CALEDONIA, Mich. - It was a tough day at the office for the Davenport football team as they lost 31-6 against Ashland to fall to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC. The Eagles showed why they were ranked ninth nationally in total defense entering the game as they held DU to a season-low 149 total yards in the contest. Davenport hung tough in the physical battle but the Eagles ground game started to wear down the Panthers in the second half. Ashland rushed for 191 yards which surpassed the 88.5 yards per game allowed by DU entering the game. The Eagles used a couple of time-consuming drives that resulted in 10 points in the second half to increase a lead that Davenport could not chip into.

Ashland took their second possession of the game and drove 44 yards in four plays as quarterback Austin Brenner eluded pressure and scampered 23 yards for a touchdown as he dove across the goal line with 7:01 left in the first quarter. Davenport answered on their next drive. DU drove 82 yards in five plays as Haiden Majewski completed a 35-yard pass to Daronte Powers to get the ball into Ashland territory at the 37-yard line. Majewski then kept it himself on a read option play and ran 30 yards down the middle of the field to the end zone with 4:43 left in the opening quarter. Chris Ahmed's PAT attempt however was no good and it was 7-6.

The Ashland defense made the next big play as Davenport took over at their own 27 with 3:31 left in the first quarter. Majewski was sacked for a loss of six yards and then on 2nd-and-16 from the 21-yard line, Michael Catching was hit by Tristan Reichelderfer and fumbled at the 20. The ball was batted around and eventually ended up in the end zone where Clay Shreve recovered for the touchdown and a 14-6 lead. The second quarter featured tough defense across the board as Davenport gained just five yards while the Eagles gained 19. Both teams combined to go 0-for-6 on third down in the quarter.

The Davenport offense could not get on track but got a great chance after a forced fumble on the first play of the third quarter. Brenner coughed it up after a hit by Kye Black and then Brian Williams recovered at the AU 35. Two run plays yielded five yards but then incompletions on the next two plays led to a turnover on downs. Ashland put together a drive of 12 plays covering 78 yards in 7:01 and carried the ball all 12 times as Luke Ogi rushed 15 yards to the end zone with 4:06 left in the third quarter for a 21-6 lead. The comeback wasn't meant to be on this day as DU got the next drive to the Ashland 35, but it stalled on the eighth play with an incomplete pass on 4th-and-7.

Ashland took a drive into the fourth quarter which lasted 6:35 and covered 54 yards in 15 plays that resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Satchel Denton. Billy Bahl took over at quarterback after Brenner took a shot in the shoulder in the third quarter and led the team into the red zone before the field goal made it 24-6. Blake Daniels entered the game at quarterback for the Panthers but was sacked on 3rd-and-3 at the DU 31. Bahl came out firing with a deep pass to Stanley Jackson Jr. that covered 53 yards to the DU 9. Ronald Lee then carried over right end for nine yards and just reached the ball over the goal line with 7:25 left in the game. AU led 31-6 and Davenport could not cross midfield in their final two drives.

Ashland recorded six sacks for a loss of 35 yards as Reichelderfer recorded 1.5 of those and led the team with eight tackles. C.J. Thornton and Kye Black led DU with nine tackles. Williams finished with eight solo tackles, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and his 12th career interception.