In one of the most memorable and thrilling games in program history, the No. RV Ashland University football team knocked off No. 6 Charleston, 40-38, on the road in an NCAA Division II playoff game on Saturday (Nov. 23) afternoon.
The victory was the first road postseason win in the 105 years of Ashland football, but that wasn't the only distinction to come out of the contest:
- Saturday's game was the first time an Eagle football team won an NCAA tournament game when trailing by double digits at any point (21-10 with 9:51 to go in the third quarter).
- The 40 points were the most Ashland ever has scored in an NCAA playoff game.
- Junior kicker A.J. Rhodes' game-winning 37-yard field goal marked the first time an Eagle won a game at the buzzer with a kick since Aidan Simenc at home against Grand Valley State in 2017.
- Senior wide receiver Tony Pannunzio grabbed a program playoff-record 14 passes, which also tied the overall program mark set by Michael Hull in 2002. His 228 receiving yards also set a new AU postseason single-game standard, and his 870 receiving yards in 2024 are eighth-most in a season by an Eagle.
- Senior quarterback Trevor Bycznski threw for 435 yards against Charleston, setting a new program postseason record and narrowly missing the overall program mark of 440, set by Jeff Leopold in 1999.
- Ashland now has three consecutive nine-plus-win seasons for the first time since 2015-17.
- Saturday marked the third time in the last four weeks Ashland has scored at least 40 points, and the fourth time with 40-plus points in 2024 – the most in a season since 2016 (five times).
- The Eagles are 5-0 all-time playing in the state of West Virginia.
There were 40 points in the fourth quarter between the Eagles and Golden Eagles – after 38 points in the first three periods combined. Of the six lead changes in the game, five came in the fourth quarter alone.
The two teams combined for 78 points, 50 first downs and 1,134 yards of total offense in the thriller.
So now, it's on to the second round of the playoffs on Saturday (Nov. 30) at 1 p.m. at No. 20 California, Pa. – only six days left to wait to see what potential history could be made there.
