Box score

INDIANAPOLIS- Pat Curran's interception in the endzone in game's closing seconds lifted visiting Ashland to a 44-37 win at host Indianapolis Saturday night at Kiesel Field at Key Stadium.  The shootout affair featured 978 yards of combined total offense, but it was the game's lone turnover that proved to be the difference.

The UIndy (4-6, 3-6 GLIAC) offense continued its recent roll, scoring on each of its first three possessions.  After Jenkins scored from six yards out to open the scoring, Ashland (7-3, 7-2) countered with a field goal.  Deontrai Campbell then marched in from 11 yards out on third down to stake the Hounds to a 14-3 lead.  That drive was sustained with the help of a pair of roughing the kicker penalties on UIndy punt attempts.

The Greyhound defense held the Eagles to a field goal and UIndy responded with three points of its own to regain an 11-point advantage.

AU then scored a touchdown to close within four and forced the first punt of the opening half to get the ball back with just over a minute remaining.  Eagle quarterback Billy Cundiff found Joe Horn for 43 yards on the first play and the drive was later capped with with a 16-yard strike to the back of the endzone to Christian Livingston to give Ashland its first lead.  At the half, UIndy owned a six-minute advantage in time of possession, but the quick strike Eagle offense racked-up 263 yards, including 209 in the air to take the 20-17 lead.

Coming out of the locker room, the Greyhounds forced a quick three-and-out while the offense went to work to regain the lead.  They would do so just five plays later when Tyran Fakes broke free wide open downfield and Lasker found him for a 58-yard touchdown and UIndy held a 24-20 advantage.

The see-saw battle continued with AU wrestling the lead back on the ensuing possession with an eight-play drive ending in a D'Marris McCoy rush for eight yards and a 27-24 Eagle lead.  Not to be outdone, the Hounds moved back in front on Lasker's four-yard TD run as the defenses searched for an answer to each team's potent scoring attack.

AU wasted little time getting back in front, needing just five plays to grab a 33-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.  They tacked-on another field goal to grab their biggest lead at 36-31.

From there, UIndy went back to Jenkins, who came into the game needing just 88 yards rushing to break his own school record for rushing yards in a season.  He would get it on a gutsy run up-the-middle, dragging several defenders for more yardage.  The money play of the drive came later when Jenkins took a swing pass from Lasker and scooted through the Eagle defense for 29 yards and a 37-36 UIndy lead.  The two-point conversion failed and UIndy clung to a slim one-point advantage.

The Eagles scored on a catch-and-run to Nick Bellanco and added a two-point conversion to bounce out to a 44-37 margin in a crazy display of offense.  Despite their precision, Ashland left UIndy 1:19 to get the equalizing score.  After Ryan Forney advanced the kickoff to the Hounds' 39, Lasker escaped an arm tackle and hit Campbell for 10 yards and a fresh set of downs.  Stephen Geller made a diving grab at the AU 34.  Lasker clocked the ball and then ran for 17 yards and out of bounds to stop the clock with under 30 seconds to play and two timeouts remaining.  The Greyhounds drove all the way to the Ashland 13, but Pat Curran picked-off a pass near the endzone to seal the win for the visitors.

Cundiff was an impressive 35-for-45 for 418 yards passing and four touchdowns.  Lasker had his best performance of the season statistically, throwing for a career-high 247 yards on 20-of-35 passing with two scores and an interception.  He added 21 yards on six carries, including a TD rush, his sixth of the season.

Jenkins finished the night with 91 yards on 22 carries and found the endzone twice (one rushing, one receiving).  Campbell had 67 yards rushing on just seven carries and had a rushing touchdown as well.

Aaron Ruth and Leonard Bush each had a dozen total tackles and Mike Dum added 11 stops for the Indianapolis defense. 

UIndy closes-out the 2008 next Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. tilt against Northern Michigan at Key Stadium.