Schwalm Runs Lakers Until They Drop, 45-7
October 1, 2005

Complete Box Score

The Ashland University campus calendar lists Homecoming as next Saturday – Oct. 8. The AU football team got a little bit ahead of schedule, welcoming back some old friends this Saturday (Oct. 1) at Mercyhurst in a 45-7 victory over the Lakers.

• Good to see you again, running game. Led by senior tailback Jason Schwalm’s career-high 191 yards rushing and four touchdowns, the Eagles bulled their way through the Lakers for 278 yards on the ground. AU averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored a rushing touchdown for the first time since the season opener at Saint Joseph’s. Schwalm is the first AU running back to score four touchdowns in a game since Don Church did it in 1998 at Findlay.
• Welcome back, short-yardage offense. The Eagles were four-for-four on fourth down conversions. That led to an eye-catching six-for-six afternoon in red zone scoring opportunities.
• Come on in and stay awhile, opportunistic defense. The Eagles intercepted two passes, recovered a pair of fumbles and sacked MC quarterbacks three times. The ‘Hurst didn’t get on the scoreboard until there was 12:03 to play. By that time, Ashland was in front, 31-0.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had one of these,” gushed AU head coach Lee Owens. “We had no problem running the ball. We worked hard this week, prepared hard.”

The Eagles haven’t scored points like this since Owens’ AU debut, the opener last year when AU put up 48 points against Saint Joseph’s. Saturday, AU reached season highs in rushing yards and total offense (457). The win broke a two-game losing streak and puts the Eagles at 4-2, 3-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Mercyhurst is 0-6 overall and in the league.

Because they could run the ball effectively on first and second down, the Eagles could do what they wanted all afternoon. Schwalm had a 53-yard run and junior quarterback Nick Strance hit senior wide receiver Dalorean White with a 41-yard pass and sophomore wide receiver David Ziegelhofer with a 38-yard strike. Through the air and on the ground, the Mercyhurst defense found itself getting stretched like a pair of dime store socks. Strance was 11 of 18 passing for 162 yards and utilized seven different receivers. White was his favorite target with five catches for 77 yards.

It was Schwalm who really ripped the soles – and souls – out of the Lakers. Surprisingly, the senior didn’t start for the first time this season – instead the Eagles began the game with sophomore Jon Schroeder lined up a tailback.

“We thought Schroeder had the better week of practice,” Owens explained. “We told them we’d play them every other series until someone stepped up. It didn’t take long for Jason to step up.”

“I knew the coaches wanted me to respond,” said Schwalm. “I had to come out and prove myself.”

Schwalm began that process when he finished off a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a 10-yard run with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter. Schwalm’s TD run came on a fourth-and-one play. That was the second fourth-and-one situation the Eagles converted in the march.

Jared Karrasch’s 25-yard field goal with 12:06 left in the first half gave the Eagles a 10-0 advantage. Schwalm’s 2-yard scoring run with 5:11 to go in the first half completed a 7-play, 80-yard trip and gave the Eagles a 17-0 halftime lead. His third score, a 2-yard burst with 10:52 to go in the third quarter made it 24-0. Linebacker Luke Busson stamped “Blowout” on the game when he scooped up a fumble and raced 62 yards for his first touchdown in an AU uniform with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

Schwalm’s final score came on another 10-yard run with 6:52 to play in the game. Ashland’s last touchdown was registered by Schroeder, on a 13-yard gallop, 2:19 before the final whistle.

“Schroeder and I are both good backs,” said Schwalm. “We both need to play. It helps keeping us fresh. When you get a rest like that, it keeps you fresh.”

While the offense was wearing out the MC defense and the scoreboard operator, the AU defense wasn’t budging. Linebacker Brady Miller tied for the team lead in tackles with defensive back Chris Holland – each had 10 stops. Miller also had three tackles for loss and two and a half quarterback sacks.

“He was talking all week about being the defensive player of the week,” said safety Devin Conwell of Miller’s pursuit of the GLIAC award. “Right now he’d get my vote. He played big.”

“I think what happened was (linebacker Jeremy) Crabtree got banged up early in the game,” explained defensive coordinator Jim Meyer. “He took it upon himself to step up. In the course of the game, he had to rise to the occasion. He got challenged and he challenged himself.”

The Eagles have plenty of challenges left. They want to remain among the GLIAC’s elite teams. Not since 2001 have the Eagles finished on the plus side of .500. They haven’t won more than six games since 1999.

“We talked about this being a critical week for us,” said Owens. “We’re home for three of our next five games. If we can continue to prepare like we did this week I feel good about where we’re going. Whenever they see it work out like it did today, it’s easier to get back to work.”

Easier to get back to a lot of things.