InfoCision Stadium – Akron, OH
ESPN+
By EVAN MEYER
Win or lose this weekend, the Kent State Golden Flashes will still be playing Miami a week later with a ticket to the MAC Championship game on the line. Nonetheless, KSU could wrap up bowl elgibility with a win at Akron Saturday.
Besides, this is a battle for the Wagon Wheel trophy, and the intense rivals pretty much need only see each other to reach another level of competitive fire.
Akron is riding a four-game losing streak and has just two wins on the campaign. However, the last two setbacks were One -score losses (six and five points). Kent State, which has one road win to its credit, had won two-straight before falling at Central Michigan Nov. 10.
THE UA- KSU SERIES: Saturday afternoon’s game will be the 64th lifetime meeting between the two schools, with the Zips holding a 35-26-2 edge. Kent State won the last two games in the series, including last year at Dix Stadium, 69-35.
Saturday's game will be the 38th meeting in the Rubber City, with UA holding a 25-10-2 advantage. It is the seventh to be played at InfoCision Stadium, where the Zips hold a 4-2 edge.
The game is also the 50th battle for the Wagon Wheel Trophy. UA and KSU first battled for the trophy in 1946. In recent years, the winning team will take possession of the wheel in the end zone. KSU has a narrow lead 25-24-1 thanks to winning the last two games in the series.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES (5-5, 4-2):
>> KSU was in last action on Wednesday night, traveling up to Central Michigan and losing to the Chippewas 54-30, ending a two-game winning streak.
>> The loss dropped Kent State into a first-place tie with Miami going into this week’s action. The two teams will finish the regular season on November 27th at Dix Stadium.
>> KSU started the CMU game strong, opening a 14-0 first quarter lead on the strength of a 37-yard touchdown pass from QB Dustin Crum to WR Kris Leach and a two-yard score by RB Marquez Cooper.
>> CMU took control of the game in the second quarter scoring 26 unanswered points to take a lead it would not relinquish. In fact, the Chippewas scored touchdowns on seven straight possessions from the end of the first quarter to the end of the third.
>> KSU did close the margin to 10-points at the end of the third quarter, 40-30, on Cooper’s second rushing touchdown of the game (from one-yard out). However, the home team put the game out of reach in the fourth period with a pair of touchdowns.
>> Cooper led KSU rushers with 83 yards on 21 carries along with his two scores.
>> Crum was 28-of-38 passing for 322 yards and two touchdowns, completing passes to eight different receivers.
>> WR Nykeim Johnson had six catches for 50 yards to lead the receiver.
>> The Kent State defense was led by Nico Bolden, who had 12 total tackles (three solo). He was one of three KSU players to register 10 or more tackles in the game
>> The KSU offense is averaging 31.5 points and leads the MAC with 474.2 ypg.
>> The TD pass from Crum to Leach marked the fifth time in the last six games the Flashes have scored on their initial possession and the eighth time in 2021.
>> Also, the offense has registered a three-and-out only three times so far this season.
>> Cooper has 814 yards on 162 carries with nine touchdowns. He needs 186 yards to become the first Golden Flash 1,000-yard rusher since Dri Archer in 2012 (1,482).
>> The rushing attack is also number one in the conference, averaging 225.5 yards per game.
>> Cephas leads the receivers with 907 yards on 60 receptions with a touchdown. His 100 yards and a touchdown against CMU marked the fourth time in the last five games he has made 100 or more receiving yards in a game and needs just 93 yards to become the first KSU receiver with 1,000 receiving yards since Eugene Bolden since 1997 (1,549 yards).
>> Crum’s 2021 numbers are impressive. He is completing 64.2 percent of his passes (185-of-288) for 2,414 yards with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions (the last came midway through the third quarter of the season opener at Texas A&M).
>> His 322 passing yards against CMU marked the fourth time this season he has reached that mark. Dustin has thrown at least one touchdown pass in five straight games and in eight of the 10 this season. He has also rushed for 446 yards and eight touchdowns.
With two games remaining in the regular season, Crum is within range of the KSU single-season yardage mark set by Colin Reardon in 2014 2,466 yards).
>. Crum also has 517 completions -- fourth on the all-time list -- and his 6,625 passing yards is fourth all-time, as well.
>> The defense is allowing 36.8 points and 496.3 yards. In their last two games (against Northern Illinois & CMU) the Flashes have allowed a total of 101 points and 1,168 yards).
>> DB Dean Clark leads in total tackles with 75 (53 solo)
>> LB AJ Musolino leads in sacks with three and in tackles for losses with 9 ½.
>> DB Elvis Hines, DB Montre Miller, and Keith Sherald Jr each have three interceptions (tied for first in the MAC).
>> Head Coach Sean Lewis is 2-1 lifetime against Akron.
NEXT: The Flashes close out the 2021 regular season on Saturday November 27th against Miami at Dix Stadium. MU comes into this week’s action at 5-2 in the Eastern Division and 6-5 overall.
>> The Zips played their first game under interim head coach Oscar Rodriguez Jr. last Tuesday night at Western Michigan. The Zips came back from a 31-10 deficit to take a 30-28 late lead late in the fourth quarter, only to see the Broncos score the winning touchdown with one minute to play to grab a 45-40 victory.
>> UA scored on its first possession when QB Zach Gibson connected with WR Konata Mumpfield on a seven-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead. WMU then scored 26 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 31-14 lead at halftime.
>> The Zips rally included a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Michael Mathison, as well as a 24-yard interception return by Zach Morton to get within striking range. PK Cory Smigel kicked a 39-yard field goal to give the Zips a 40-38 lead.
>> After the Broncos touchdown, Akron got the ball back on its own 32-yard line with 1:00 remaining. The Zips got a first down and moved to the WMU 28. On the last play of the game, Gibson threw a hail-Mary pass into end zone, but it was incomplete.
>> RB Jonzell Norrils led the ground game with 58 yards on 15 carries. He tops the Zips in rushing with 431 yards and two touchdowns over 88 carries.
>> Gibson was 26-of-40 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the scores went to Mumpfield, who had 11 catches for 122 yards.
>> The defense recorded a sack and an interception (the pick-six by Morton).
>> LB Jeslord Boateng (eight solo) and DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell (three solo) led with nine total tackles each.
>> The WMU game marked the first time the Zips had a touchdown by all three units -- offensively, defensively, and on special teams -- since September 17, 2016 in a win at Marshall.
>> In their ten games in 2021, the Zips offensively is averaging 22.4 points and 352.3 yards. The first score (the Gibson to Mumpfield TD pass) was just the third time this season the offense scored on their first possession of the game.
>> Mumpfield leads the receivers with 57 catches for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. He is among the top freshmen receivers in the FBS in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
>> Mumpfield’s 122 receiving yards against the Broncos was the third time in 2021 he has recorded over 100 receiving yards in a game. In addition, he has scored a touchdown in six games this season, including a five-game stretch with at least one earlier in the season).
In addition, his 57 receptions are tied for 10th on the Zips all-time single season list and his 684 yards are the most since Jerome Lane in 2016 (1,018 yards on 62 catches and six touchdowns).
>> Since entering the Bowling Green game at the start of the second half, (a total of 11 quarters), Zach Gibson has completed 95-of-136 passes (69.9 percent) for 1,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
During the stretch, Gibson has passed for over 300 yards twice, including the 305 yards against WMU.
>> The UA defense has allowed 38.7 points and 352.3 yards.
>> Boateng leads Akron defenders with 77 total tackles (37 solo). He also leads in tackles for losses with four and has recorded 1 ½ quarterback sacks.
>> Zach Morton’s interception was the defense's sixth this season. The return for a touchdown was the first since John Lako’s 64-yarder against Miami on November 20, 2019.
NEXT: The Zips will have their Thanksgiving dinner before heading to Toledo to complete the 2021 season with a battle against the Rockets at the Glass Bowl.
UT comes into this week’s MACTION with a 6-5 overall record and is 4-3 in MAC play.