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Eagles Grow With 24-21 Win at Ferris State
September 3, 2005
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Complete Box Score

Eagles Notebook

On the Saturday morning before the AU-Ferris State game, the team captains called a players only meeting. Some would say it was a little early in the season for that, usually those meetings are held later in the year and only when the situation has turned bleak. But the Eagles viewed this game as make-or-break and the captains wanted to make sure there was no lack of focus.
The Full Story

What began as a gut check quickly turned into a stomach ache. The Ashland University football team could have reached for the Alka-Seltzer, but Chris Meyer was a better option.

Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief defense is.

Meyer, a sophomore defensive end, blocked an extra point by Ferris State kicker Josh Eichler with 8:02 to play in regulation. That swat allowed the Eagles to stay in front of the Bulldogs, 22-21, A safety with 3:58 to go upped the AU advantage to 24-21 and that’s what the Eagles won by on Turn Back the Clock Night at FSU’s Top Taggart Field on Saturday night (Sept. 23).

The win puts the Eagles at 2-0 for the first time since 2000. This is also the first time Ashland has won its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener since 2000. Ferris State is 0-2 overall and in the conference.

“We’re real road warriors,” exclaimed AU head coach Lee Owens.

The road back to Ashland could have been full of pitfalls if not for Meyer’s blocked kick. Ashland had a 22-0 lead with 5:42 to play in the third quarter and at that point, the Bulldogs were in the doghouse in their own Doghouse. But then the home team rediscovered wide receiver Carlton Brewster.

A year ago in Ashland he caught 15 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles limited him to one catch for seven yards over the first two quarters, but he got FSU back in the game in the third frame, catching TD passes of 35 and 16 yards from quarterback Ryan Kaul. The two Brewster scores, both exceptional individual efforts, narrowed the AU lead to 22-15.

AU running back Jason Schwalm lost a fumble at the AU28 with 8:51 to play in regulation and FSU’s Lenald Mombo fell on the drop at the AU38. Moments later, Ferris tailback Shawn Grigg went wide around the right side for a 2-yard scoring run. A successful extra point would have tied the score at 22.

That’s when Meyer blocked the kick and any momentum the Bulldogs had.

“That’s the biggest play of the game,” said Owens. “They had the momentum.”

Meyer’s play restored order on the AU sideline. A year ago, AU lost to Ferris State in overtime, 23-17 after squandering numerous scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter. That memory was fresh in the minds of the Eagles. But after Meyer’s rejection, they tightened their belts like the president of a Weight Watchers chapter.

“A year ago, we would have lost this game,” said offensive line coach Doug Geiser.
“Everybody stayed positive,” added senior offensive lineman Blake Dickson. “Last year we were in the 2-9 mode, we were waiting for something to happen.”

This time, the Eagles made things happen. The final two FSU drives resulted in a fumble through the end zone from punt formation that gave the Eagles two points and a drive that died thanks to an interception by AU linebacker Brady Miller.

“We matured as a team,” emphasized junior linebacker Allen Lattimore. “Our maturity showed through tonight. We said it’s going to come down to the defense. It wasn’t going to be like last year.”
“There’s a mentality it takes to win,” explained Owens. “You don’t want to sit around and wait for the shoe to fall. You have to get to where you expect to win. We’re going in that direction.”

For over two and a half quarters Saturday night, everything connected with the Eagles was going in the right direction. Ferris State has had trouble mounting a consistent offense and the Eagles put them in a large hole. After a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles struck for 13 second-quarter points. After AU linebacker Jeremy Crabtree intercepted a Kaul pass at the FSU41 and returned the theft to the 18, the Eagles scored on 5-yard pass from junior quarterback Nick Strance to senior wide receiver Dalorean White.

Later in the quarter, the Bulldogs fumbled a low snap from center when they were attempting to punt and AU’s Rock Lewis scooped up the loose football and scored on an 8-yard run. However, freshman Jared Karrasch missed the PAT, giving AU a 13-0 lead.

A 23-yard Karrasch field goal with 10:48 to play in the third quarter extended the AU lead to 16-0. Strance’s second touchdown toss of the night, a 15-yarder to senior tight end Brian Mong, gave the Eagles a 22-0 lead with 7:03 to go in the third quarter. Once again the PAT was an adventure, this time the Bulldogs blocked Karrasch’s kick.

Strance ended the game 12-of-18 passing for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t throw an interception. White caught five passes for 60 yards and Schwalm rushed for 132 yards on 30 carries.

“We’re growing every week,” said Dickson of the offense. “We could run the ball tonight and that set up our play action. I thought Nick had one of the best games he’s ever had.”

FSU outgained the Eagles, 308-268. Ashland held a 161-81 advantage on the ground. The Bulldogs had four turnovers compared to two for AU.

Defensively, senior safety Devin Conwell recorded 12 tackles (six solo). Lattimore had eight stops (four solo) and a sack. Miller had eight tackles (two solo) and a sack. The Eagles’ third sack went to sophomore linebacker Luke Busson.

Kaul was 21-of-37 passing for 227 yards. Grigg had 68 yards on 17 carries and Brewster finished with eight catches for 119 yards.

The Eagles will host Gannon next Saturday (Sept. 10) at 1 p.m.