Since members from the sport reporting class had been assigned to cover Saturday’s football game against No. 5 Wayne State and spots to call the game for 88.9 WRDL on the radio had been filled, I had a chance to experience something I am rarely able to.

I watched Saturday’s football game as a member of the student section. It was awesome.

I painted my chest. I helped lead some cheers and chants. I screamed until I was sure I would not be able to talk the next morning (I was right).

During the second half, WRDL sports producer Kevin Stoicovy and I ran along the bleachers encouraging fans to get out of their seats on several key drives.

Maybe it’s just me, but in a 7-0 game where it seemed like Ashland’s defense had to dig deep on every single play, the Eagles needed that kind of support.

Saturday night, they got it. Eagle Nation was real, and it was loud.

I heard a student section behind me belting out cheer after cheer. I saw Jack Miller Stadium packed with 4,620 fans, young and old, screaming their heads off during one of the biggest regular season victories in school history.

How often do you see a kicker miss a 20-yard field goal off the upright?

Call me crazy, but we caused that. Coming off the bus from Detroit, kicker Stef Terleckyj must have been too busy trying to figure out where amongst the cornfields we all came from to adequately put boot to ball.

Either that, or he was worried that one of Ashland’s defenders was going to come rip his head off. That is one angry group.

What a performance by Cody freaking Bloom! 16 tackles in game where there were only 47 (WSU rushed 37 times and completed 10 passes) tackles to be had, are you kidding me? Are we sure there weren’t two No. 50s out there?

Who wants to run into Jamie Meder behind the center for the arts at night? Not me.

And that secondary! Eric Schwieterman jumped straight out of Wayne State quarterback Mickey Moehner’s nightmares about last year’s game to intercept another one of his passes, and Brian Gamble’s name is going to come up in therapy for both Mohner and Indy’s quarterback Chris Mills.

The Eagles gave up just 76 rushing yards on 37 attempts to a team that rode its ground attack all the way to the national championship game last year.

Take nothing away from the offense, either. Taylor Housewright was 19-31 for 181 yards and a touchdown and he punted five times, twice landing the ball inside WSU’s 20-yard line.

The Eagles’ three-headed monster of Anthony Taylor, Jordan McCune and Steven Nagy (106 yards on 34 carries) combined to outgain the Warriors.

Nothing spectacular, but it was enough. It was an all-around gutsy team performance by everyone in purple and gold. Head coach Lee Owens was beaming as his team belted out the fight song in front of the student section, which (get this!) was still there after the game.

We may not all have been able to sing along, but how many people actually have their school’s fight song memorized?

For reference, here are the words to ours, “The Battle Song”:

“A-S-H-L-A-N-D Ashland University

Up on the hill above the town

seen for miles around.

Mighty spirits pounding, while the chapel bell is sounding

out the strains of victory’s cheer

that we love so dear

Come on boys and fight fight fight for Ashland!”

(Note: How about getting the words up on the scoreboard like Ohio State does with its alma mater, “Carmen Ohio,” so the entire crowd can sing along if they please?)

After the game, I stood on top of the front row of the bleachers and watched the thousands of fans file out. I could have been blinded by pride in my school at that point, but it sure looked like just about every one of those fans had been emotionally invested in the game.

More than one stranger commended my friends and I for painting our chests. As fun as that game would have been to cover from the press box, I am so glad that I got the chance to experience it as a fan.

Unfortunately, that will probably be the last time it happens. I want to be able to provide Eagle Nation with the best possible coverage of this team the rest of the season. I can only do that from inside the press box with a neutral view of the action—it’s easier to separate yourself than you might think.

But man, was it fun to engross myself in a frenzied Ashland crowd for once. I just hope these kinds of performances continue: both from the players and the fans.