Ashland Football Weekly Report
October 25, 2005

Game 10– Ashland (7-2/6-2 GLIAC) at Findlay (3-6/2-6)
Saturday, October 29, 2005, 7 p.m.
Findlay, OH/Donnell Stadium

The clocks get set back an hour this Saturday night and most college students celebrate that move. Why quibble when you can pick up an extra hour of sleep?

While the country, “falls back,” and gets accustomed to shorter days, some football teams around the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are seeing the light of day, at least as far as the NCAA Division II playoff picture is concerned. Two weeks remain in the regular season and every contender is on the clock. Time’s running out if a team wants to make a statement that it belongs in the exclusive postseason party.

The Ashland University Eagles are in a three-way tie for third place in the GLIAC and their playoff hopes haven’t been extinguished just yet. The Eagles must win out to entertain any hopes of extending their season. Their first order of business is a trip to rival Findlay. AU-UF games never lack for emotion. This is the Oilers’ final home game of the season, they’d love to give their fans a pleasant going-away present for 2005. Putting a crimp in Ashland’s plans should motivate the Oilers, too.

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.

Dusty Sloan, sports editor of the Ashland Times-Gazette, will also make the trip west and his story will run in Monday’s edition.

Ashland-Findlay
Ashland is in front in the all-time series, 18-13-4. The teams have divided the last six meetings. Last year in Ashland the Eagles prevailed, 23-3. AU was in front, 7-3 after three quarters and wrapped up the game with a 16-point fourth quarter. Senior tailback Antwan Hart had 158 yards on 34 carries with TD runs of 3 and 17 yards. AU’s first score of the day came on a fake field goal, kicker Austin Wellock scoring the first touchdown of his career on a 5-yard run.

History Lesson – Ashland-Findlay

• 2004 – at Ashland 23, Findlay 3 – Eagles force three UF turnovers, limited the visitors to 174 yards of total offense and led in time of possession, 34:53-25:07. In the second half, AU holds the ball for 19:51.
• 2003 – at Findlay 22, Ashland 14 – Ahead, 14-12 at haltime, AU had just 104 yards of total offense in the second half. UF’s Jeff Pax kicked field goals of 26, 29 and 18 yards. Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C.) had 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.
• 2002 – Findlay 25 at Ashland 20 – Again it’s close at halftime, UF in front, 10-7. The winning score comes with 35 seconds to play in regulation, Findlay’s Jeremy Smith scoring on a 1-yard run. AU’s Michael Hull sets a school single-game record for catches (14) and ties the school single-season reception mark (60).
• 2001 – Ashland 36 at Findlay 19 – Eagles score the game’s first 22 points. Marcus Mitchell rushes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Matt McCullough throws scoring passes of 68 and 69 yards.
• 2000 – Findlay 13 at Ashland 12 – It’s the third week of the season and UF hands the Eagles their first loss. AU throws four interceptions and loses a fumble. The Oilers go ahead to stay with 4:06 to play in regulation when quarterback Bryan Hieber finds tight end Mark Inkrott with a 55-yard touchdown pass.

The GLIAC Report
Grand Valley State sits alone in first place in the conference with an 8-0 record. Saginaw Valley State owns second place at 7-1. Northwood, Ashland and Michigan Tech are all 6-2 in league play. Tech plays at Saginaw Valley State this week while Northwood has to go on the road to play Ferris State (3-6). Northwood is coming off a 30-14 loss to GVSU. Ferris State, after a slow start, has picked up steam the past several weeks. Grand Valley State entertains Northern Michigan (2-6). The final week of season has Michigan Tech going to Allendale, MI, to play Grand Valley State.

The Eagles continue to be included among the top defensive teams in the league. Ashland is the GLIAC leader in scoring defense (10.0 ppg.) and Red Zone defense (8-20/40 percent). The Eagles are second in pass defense (165.9 ypg.), rush defense (92.3 ypg.), pass efficiency defense (96.2 rating), sacks (28-159) and total defense (258.2 ypg.). The AU defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the last 12 quarters.

AU is the league leader in turnover margin (+7) and has been whistled for the fewest penalties in the conference (34-276 yards/30.7 ypg.). Ashland is second in fewest sacks allowed (7), third in time of possession (31:55) and fourth in rush offense (191.8 ypg.).

AU Head Coach Lee Owens
Lee Owens begins his second season at AU with a career mark on the college level of 52-69. 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 was a successful high school coach before moving to the collegiate ranks. 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
Old-time football prevailed around the GLIAC last week. Three running backs rushed for over 200 yards. One member of that trio was AU senior tailback Jason Schwalm (Kenosha, WI/Dublin Coffman) who set school single-game records for carries (45) and rushing yards (292) in AU’s 27-3 victory over Wayne State.

The win was AU’s fourth straight. Schwalm put the Eagles in front to stay with 7:44 to play in the first quarter on a 3-yard run. Wayne State’s lone score of the day came with 14:48 left in the first half when Dave Chudzinski hit a 31-yard field goal. That cut the AU lead to 7-3. A 4-yard run by junior quarterback Nick Strance (Willard, OH) with 12:03 to go in the half put AU in front, 13-3. That was the score at halftime.

Another Strance TD run, this one from 7 yards out, came with 12:11 left in the game and pushed the AU advantage to 20-3. The two touchdown runs were Strance’s first of the season.

Schwalm scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard burst with 4:51 to go before the final whistle. Schwalm broke two records that belonged to J.R. McCoy. McCoy had set the carries record (41) against Saginaw Valley State in 2000 and the rushing record (270) against Northern Michigan in 2001.

The Eagles outgained the Warriors, 400-170. On the ground, AU led, 313-21. Ashland picked off a pair of passes and had four sacks.

Listed below are some of AU’s top players.

• 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. This year, Conwell is third on the club in tackles (64/26 solo). He’s tied for the team lead in interceptions (3).
• Jeremy Crabtree (Pickerington, OH) – A senior linebacker, Crabtree is fifth on the team in tackles (52/33 solo). He leads the team in tackles for loss (9.5-51) and sacks (5) and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3). Crabtree is 10th in the league in tackles for loss.
• Luke Busson (Wadsworth, OH/Kent State) – The sophomore linebacker has 53 tackles (32 solo) and that puts him fifth on the team.
• 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 66 tackles (30 solo), eight tackles for loss and four sacks. He’s second on the team in tackles and tied for second in tackles for loss and sacks.
• Brady Miller (Cincinnati, OH/Elder) – The quarterback of the defense, this senior linebacker leads the Eagles in tackles (79/45 solo). Miller is 11th in the league in tackles per game (8.8). Miller has 7.5 tackles for loss (28 yards) and four sacks. He’s tied for second on the team in sacks and is fourth 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 (13).
• 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 four games this year. He’s gained a team-high 1,103 yards rushing (4.8 ypc.). That’s also a career high for the senior. Schwalm is second in the GLIAC in rushing (122.3 ypg.) and fifth in all-purpose yards (124.7 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 108 of 193 passes (56.0 percent) for 1,201 yards and nine touchdowns. Strance is sixth in the conference in pass efficiency (117.3 rating) and eighth in passing yards per game (134.3).
• Dalorean White (Warrensville, OH/Erie C.C.) – White has caught a team-best 45 passes for 631 yards (14.0 ypc.) with five touchdowns. The senior is fifth in the GLIAC in receptions per game (5.00), seventh in receiving yards per game (71.1) and eighth in all-purpose yards per game (113.3).
• David Ziegelhofer (Lexington, OH) – This sophomore wide receiver has caught 24 passes for 237 yards (9.9 ypc.). He’s second on the team in receptions. Ziegelhofer is AU’s leading punt returner (6.1 ypr.).

Quick Hitters

• AU has won seven games for the first time since the 1999 season. The last time Ashland won more than seven games was 1997 when the Eagles finished 9-2. That was also the last time AU advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Eagles’ four-game winning streak is their longest since they reeled off six consecutive victories in 1998.
• The AU defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown for three consecutive games (12 quarters). Four times this year the defense hasn’t yielded a touchdown. Since Jim Meyer became AU’s defensive coordinator last year, the Eagles have held the opposition without a touchdown six times (in 20 games).
• The Eagles have had at least 399 yards of total offense in three of their last four games.
• Under Lee Owens, Ashland’s record in October is 7-2.
• During its four-game winning streak, AU has outscored the opposition, 106-23.
• The Eagles have outscored the opposition, 43-5 in the first quarter.
• In two career games against Findlay, Conwell has 25 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
• Counting Schwalm this season, AU has had a player rush for 1,000 yards four times in six seasons. Two of those players have rushed for over 1,400 yards (Antwan Hart – 1,474 last year, J.R. McCoy – 1,415 in 2001).
• Only once this season has a running back (Michigan Tech’s Lee Marana) rushed for over 100 yards against AU. Dating back to last season, only four backs in the last 16 games have reached the century mark against AU.
• White has caught at least one pass in 20 consecutive games. White, who came to AU last year, has had at least one reception in every game he’s played.
• Junior defensive back Chris Holland (Youngstown, OH/Rayen) has 29 tackles over the last four games. During that stretch, he’s led the team in tackles twice.

Eye on the Eagles – Part 2
Schwalm is one of four players to be named the d2football.com offensive player of the week. This is the first time the organization has selected four players for the award. Schwalm shares the weekly citation with three other running backs – Lee Marana of Michigan Tech, Kyle Fox of Angelo State and Germaine Race of Pittsburg State.

Marana rushed for 333 yards on a school-record 51 carries in a 35-19 win over Ferris State. He scored four touchdowns. Fox, a freshman, had 282 yards on 21 carries. His yardage total is a school record as was his 95-yard TD run. Race, a junior, gained 305 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns. The 305 yards rushing is a Pittsburg State record.

Regional Rankings
This week’s NCAA Division II Northwest regional rankings appear below. The top six teams in the region advance to the playoffs.

The Quotebook

Owens on the final two regular-season games.

“It’s great to be going into the last two weeks of the season and not worry about guys just wanting to get it over with. I never could understand that, but sometimes that happens. When it’s a rivalry game like this one, you can kind of push the rest of the season away. There’s no question Findlay will be emotionally ready and fired up. It’s a chance for them to right the ship.”

Owens on what AU’s doing well right now.

“We’re playing great defense, plus on offense we’re controlling the football, making first downs, not putting the defense in bad positions. When the offense complements the defense, it all starts to come together. We’re doing that. Another thing, there are three or four key plays in every game. It seems in real key situations, in those two or three critical plays, we’re really stepping up and getting it done. When our backs have been against the wall and we have to get it done, we’ve done it.”

Secondary coach Steve Clinkscale on the play of Holland over the last four games.”

“His knowledge has meant more success in the running and passing game, he understands what’s going on. He’s been studying routes, tendencies and how the quarterback throws. Sometimes he knows the play and gets a jump on it. He’s really a strong safety playing boundary corner. He has that safety mentality, but he’s smart enough to play as a corner. He’s playing better and better every week.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Meyer on the play of the defense over the last three games.

“I think it’s a combination of the offense keeping the opponent off the field and we’re playing well as a team on defense. That’s the combination of an opportunistic defense and an offense that consumes time. It makes it easier, it really does. As far as the scoring, we’ve had good game plans and our kids are well schooled on what to expect. They’ve made plays. That’s the sign of a growing, maturing defense.”

Quarterback Nick Strance on the defense’s play.

“Before the season, we talked as a team without the coaches. Devin (Conwell) and the defense said, ‘You don’t have to score 50 points a game. Just win time of possession and don’t turn it over. We’re doing that now. That’s why it’s such a big turnaround from last year.”

Schwalm on a heavy workload.

“I don’t know about 45 carries (each week), but I think I can carry the load.”

Owens on Schwalm’s play last week.

“Watching it on tape, I was even more impressed than I was the day of the game. He made cuts in those field conditions that we haven’t seen him make on dry turf. He had great vision, his footwork was better and he had a burst. It’s amazing. I was also pleased with the way we played up front. It was a pretty dominating performance for the guys up front. That’s the best the offensive line’s played since I’ve been here.”

On Deck
The Eagles close out the regular season next Saturday (Nov. 5, 1 p.m.) with a home game against Indianapolis.