Ashford's punt return TD huge
By JON STYF
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jstyf@daily-chronicle.com
For more NIU coverage, visit HuskieWire.com
OXFORD, Ohio – It took one punt on Saturday afternoon before the Northern Illinois football team went to Plan B: two punt returners.
Miami (Ohio) already knew how dangerous Tommy Davis is from the game film against Western Michigan, when Davis returned a punt 97 yards for a touchdown that was called back for holding.
They soon found out that fellow freshman Perez Ashford was dangerous too.
Ashford fielded a punt that was directed away from Davis and promptly returned it for a 44-yard first quarter touchdown, the Huskies’ (4-3, 2-1 MAC) first punt return touchdown since 2005.
“I didn’t expect it to go to me,” Ashford said. “The blockers were set up nice and it was a wide hole. All I had to do was just run through it.”
That response surprised NIU coach Jerry Kill when Ashford explained it at the postgame press conference.
“That’s pretty good,” Kill said. “I think that’s the most I’ve heard you talk and I’ve been with you a long time. I’m impressed Perez.”
The quiet freshman hadn’t even expected to get in the game as a returner on Saturday.
He left with his own place in the school’s record books.
Not to be outdone, however, Davis promptly returned the next punt 42 yards to the Miami 11-yard line with Ashford at his side.
The two punt returns turned into 10 important points for NIU.
“We don’t win the game if we don’t get them,” Kill said.
The duel punt returners is nothing new for Kill and his staff. They practiced it plenty this week after seeing that Miami punter Chris DiCesare likes to angle the ball around.
And they were ready after the RedHawks kicked away from Davis to start the game.
“We’ve done that before when you have a punter that punts it in different places,” Kill said. “It makes it tough on you and you don’t want to lose field position.”
They gained more than field position with the adjustment.
They also gained a victory.
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