Thanks to a fourth consecutive win, Ashland University's football team has moved up to No. 22 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll, released on Monday (Oct. 13) afternoon.
 
The Eagles are 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (tied for first place with Findlay) after a 38-14 victory over Thomas More in the 101^st Homecoming game on Saturday (Oct. 11) afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field.
 
On Saturday (Oct. 18) at noon, the Eagles will go back on the road to take on Ohio Dominican (3-2, 2-2).
 
Ashland is first in NCAA Division II in sacks per game (4.50), and also in the top 10 in D-II as a team in total defense (second, 207.0 ypg.), blocked kicks (tied for third, five), team passing efficiency defense (fourth, 92.32), rushing defense (fourth, 60.8 ypg.), third-down conversion percentage defense (fourth, 24.1), fourth-down conversion percentage (tied for fourth, 83.3), first downs allowed (fifth, 82), blocked punts (tied for seventh, two), fourth-down conversion percentage defense (eighth, 22.2), scoring defense (ninth, 13.0 ppg.), and passes intercepted (tied for ninth, 10).
 
Individually, senior defensive end Michael Shimek is second in the nation with eight sacks, and redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe is tied for seventh in field-goal percentage (87.5, 7-for-8).
 
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).