31-yard catch-and-run TD.
• Up 35-7, Northwood cut its deficit to 25 points following a 31-yard field goal from Max Gonos. The Eagles, however, increased their advantage to 42-10 following Martin's second rushing touchdown of the game, this one an 11-yarder.
• Brenner and senior wide receiver Logan Bolin capped the victory with an 88-yard pass-and-run TD to run the score to 49-10 with 13:28 left in the game. A fumble recovery by sophomore fullback Johron Johnson on the following kickoff led to a four-yard touchdown run from yet another junior tailback, Eli Potts, for a 56-10 lead.
• Northwood scored a second touchdown in the fourth quarter on a fumble recovery in the end zone by tight end Danny Krajewski to finish the night's scoring.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Ashland outgained Northwood 482-230, and the Eagles were plus-3 in turnover margin on Saturday night.
• Brenner finished 17-for-25 for 306 yards and two touchdowns passing, and added 32 rushing yards.
• "Obviously a great team win all-around," said Brenner. "They've (the offensive line) done a heck of a job all year long. I have all the confidence in the world in those guys."
• Bolin caught seven passes for 143 yards and a score. With 2,093 career receiving yards, he moves into fifth place on Ashland's all-time list.
• "It was great," he said. "We have a really special group, and we didn't show that last year, but we knew what we could be."
• Ayers finished with one of the best single-game defensive stat lines in program history – nine tackles (six solo), three tackles for loss, two sacks and three forced fumbles.
• "We put a good team effort in," Ayers said. "It felt great to have everyone on board."
• On special teams, the Eagles averaged 50.5 yards per punt, hit all eight extra points and had the one turnover on a fumble.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland is back on the road for another Great Midwest game on Oct. 8 at noon at Walsh (0-5, 0-3).