ASHLAND — His team is a game below .500 at the season’s midway point, but Ashland University coach Lee Owens isn’t prepared to raise the white flag.
The Eagles still haver plenty of fight left in them.
Ashland (2-3, 2-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) will face yet another stiff challenge Saturday when undefeated Saginaw Valley State (5-0, 2-0) invades Jack Miller Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Eagles are coming off a 28-21 loss at No. 3 Ferris State. All three of AU’s losses came against nationally-ranked opponents and all were by seven points or less.
“We’re a better football team as a whole,” Owens said. “The offensive line continues to grow. Our quarterback continues to get better. Defensively, our run defense is about as good as it’s been since I’ve been here.”
The Eagles limited Ferris State to 126 rushing yards last week. Ferris came in averaging a GLIAC-best 340.3 rushing yards a game.
Linebacker Clay Shreve had 16 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. The junior leads the GLIAC with 53 stops and ranks second with 4.5 sacks.
“It’s just been an opportunity for the kid to rush,” AU defensive coordinator Tim Rose said. “He really does a great job coming off the edge or blitzing. He doesn’t rush all the time … but when he does, he makes the most of it.”
Shreve and Co. will spend most of Saturday evening chasing SVSU quarterback Ryan Conklin. The junior completes 62.4 percent of his passes and has thrown for 991 yards and eight touchdowns. Running back Nate McCrary has rushed for six TDs.
Ashland relies heavily on its rushing attack. Andrew Vaughn ranks third in the GLIAC, averaging 106.6 yards per game. Quarterback Austin Brenner has thrown for 784 yards and three touchdowns. Wideout Kamaron Green has 21 catches on the season.
“There’s no question, we make improvement each week,” Owens said. “Our effort at Ferris would have ranked in the top four or five efforts of any team I’ve coached since I’ve been here.”
