In the first road game of the 2026 season, the No. RV Ashland University football team lost at No. RV Walsh, 17-10, on Saturday (Sept. 26) afternoon.
 
The Eagles are 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while the Cavaliers are 4-0, 2-0.
 
On Walsh's second drive of the game, the Cavaliers cashed in to take a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Brock Huggins with 3:29 to go in the opening quarter.
 
At the 5:47 mark before halftime, redshirt freshman kicker Nate Russell connected on a 39-yard field goal to re-tie the score at 3. That Eagle drive began at the Walsh 48.
 
In the first half, Ashland had four consecutive drives which ended at no further from the end zone than the Cavs' 34, but came away with just three points. The Eagle defense, meanwhile, kept Walsh to a field goal and 88 yards of total offense in the game's first 30 minutes.
 
On the first drive of the second half, Walsh took a 10-3 lead on a 14-yard touchdown run by Hayden Wickard. But Ashland once again rallied to knot the scoreboard, this time at 10-all with 2:22 to go in the third quarter when redshirt freshman quarterback Darrell Shumpert hit freshman wide receiver Andrew McKnight for a 45-yard touchdown.
 
The third-quarter scoring back-and-forth continued at the 1:44 mark, when Walsh scored the eventual game-winning points on a one-yard scoring run from Jake Gill.
 
Junior linebacker Jack Talkington, the reigning Great Midwest defensive Athlete of the Week, ended the day with eight total tackles (five solo), a tackle for loss and a sack.
 
Ashland got to the Eagles' 34 or closer on seven occasions on Saturday, but came away with just three points.
 
The Eagles will return to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field for the 102^nd Homecoming game on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. vs. Tiffin.