Ashland Football Weekly Report
October 26, 2004

Game 10 – Findlay (5-4/4-4 GLIAC) at Ashland (4-5/3-5)
Saturday, October 30, 1 p.m.
Community Stadium, Ashland, OH

Weekly Opponents Stats Comparison (PDF)

Maybe this week’s Ashland-Findlay football game should be dubbed, “The Edison Bowl.” No matter how you look at it, this game has plenty of current running through – and around – it.

The Eagles and Orioles are two “grounded” teams – and with good reason. Both teams feature running backs who rank among the best in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. AU senior Antwan Hart (Detroit, MI/Erie C.C.) is third in the GLIAC in rushing and fifth in all-purpose yardage. He has a legitimate chance to end this season with a school, single-season rushing record. Last week, Hart scored a pair of touchdowns as AU won at Wayne State.

Junior running back Michael Simpson normally provides the spark for the Oilers. Simpson had 196 yards and two touchdowns last week, leading UF past Gannon. Simpson is second in the conference in rushing, third in all-purpose yardage and second in scoring. He’s rushed for 1,305 yards.

Ashland and Findlay both enter this week’s game riding two-game winning streaks. If the Eagles can win their last two games, they can end the year above .500 for the first time since 2001.

That’s not the only reason this week’s game figures to be an emotionally-charged affair. Electricity is always in the air when these two Ohio rivals collide. The series has featured a number of shocking endings and because the teams are so evenly matched, that same kind of finish could be seen again this week.

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. As usual, Sam Renfroe and Bill Linson will be on the call.

The campus radio station, WRDL-FM, will broadcast the game live. The campus television station, WRDL-FM, will show the game on a tape-delay basis.

Ashland Times-Gazette sports editor Dusty Sloan will cover Saturday’s game and his story will appear in Monday’s edition. He will be assisted at Saturday’s game by sports writer Larry Stine. Curt Conrad of the Mansfield News-Journal is assigned to the UF-AU game and his game recap will be in Sunday’s newspaper.

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 the first time AU has put together a two-game winning streak since the 2002 season. Ashland has three wins in the GLIAC and that’s the Eagles’ best conference total since the 2001 team went 5-5. AU has two wins at home. The last time the Eagles had more than two home victories in a season came in 2001 when the Eagles went 4-2.

AU senior wide receiver Michael Hull (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) has caught at least one pass in 34 consecutive games. Junior linebacker Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C.) has had 10 or more tackles in his last six games. Hart (Detroit, MI/Erie C.C.) has rushed for 100 or more yards in five consecutive games and has reached that level in eight of nine games this season. Hart needs 308 yards to set the school single-season rushing mark owned by J.R. McCoy (1,415, 2001). Hart has 1,108 yards and is churning out 116.2 ypg.

The Series
Ashland holds a 17-13-4 lead in the Battle of Ohio. The Oilers have tasted success recently, winning the last two installments in the series and three of the last four meetings. Last year at Findlay, Ashland had a 14-12 lead at halftime but couldn’t hold on as the Oilers rallied for a 22-14 win. The second half belonged to the Oilers, who held AU to 104 yards of total offense in the last two quarters. Findlay kicker Jeff Pax had three field goals, connecting from 26, 29 and 18 yards. Crooks completed 20 of 31 passes for 212 yards and rushed for 50 yards on 16 carries.

The last time the teams played at Ashland was in 2002 and Findlay was a 25-20 winner. AU had a 20-17 lead when UF’s Jeremy Smith scored on a 1-yard run with 35 seconds left in regulation to give the visitors a 25-20 victory. Hull set an AU single-game mark for receptions with 14 catches for 189 yards. AU quarterback John Szabo completed 27 of 48 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Brady Miller (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) had 17 tackles and an interception. UF’s Ty Rhoad caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Ashland’s last win over the Oilers came in 2001 at Findlay, 36-19.

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

1. UF assistant coach Kent Cramer played at Ashland and is a 2001 graduate. He earned one award that no other AU player has ever received. What is that award?
2. When Ashland played Findlay in 1998, what AU running back rushed for 264 yards? At the time, that was two yards short of the school single-game record.

Eagle Update
Whiteouts don’t usually occur in Detroit in October, that kind of weather usually comes in mid-winter. But last Saturday in Detroit, Wayne State had to endure another kind of Whiteout. AU junior wide receiver Dalorean White (Warrensville Heights, OH/Erie C.C.) caught two TD passes in the fourth quarter as AU came from behind to beat the Warriors, 28-21.

Ashland trailed, 21-7 with 14:54 to play in regulation. Then sophomore quarterback Nick Strance (Willard, OH) hooked up with White on scoring passes of 50 and 66 yards to pull the Eagles even at 21-21, with 7:37 to play. The Eagles took the lead for good with 38 seconds left in the game when Hart scored on a 1-yard run. That final drive measured 87 yards and took 10 plays. Hart rushed for 80 yards in the game-winning drive. He finished the game with a career-high 178 yards.

Strance was 16 of 30 passing for 218 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. White had four catches for 138 yards – that’s the first 100-yard receiving day of his AU career. Hull pulled in six passes for 36 yards.

Defensively, the Eagles were led by Conwell, who had 13 tackles (seven solo). Freshman defensive back Justin Hood (Youngstown, OH/Chaney) contributed nine tackles (seven solo). Sophomore defensive back Chris Holland (Youngstown, OH/Rayen) had AU’s lone interception.

The Eagles had the edge in total offense, 407-354. AU limited WSU to 92 yards rushing – Ashland has permitted fewer than 100 yards rushing in three of its last four games. WSU tailback Chris Middlebrooks did have success against the Eagles, he had 108 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns.

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 133-98-2. 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

• Ashland is 3-2 this season when leading in time of possession.
• Opposing kickers have gone 2-for-7 in field goal tries against the Eagles over the last four games.
• Three of AU kicker Austin Wellock’s (North Canton, OH/Green) last five field goal tries have been from 47 yards or longer. He’s one for three on those attempts.
• The Eagles are 5-for-5 in the red zone over the last two weeks.
• White is third in the GLIAC in kickoff returns (20.2 ypr.).
• Sophomore linebacker Allen Lattimore (Dayton, OH/Colonel White) is the GLIAC runnerup in sacks (7) and tackles for loss (16-63).
• Senior linebacker Chris Campbell (Newark, OH) is the conference leader in fumble recoveries (3).
• Conwell is averaging 12.0 tackles per game and that puts him third in the GLIAC in that department.

So Long, Seniors
Today is the final home game for 13 AU seniors. That list is made up of Campbell, Hart, Hull, defensive back Fred Bills (Zanesville, OH/Bishop Rosecrans), tight end Lee Daniels (Ravenna, OH), defensive lineman Phil Gallo (Poland, OH/Seminary), wide receiver Jeremy Holland (Olmsted Twp., OH/Olmsted Falls), running back Kiel Miller (Richfield, OH/Revere), free safety Aaron O’Reilly (Columbus, OH/DeSales), defensive lineman Jason Reynolds (Clinton, OH/Jackson), offensive lineman Jason Schroeder (Avon Lake, OH), linebacker Chad Todaro (Massillon, OH/Washington) and kicker Austin Wellock (North Canton, OH/Green).

The Back Attack
Facing a running back like Simpson is nothing new for the AU defense. Earlier this season the Eagles squared off against Andrew Terry of Ferris State, who set the NCAA Division II single-game rushing record of 410 yards against Findlay on Oct. 2. AU also played against Michigan Tech’s Lee Marana, who has rushed for over 200 yards each of the last two weeks. Here’s how AU has fared against those backs this season.

The other backs to rush for 100 yards against AU this season are Michigan Tech’s Daryl Graham (14-105, 7.5 ypc., 2 TD) and Middlebrooks (30-108, 3.6 ypc., 3 TD).

As for Simpson, AU defensive coordinator Jim Meyer has watched enough film to know what the Eagles will see this week.

“He’s got good speed and great feet,” Meyer said. “He makes you miss, he doesn’t take a first hit, he avoids that first hit. He’s a double threat, he’s a good receiver. He’s not afraid to block someone. He does a lot of things well. He’s the centerpiece of the offense.

“We have to bring our ‘A’ game,” continued Meyer. “We have to contain him and force their quarterback to throw, even though their quarterback is good enough to keep them in the game. But we have to shut him (Simpson) down. If they start clicking on all cylinders, they’ll be tough to stop.”

Rivalry Week
Coaches and athletes face a unique test this week. For both Ashland and Findlay this is one of the most emotional games of the season. It’s always a test to play hard, but not too hard. It can be difficult to play with passion, but not too much passion.

Owens has been through this situation before and he’s had good success in this situation.

“Lee, in the past, has done a great job with rivalry games,” reminded offensive coordinator Tom Stacy. “When we were at Akron and played Kent, we won seven out of nine. At Massillon, we won three of four against McKinley. He has a great way of getting players ready and realizing the importance of the game but keeping the focus on the task at hand. He keeps it from getting personal.”

“It’s not like this is a one-game season,” said Owens, “because this isn’t the last game of the season. You like the rivalry game to be the last game of the season. But, we do make it special. We talk about it from our meetings on Sunday night all the way to kickoff on Saturday. We talk about how important it is to the program, bragging rights, recruiting opportunities. These are the people you meet in business later in life. It’s the game you’ll always remember. It’s a special game.”

On Deck
Next Saturday (Nov. 6) the Eagles end the season at Indianapolis. Kickoff between the Eagles and Greyhounds is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Series Quiz Answers

1. Cramer is the only AU player to ever be named the GLIAC offensive lineman of the year. He received that citation in 2001.
2. Don Church