Ashland University's No. RV football team made quick work of Kentucky Wesleyan on the road on Saturday (Oct. 4) night, scoring four second-quarter touchdowns en route to a 55-0 win over the Panthers.
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The Eagles are tied for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with Findlay at 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the league. KWC is 0-5, 0-3.
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Saturday's game marked AU's first shutout since a 35-0 blanking at Walsh on Oct. 8, 2022.
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Just 5:41 into the game, Ashland took the lead at 7-0 when junior tailback
Olando Kamara went in on a five-yard touchdown run. It was the first time in 2025 that the Eagles scored on their opening drive of a game.
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Following a fumble recovery on the Panthers' next offensive play by freshman defensive tackle
Ryan Zywiec, redshirt freshman kicker
Manaki Watanabe's 22-yard field goal put the Eagles up 10-0 with 6:24 left in the opening quarter.
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KWC turned the ball over twice in the first three drives following an interception from junior safety
E.J. Teah, then sophomore tailback
Willtrell Hartson scored on a four-yard touchdown run just 1:42 into the second quarter.
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That, however, was just the start of a big four-touchdown second stanza for the Eagles:
- A blocked punt by senior safety D.J. Butler for a Butler touchdown less than two minutes later lifted the Eagles to a 24-0 lead.
- With 7:19 to go until halftime, junior tailback Ty'aris Stevenson's four-yard TD run put the scoreboard at 31-0.
- Finally, Stevenson's three-yard scoring run at the 1:02 mark of the quarter allowed Ashland to go into the break leading 38-0.
Watanabe's 37-yard field goal with 9:48 to go in the third quarter made it a 41-0 Eagle lead. The lead became 48-0 with 2:24 left in the third when senior safety
Riely Weiss returned a punt 60 yards for a score – AU's first punt return TD in four years.
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Early in the fourth quarter, Ashland picked up its 26
th blocked kick since the start of the 2022 season – a 37-yard field goal blocked by redshirt freshman safety
Malik Kamara. That led to a three-yard touchdown run by freshman fullback
Drexal McAmis for the final margin of victory.
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BREAKING DOWN THE BIG STATS
- The Eagles out-gained the Panthers, 503-93.
- Redshirt senior quarterback Cameron Blair completed 14-of-21 passes for 262 yards and two interceptions in the win.
- With 241 yards rushing, AU had its best game in that regard since Nov. 2, 2024 at Lake Erie (334).
- The Eagles did not punt on Saturday.
- Ashland is 6-0 all-time vs. KWC.Â
NEXT UP
Ashland's 101
st Homecoming game on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. vs. Thomas More at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.Â
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