ASHLAND — It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Ashland University, but the Eagles hope to give a Homecoming crowd reason to celebrate Saturday afternoon.
AU (2-4, 1-2 Great Midwest Athletic Conference) will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they welcome Lake Erie (4-3, 1-2) to Jack Miller Stadium.
Ashland’s two-game losing streak coincides with the loss of quarterback Austin Brenner, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in a 34-24 loss to Ohio Dominican on Oct. 9.
Trent Maddox, who relieved Brenner in the loss to Ohio Dominican, made his first career start at Tiffin last week. The freshman from Olentangy High School completed 18 of 32 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-21 loss.
Jake McLoughlin was the primary beneficiary, catching four passes for a career-high 104 yards and a touchdown.
“Jake’s gotten better and better. He’s played so hard for us,” AU coach Lee Owens said. “He can run. He’s long. He’s tough. He can block for us. He’s a total football player.”
Defensively, linebacker Michael Ayers has made a combined 36 tackles in the past two weeks. He had 17 stops in last week’s loss at Tiffin.
“He’s really played well,” Owens said. “Michael Ayers is playing at a whole new level.”
Ayers and the Eagles will have to contend with Lake Erie quarterback Gerald Gardner. The junior was selected the GMAC Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Storm to a 33-14 win at Hillsdale last week. Gardner has completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“They’re really well coached. They’re sound in what they do,” Owens said of the Storm. “You go to Hillsdale and you shut down that team the way they did, you have a good football team.
“We expect a real battle.”
