Ashland U football 'learning how to finish' ahead of G-MAC matchup with Hillsdale

Two teams looking to put 0-2 non-conference starts behind them will meet in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference football opener Saturday night at Jack Miller Stadium.

And what better way to do it than in a rivalry game as Ashland University plays host to Hillsdale College with the Traveling Trophy at stake.

The game will be the third in a row on the road for the Chargers, who lost 39-20 at Indianapolis and then 45-20 last week at Michigan Tech.

The Eagles lost 38-28 at home on Saturday to Ferris State, the nation’s No. 1 Division II team, after opening the season with a 24-17 loss at Indiana of Pennsylvania.

No. 1 prevails: Ferris State escapes with Week 2 win over Ashland

AU had fourth-quarter leads in both of those games.

“The emphasis this week has been learning how to finish,” AU coach Doug Geiser said. “We’ve been able to go toe-to-toe with two of the top 10 teams in the country and been ahead in the fourth quarter and we have not finished the games.

“More than anything else, you’ve got to stick together. We still have all the goals we set for the season ahead of us. We’ve encountered some adversity, now we need to count on our leaders to step forward to help keep us together.”

The rivalry between Ashland and Hillsdale began in 1970 when the athletic directors got together and decided to implement Division II’s first trophy game. The matchup started when AU was an independent and has endured through three different league memberships.

The two schools played every year between 1970 and 2011, but Saturday’s game will be just the fifth since that 2011 meeting. Hillsdale will carry a 26-20 all-time series advantage into the G-MAC opener.

“It’s two teams, two schools that have similar mission statements, similar student populations, similar backgrounds, values, and the way they conduct business,” Geiser said.

“It’s not a blood rivalry, per se, in that you hate your opponent. It’s more like playing against your brother. You compete like crazy and it’s physical and it gets very heated but at the end of the game we’re locking arms and saying a prayer together at midfield, win or lose. It’s been a very neat dynamic to be a part of.”

The Chargers have been balanced on offense in their first two games, rushing for 169 yards and throwing for 164 yards per game. Playing behind an experienced offensive line, senior running back Michael Herzog has been Hillsdale’s best weapon.

Herzog ran for 148 yards and scored twice on 19 carries against Indy. He then added 106 yards and another touchdown on 28 carries against Michigan Tech.

He also has six receptions in two games.

In 2022, Herzog carried 17 times for 80 yards and two scores against Ashland when he totaled 940 yards with eight TDs for the season.

“We have to be gap sound (against Herzog), number one,” Geiser said. “It’s going to be strength against strength at that point with them running the ball. What it’s going to come down to is matchups.”

Hillsdale’s senior quarterback, Garrit Aissen, has completed 39-of-64 passes for 328 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Sam Lee is his leading target with 11 receptions for 120 yards and one touchdown.

While they have been able to move the ball and score on offense, the Chargers have struggled defensively in their two losses. Hillsdale is allowing an average of 42 points and 457 yards a game.

The Chargers have been particularly vulnerable through the air, allowing 301 passing yards per game with no interceptions and just two quarterback sacks.

That’s one place where the Eagles could find a favorable matchup. Against Ferris State, AU quarterback Trevor Bycznski completed 15-of-29 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Receiver Dezmin Lyburtus had seven catches for 122 yards and both scores, while running back Geo Washington had four catches and wide receiver Jent Joseph hauled in three receptions for 92 yards.

“One thing we did this past week, we learned a little more about our guys, what we can do, what we can’t do, what our strengths are,” Geiser said.

“It’s a matter of continuing to know ourselves … putting our players in the best situation to make plays … and developing a confidence in the other person.”

While both teams go into the game seeking their first win of the season, Ashland carries the label of preseason conference favorite. But the Eagles were favorites in 2022 when they carried a three-game winning streak against Hillsdale into the game.

But that’s where that streak ended as Hillsdale handed AU its only regular season loss.

The Chargers came into that 2022 game with a 4-4 record, while Ashland was an unbeaten 7-0. Hillsdale led 14-10 at halftime, 22-20 at the end of the third quarter, then outscored AU 14-0 in the fourth quarter for the upset victory.

“(We’ve told the players) what you’ve seen on tape is not the Hillsdale you’re going to see (Saturday),” Geiser said. “You’re going to see their best. You just need the evidence from last year.

“There might be many excuses for the loss last year but it really comes down to one thing -- they respected the rivalry, our guys did not.

“(We’ve emphasized) that right from the first remarks (Sunday) in the team meeting. We will respect the rivalry, respect that football team. It’s going to be one of the most heated contests in Division II across the country this week.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: College Football: Ashland U preps for G-MAC opener vs. Hillsdale