BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ashland won the statistical battle, but lost the scoreboard war in falling 28-21 at fourth-ranked Ferris State on Saturday night in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crash.
The Eagles are 2-3 overall, 2-1 in the GLIAC. Each loss has been to a ranked team in what has been a brutal schedule to date. The undefeated Bulldogs are 5-0, 3-0.
Ashland struck first, with junior tailback Luke Ogi scoring on a 5-yard run to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive lifted the Eagles to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.
But Ferris State responded when quarterback Jayru Campbell hit wide receiver Sy Barnett on a fade pattern for a 6-yard touchdown to knot the game at 7 just before the half.
Campbell and Barnett connected again, this time for a 15-yard scoring strike in the third period, igniting a 21-point burst by the Bulldogs. Campbell’s 23-yard scoring dash made it 21-7 and it was 28-7 after a 16-yard interception-return touchdown by linebacker Delon Stephenson.
AU quarterback Austin Brenner tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Schweitzer early in the fourth quarter to slice the gap to 28-14. Senior tailback Andrew Vaughn plunged in from the 2 to cut it to 28-21 with 3:08 showing.
The Eagles got the ball one more time but turned it over on downs at the Ferris State 29.
AU returns to action next week at 7 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field vs. another undefeated foe, Saginaw Valley State (5-0, 2-0).
