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9-28-24 FB home win vs. Tiffin
12
Tiffin TIF 2-2 , 1-1
21
Winner Ashland ASH 2-2 , 2-0
Tiffin TIF
2-2 , 1-1
12
Final
21
Ashland ASH
2-2 , 2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TIF Tiffin 0 3 9 0 12
ASH Ashland 7 7 0 7 21

Game Recap: Football | | Dusty Sloan, Ashland University Director of Athletic Communications

Touchdown Passes, Blocked Field Goals Lift Football Past Dragons

Three touchdown passes and two blocked field goals highlighted a second consecutive victory for Ashland University's football team on Saturday (Sept. 28) afternoon, 21-12, at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
The Eagles move back to the .500 mark overall at 2-2, and stay in a tie for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at 2-0. The Dragons are 2-2, 1-1.
 
"I'm proud of the spirit they showed, sticking together," said Ashland head coach Doug Geiser. "There's a roadmap. There's a way to get back to where we want to be, but there's no guarantee. They've showed a lot of spirit.
 
"The grit and the resilience the team showed today – we took the punch and kept going. I'm proud of them."
 
The Eagles scored first with 5:58 to go in the opening quarter, as a 1980s-style flea flicker resulted in a 47-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Trevor Bycznski to sophomore wide receiver Jamari Croom.
 
Following a 30-yard field goal from Tiffin's Ben Rudolph, Bycznski's second touchdown toss of the game – a 28-yarder to senior wide receiver Tony Pannunzio – made it a 14-3 AU advantage with 10:59 to go until halftime.
 
Thanks also to two blocked field goals by Pannunzio and senior defensive tackle Collin Strong, the Eagles took that 11-point lead into the locker room.
 
Tiffin moved to within two points early in the third quarter thanks to a blocked-punt safety, then a 30-yard touchdown run by Dragons running back Ronald Blackman.
 
Ashland withstood the Tiffin momentum, then Bycznski found Croom for a 65-yard catch-and-score down the right sideline to put AU ahead 21-12 with 8:55 to go.
 
QUARTERBACK EFFICIENCY…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
  • Bycznski was 8-for-13 for 193 yards and the three TDs. Croom caught three passes for 125 yards and his two scores.
  • "It's kind of been a different guy stepping up every week (at receiver)," Geiser noted. "It's a work in progress. Jamari is extremely talented. Hopefully, he can use this game as a jumping-off point."
  • Sophomore tailback Ty'aris Stevenson ran 22 times for 91 yards, as the Eagles ran for 153 yards as a team.
  • "Ty's got a lot of talent. All three of those backs have talent," said Geiser. "It's a next-man-up mentality. He ran his tail off."
  • Defensively, sophomore safety E.J. Teah led the way with 11 total tackles (seven solo) and a pass breakup.
  • Ashland is 9-3 all-time vs. the Dragons.
  • "Any conference game is an important game," Geiser said. "We've got to continue to do what we're doing."
UP NEXT
Ashland's 100th Homecoming game on Saturday (Oct. 5) at 1 p.m. vs. Ohio Dominican (2-2, 1-1).
 
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