Eagles Take 100th Homecoming Game To Stay Tied Atop Great Midwest

For the 100^th time, Ashland University's football team hosted a Homecoming game.
 
And for the 70^th time, the Eagles won their Homecoming game, as, on Saturday (Oct. 5) afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, they defeated Ohio Dominican, 26-6.
 
Ashland remains tied top the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings at 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the league, while the Panthers are 2-3, 1-2.
 
The Eagles are 70-25-5 all-time on Homecoming (and have won 10 straight), and 8-5 all-time vs. ODU.
 
"I congratulated the team and told them the one thing no one can ever take away from them is the 2024 Ashland Eagles won the 100^th Homecoming in Ashland University football history, and that's special," said Ashland head coach Doug Geiser. "I commended them on that."
 
Following a fourth-down defensive stop, a long Eagle drive resulted in a 23-yard field goal by junior kicker A.J. Rhodes to put Ashland ahead 3-0 with 4:44 left in the opening quarter. Rhodes then added a 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter following a interception by sophomore linebacker Ben Holzopfel, and the Eagles led 6-0.
 
Ashland then extended its advantage to 8-0 with 11:52 to go until halftime when an errant punt snap went out of the back of the end zone for a safety. When Rhodes made a 29-yard field goal at the 8:00 mark of the second quarter, the Eagles had an 11-0 lead.
 
The out-of-the-usual scoreline continued with 6:28 to go in the half when sophomore cornerback Isaac Brooks blocked an ODU punt out of the end zone for the Eagles' second safety – and a 13-0 lead. The two first-half safeties are as many as AU had in the previous 10 years (nine seasons) combined.
 
Rhodes' fourth field goal of the half, a 42-yarder with 4:07 left in the half, made the Ashland advantage 16-0.
 
The Eagles' only touchdown of the day came with 39 ticks remaining in the half, when senior quarterback Trevor Bycznski found junior wide receiver Dru Johnson for a 12-yard scoring strike and a 23-0 halftime lead.
 
Rhodes' fifth field goal of the afternoon, from 38 yards, lifted the Eagles to a 26-0 lead with 8:02 to go in the third.
 
Quarterback Drew Gallehue snuck in from a yard out for ODU early in the fourth quarter to get the Panthers on the scoreboard.
 
RHODES' BIG DAY WITH THE RIGHT LEG…AND THE REST OF THE STORY

• Rhodes was 5-for-5 on field goals, setting a new Great Midwest single-game record, and putting him at 8-for-9 for the season.
• "It was a good team win," said Rhodes, who also placed three kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks on Saturday. "I appreciate the trust they have in me to go out there and do my job."
• Added Geiser, "His consistency is right where it needs to be. He's been a source of strength for us. Just a source of comfort for myself."
• Holzopfel picked off two passes on Saturday, to go with a team-high eight total tackles (four solos).
• "Today felt amazing," Holzopfel said. "Everything on defense, our game plan was amazing. Coach (defensive coordinator Tim) Rose, he does everything possible to make sure we're in the right spot. There was a lot of energy. All the energy helped us make big plays when it mattered."
• Said Geiser, "Ben Holzopfel is a helluva football player. We're lucky to have him. He's the epitome of what an Ashland football player is at linebacker. He's the next one in line, and we expect big things from him, and he delivered."
• Ashland's defense kept ODU to minus-5 yards rushing (thanks in large part to five sacks), and 133 yards of total offense.
• "The rush defense is a team effort, and Tim's got a tough scheme. He does," Geiser said. "Tremendous team defensive effort. The defensive line set the tone on that, definitely." 

UP NEXT
A game for first place in the Great Midwest standings on Saturday (Oct. 12) at noon at No. 23 Findlay (5-0, 3-0).