Saturday at 11am the Ashland University Eagles will kickoff their first home playoff game since 2008 when they host West Texas A and M at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field in Ashland.  Going 11-0 during the regular season earned the Eagles a first round bye in the NCAA Division II football playoffs.  While the Eagles were idle last Saturday, West Texas A and M stopped Chadron State 38-30 after trailing 14-0 early in the first quarter.

On the Buffaloes, head coach Lee Owens says they are like a track team in football uniforms, with 30 Division I transfers many from Texas, Texas A and M and Texas Tech.  Like Eagle quarterback Taylor Housewright, WTAMU quarterback Dustin Vaughn is also up for the Harlon Hill trophy, which is given to the MVP of Division II college football.  Vaughn 6' 5" 220lbs, has thrown for 3,821 yards and 37 touchdowns.  In the backfield with him is 6' 220lb running back Khiry Robinson who has run for 1,250 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Vaughn's favorite target when he goes to the air is 6'1" 190lb Torrence Allen who has hauled in 61 passes for 1,108 yards with nine touchdowns.  The Buffalo offense has averaged nearly 488 yards a contest.  One of the reasons for that is three seniors up front on the offensive line with the biggest being Manase Foketi at 6'5" 320lbs.

The 10-2 mark for West Texas A and M marks the first time since 2008 the Buffaloes have won ten games in a season.  It will also be the team's second straight road game in the playoffs.  While the Eagles come in as champs of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, WTAMU comes in as champs of the Lone Star Conference.  If Ashland wins on Saturday and Indianapolis defeats Colorado State-Pueblo, then the Eagles would host the Greyhounds next week.  But if AU wins and CSUP comes out on top, then Ashland U. will be packing and heading out west to Colorado.  But for any of that to happen AU must take care of business at home on Saturday.  The longest Eagle winning streak in football in school history is 14 straight wins, eleven straight in 1972 and the first three games in 1973 before a 24-7 loss to Wittenberg in week four of that season ended the run.