ASHLAND — A season-opening loss was not the way the Ashland University football team hoped to open the 2024 season.
Alas, the Eagles couldn’t avoid that fate after absorbing a 19-10 loss to Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Thursday night at Jack Miller Stadium.
“We made too many mistakes to win the game, against a good and experienced team,” AU head coach Doug Geiser said. “We pride ourselves on winning games with special teams, yet we gave up 10 points on special teams. We can’t do that.”
(These photos were taken by Curt Conrad.)
Crimson Hawks’ quarterback Karston Hunter hit 17-of-25 passes for 176 yards and a TD, while running back Adam Houser added 72 yards on 16 carries and another score.
Those two helped IUP take control of the game early.
Indiana (Pa.) got a big break in the first quarter when a bad Ashland punt snap set up the Crimson Hawks deep in Eagles’ territory. On the ensuing play, Houser cut to the outside and dashed all the way for an 11-yard touchdown with 7:38 showing in the first quarter.
“We talk about special teams always changing the game, obviously with the connotation being positive, but we can’t be beating ourselves,” Geiser said. “We gave them a touchdown there.”
It was 10-0 after a 33-yard Nick Andrasi field goal goal, and stayed that way late into the half. Andrasi split the uprights again from 31 yards with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter to give the visitors a 13-0 halftime lead.
The Ashland offense finally got into gear on the opening drive of the second half.
The Eagles marched 94 yards in seven plays and scored when senior quarterback Trevor Bycznski hit senior receiver Jent Joseph deep along the right sideline for a 35-yard touchdown. That play sliced the gap to 13-7.
But IUP responded with a long drive of its own, taking 10 plays to cover 85 yards. Hunter finished it when he found receiver Maurice Massey for a 15-yard TD with 2:00 left in the third period to make it 19-7.
On the last play of the third quarter, junior kicker A.J. Rhodes nailed a 38-yard field goal – to put the Eagles in a 19-10 hole.
Neither team would score again.
“I thought offensively we need more than 10 points,” Geiser said. “We didn’t make the plays at the end.”
Bycznski finished 23-for-35 for 279 yards and a touchdown to headline the AU offense.
Sophomore linebacker Jack Talkington made a team-high 13 tackles (10 solo) and had a tackle for loss to spearhead the defense.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at Ferris State.
