In search of its first road win of 2023 prior to playing four of the last six regular-season games of 2023 at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, Ashland University's football team delivered it on Saturday (Sept. 30) afternoon.
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The Eagles topped Ohio Dominican, 20-6, in Columbus, Ohio, to improve to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Panthers are 1-4, 0-3.
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Ashland's defense allowed just 13 rushing yards to ODU – the Eagle unit's best effort since allowing 13 to Walsh on the road on Oct. 8, 2022.
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NOTABLES
- A 34-yard field goal by sophomore kicker A.J. Rhodes broke the scoreless tie with 3:29 to go in the opening quarter – and ended a 16-play, 67-yard and 9:03 drive.
- After the Panthers missed on a potential game-tying 39-yard field goal with 4:57 left in the second quarter, then Rhodes made his second field goal of the game, a 23-yarder, for a 6-0 Eagle lead heading into halftime.
- To begin the second half, Ashland marched 75 yards in 16 plays and took half the third-quarter clock off – and took a 13-0 lead when senior tailback Larry Martin punched it in from a yard out.
- Ohio Dominican needed just three plays to go 68 yards and get on the board with 3:12 left in the third quarter. A Drew Gallehue-to-Ty Wiley 47-yard scoring pass, with the extra point missed, made it a 13-7 Eagle advantage.
- Senior wide receiver Dezmin Lyburtus, however, needed just the ensuing kickoff to get Ashland back up by two scores, as his 90-yard kickoff-return TD gave the Eagles a 20-6 lead. Lyburtus became the first AU player to house a kickoff since Keishaun Sims in 2016.
- Lyburtus caught nine passes for 73 yards, and had 162 all-purpose yards in the win.
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UP NEXT
A return to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field to play Walsh on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. That will be the Ashland band's 100
th anniversary game.
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