In almost 100 years of Ashland University football, there are limitless numbers and statistics to pour over.
Recently, however, the number which seems to stick out the most is 24.
The Eagles are 3-0 overall and in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and are ranked No. 13 in Division II. In all three of those victories, AU has allowed 24 or fewer points.
Ashland has won its last 15 games when its opponents have scored 24 or less points. The Eagles' last loss when giving up that few points was the 2013 opener at Indianapolis, 10-9.
Tarnowski Letting It Rip
It's understandable that a redshirt freshman quarterback would be eased into an offense. Ashland's Travis Tarnowski was eased last season, but toward the end of 2014 – and now as a redshirt sophomore in 2015 – the easing has ended:
|
TIME FRAME |
PASSES/GAME |
YDS/GAME |
TD |
INT |
|
First 7 games |
26.4 |
183.6 |
8 |
4 |
|
Last 6 games |
32.2 |
283.8 |
14 |
5 |
Sacks, TFLs Coming In Bunches
The Eagle defense has nine sacks in the first three games of the 2015 season. That number is good for fourth in the GLIAC, and nearly is half of AU's entire 2014 season total of 19. Five of those sacks came in the opener at Lake Erie, and three came in Week 3's home-opening win against Ohio Dominican.
As for tackles for loss, Ashland has 22 in three games, and a season-high of eight twice. In 2014, the Eagles had 54 tackles for loss, and recorded at last eight in a game three times.
NCAA Ranks
Junior punter-quarterback Austin Bruns leads the nation in gross punting average at 47.8…Ashland is ranked eighth in the country in net punting average (40.4), and is ranked ninth in Division II in kickoff-return average (28.3)…The Eagles' 505.0 yards per game in total offense ranks 15th in the nation.
GLIAC Ranks
The Eagles are the best kickoff-return team in the conference, and also the best team in gross punting average…Tarnowski is fourth in the GLIAC in passing yards (821)…Bruns, the Week 3 GLIAC Special Teams Player of the Week, leads the league in punting average and is tied for second in punts inside the 20-yard line with five…Sophomore cornerback Dale Irby is tied for first in the GLIAC in kickoff-return average (30.4), and is first in kickoff-return yards (243)…Junior inside linebacker Zach Olszewski is fourth in the conference in total tackles (30)…Junior nose tackle Brandon Ehlinger is tied for third in the league in tackles for loss (5½)…Senior cornerback James Ester is tied for the GLIAC lead with four pass breakups.
Eagle Nuggets
The Eagles have won eight straight games at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, and since the start of 2012, are 15-3 at home…Ashland has three 100-yard receivers in three games – redshirt freshman wide receiver Matthew Wilcox at Lake Erie (117), sophomore tight end Adam Shaheen at Walsh (151) and sophomore wide receiver Stewart Turner against ODU (111). The last time three different Eagles had 100-yard receiving games in the same season was 2012…The Eagles have allowed 100 or fewer rushing yards in seven of their last 13 games.
AU
FB/DS