No. 24 Eagles Remain Tied For First In G-MAC After Win In 101st Homecoming Game

The start of a second century of Ashland University Homecoming football games was a rousing success, as, on Saturday (Oct. 11) afternoon, the No. 24-ranked Eagles knocked off Thomas More, 38-14, as Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
Now 71-25-5 all-time on Homecoming, the Eagles remain in a tie for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with Findlay at 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the league.
 
"I was happy with the way the guys came out," said Ashland head coach Doug Geiser, whose team scored the game's first 38 points. "They were fired up. Homecoming, get a chance to play in front of the home fans again, and came out guns a blazin' and didn't look back."
 
The Saints are 0-6, 0-4.
 
Ashland's defense continued to impress on Saturday, finishing with five sacks and three takeaways.
 
"That group has been playing great the whole year," Geiser said. "They came out with a little bit of an edge. We were able to jump on them pretty early."
 
Junior tailback Ty'aris Stevenson got the Eagles on the board just 1:35 into the game with a one-yard touchdown run. He also scored on an eight-yard TD run on the first possession of the third quarter, and now has a team-high five rushing scores in 2025, and 16 such TDs in the last 11 games going back to the end of the 2024 campaign.
 
"We feel comfortable, and he's the guy we want in there when the ball is on the doorstep like that," Geiser said.
 
Redshirt senior quarterback Cameron Blair was an efficient 12-for-16 for 154 yards and two touchdowns – a 20-yarder to sophomore tight end Jonathan Merimee in the first quarter, and a 17-yarder to senior tight end Brock Henne in the second quarter.
 
Blair completed passes to seven different receivers in the win.
 
"I saw growth there on offense," Geiser noted. "We kept our focus and took care of business."
 
One of the things Geiser wasn't as impressed with in the victory was Ashland's 12 penalties for 142 yards.
 
"Bad decisions, guys getting selfish," said Geiser. "They've got to be aware that we can't do that going forward and accomplish our goals."
 
Now with 19,986 points all-time, Ashland's football program needs 14 more to reach the 20,000-point milestone.



SOME MORE HOMECOMING NUGGETS

• Merimee ended with 75 yards on three catches.
• Stevenson paced the 155-yard, three-TD rushing game with 61 yards on only nine carries.
• Sophomore linebacker Jack Talkington (nine total tackles, one sack, one interception) and sophomore defensive end Elisha Baldridge (seven total tackles, three tackles for loss, 2½ sacks, one forced fumble) led the Eagle defensive charge.
• Senior punter Jaden Cook landed three of his six punts inside the Thomas More 20-yard line, and averaged 45.2 yards per boot.
• Ashland has won 11 straight Homecoming games.

NEXT UP
Back on the road for another Great Midwest game at Ohio Dominican (3-2, 2-2) at noon on Oct. 18.