ASHLAND — If it didn’t already, Davenport now has Ashland University coach Lee Owens’ full attention.
The Panthers turned a few heads last week.
Davenport gave Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference heavyweight Grand Valley all it wanted last week before falling 19-14. GVSU, which was ranked eighth nationally, scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:36 remaining.
“They’re very good on defense, really good defensive line,” Owens said. “They’re a very good football team.
“They’re for real.”
The Eagles (4-3, 4-1) will try to keep their GLIAC title hopes alive when they visit Davenport (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday. AU and Grand Valley trailed conference-leading Ferris State by one game in the loss column. Davenport and Saginaw Valley are two games back.
An Ashland win on Saturday would set up a monumental showdown at Grand Valley next week, but Owens and the Eagles can’t afford to overlook Davenport.
“They went to the wire with Grand Valley State last week,” Owens said. “(They’re a) very confident football team.”
Like Ashland, Davenport’s calling card is its defense. The Panthers lead the GLIAC in total defense, allowing just 227.8 yards a game. Ashland ranks second, surrendering 257.4 yards a game.
Davenport linebacker C.J. Thornton ranks fourth in the GLIAC in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (10.5). Cornerback Brian Williams is second in the conference with four interceptions.
Ashland linebacker Clay Shreve is still recovering from an injury suffered against Saginaw Valley, but ranks third in the league with 8.4 tackles a game. Defensive end James Prater Jr. is second in the GLIAC with 6.5 sacks and third with 11 tackles for loss.
“(Defensive coordinator Tim Rose) does a great job of playing a lot of different guys,” Owens said. “He does a great job of making sure the next guy’s ready to play and he’s done a great job of developing some depth.”
Offensively, the Eagles turned to running back Luke Ogi last week after starter Andrew Vaughn took a blow to the head and had to be helped from the field. Ogi, a product of nearby West Holmes High School, rushed for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown in the 27-7 win over Michigan Tech.
“He’s your typical blue-collar, pack-your-lunch, come in early and leave late kind of guy,” Owens said. “He’s a throwback, old-school guy.”
Davenport, which joined the GLIAC in 2017 and didn’t win a GLIAC game last fall, is searching for a signature win. The Panthers nearly got one last week against Grand Valley.
“They played hard,” Davenport coach Sparky McEwen said. “It wasn’t enough. We really wanted to win this game.
“We’ve come out every week and we’ve laid it on the line.”
