AU Defense Keeps Putting Up A Wall On The Ground

AU Defense Keeps Putting Up A Wall On The Ground

LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PAGE

Coming into its 94th Homecoming game on Saturday (Oct. 14) at 1 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field vs. Michigan Tech, Ashland University boasts a defense which has allowed the third-fewest rushing touchdowns (two) in all of NCAA Division II in 2017.

Drilling down further on the 16th-ranked Eagles' rushing defense numbers, the result is a gusher of impressive statistics.

- Both of Ashland's rushing touchdowns allowed this season came at Northwood on Sept. 16, and those were given up by the second- and third-team defense in the second half, as the game was well in hand.

- Going back to the last 11 games – the final five of 2016 and the first six of 2017 – the Eagles have allowed a total of five rushing touchdowns, and an average of 94.5 yards per game and 2.8 yards per attempt.

All of those numbers bode well going against the Huskies and their leading rusher, senior tailback John Williams, who leads the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with 10 rushing touchdowns this season.

 

Offense Back To Churning Out Long Drives

In its 38-13 win on Saturday (Oct. 7) at Northern Michigan, Ashland University's football team turned in four of its eight longest scoring drives of the 2017 season, in terms of yards.

The Eagles are tied for 17th in Division II – and first in the GLIAC – in average time of possession per game (33:01), and while the percentage of long scoring drives (50 yards or more) has gone down from 2016, the percentage of 10-plus-play and four-plus-minute scoring drives have increased so far from a season ago:

 

SEASON

SCORING DRIVES

50+ YDS.

PCT.

10+ PLAYS

PCT.

4+ MIN.

PCT.

2016

70

60

85.7

14

20.0

17

24.3

2017

33

20

60.6

8

24.2

10

30.3

 

Against the Wildcats, Ashland scored on drives which covered 85, 80, 77, 75, 65 and 42 yards. Included in those drives was the season's longest scoring march in terms of time of possession, 9:15.

 

Ashland's Active Division II Career Leaders

Entering Week 7, the following Eagles are among NCAA Division II's top 10 active career leaders:

- Senior quarterback Travis Tarnowski is first in passing yards (9,773) and touchdown passes (95).

- Tarnowski is second in total offense yards (10,050).

- Senior kicker Aidan Simenc is second in field-goal percentage (86.8).

- Simenc is tied for sixth in extra points made (149).

- Tarnowski is eighth in passing efficiency (155.61) and completion percentage (62.1).

- Simenc is 10th in field goals made (33).

 

Meder, Shaheen Continue 2017 NFL Campaigns

Former Ashland University All-Americans Jamie Meder and Adam Shaheen will continue their respective 2017 National Football League seasons this weekend.

Meder, a defensive tackle, and the Cleveland Browns will play at the Houston Texans on Sunday (Oct. 15) at 1 p.m. Shaheen, a rookie tight end for the Chicago Bears, is coming off a start in a three-tight end set, and he and the Bears will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Baltimore Ravens.

 

 

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