AU Football to Play Six Home Games in 2004
January 16, 2004

Ashland University football fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch new head coach Lee Owens and the Eagles at Community Stadium in 2004. The Eagles will play at home six times next season and the first two games of the Owens era will be played in Ashland. For the fifth straight season, the Eagles will play an 11-game schedule.

The season opener brings Saint Joseph’s College to Ashland on Aug. 28 for a 7 p.m. contest. This is the lone game outside the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference the Eagles will play. Saint Joseph’s replaces Edinboro as AU’s non-conference foe. The Eagles and Pumas last played in 1995.

The GLIAC opener will be with Ferris State on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. The Eagles and Bulldogs should know each other well, they played in the final game of the 2003 season at Community Stadium. This game has also been designated as Varsity Walk Dedication. Prior to the game, the 12th section of the walk will be dedicated.

The first road game takes the Eagles to Erie, PA, for a contest with Gannon on Sept. 11. The 2004 season is Gannon’s first in the GLIAC. The next week finds the Eagles in Allendale, MI, to play the NCAA Division II national champion – Grand Valley State.

The always popular fireworks display will be held on Sept. 25 after a 7 p.m., game against Michigan Tech. That’s the final night home game of the season.

Homecoming is slated for Oct. 2 at 1 p.m., against Mercyhurst. AU will host Hillsdale on Oct. 16 at 1 p.m., in the battle for the Travelling Trophy. That is also Football Alumni Day. This has evolved into one of the highlights of the football season as a large number of former AU players return to campus for the weekend.

On Oct. 30, intra-state rival Findlay will come calling at Community Stadium on Family Weekend. That’s the final home game of the season.

The complete 2004 schedule follows.

2004 Ashland University Football Schedule