No. 5 Ashland Topples No. 20 Tech 40-14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Tech (6-3) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
|
#5 Ashland (10-0) | 17 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 40 |
AUDIO: Coach Kearly Postgame Interview
ASHLAND, Ohio — No. 5 Ashland defeated No. 20 Michigan Tech 40-14 in GLIAC football today. The Eagles scored on each of their first seven drives of the game, and the Huskies were minus-four in turnovers on the day.
AU turned a 26-7 lead at halftime into a 40-7 advantage in the third quarter before the Huskies closed scoring with a fourth quarter TD run.
"We got beat bad," said Tech coach Tom Kearly. "They took it to us. We turned it over and missed assignments, and they took advantage."
Brandon Cowie was picked off on the opening play off the game, and Ashland scored six plays later for a 7-0 lead.
Tech then drove 75 yards on 13 plays to tie the game at 7-7. Andrew Clark hauled in a nine-yard pass for the scoring play on the drive.
From there, Ashland scored on four straight possessions to end the half with two touchdowns and two field goals. The Huskies punted only once in the half, but fumbled at their own 17 and turned it over on downs at the AU 32 in addition to the first interception.
The hosts took the second half kickoff and converted a pair of third downs on a 77-yard drive for a 33-7 lead with 10:04 remaining in the third quarter.
Tech drove the field on the ensuing drive, but Cowie was picked off at the five-yard line. AU returned the interception to midfield, and Travis Tarnowski capitalized on the momentum with a 51-yard touchdown pass on the next play for a 40-7 advantage.
Ben Tauchen had an interception later in the quarter to set up the Huskies at the midfield. Cowie was picked off seven plays later on a screen pass, ending the Huskies' scoring opportunity. He was intercepted for a fourth time on the next drive and finished 8-of-19 for 105 yards.
With the outcome decided, Isaiah Hackney played the final series at quarterback. James Henderson capped scoring with his first career touchdown with 3:27 left in the contest.
Kevin Miller (84 yards) and Henderson (80) combined for 164 of Tech's 190 yards on the ground.
Tarnowski was 24-of-34 for 382 yards and four touchdowns. Vance Settlemire gained 79 yards rushing for the Eagles, who improved to 10-0.
Tauchen and fellow linebacker Paul Kuoppala totaled a team-high 10 tackles apiece.
Michigan Tech (6-3, 6-3 GLIAC) will make another long trip next Saturday (Nov. 14) when it faces Lake Erie in Painesville, Ohio. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
