CANTON — It's hard to imagine a team that isn't happy with a 35-10 home win to open conference play.
The Ashland University football team, however, knows there are things to clean up after its first Great Midwest Athletic Conference game and Thursday night's win over Walsh at Canton GlenOak High School.
“For whatever reason, we're playing Walsh on the road and it's bad,” Ashland coach Lee Owens said. “I can't figure out why. They play us hard. They have a good plan. We just don't seem to be in sync, making a lot of mistakes on special teams.
“It's nice to win and the defense played a lot better. We played well at times on offense. We have a lot of work to do.”
WHAT HAPPENED
Junior quarterback Austin Brenner, who earlier Thursday was named the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts at home against Quincy last week, started the night's scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run on a read-option 9:03. first trimester sign.
Brenner wasted no time throwing his first touchdown pass of the game, making a 55-yard catch-and-run to sophomore tailback Gei'vonni Washington for a 14-0 advantage with 6:28 left in the first.
After a 26-yard field goal by Walsh's Mason Brown early in the second quarter, the Eagles (2-2, 1-0) answered right back to make it 21-3 when Brenner scampered 3 yards for a score with 9:37 left. to remain until half time.
A late AU snap put the ball at the AU 16, but the Eagles defense held on fourth down to go into the locker room down by 18 points.
Ashland got back on the scoreboard to start the third quarter on a 13-yard jaunt by sophomore tailback Larry Martin that extended the lead to 28-3.
Junior wide receiver Garrett Turnbaugh got in on the action with 5:18 to go in the third, catching a 38-yard pass from Brenner to make it 35-3. On the ensuing possession, junior safety Justin Moore picked off a pass for the second straight game.
Early in the fourth quarter, Moore recorded a diving interception in the end zone on a tipped pass. Walsh (1-4, 0-1) came back, however, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Vetter to wide receiver Jayden Gresham with 5:32 left in the game.
NOTES
- Brenner was 20-for-27 for 296 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Add 15 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and Brenner, who entered the game as the nation's No. 2 player in total offense per game, finished with 311 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
- Turnbaugh finished with seven catches for 127 yards and a score, and Martin led the running game with 82 yards and a score on 12 carries.
- Ashland was the NCAA Division II team leader in total offense per game entering and finished the night with 471 yards against the Cavaliers.
- Moore had both picks and junior defensive tackle Curtis Ruppe had six total tackles, 1½ tackles for loss and a half tackle.
- Ashland's defense held Walsh to 238 yards, a season low for the Eagles D.
NEXT
Ashland will return to Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 vs. Ohio Dominican for the Eagles Great Midwest home opener.
