FINDLAY — Austin Brenner threw for 196 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score as 20th-ranked Ashland University throttled Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason favorite Findlay 28-3 in a Saturday road romp.
Brenner threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Logan Bolin in the first quarter, spotting the Eagles (2-0, 1-0) to an early 7-0 lead. The abbreviated drive was set up by a 55-yard interception return by AU’s Jourdan Swett down to the Findlay 2-yard line.
The Oilers (0-2, 0-2) responded with a 15-play, 50-yard drive capped by Austin Snyder’s 42-yard field goal.
It was all AU after that.
Storm Elsesser booted a 45-yard field goal midway through the second quarter to give the Eagles a 10-7 lead. Brenner’s 18-yard touchdown run with 2:55 left in the opening half gave AU a 16-3 lead.
A 26-yard field goal by A.J. Rhodes gave AU 19-3 lead in the third before AU iced it early in the fourth. Eli Potts put the exclamation point on a 15-play, 81-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run with 7:22 remaining in the fourth, giving Ashland a 25-3 lead. Rhodes then booted a 29-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining.
The Eagles piled up 368 yards of total offense, while limiting the Oilers to 141 yards. Ashland rushed for 172 yards, led by Larry Martin’s 65 yards on 16 carries. Potts added 39 yards, while Gei’vonni Washington ran for 25 yards and caught seven passes for 63 yards.
Findlay quarterback Jeremy Hunt completed 10-of-22 passes for 82 yards. Derek Lynch led the rushing attack with 28 yards on nine carries, while Tanner Schroeder caught two passes for 23 yards.
Jackson Myers led AU’s defense with eight tackles. Swett, Jovon Sewell and Michael Ayers were each in on five stops.
Ashland has a bye week next week. The Eagles return to action Sept. 24 at Quincy.
