ASHLAND — The Ashland University football team gave its Homecoming crowd a treat on Saturday afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium.
The 24th-ranked Eagles blew out to a big lead early and coasted through the second half of a 38-14 sun-spanked beating of Thomas More in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference encounter.
Cameron Blair threw for two touchdowns and Ty’Aris Stevenson ran for two more as AU put this one on ice quickly.
Stevenson’s first TD was a 1-yard plunge that put the Eagles on top just 95 seconds into the game.
Blair’s 20-yard scoring strike to Jonathan Merrimee was followed by Manaki Watanabe’s 35-yard field goal for a 17-0 first-quarter bulge.
Olando Kamara scored on a 1-yard run and Brock Henne’s 17-yard touchdown catch made it 31-0 at halftime.
Stevenson’s 8-yard TD romp opened the gap to 38-0 on the Eagles’ first possession of the second half.
The Saints tacked on a pair of scores after that, but it was too little, too late.
Blair was 12-of-16 passing for 154 yards and two scores, and Merrimmee had 75 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Stevenson gained 61 yards on 9 carries, two of them went for touchdowns.
Jack Tarkington paced the defense with nine tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.
Ashland is now 5-1 overall, 4-0 in the GMAC. The Eagles return to action next week at Ohio Dominican (3-2, 2-2) for a noon kickoff in Columbus.
Thomas More remains winless at 0-6, 0-4.
(Photos by Tom Theodore)
