By EVAN MEYER
AKRON, OHIO – The Akron Zips defeated Kent State 24-14 Tuesday evening at InfoCision Stadium, nailing down the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division title for the first time since 2005.
Akron (7-5, 6-2 MAC) also retained possession of the Wagon Wheel Trophy for a third consecutive season and now awaits the outcomes of some Friday MAC games. Those tilts will sort out who UA meets in the 2017 Marathon MAC Championship Game on Saturday December 2nd in Detroit.
The West race is . . .
AKRON, OHIO – The Akron Zips defeated Kent State 24-14 Tuesday evening at InfoCision Stadium, nailing down the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division title for the first time since 2005.
Akron (7-5, 6-2 MAC) also retained possession of the Wagon Wheel Trophy for a third consecutive season and now awaits the outcomes of some Friday MAC games. Those tilts will sort out who UA meets in the 2017 Marathon MAC Championship Game on Saturday December 2nd in Detroit.
The West race is . . .
. . . down to a pair of teams – preseason favorite Toledo and Northern Illinois.
Toledo cam clinch the Western Division title for the first time since 2004) if the Rockets defeat Western Michigan Friday afternoon at home. NIU, on the other hand, needs to defeat Central Michigan Friday AND get help with a Toledo loss to Western Michigan.
Toledo cam clinch the Western Division title for the first time since 2004) if the Rockets defeat Western Michigan Friday afternoon at home. NIU, on the other hand, needs to defeat Central Michigan Friday AND get help with a Toledo loss to Western Michigan.
INCONSISTENT OFFENSES
Tuesday’s Kent State-Akron game was far from a thing of beauty as both teams struggled to gain consistency on offense.
The game was decided late in the second quarter, with Akron leading just 10-7 and driving. QB Cato Nelson’s pass intended for Austin Wolf in the end zone was incomplete. However, KSU’s Jamal Parker was called for pass interference and the ball was placed on the Flashes 2.
Head coach Paul Haynes was incensed by the call drew a misconduct penalty. That moved the ball a yard closer and Manny Morgan covered that, taking a direct snap in for a score that moved the hosts in front by a 17-7 count.
STRIP AND SCORE
On Kent State’s first play after the kickoff, junior linebacker Ulysses Gilbert stripped the ball from freshman RB Kesean Gamble and returned the ball 31 yards for another touchdown to make the score 24-7 at halftime. Gilbert led the Zips defense with 14 tackles (six solo). That total included six solo stops, as well as three tackles for loss and a sack.
Early on, it appeared the home standing Zips would make easy work of the Flashes as they took the opening kickoff 75 yards in seven plays.
Redshirt freshman QB Cato Nelson completed the trip with a 25-yard touchdown toss to TE Kobie Booker, who took a pass in the flat and went down the left sideline for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
NOT SO EASY
Completions, however, would get tougher as the night continued. Nelson connected on just 6-of-20 passes for 69 yards.
UA extended its lead to 10-0 later in the period when Nick Gasser hit a 45-yard field goal.
In the opening stanza, UA gained 108 total yards. The Zips would gain just 82 yards for the remainder of the game and 191 total.
KSU got on the board in the second quarter when senior Demetrius Monday intercepted Nelson and returned the ball to the Zips 25.
Junior QB George Bollas then used just three plays to give KSU it first touchdown of the evening as sophomore RB Justin Rankin ran off the right side and into the end zone to make the score 10-7.
When the second half began, Akron got a big break when Bollas was intercepted by Denzel Butler on the third play of the period. However, the offense could not convert the theft into points. Bollas finished the night completing just 4-of-13 passes for only 44 yards and a pair of interceptions
CHANGE AT QB
On KSU’s next possession, true freshman Dustin Crum came in at quarterback. Late in the third quarter, Crum guided the Flashes 86 yards in 12 plays for their second and final touchdown. The score came on a 1-yard toss from Rankin, who took the direct snap and passed to sophomore TE Chalfonte Butler to make it 24-14.
Akron’s defense kept the Flashes at bay after that, and the offense finished things by grinding out five first downs that helped eat up over five minutes of clock. It was UA’s most sustained march since the opening touchdown drive and nailed down UA’s third Eastern Division title in their history.
Five years ago, Terry Bowden was hired to change the culture at UA, as well bring winning football. The East title is one dividend on that investment.
Tuesday’s Kent State-Akron game was far from a thing of beauty as both teams struggled to gain consistency on offense.
The game was decided late in the second quarter, with Akron leading just 10-7 and driving. QB Cato Nelson’s pass intended for Austin Wolf in the end zone was incomplete. However, KSU’s Jamal Parker was called for pass interference and the ball was placed on the Flashes 2.
Head coach Paul Haynes was incensed by the call drew a misconduct penalty. That moved the ball a yard closer and Manny Morgan covered that, taking a direct snap in for a score that moved the hosts in front by a 17-7 count.
STRIP AND SCORE
On Kent State’s first play after the kickoff, junior linebacker Ulysses Gilbert stripped the ball from freshman RB Kesean Gamble and returned the ball 31 yards for another touchdown to make the score 24-7 at halftime. Gilbert led the Zips defense with 14 tackles (six solo). That total included six solo stops, as well as three tackles for loss and a sack.
Early on, it appeared the home standing Zips would make easy work of the Flashes as they took the opening kickoff 75 yards in seven plays.
Redshirt freshman QB Cato Nelson completed the trip with a 25-yard touchdown toss to TE Kobie Booker, who took a pass in the flat and went down the left sideline for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
NOT SO EASY
Completions, however, would get tougher as the night continued. Nelson connected on just 6-of-20 passes for 69 yards.
UA extended its lead to 10-0 later in the period when Nick Gasser hit a 45-yard field goal.
In the opening stanza, UA gained 108 total yards. The Zips would gain just 82 yards for the remainder of the game and 191 total.
KSU got on the board in the second quarter when senior Demetrius Monday intercepted Nelson and returned the ball to the Zips 25.
Junior QB George Bollas then used just three plays to give KSU it first touchdown of the evening as sophomore RB Justin Rankin ran off the right side and into the end zone to make the score 10-7.
When the second half began, Akron got a big break when Bollas was intercepted by Denzel Butler on the third play of the period. However, the offense could not convert the theft into points. Bollas finished the night completing just 4-of-13 passes for only 44 yards and a pair of interceptions
CHANGE AT QB
On KSU’s next possession, true freshman Dustin Crum came in at quarterback. Late in the third quarter, Crum guided the Flashes 86 yards in 12 plays for their second and final touchdown. The score came on a 1-yard toss from Rankin, who took the direct snap and passed to sophomore TE Chalfonte Butler to make it 24-14.
Akron’s defense kept the Flashes at bay after that, and the offense finished things by grinding out five first downs that helped eat up over five minutes of clock. It was UA’s most sustained march since the opening touchdown drive and nailed down UA’s third Eastern Division title in their history.
Five years ago, Terry Bowden was hired to change the culture at UA, as well bring winning football. The East title is one dividend on that investment.
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