MADISON, Wis. – The Akron Zips made some big plays on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, but they couldn't stop the No. 10/16 ranked Wisconsin Badgers from recording their 36th-consecutive non-conference home win by a score of 54-10 in front of 77,331 fans.
Senior WR JoJo Natson, Jr. and sophomore PK Tom O'Leary did the scoring for the Zips. Natson put the Zips on the scoreboard first with . . .
Senior WR JoJo Natson, Jr. and sophomore PK Tom O'Leary did the scoring for the Zips. Natson put the Zips on the scoreboard first with . . .
. . . a 55-yard punt return, the first TD punt return for the Zips since 2004 when Domenik Hixon went 85-yards against Ball State. O'Leary connected with the PAT and added a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. It was O'Leary's first career made field goal.
The Zips (1-1) generated 224 yards of total offense with 136 yards in the air and 88 yards on the ground. Junior QB Thomas Woodson recorded 108 yards passing, including two long strikes of 35 yards to Natson and 27 yards to junior wide receiver Jerome Lane.
Natson finished with a team-best 44 yards receiving on three attempts, while Lane registered 43 yards on three catches. Junior QB Tra'Von Chapman added 28 yards in the air, completing 5-of-6 passes.
On the ground, senior RB Warren Ball averaged 10.1 yards per carry, rushing for 71 yards on seven attempts with a 38-yard long run. Junior RB Manny Morgan followed with 25 yards on three carries and an 11-yard long run.
Defensively, the Zips recorded 90 tackles, including 52 solo, 38 assisted, five for a loss and one sack. Junior SZach Guiser led Akron with eight tackles, while seven players tied at six apiece. Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert III recorded the Zips' lone sack for a six-yard loss, while senior LB John Rachal led the squad with 1.5 tackles for two-yards of loss.
The Badgers (2-0) controlled the time of possession 40:52 to 19:08, generating 586 yards of total offense with 294 on the ground and 292 in the air.
Badgers QB Bart Houston complete 15-of-22 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, targeting WR Jazz Peavy seven times for 100 yards and both TD's. Robert Wheelwright was also a prime target, completing four catches for 99 yards, while FB Alec Ingold caught one touchdown from QB Alex Hornibrook.
Three running backs carried the load for Wisconsin as Corey Clement scored two touchdowns on 21 carries for 111 yards. UW's Bradwick Shaw finished with 74 yards on nine carries with a touchdown, while Taiwan Deal and Peavy had 58 and 23 yards on the ground, respectively.
The Badgers elected to receive the kickoff and opened the game with a 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, lasting 6:48 and ending with a Clement touchdown. The drive started on their own 17 yard line when Clement gained back-to-back first downs on 13- and 11-yard carries. Wisconsin kept the ground attack alive, marching across midfield and eventually scampering across the goal line for the early 7-0 advantage.
On the ensuing kickoff, Akron's Van Edwards, Jr. gained 29 yards on the return, taking the ball to the 36-yard line. The Zips' drive was stalled by an aggressive Badger defense, forcing UA to punt.
The Zips ended the Badgers second drive with a strong defensive goal line performance. After a 47-yard pass that led Wisconsin into Akron territory at the seven-yard line, Akron's defense held their ground. The Zips stopped a pair of 3-yard runs and pushed the Badgers back from the one-yard line to the to the two-yard line on fourth down. UA's DB Larry Hope recorded two tackles while and DL Se'Von Pittman and LB Rachal each had one.
After the stop Akron regained possession at the two-yard line. However, the Badgers defense recorded a sack, resulting in a safety for a 9-0 advantage with 2:28 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Badgers finished an eight-play, 53-yard drive for Clement's second touchdown of the day after two plays from the Akron four-yard line.
The Akron defense came up big again on Wisconsin's second drive of the quarter when UA broke up a pass play, forcing the badgers to punt. The Zips regained possession on their own 10-yard line. Ball broke through the Badgers line, picking up Akron's initial first down of the day with a 13-yard gain. Ball broke through the line again, picking up 38 yards before being stripped at the Wisconsin 30-yard line, the Badgers regained the fumble at their own 18-yard line and were stopped at the 27-yard line.
After the fumble, Wisconsin marched into Akron territory and completed a nine-play, 73-yard drive with a 13-yard pass from UW quarterback Bart Houston to Jazz Peavy for a 23-0 score with 4:58 remaining in the half.
Akron started the next drive from the 35-yard line as Wisconsin, and Woodson connected with Lane for a 27-yard completion to the Wisconsin 38-yard line. Unfortunately, the ensuing play was intercepted at the Wisconsin nine-yard line.
Akron's defense came up big again, forcing the Badgers to punt. Akron cut into the deficit when Natson received the punt and took it 55-yards to the house for a Zips' touchdown with 3:07 left in the half, 23-7.
Wisconsin responded with a three-play, 67-yard scoring drive, ending with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Houston to Peavy.
Woodson found Natson on the sideline for a 34-yard completion to the Wisconsin 41-yard line, and back-to-back pass interference violations on Wisconsin gave the Zips a first and goal from the seven-yard line. An offensive pass interference pushed the Zips back to the 22-yard line. With 20 seconds remaining in the half, the Zips lined up for a 32-yard field goal. O'Leary split the uprights with time expiring for a 30-10 halftime deficit.
In the second half, the Badgers scored 24 unanswered points.
Akron travel to Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 16 for a Noon game. The CBS Sports Network will televise the game live.
(Courtesy of UA Athletics)
Natson finished with a team-best 44 yards receiving on three attempts, while Lane registered 43 yards on three catches. Junior QB Tra'Von Chapman added 28 yards in the air, completing 5-of-6 passes.
On the ground, senior RB Warren Ball averaged 10.1 yards per carry, rushing for 71 yards on seven attempts with a 38-yard long run. Junior RB Manny Morgan followed with 25 yards on three carries and an 11-yard long run.
Defensively, the Zips recorded 90 tackles, including 52 solo, 38 assisted, five for a loss and one sack. Junior SZach Guiser led Akron with eight tackles, while seven players tied at six apiece. Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert III recorded the Zips' lone sack for a six-yard loss, while senior LB John Rachal led the squad with 1.5 tackles for two-yards of loss.
The Badgers (2-0) controlled the time of possession 40:52 to 19:08, generating 586 yards of total offense with 294 on the ground and 292 in the air.
Badgers QB Bart Houston complete 15-of-22 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, targeting WR Jazz Peavy seven times for 100 yards and both TD's. Robert Wheelwright was also a prime target, completing four catches for 99 yards, while FB Alec Ingold caught one touchdown from QB Alex Hornibrook.
Three running backs carried the load for Wisconsin as Corey Clement scored two touchdowns on 21 carries for 111 yards. UW's Bradwick Shaw finished with 74 yards on nine carries with a touchdown, while Taiwan Deal and Peavy had 58 and 23 yards on the ground, respectively.
The Badgers elected to receive the kickoff and opened the game with a 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, lasting 6:48 and ending with a Clement touchdown. The drive started on their own 17 yard line when Clement gained back-to-back first downs on 13- and 11-yard carries. Wisconsin kept the ground attack alive, marching across midfield and eventually scampering across the goal line for the early 7-0 advantage.
On the ensuing kickoff, Akron's Van Edwards, Jr. gained 29 yards on the return, taking the ball to the 36-yard line. The Zips' drive was stalled by an aggressive Badger defense, forcing UA to punt.
The Zips ended the Badgers second drive with a strong defensive goal line performance. After a 47-yard pass that led Wisconsin into Akron territory at the seven-yard line, Akron's defense held their ground. The Zips stopped a pair of 3-yard runs and pushed the Badgers back from the one-yard line to the to the two-yard line on fourth down. UA's DB Larry Hope recorded two tackles while and DL Se'Von Pittman and LB Rachal each had one.
After the stop Akron regained possession at the two-yard line. However, the Badgers defense recorded a sack, resulting in a safety for a 9-0 advantage with 2:28 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Badgers finished an eight-play, 53-yard drive for Clement's second touchdown of the day after two plays from the Akron four-yard line.
The Akron defense came up big again on Wisconsin's second drive of the quarter when UA broke up a pass play, forcing the badgers to punt. The Zips regained possession on their own 10-yard line. Ball broke through the Badgers line, picking up Akron's initial first down of the day with a 13-yard gain. Ball broke through the line again, picking up 38 yards before being stripped at the Wisconsin 30-yard line, the Badgers regained the fumble at their own 18-yard line and were stopped at the 27-yard line.
After the fumble, Wisconsin marched into Akron territory and completed a nine-play, 73-yard drive with a 13-yard pass from UW quarterback Bart Houston to Jazz Peavy for a 23-0 score with 4:58 remaining in the half.
Akron started the next drive from the 35-yard line as Wisconsin, and Woodson connected with Lane for a 27-yard completion to the Wisconsin 38-yard line. Unfortunately, the ensuing play was intercepted at the Wisconsin nine-yard line.
Akron's defense came up big again, forcing the Badgers to punt. Akron cut into the deficit when Natson received the punt and took it 55-yards to the house for a Zips' touchdown with 3:07 left in the half, 23-7.
Wisconsin responded with a three-play, 67-yard scoring drive, ending with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Houston to Peavy.
Woodson found Natson on the sideline for a 34-yard completion to the Wisconsin 41-yard line, and back-to-back pass interference violations on Wisconsin gave the Zips a first and goal from the seven-yard line. An offensive pass interference pushed the Zips back to the 22-yard line. With 20 seconds remaining in the half, the Zips lined up for a 32-yard field goal. O'Leary split the uprights with time expiring for a 30-10 halftime deficit.
In the second half, the Badgers scored 24 unanswered points.
Akron travel to Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 16 for a Noon game. The CBS Sports Network will televise the game live.
(Courtesy of UA Athletics)
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