No. 23 Eagles End Skid Vs. IUP, Rally In Second Half To Start 2025 At 1-0

For the first time, Ashland University's football team has defeated Indiana (Pa.).
 
And for the first time in three years, the No. 23 Eagles have started a season at 1-0.

On Thursday (Sept. 4) night, AU scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to top the Crimson Hawks on the road, 13-9. Those are the fewest points Ashland has given up in a first game of a season since 2016 (48-0 home win vs. Mercyhurst).
 
An Eagle defensive effort which featured four takeaways, five sacks and minus-15 rushing yards allowed was paced by senior defensive end Michael Shimek, whose 3½ sacks were a half-sack shy of his own school record of four. Shimek is the first Eagle all-time to have at least 3½ sacks in a game twice.
 
The minus-15 rushing yards against are AU's fewest in a game since a 49-21 win at Tiffin on Nov. 3, 2012 (minus-27).
 
IUP scored nine points in the second quarter after a scoreless opening stanza. With 6:15 left until halftime, quarterback Matthew Rueve and running back Randy Washington connected on a 55-yard touchdown pass.
 
Following a missed extra point, Crimson Hawks kicker Nick Andrasi hit a 44-yard field goal with 69 seconds until the break.
 
The second half, however, was a different story. Senior quarterback Cameron Blair finished a seven-play, 46-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Jonathan Merrimee. It was Merrimee's first collegiate touchdown, and it came at the 5:31 mark of the third quarter.
 
With 2:10 to go in regulation, Ashland came all the way back and took the lead at 13-9 when junior tailback Ty'aris Stevenson scored on a 1-yard run – finishing a 10-play, 70-yard drive which took 5:33 off the clock.
 
After a missed two-point conversion, the Eagles led by four points – with IUP getting one last shot for the win. That shot ended with junior cornerback Isaac Brooks picking off a Crimson Hawks pass for AU's third takeaway of the night, then junior safety E.J. Teah added his own pick for good measure with two ticks to go.


 
CLEARING OUT THE NOTEBOOK

• The Eagles and Crimson Hawks combined for 15 punts. Ashland had eight of those punts, and five (four by senior punter Jaden Cook) ended up inside the IUP 20-yard line.
• For the fourth season in a row, Ashland played IUP. This is the third consecutive year in which the Eagles opened a season against the Crimson Hawks.
• Ashland was 0-5 all-time against IUP prior to Thursday night.

NEXT UP
Ashland's second and final regular-season non-conference game will be Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. at Indianapolis (1-0).