The defense for the No. 20-ranked Ashland University football team has gotten many key contributions from many players so far in 2025.
On Saturday (Oct. 25) afternoon, that continued in overtime at Tiffin, as senior safety
Marquise Scott's first interception of the season clinched a 30-27 victory. With the win, their sixth in a row, the Eagles remain tied for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the league, while the Dragons are 5-3, 4-2.
Scott becomes the 10
th Ashland defensive player to record an interception this season for one of the top units in NCAA Division II. The Eagles also boast 13 different players with at least a half-sack, and 24 different players with at least a half-tackle for loss.
For the fourth straight game, Ashland scored on its opening possession. In just 4:14, the Eagles scored on a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback
Willtrell Hartson – capping a seven-play, 66-yard drive.
After redshirt freshman safety
Chaz Cole collected Ashland's sixth blocked kick of 2025, Ashland needed just one play – a 44-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Cameron Blair to senior wide receiver
Jent Joseph – to make it a 14-0 lead just 6:35 in.
Tiffin got the ball following an Eagle fumble in AU territory, but following a 12-yard sack on third down by senior defensive end
Michael Shimek and senior safety
D.J. Butler, the Dragons settled for a 33-yard Ben Rudolph field goal.
The Dragons then pulled to within 14-10 after a 94-yard scoring drive which ended on a five-yard TD pass from quarterback Alex Johnson to wide receiver Jaedyn McKinstry. Tiffin's score came with 2:19 to go before halftime.
That turned out to be just enough time for the Eagles to take a 17-10 lead into halftime, as, with 32 ticks left in the first half, redshirt freshman kicker
Manaki Watanabe – the reigning Great Midwest special teams Athlete of the Week – nailed a 44-yard field goal.
Tiffin began the second half by driving down the field and tying the game on a 37-yard scoring pass from Johnson to running back Ronald Blackman. But, following a second AU lost fumble on the afternoon put the ball on the Eagles' 24-yard line, Ashland dodged going behind for the first time on the day after a 42-yard field goal blocked by Shimek.
Starting the next drive at their own 30, the Eagles regained momentum – and the lead at 24-17 – following a one-yard Blair touchdown run with 3:57 left in the third quarter. Tiffin then got within four points at 24-20 with 8:48 to go when Rudolph hit a 28-yard field goal.
The Dragons then took their first lead of the afternoon, 27-24, with 4:55 to play when Johnson found wide receiver Ethan Holbrook for a 47-yard scoring strike. Ashland attempted to take the lead at the end, but with a 30-yard Watanabe field goal with 61 seconds remaining, the game was tied at 27 – and set up overtime.
On the first possession of OT, the Eagles got a second chance to score after a Tiffin penalty, and Watanabe made his third field goal of the game, from 27 yards away, for a 30-27 lead – setting up Scott's heroics.
MORE WINNING NUGGETS
- Shimek had 1½ sacks on the day, and has 11½ for the season, while sophomore defensive end Elisha Baldridge (10 total tackles, one sack) and sophomore linebacker Jack Talkington (10 total tackles) also paced the AU defense.
- Blair passed for 191 yards and a score, and ran for 46 yards and another TD.
- The Eagles allowed minus-2 yards rushing to the Dragons on Saturday.
- Ashland is 10-3 all-time vs. Tiffin.
NEXT UP
Back to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field for the first of three consecutive home games to end the regular season, at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1 vs. Walsh (6-2, 4-2). It is the Eagles' Youth Day and Morgan's Message Game, following six of the first eight contests in 2025 played on the road.
