Ashland University's No. 19-ranked football team lost 20-10 to No. 6 Grand Valley State on Saturday (Sept. 12) night at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, in the Eagles' second home NCAA Division II Top 25 game in as many weeks.
 
The Eagles are 1-1 through the non-conference portion of the 2026 schedule, while the Lakers are 3-0.
 
"If we take care of business and execute the way we're supposed to, then it's 20-20 in the fourth quarter," said Ashland head coach Doug Geiser. "Defense really tightened up. Offense kept fighting, kept battling.
 
"That's a really, really good football team, but so are we. (But) we are what our record says we are. We're 0-2."
 
The Lakers took the opening drive of the game, then took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Andrew Schuster to Evan Furtney.
 
With 11:59 to go until halftime, a sweep pitch pass from Brady Drogosh to Kellen Reed resulted in a five-yard TD – and a 14-0 Laker advantage. At the 6:21 mark of the second quarter, a 40-yard field goal from Mathew Bacik upped the GVSU lead to 17-0.
 
Ashland got on the scoreboard and cut its deficit to 17-3 with 8:53 remaining in the third quarter, as redshirt freshman kicker Nate Russell hit a 33-yard field goal.
 
A 39-yard Bacik field goal put the Lakers on top 20-3 with 9:33 left in the game.
 
Junior quarterback Drew Novak scrambled in from six yards out with 1:15 to go for the game's final margin.
 
The Eagle defense kept the Lakers' high-powered offense to 20 points, 295 total yards and 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. Junior linebacker Jack Talkington finished with a team-high 15 total tackles (nine solo) and an interception.
 
"I challenged the team after the warm-up before we started the second half," Geiser noted. "I said it's time for our dudes to start playing like dudes. Jack obviously took that challenge. I'll go to war with Jack Talkington every day of the week."
 
Ashland has started a season at 0-2 for the second time in three years – and the Eagles made the NCAA Division II playoffs the last time in 2024.
 
The Eagles will begin Great Midwest Athletic Conference play with a third consecutive home game on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. vs. Ohio Dominican (1-1).