The sixth consecutive win for Ashland University's football team has moved it into the No. 17 spot in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll on Monday (Oct. 27) afternoon – the Eagles' highest slotting since being No. 12 in the 2023 preseason.
 
Ashland is 7-1 overall and 6-0 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference – tied for first place in the league with Findlay. The Eagles will play the first of three consecutive games at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field to finish the regular season on Saturday (Nov. 1) at 1 p.m. vs. Walsh (6-2, 4-2) – in their Youth Day and Morgan's Message game.
 
As a team, the Eagles are tied for first in D-II in blocked kicks with seven and in sacks with 33, and also are in the top 10 in the nation in rushing defense (third, 50.8 ypg.), total defense (fourth, 235.8 ypg.), third-down conversion percentage defense (fifth, 26.7), blocked punts (tied for fifth, three), first downs allowed on defense (fifth, 114), fourth-down conversion percentage (tied for 10^th, 75.0), passes intercepted (tied for 10^th, 11), and scoring defense (10^th, 14.9 ppg.).
 
Individually, senior defensive end Michael Shimek is second in the country with 11½ sacks and has the third-most blocked kicks in D-II (two), while redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe is tied for second in D-II in field-goal percentage at 91.7 (11-for-12).
 
2025 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL AFCA COACHES POLL RANKINGS: No. T-24 (preseason), No. 23 (Sept. 2), No. 20 (Sept. 8), No. T-24 (Oct. 6), No. 22 (Oct. 13), No. 20 (Oct. 20), No. 17 (Oct. 27).