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Nov 17, 2008

Ashland and Grand Valley State To Meet In NCAA D-II Football Regional Semifinals


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BAY CITY, Mich. - No. 17 Ashland University won its first ever NCAA Division II postseason game Saturday, stopping Minnesota State, 27-16. The Eagles' win sets up a rematch with No. 1 Grand Valley State University in the Division II regional semifinals this Saturday (Nov. 22) in Allendale (Mich.).  The Lakers downed the Eagles, 48-42, in Allendale back on Oct. 25.  This week's game will mark the first time that these two teams will meet in the postseason.

Last Week's Results (Nov. 15)

NCAA Division II Playoffs / Super Region No. 3
First Round Games

#1 Grand Valley State, bye
#2 Minnesota-Duluth, bye
at #4 Ashland 27, #5 Minnesota State 16
at #3 Chadron State (Neb.) 23, #6 Wayne State (Neb.) 17

This Week's Games (Nov. 22)

NCAA Division II Playoffs / Super Region No. 3
Regional Semifinals

#4 Ashland at #1 Grand Valley State, 1:00 PM*
#3 Chadron State (Neb.) at #2 Minnesota-Duluth, 1:00 PM*
* - Game times are EST / # - Denotes Super Region No. 3 seed.

-----GLIAC Football Weekly Notes-----

Ashland - The Eagles (9-3) won their first NCAA Division II postseason game Saturday, stopping Minnesota State, 27-16. This was also the first time Ashland hosted a playoff game. It was the school's fourth trip to the postseason and the second year in a row AU received a postseason invite. The Eagles went ahead to stay, 20-16, when junior quarterback Billy Cundiff (Uniontown, OH/Connecticut) connected with wide receiver Joe Horn (Waynesfield, OH/Waynesfield-Goshen) on a 66-yard scoring pass with 11:56 left in regulation. Horn, a redshirt sophomore, had four catches for 113 yards. On the year, he's caught 65 passes for 1,047 yards. Redshirt junior wide receiver Nick Bellanco has 69 catches for 1,070 yards. This is the first time AU has had two receivers with over 1,000 yards in a season. Bellanco needs four catches to break Mike Hull's school single-season mark for receptions (72)...Saturday's playoff game was played in rain, snow and winds that gusted to 25 miles per hour. Neither team could effectively throw the ball. Ashland had 142 yards in the air and the Mavericks (9-3) had 78 passing yards. Both teams turned the ball over twice...true freshman running back D'Marris McCoy (Cleveland, OH/Collinwood) had 93 yards on 25 carries and scored twice, once on a 7-yard run and on a 3-yard pass from Cundiff. Cundiff has 36 touchdown passes this season to go with just eight interceptions...AU will play at Grand Valley State on Saturday. The teams played earlier this season at GVSU and the Lakers won, 48-42. Ashland has won three consecutive games since then. AU and Grand Valley State have never met in a postseason game. In the first meeting, the Eagles had a 36-21 lead with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter. Cundiff was 28-of-44 passing for 358 yards and four touchdowns. Horn caught 12 passes for 183 yards and two scores. Another wideout, senior Johnny Long (Cincinnati, OH/Akron), had eight receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns...AU's last victory at Grand Valley State came in 1992, 27-10. The Eagles' last win over the Lakers was in Ashland in 1993, 29-14.