Ashland Football Weekly Report
October 3, 2005

Game 7– Northern Michigan (2-3/2-3) at Ashland (4-2/3-2)
Saturday, October 8, 2005, 1 p.m./Homecoming
Ashland, OH/Community Stadium

In rural Ashland County, the crops have been harvested and there’s no thought of planting until next spring. At least that’s the case with area farmers. As for AU head coach Lee Owens, this is prime growing season even though it’s early October.

The Eagles are looking for their fifth win of the season this week. That would equal last season’s victory total and it would keep the Eagles among the top teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Starting with this week’s game, AU plays three of its final five games at home. The Eagles have much to play for and players and coaches are determined to finish the season with a flourish.

The test this week is to find a way to derail one of the most productive offenses in the GLIAC as Northern Michigan has consistently moved the ball on the ground and in the air. The Eagles allowed just seven points last week at Mercyhurst, the second time this season they limited a team to seven or fewer points.

Sights and Sounds of the Game
All Ashland University football games can be heard live on WNCO (1340 AM). This is the 13th consecutive season the station has served as the home for AU football. Sam Renfroe will handle the play-by-play chores and Bill Linson will provide commentary. The game is also webcast on the AU athletics website. WRDL-FM (88.9) will broadcast the contest live. Also, WMFD-TV, based in Mansfield, OH, will show the game on a tape-delay basis Saturday night at midnight and on Sunday at 7 p.m.

The print media will also be represented at this week’s game. Dusty Sloan, the sports editor of the Ashland Times-Gazette, will attend the game and his story will run in Monday’s paper. The Mansfield News-Journal will staff the game and have a game story in Sunday’s edition.

Ashland-Northern Michigan
AU holds a 10-5 lead in the series with the Wildcats. A year ago in Marquette, MI, the Eagles appeared to have the game under control at halftime. Ashland led, 20-3 after two quarters. Then NMU scored on its first five possessions of the second half and outscored the Eagles, 32-7 over the last 30 minutes. It all added up to a 35-27 win for NMU.

NMU quarterback Kelly Reed completed 32 of 42 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns. In the second half he was 20 of 22 for 251 yards and four scores. Vinney Mayfield had nine receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns and Nick Mauthe caught 14 passes for 220 yards.

AU’s Community Stadium has been a chamber of horrors for the Wildcats. In Ashland, the Wildcats are 1-6 and have lost on their last six trips to town. NMU’s lone win at Community Stadium came in 1990, 26-23 in the final game of the season.

Ashland has scored 26 or more points in four of the last five meetings with the ‘Cats.

History Lesson – Northern Michigan

• 2004 – at Northern Michigan 35, Ashland 27 – AU loses despite 136 yards rushing from Antwan Hart. Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C.) has 14 tackles.
• 2003 – at Ashland 31, Northern Michigan 10 – AU’s Toure Carter sets a school record and ties a GLIAC mark with four interceptions. He also played tailback and caught one pass for 53 yards and carried the ball once for four yards.
• 2002 – at Northern Michigan 24, Ashland 14 – Terrence Goldsmith had 153 yards rushing and three touchdowns to pace NMU. Austin Wellock had field goals of 37 and 29 yards for the Eagles.
• 2001 – at Ashland 26, Northern Michigan 14 – Tailback J.R. McCoy rushed for a school-record 270 yards and AU put NMU away with 17 second-quarter points. The Eagles scored two defensive touchdowns and forced four NMU fumbles.
• 2000 – at Northern Michigan 31, Ashland 26 – AU got 146 yards rushing from McCoy, but lost starting quarterback Jeff Leopold for the season with a knee injury. NMU entered the game in a three-way tie for first place in the GLIAC. The loss snapped a four-game win streak for AU against the Wildcats.

The GLIAC Report
Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State and Michigan Tech remain undefeated. All three teams are nationally ranked, as is once-beaten Northwood. Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State will play next week at GVSU.

Ashland’s opponent next week, Hillsdale, is 2-4 and hosts Grand Valley State this week. Last Saturday, the Chargers lost at Northwood, 49-20. Northwood scored three touchdowns in the game’s first nine minutes. The HC special teams struggled against the ‘Wolves, suffering three blocked punts and a blocked PAT. Northwood outgained the Chargers, 383-229. Hillsdale managed 58 yards rushing.

The Eagles remain among the best defensive squads in the GLIAC. AU is second in the conference in scoring defense (12.3 ppg.), third in total defense (281.7 ypg.) and fourth in rush defense (99.3 ypg.). Ashland has 20 sacks and that puts the Eagles third in the loop.

AU is also fourth in rush offense (173.3 ypg.) and is tied for second in fewest sacks allowed (5-28). Ashland is tied with Indianapolis for fewest penalties per game (22-184/30.7).

AU Head Coach Lee Owens
Lee Owens begins his second season at AU with a career mark on the college level of 49-69. He spent nine seasons as the head coach at the University of Akron before coming to AU. A year ago, Ashland was 5-6. Owens’ record as a high school and college coach is 134-99-2. On the prep level, his record is 89-32-2. He won a state championship at Galion High School in 1985.

At Akron, Owens made vast improvements on the field and in the classroom. In 2000, the Zips won a share of the Mid-American Eastern Division title. He guided the school to its first consecutive winning seasons since the school became a Division I member (1999, 2000). Owens also recruited and coached some of the top players in Akron history, including quarterback Charlie Frye, now a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Off the field, in 2001 the Zips were presented with an academic achievement award for a graduation rate over 70 percent by the American Football Coaches of America (AFCA).

Owens is originally from Mansfield, OH. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bluffton in 1977 and his master’s degree from Ashland in 1981.

Eye on the Eagles
AU snapped a two-game losing streak last Saturday with a 45-7 triumph at Mercyhurst. The Eagles scored the game’s first 31 points. AU was in front, 7-0 after one quarter and 17-0 at halftime.

Senior tailback Jason Schwalm (Kenosha, WI/Dublin Coffman) gained a career-high 191 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns. Schwalm’s scoring runs measured 10, 2, 2 and 10 yards. He’s the first AU running back to score four touchdowns in a game since Don Church had a quartet of touchdowns against Findlay in 1998.

The Eagles established season highs for rushing yards (278) and total offense (457). AU was four-for-four on fourth down conversions and six-for-six in the red zone. The defense recovered two fumbles, picked off a pair of passes and collected three sacks. Sophomore linebacker Luke Busson (Wadsworth, OH/Kent State) accounted for the defense’s second touchdown of the season when he picked up a fumble and raced 62 yards to paydirt.

Some of Ashland’s top players from last weekend, and the season, are listed below.

• Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C.) – A safety, Conwell was first team All-GLIAC last season. The senior’s had over 100 tackles each of the last two seasons and last year, led the country in solo tackles (80). This is his first season at safety after spending the last two years at linebacker. Conwell is second on the team in tackles with 51 (20 solo). The senior had nine stops last week. He’s averaging 8.5 tackles per game and that puts him 16th in the GLIAC.
• Jeremy Crabtree (Pickerington, OH) – A senior linebacker, Crabtree is fourth on the team in tackles (37/23 solo). He leads the team in tackles for loss (8-43) and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and sacks (4). Crabtree is sixth in the GLIAC in tackles for loss.
• Luke Busson (Wadsworth, OH/Kent State) – The sophomore linebacker has 36 tackles (20 solo) and that puts him fifth on the team. Busson had six tackles (five solo) at Mercyhurst.
• Blake Dickson (North Canton, OH/Jackson) – A stalwart at left guard, Dickson was second team All-GLIAC in 2004.
• Allen Lattimore (Dayton, OH/Colonel White) – A junior, Lattimore was an honorable mention All-GLIAC choice in 2004. A year ago, the athletic linebacker tied for first in the league in sacks (9.0) and was fourth in tackles for loss (18.0). This season, Lattimore has 49 tackles (20 solo), six tackles for loss and four sacks. He’s tied for the team lead in sacks and is third in tackles for loss.
• Brady Miller (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) – The quarterback of the defense, this senior linebacker had 10 tackles (three solo), three tackles for loss (16 yards) and 2.5 sacks last week. Over the last two weeks, he’s had 26 tackles. Miller is 12th in the league in tackles per game (8.8). He has 53 tackles (24 solo), which leads the Eagles. Miller also has 6.5 tackles for loss (25 yards) and four sacks. He’s tied for the team lead in sacks and is second in tackles for loss.
• Brian Mong (Columbus, OH/Watterson) – A 6-3, 264-pound senior tight end, Mong is third on the team in receptions (12).
• Jason Schwalm (Kenosha, WI/Dublin Coffman) – Schwalm appeared in just one game last year before going on the shelf with an injury. He had 661 yards rushing and averaged 5.1 ypc., in 2003. Schwalm has rushed for over 100 yards in three games this year. He’s gained a team-high 665 yards rushing. Schwalm is fourth in the GLIAC in rushing (110.8 ypg.) and eighth in all-purpose yardage (113.5 ypg.).
• Nick Strance (Willard, OH) – This is Strance’s second full season as the AU starting quarterback. He took over the spot midway through his freshman season. Strance has completed 80 of 137 passes (58.4 percent) for 835 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s fifth in the GLIAC in passing yards per game (139.2) and pass efficiency (121.6) and eighth in total offense (139.0).
• Dalorean White (Warrensville, OH/Erie C.C.) – White has caught a team-best 32 passes for 417 yards (13.0 ypc.). At Mercyhurst, he had a team-high five catches for 77 yards. White is tied for fourth in the conference in receptions per game (5.33) and is seventh in receiving yards per game (69.5). He’s sixth in kickoff return average (22.4).
• David Ziegelhofer (Lexington, OH) – This sophomore wide receiver has caught 21 passes for 189 yards (9.0 ypc.). He’s second on the team in receptions. Ziegelhofer is AU’s leading punt returner (7.1 ypr.).

Quick Hitters

• AU had five rushing touchdowns last week. That marked the first time the Eagles scored a rushing touchdown since the opener at Saint Joseph’s.
• Last week’s point total was AU’s highest since scoring 48 points in last season’s opener.
• AU is 1-1 at home this season. The last time the Eagles finished a season above .500 at home was in 2001 (4-2). Last year’s team went 3-3 at Community Stadium.
• Ashland hast lost its last two Homecoming contests – to Mercyhurst (2004) and Wayne State (2003). The Eagles are 3-2 in their last five Homecoming contests.
• Freshman defensive back Tom Brenner (Orrville, OH) got the first two interceptions of his career last week.
• Junior defensive back Chris Holland (Youngstown, OH/Rayen) had 10 tackles last week. That’s the third time in his career he reached twin figures in tackles and it’s one stop shy of his career high (11 at Gannon, 2004).
• AU has outscored the opposition, 23-5 in the first quarter.
• Ashland had six penalties last week, that marked the first time this season AU had more than four penalties in a game.

The Quotebook

Center Vince Cashdollar (Newark, OH) on the offensive line’s ability to avoid penalties.

“It’s Coach Geiser’s presence with us. He helps us prepare for any situation. Our schemes are pretty simple and that allows us to go out there and play. If they bring a lot of blitzes, our scheme makes it easy to pick that up. With the penalties, I don’t want to talk about it. I guess it’s making sure your hands are in the right place, your helmet’s in the right place and you don’t get called for a stupid penalty.”

Safety Devin Conwell on whether the defense is where it needs to be.

“Yes and no. Our run defense is where we want to be. The pass defense is better than last year, but we still give up too many big plays.”

Owens on where the Eagles are at this point in the season.

“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 (last Saturday), it’s easier to get back to work.”

Secondary coach Steve Clinkscale on Northern Michigan quarterback Buddy Rivera and wide receiver Vinney Mayfield.

“He (Rivera) runs well, he knows where he wants to throw it. He’s a very good athlete, he has a nice arm. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. They use him a lot in the option, he’s a great scrambling quarterback.

“He (Mayfield) is very, very good, very elusive. He doesn’t drop passes. He makes big plays over and over and over again.”

Clinckscale on the play of freshman defensive back Tom Brenner.

“Tom Brenner shows maturity and character beyond his years. That’s amplified on the field, he’s where he’s supposed to be and that’s why plays come to him.”

On Deck
The Eagles hit the road next week, paying a visit on the Hillsdale Chargers (Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m.).