ASHLAND — They are 0-2 for the firs time since 2013, but the Ashland University Eagles can’t afford to feel sorry for themselves.
Wayne State will show AU no quarter.
The Eagles open defense of their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship against the Warriors (1-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Tom Adams Field in Detroit. Ashland’s two non-conference losses came against nationally-ranked opponents Indiana, Pa. (21-17) and Ohio Dominican (24-17).
“We’re two sacks away from being 2-0 against two top teams,” Owens said. “That’s really where we’re at right now.”
The Eagles led Ohio Dominican 17-3 after the first quarter in the rain last week in Columbus and held a 17-10 advantage at halftime. The Panthers scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns while the defense pitched a second-half shutout.
“I can’t be discouraged, at this point, with the team,” Owens said. “I’ve got to make sure the team doesn’t lose its swagger. I’ve got to make sure we stay confident.
“We’re the defending conference champs and we’re not your typical 0-2 team out of the gate.”
The Eagles turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Brenner last week and the Copley High School product responded by completing 19 of 27 passes for 196 yards in adverse conditions. He also ran for a 34 yard touchdown in the first quarter.
“Overall I thought Austin played really well,” Owens said. “I never noticed him ever losing composure or poise, which is something you look for in a freshman quarterback.
“He’s got that special ‘it’ factor to play quarterback. You can see it in how he carries himself. You can see it by how he rallies the guys around him.”
Wayne State opened the season with a 31-0 win over Walsh before falling 28-6 at nationally-ranked Indianapolis last week. The Warriors committed three turnovers.
“We moved the football pretty well, but we turned it over a couple times after we drove it inside the 25,” Wayne State coach Paul Winters said on his weekly podcast. “Those are things that you can’t do.”
Wayne State is averaging 184 rushing yards a game, but has struggled through the air. Demetrius Stinson leads the way with 157 yards on the grounds in two games.
Ashland won last year’s meeting 30-10 in Detroit en route to the GLIAC title. The Eagles can’t afford to dwell on the sluggish start, Owens said.
“Let’s go win the GLIAC (and) not worry about those first two non-league games,” Owens said. “Let’s go defend our championship. The margin for error each week is going to be so small. If we get caught looking ahead and we haven’t prepared well, it won’t be pretty.”
