Ashland Football Weekly Report
September 30, 2003

Game 6 – Wayne State (1-3/0-3) at Ashland (1-4, 1-3)
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003 – Community Stadium, 1:25 p.m.

The Opening Act
It’s homecoming at AU this weekend and that’s a time for seeing old friends. The Ashland University football team will be looking for an old friend, too – home field dominance.

AU plays four of its final six games at home. This is the first game in that stretch, a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest with Wayne State. Both teams are looking to break out of a losing streak. The Eagles have lost their last two games while the Warriors haven’t won since their opener – they’ve dropped three consecutive games.

Sights and Sounds
All Ashland University football games can be heard live on WNCO (1340 AM). This the 11th consecutive year the station has carried the Eagles. Sam Renfroe and Bill Linson comprise the broadcast team.

The Ashland Times-Gazette’s Dusty Sloan will cover the game and his story will run in Monday’s paper. The Mansfield News Journal’s Cory Forshaw staffs all AU home games and Sunday’s edition will carry his report on the WSU-AU contest.

WRDL-TV, the campus television station and WRDL-FM (88.9), the student-operated campus radio station will be broadcasting the game, too.

Sidelight Highlights
It’s homecoming weekend at AU and that’s always a special occasion. But this weekend is extra special with a number of new and improved events surrounding this game. Ashland University is celebrating its 125th anniversary and that means lots to do and see.

On Friday night at Kates Gymnasium, comedian Bill Cosby will put on a pair of shows. Saturday morning at 10 a.m., the biggest homecoming parade in school history will hit the streets. Plans call for approximately 150 units to be involved. The parade will start in downtown Ashland and end at Community Stadium.

Saturday’s game has also been designated as Boy Scout Day. All Scouts who wear their uniforms to the game will be admitted free. Also, 125th anniversary Ashland University towels will be given away to the first 500 fans. The College Football Hall of Fame Road Show will be at the game. That display will be found at the front of the stadium. For more information on these promotions, call AU director of sports marketing Ken Dworznik, 419-289-5954.

At every AU home football game, two former Eagle players are brought back to campus as honorary captains. Those two ex-players spend the entire day with the team and watch the game from the AU sideline. This week, the Eagles welcome back two explosive, big-play receivers from the 1990s. Bill Myers and Vance Kinney will do their best to try and help the Eagles get a win against the Warriors.

Taking the Lead
Ashland’s head coach is Gary Keller. This is Keller’s 10th season as AU’s head coach and this is his 21st season on campus. Prior to becoming the head coach, Keller served as Ashland’s defensive coordinator. In that role, he molded some of the best defensive units in the country. When he first came to the Eagles, he was the offensive line coach. Keller’s lifetime mark is 50-50. He was the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference coach of the year in 1997 when he guided the Eagles to a share of the conference crown and the second NCAA Division II playoff berth in school history. Keller’s lifetime record against Wayne State is 7-2. The AU head coach is a 1973 Bluffton graduate.

Steve Kazor is the head coach at Wayne State. This is his fourth season in Detroit. His career mark at WSU is 11-24 and his overall record as a collegiate head coach is 31-34 (seven seasons). Known for innovative offenses that can strike paydirt from anywhere on the gridiron, Kazor’s WSU offenses have featured some of the most talented players in the GLIAC. Players like former wide receiver Pierre Brown and running back Craig Duppong have thrived in a system that takes full advantage of their talents. Prior to coming to Wayne State, Kazor was the head coach at Iowa Wesleyan (1993) and McPherson College (1998-99). Kazor owns extensive experience as an NFL assistant coach, working with the Dallas Cowboys (1981) and Chicago Bears (1982-92).

Ashland-Wayne State
Ashland holds a 15-3 advantage in the all-time series and has won seven of the last eight meetings. This series began in 1975. A year ago at Wayne State Stadium the Eagles pulled out a wild, 25-20 win. Kicker Austin Wellock (North Canton, OH/Green) tied an NCAA Division II single-game record by kicking six field goals (in six tries). Wellock also had an extra point, meaning he was responsible for 19 of AU’s 25 points. The AU kicker had three-pointers from 28, 35, 32, 37, 31 and 23 yards. The other AU score came on a 13-yard run by tailback J.R. McCoy. The Eagles intercepted six passes and WSU missed a 32-yard field goal. Safety Toby Stepsis had two of the thefts for AU.

On the final drive of the game, the Warriors got to the AU7 where defensive back Centrell Turner (Newark, OH) picked off a pass at the 5. A number of players on both sidelines posted impressive numbers. For WSU, tailback Craig Duppong rushed for 164 yards on 22 carries. AU wide receiver Michael Hull caught four passes for 101 yards.

The Warriors’ last victory over the Eagles came in 2001, 19-16 at Community Stadium. WSU kicker Stephen Wayne hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to seal the win. That kick snapped a six-game AU win skein against the Warriors. Brown, WSU’s do-it-all wide receiver, caught 10 passes for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Eagles hurt themselves with five turnovers – three lost fumbles and two interceptions – and nine penalties for 62 yards.

Eye On the Eagles
Keller and his Eagles learned last week what every real estate agent knows – location is everything. The field at Saginaw Valley State’s Wickes Stadium is 100 yards long – just like any other football field. But where a team spends a game on that spread of land can go a long way toward determining who wins and who loses.

The Eagles allowed SVSU to own their side of the field last Saturday (Sept. 27) and that played a large role in the Cardinals’ 38-0 win over AU. Saginaw Valley State had six scoring drives and only one of those covered more than 39 yards. The Eagles allowed the home team to take full advantage of a short field by throwing three interceptions and losing a pair of fumbles. The AU defense made some nice plays, but giving help to a nationally-ranked team like SVSU is a prescription for trouble.

The Eagles trailed by just 7-0 after one quarter. The home team broke the game open with 24 second-quarter points. SVSU quarterback Mark Radlinski completed 18 of 30 passes for 199 yards and four touchdown passes. His TD passes covered 18, 27, 22 and 7 yards.

Ashland failed to score for the first time since the fifth game of the 1996 season. In that game, Hillsdale recorded a 21-0 win at Community Stadium.

Eagle Elite
Junior tailback Jason Schwalm (Kenosha, WI/Dublin Coffman) had the first 100-yard rushing day of his career last week, gaining 108 yards on 16 carries. Junior wide receiver Michael Hull (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) caught a team-high five passes for 46 yards. Sophomore H-Back Steve Lee (Tiffin, OH/Columbian) found himself heavily involved in the passing game – he had four receptions for 23 yards. Junior tight end Brian Mong (Columbus, OH/Watterson) had three catches for 22 yards. Mong, expected to be a cog in this year’s offense, has eight catches in four games.

The Eagles used a pair of rookie quarterbacks last week. Nick Strance (Willard, OH) made the first start of his career and completed 19 of 38 passes for 108 yards with two interceptions. Another freshman, Kyle Johann (Findlay, OH), completed 1 of 3 passes for seven yards with a pick. Saturday marked the first time Johann had ever played in a college game. Both Strance and Johann are true freshmen.

Senior safety Aaron O’Reilly (Columbus, OH/DeSales) was the most active player on defense for the Eagles – he had 11 tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss. O’Reilly also intercepted his first pass of the season and returned that theft 21 yards. Senior defensive back Joe Sauder (Lucas, OH) got the first interception of his career last week. He also had two passes defensed. Senior defensive back Jeremy Westbrooks (East Cleveland, OH/St. Edward), who was questionable until game time because of a leg injury, had eight tackles (five solo) and knocked down one pass.

Notes From the Nest

• In the last two games against Wayne State, AU has kicked nine field goals (in nine attempts). Six of those were by Wellock last season and three were by Matt Pifer in 2001.
• AU has won seven consecutive homecoming games. The last time the Eagles lost their homecoming game was against Saginaw Valley State in 1995, 32-20.
• When Saginaw Valley scored a touchdown in the first quarter last week, it marked the first time this season the Eagles had allowed a score in the opening period this season.
• Hull has at least one pass reception in 17 straight games. He has 102 receptions in his career and that puts him fourth on AU’s career list. Third place belongs to Eugene White with 108 receptions.
• AU had a season-high 12 penalties for 82 yards last week.
• Wellock missed a pair of field goals last week – from 49 and 50 yards. The longest field goal in AU history is 48 yards by Tim Seder in 1995.
• Senior defensive lineman Dan Drane (Munhall, PA/Steel Valley) is second in the league in tackles for loss (8-30). Senior defensive back Toure Carter (Cleveland, OH/Rhoades) is third in the GLIAC in interceptions (3) and seventh in kickoff returns (21.8 ypg.).

O’Reilly’s Radar
Ashland University’s Aaron O’Reilly (Columbus, OH/DeSales) bears little resemblance to the popular character on M*A*S*H. But the Ashland University strong safety does have radar when it comes to finding the ball and making tackles.

“A lot of his tackles are 100 percent effort,” says secondary coach Steve Clinkscale. “He makes a lot of plays on the other side of the field, cleaning up someone else’s mistakes. He makes a lot of first hits. If you want to know where Aaron O’Reilly is, find the ball.”

O’Reilly is second on the team in tackles (41/26 solo). He has an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one tackle for loss. He’s averaging 8.2 tpg. Years ago, football fans and some coaches would rant and rave if a safety was involved in as many tackles as O’Reilly is making. But the game has changed (spread offenses, etc.) and so have the responsibilities of the safeties.

“It depends on your defense,” explains Clinkscale. “In our defense the strong safety and free safety are expected to make tackles. They’re expected to make the play if the ball carrier comes to their gap.”

A year ago, the Eagles’ top two tacklers were free safety Toby Stepsis (93) and O’Reilly (82).

Sounds of the Game

Keller on last week’s game at SVSU.

“You can’t give them a short field to work with. I thought we did some things better in the second half. We adjusted better in the second half.”

Keller on the two true freshman quarterbacks, Strance and Johann.

“In this conference, it’s tough asking freshmen to come in and play. I just think we have to give Nick and Kyle a little bit of time.”

Drane on the mood of the Eagles.

“It’s really about practice. It’s like Coach Keller says, everything is 90 percent mental. If we keep practicing hard things will work out. We played a very good team last week. Are they 38 points better than us? I don’t know. If we stick together and work hard things can turn around. We just have to keeping working hard and we’ll be OK.”

Offensive coordinator Matt Hohman on the play of the offensive line.

“All of them have done some good things, they just have to do it consistently. (Derek) Katris for his first season, he’s been great. He’s a smart football player. Wally (Sonnie) and Blake (Dickson) are our most physical players.”

Defensive coordinator Matt Pawlowski on Wayne State and running back Craig Duppong.

“They’re very athletic. They have some good skill, good schemes. They’re like us, searching for answers on how to win. He (Duppong) is very shifty and has the ability to break the first tackle. With him, he makes the first tackler miss. We have to play the fundamentals, play gap control, keep our shoulders square and keep him wrapped up. He can make you miss.”

Facts and Figures
Here’s a statistical breakdown comparing the Eagles and Warriors.

On Deck
Next week finds the Eagles in Erie, PA, for a game with the Mercyhurst College Lakers. The starting time for that GLIAC game is 1:30 p.m.