ASHLAND — Lee Owens won’t have to wait long to find out how Ashland University stacks up against some of the best Division II college football programs in the country.
AU’s longtime coach will have his answer within the next two weeks.
The Eagles open the season Saturday at Notre Dame before welcoming Ferris State to Jack Miller Stadium the following week. Notre Dame is ranked ninth in the American Football Coaches Association Division II preseason poll, while Ferris is No. 3. Ashland was among a large group of schools receiving votes in the preseason poll, but stationed outside the preseason Top 25.
AU is also making the jump to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference this year after leaving the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. AU was picked to finish fourth in the GMAC preseason coaches poll.
As for Owens, the Madison product isn’t especially concerned about preseason rankings.
“You can’t put a lot of stock in preseason polls,” Owens said. “I can’t remember the last time we finished fourth in a league. We need to go out and play and let the chips fall.
“The GMAC is a really good league and there are a lot of good teams ranked ahead of us in that poll.”
The Eagles haven’t played a meaningful game since Nov. 16, 2019. The 2020 season was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic and AU only had a couple of scrimmages last spring.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, was 5-0 during the abbreviated spring Mount East schedule. The Falcons reached the national semifinals in 2018 and the national quarterfinals in 2019, and are a combined 47-8 since 2016.
The Falcons are led by senior quarterback Chris Brimm. The four-year starter threw for 909 yards and 11 touchdowns during the five-game spring season and has thrown for 5,950 yards and 58 touchdowns in his first three season while completing 59 percent of his passes.
The Eagles counter with what may be one of the best secondaries in all of Division II. Cornerbacks Joe Freeland and Jacob Williams are joined by free safety Justin Moore and rover Jourdan Swett with help from whip Jordan Mosely.
“I think we could really shock the country,” said Williams, who was a Great Midwest Athletic Conference second team pick while playing for Tiffin in 2018 before transferring to AU. “I think we have one of the deepest units in the country.”
Ashland’s offense is in good hands with the return of quarterback Austin Brenner. The junior from Copley was the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2018 and a GLIAC second-team pick in 2019.
Sophomore tailback Gei’vonni Washington was the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and was a Division II All-America honorable-mention selection in 2019. Washington rushed for an AU freshman-record 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns on 264 carries.
The offense will be bolstered by the return of tight end Austin Phillips. The 6-foot-6, 252 pound senior caught nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown in 2018 but missed all of 2019 with an injury.
“Our coaches have talked to us about the best offenses they’ve had since they’ve been here and they really think we are a team that can rival that and match that,” Phillips said. “It’s a blessing to get to be able to be a huge part of the offense.”
