ASHLAND — The locomotive has left the station and is building momentum.
Off to its best start since 2016, unbeaten Ashland heads to North Canton on Saturday for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference game against Walsh. Kickoff is set for noon at Larry Staudt Field.
The Eagles (4-0, 2-0) moved up to sixth in this week’s American Football Coaches Association Division II poll after last week’s resounding 56-17 win over Northwood. The ranking is the highest for AU since reaching No. 5 for four weeks in September of 2016.
“We continue to grow as a football team and get better. That’s all you can ask,” AU coach Lee Owens said. “It’s been a real team effort. I think we’ve got that kind of attitude. Guys like playing together and believe in each other.
“We just want to keep winning. I sense that this team has a chance, and they sense they have a chance, to be pretty good.”
AU’s defense has been nothing short of sensational. The Eagles rank seventh in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 12 points a game, and ninth in total defense (238.5 yards per game). Additionally, Ashland ranks third in the country with 53 first downs allowed.
AU allowed just 230 yards of total offense in last week’s win. Northwood’s second-quarter touchdown was the first first-half TD allowed by the Eagles this year.
“That’s just unheard-of in college football today,” Owens said after last week’s win. “And they’ve got some players.”
Offensively, quarterback Austin Brenner had his best day since returning from last year’s season-ending leg injury. Brenner completed 17 of 25 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns, including an 88-yarder to Logan Bolin. For his efforts, Brenner was selected the GMAC’s Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in his career.
“This year we just have a lot of older guys, we have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football games,” said Brenner, a fifth-year senior. “We’ve been through a lot together. The brotherhood and the team unity we have has been really special.”
While Ashland’s stock continues to rise, Walsh (0-5, 0-3) is trending in the opposite direction. The Cavaliers are 0-7 all-time against Ashland and are coming off a 21-0 loss at Ohio Dominican.
With game against in-state and conference rivals Ohio Dominican and Tiffin coming up, Saturday’s game could be a trap game for AU. Not to worry, Owens said.
“They get it. They’re staying in the moment,” Owens said. “It’s not about next week or being undefeated or being (sixth) in the country. They’re done a great job of that.”
