Ashland Football Weekly Report
October 12, 2004

Game 8 – Hillsdale (2-5/2-5 GLIAC) at Ashland (2-5/1-5)
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, 1 p.m.
Community Stadium, Ashland, OH

Weekly Opponents Stats Comparison (PDF)

The Ohio Turnpike is common ground for the football teams of Ashland and Hillsdale. Both travel that thoroughfare when visiting the other. It’s not a stretch to compare this season to that road.

There are plenty of mile markers on the Turnpike and a football season has mile markers as well. Both AU and HC have reached the latter part of the season. Both are young teams and each week presents new challenges and a chance to take a step forward.

Coaches and players with both programs have a lot in common. Are the Eagles and Chargers moving forward in their goal to keep up to speed with the rest of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference? What can be done to maximum the rate of maturity for both young teams? Who are the players who will be the driving influences for these teams in the coming weeks and seasons? What potential detours and roadblocks will have to be dealt with in the coming weeks?

Fans of both teams may get some answers this week as Ashland and Hillsdale renew their rivalry. The winner of this game receives the Traveling Trophy. This is the 35th time these two institutions have met. It’s Football Alumni Day at AU and many of the former Eagles have vivid memories of playing against the Chargers. If this game follows most of the other games in the series, there will be plenty to talk about, and remember, after the 2004 game is in the books.

Sights and Sounds of the Game
All Ashland University football games can be heard live on WNCO (1340 AM). This is the 12th consecutive year the station has served as the home of AU football. Sam Renfroe and Bill Linson will be at the microphones for this week’s game.

The campus media oulets, WRDL-FM (88.9) and WRDL-TV (Channel 2 in Ashland), will also air the game. The campus newspaper, “The Collegian” will staff the game as well.

Ashland Times-Gazette sports editor Dusty Sloan, will provide a full game story in Monday’s paper. The Mansfield News-Journal will be represented by sports writer Curt Conrad.

AU football fans who want another look at the Eagles are invited to tune in to the Lee Owens Show. That one-hour program airs every Wednesday at 7 p.m., on WMFD-TV in Mansfield, OH. Jeff Allen serves as the host of the program.

Streaks and Strings
This is AU’s fifth home game of the season and so far the Eagles are 1-3 at Community Stadium. The Eagles haven’t won more than one game at home since 2001 when Ashland was 4-2 on its home turf.

The Eagles are looking to break a four-game losing streak. AU’s last victory came on the road, at Gannon, 22-19 on Sept. 11. The Chargers are also looking to snap a losing skid, they’ve dropped their last three games.

AU senior wide receiver Michael Hull (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) had caught at least one pass in 32 consecutive games. Junior linebacker Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C) has reached double digits in tackles in his last four games. Senior tailback Antwan Hart (Detroit, MI/Erie C.C.) has surpassed 100 yards rushing for three consecutive games and has reached that plateau in six of seven contests this season.

The Series
The teams first met in 1970 and the Chargers hold a 21-13 advantage in the series. The teams have split the last four meetings, but Hillsdale has won the last two contests. Ashland has won two of the last three meetings at Community Stadium.

Last year in Ashland, the Chargers outscored the Eagles, 17-7 in the second half on the way to a 24-21 victory. Two bad snaps severely hurt the Eagles. One came on a botched 30-yard field goal attempt and the other came from punt formation. On the punt play, a perfect snap from center was mishandled and that led to an HC touchdown.

The Eagles were in front, 14-0 after the first 15 minutes and led, 21-17 with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter. HC quarterback Bill Skelton completed 20 of 34 passes for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The last TD pass went to Ryan Hermosillo with 40 seconds left and lifted the visitors into the win column. The winning TD pass covered five yards.

For Ashland, Toure Carter had two interceptions. Conwell had 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

In 2002 at Hillsdale, the Chargers jumped in front early, leading 20-0 after one quarter, and cruised to a 37-7 win. Ashland’s last victory over Hillsdale came in 2001 at Community Stadium, 24-10. Tailback J.R. McCoy rushed for 139 yards on 24 carries and his partner in the backfield, Marcus Mitchell, had 133 yards on 19 attempts with scoring runs of 9 and 55 yards. Linebacker Brock Swonguer had 17 tackles.

Series Quiz (Answers at bottom of page, click here if you want them now!)

1. What former Chargers kicker went on to NFL fame with the Green Bay Packers?
2. Dick Lowry coached at Hillsdale from 1980-96 and won 134 games. He was a head coach at another GLIAC school before Hillsdale. Name that school.

Eagle Update
Don’t be shocked if AU head coach Lee Owens puts a call in to Eric Wedge this week. Wedge, the skipper of the Cleveland Indians, spent a good portion of the 2004 baseball season looking for a closer. Owens found himself in a similar fix last week.

Ashland led at Northern Michigan, 20-3 after two quarters last Saturday. But NMU exploded for 32 second-half points on the way to a 35-27 victory. The Eagles couldn’t find a way to derail NMU quarterback Kelly Reed, who threw four touchdown passes in the second half. Reed finished the game 32 of 42 passing for 352 yards. Wide receiver Nick Mauthe had 14 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown. Vince Mayfield had nine receptions for 89 yards and two scores.

Ashland was outgained by the home team, 459-362. AU had just one turnover and forced NMU to give the ball away three times. However, once NMU got the momentum in the second half, the Eagles couldn’t find a way to turn the tide.

The Eagles had jumped in front, 14-0 after one quarter and looked to be in clear control of the game. Hart had his usual stellar game with 131 yards rushing on 25 carries. His backup, freshman Jon Schroeder (Avon Lake, OH), had 55 yards on 12 carries.

Freshman wide receiver David Ziegelhofer (Lexington, OH) found the seams in the NMU defense to catch seven passes for 98 yards. Sophomore quarterback Nick Strance (Willard, OH) was 15 of 30 passing for 210 yards.

Conwell was one of four AU players to reach double digits in tackles. He had 14 stops (six solo), two tackles for loss and his second interception of the season. Senior safety Aaron O’Reilly (Columbus, OH/DeSales) had his name called 11 times (five solo) and had one tackle for loss. Sophomore linebacker Allen Lattimore (Dayton, OH/Colonel White) recorded 11 tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss. Sophomore defensive back Chris Holland (Youngstown, OH/Rayen) had 10 tackles (seven solo). Senior linebacker Chris Campbell (Newark, OH) accounted for one of AU’s scores by returning a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown.

The Owens File
The Eagles are under the direction of Lee Owens, who is in his first season with the Eagles. Owens came to Ashland after nine seasons as the head coach at the University of Akron. As a head coach on the college and high school levels, Owens has a career mark of 131-98-2. At Akron, his teams were known for their ability to strike from anywhere on the field. In 2003, the Zips were sixth in the nation in pass offense, ninth in total offense and 11th in scoring. Akron went 7-5 last season.

Prior to coaching at Akron, Owens was an assistant coach at Ohio State (1992-95). He joined the Buckeyes after a successful career on the high school level. Owens’ record on the prep level is 89-32-2. In 1985 at Galion High School he won a state championship and was named the Ohio High School Coach of the Year. Owens also coached at legendary Massillon Washington High School (1988-92) where he was 35-13 in four seasons.

Owens is originally from nearby Mansfield, OH, and Madison High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from Bluffton College in 1977 and his master’s degree from Ashland in 1981.

Noteworthy

• Lattimore is the GLIAC leader in tackles for loss (14-53 yards) and is tied for second in sacks (5-25).
• Conwell is second in the conference in tackles, averaging 12.0 tackles per game (72 in six games). The junior is eighth in tackles for loss (8.5-30).
• The Eagles have outscored the opposition, 21-6 in the first quarter over the last two weeks.
• Hillsdale hasn’t been shut out for 69 consecutive games. AU has been whitewashed once in its last 71 games.
• The Chargers are 7-2 under Otterbein when scoring 30 or more points.
• Hart’s 15 receptions last season were the most by a true running back in the last six years. Hart could break that mark this year, he has 11 catches through seven games. The senior has also moved into 12th place in career rushing yards at AU with 1,522. Mike Norman owns 11th place with 1,526 yards.
• Ashland had 12 penalties against Michigan Tech on Sept. 25. In the following two games, the Eagles have had a total of just nine infractions called against them.

Getting Plenty of Z’s
It’s becoming apparent that defenses can’t fall asleep when Ziegelhofer is on the field. The Eagles have been searching for a player who can awaken the long-distance passing game and the freshman from Lexington, OH, may be part of the answer.

“He comes to play every week,” noted wide receivers coach Greg Gillum. “He understands what we’re trying to do. David’s starting to do things he didn’t have to do in high school, he’s starting to go after the ball in the air. He’s understanding where the holes are in coverage. His route running is really improved. He’s come a long way in the first seven games.”

Ziegelhofer has caught 11 passes and is averaging 13.2 ypc., with a pair of touchdown passes. He’s also AU’s leading punt returner (7.9 ypr.) and is second on the club in kickoff returns (12-13.2 ypr.).

Defending the Mystery Men
This week marks the third consecutive game the AU defense will play a team where the quarterback has changed. Against Mercyhurst, the Eagles found themselves wondering if sophomore Jeff Nowling or freshman Mitch Phillis would start. Last week, AU ran into Reed, who was in the lineup due to injury. This week, the Eagles face a Hillsdale team that’s lost its starting quarterback and last week debuted Nicolet at quarterback.

What all of this means is that it’s more difficult to get a scouting report on the quarterback and a read on tendencies when the starter is unknown. However, Owens says he’s not worried so much about who’s quarterbacking as who’s in his secondary.

“We’re not to the point where we can worry about that,” said the AU head coach. “We’re worried about our guys lining up, playing the right technique, not busting coverage. We haven’t gotten to step two.”

What the AU defensive backs need most of all is a shot of confidence. But that only comes with success. Defensive backs are like television anchormen, they’re always in the public’s eye. They’re mistakes aren’t hidden.

“Sometimes we’ve played scared and you can’t play like that,” said Owens. “Defensive backs have to be cocky, the cockiest guys on your team. That’s the only way you can get it done. Our guys don’t have that confidence yet.”

Following the Bouncing Ball
A lot of attention has been paid to AU linebackers Conwell and Lattimore, but Campbell has also been proficient at making big plays. The senior from Newark, OH, is first in the GLIAC in fumble recoveries (three). He has three sacks and has picked off two passes. Campbell has 34 tackles (19 solo) and that puts him fifth on the team.

One big number Campbell is staring at is four – the number of games he has left in his career. This hasn’t been an easy season for Campbell, he’s been bothered by chronic injuries and after a game, he sheds tape like a snake does a second skin. But he’ll continue to play as long as he’s effective.

“He knows that, we’ve come to terms with it,” explained trainer Jeremy Hancock.

“He’s opportunistic,” said AU defensive coordinator Jim Meyer. “He always seems to be in a position where something’s happening and he makes it better. He always seems to be around the ball. I have what I call the “BAB Rule,” be around the ball. That’s the sign of a great player.

“You wish you had 11 players like Chris,” continued Meyer. “He’s been around. With the injuries, I think he knows how to push himself.”

On Deck
Ashland will be in Detroit, MI, next Saturday (Oct. 23, noon) to play Wayne State.

Series Quiz Answers

1. Chester Marcol, who earned All-America honors in 1969, 1970 and 1971
2. Wayne State