NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma (1-0) posted 24 unanswered second-half points to register a 41-3 victory over Akron (0-1) in the season-opening contest for both teams on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Memorial Stadium.The 19th-ranked Sooners recorded a 539-226 advantage in yards, including throwing for 439 yards through the air.
Akron senior QB Kyle Pohl was 6-of-17 for 88 yards, while Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield threw for 388 yards completing 23-of-33 attempts.
Akron's leading rusher was sophomore QB Tra'Von Chapman with 48 yards, while senior RB Conor Hundley and sophomore QB Thomas Woodson added 36 and 30 yards, respectively, on the ground. Samaje Perine paced the Sooners' ground attack with 33 yards and one touchdown.
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Akron senior QB Kyle Pohl was 6-of-17 for 88 yards, while Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield threw for 388 yards completing 23-of-33 attempts.
Akron's leading rusher was sophomore QB Tra'Von Chapman with 48 yards, while senior RB Conor Hundley and sophomore QB Thomas Woodson added 36 and 30 yards, respectively, on the ground. Samaje Perine paced the Sooners' ground attack with 33 yards and one touchdown.
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Akron finished the evening with 76 tackles, including 46 solo stops. Senior LB Dylan Evans equaled a career-best with a team- and game-high 13 tackles, including setting a new career mark with eight solo stops.
Adding seven tackles apiece were seniors LB Jatavis Brown, CB Kris Givens and LB Darryl Monroe. Dominque Alexander paced the Sooners with 10 tackles. The seven tackles for Givens and Monroe represented career-high marks.
Stepping under center for his first collegiate start for the Zips was Chapman, who despite not completing a pass in the first half, rushed for 48 yards on a team-high 14 carries.
The Sooners collected a first down on the opening play of the game before falling to convert a first down thereafter over their first three drives.
The Akron defense was stout over the Sooners' initial two drives, limiting Oklahoma to 15 yards, including minus-5 on the ground. Redshirt junior DL Jamal Marcus (Durham, N.C.) registered a four-yard tackle for a loss on a 1-and-20 play.
Eventually, a gain of 35 yards on a pass down the sideline to Durron Neal set up the Sooners with a 1st-and-10 on the Akron 22-yard line. Akron dug in defensively on the drive surrendering only four more yards and forcing Oklahoma to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Austin Seibert with 3:58 remaining in the opening quarter.
In the fourth series for the Zips, Pohl made his 2015 debut at quarterback for Akron and attempted only one pass on the drive.
Senior P Zach Paul (Broadview Heights, Ohio) blasted a 73-yard punt to the Oklahoma six-yard line. The Sooners were only able to manage five yards on the drive before punting back to the Zips where senior WR Imani Davis (Miami, Fla.) fair-caught a ball on the Akron 47-yard line.
A 42-yard pass from Pohl to sophomore WR Jerome Lane (Akron, Ohio) on a 2nd-and-10 play set up the Zips on the Oklahoma five-yard line to end the first quarter.
Akron outgained the Sooners in the initial stanza in total yards, 68-59, including 26-0 on the ground. Hundley paced the Zips' rushing attack with 12 yards on two runs.
Akron held a 7:58-7:02 time of possession advantage in the first quarter. Junior DL Se'Von Pittman (Canton, Ohio) recorded the Zips' other tackle for a loss, while Evans collected four tackles.
After a delay of game penalty to begin the second quarter, Akron moved the ball to the four-yard line on a rush for five yards by Chapman. Senior K Robert Stein's 21-yard field goal attempt on 4th-and-10 dinged off the left upright to keep the Zips off the scoreboard.
After the Zips were unable to convert on their next drive, the Sooners had a long punt return by Sterling Shepard nullified by a holding penalty. Oklahoma started the drive on its own 40-yard line and was able to assume a 10-0 lead after a two-yard run by Perine capped an 11-play, 60-yard scoring drive (4:12) with 5:32 remaining in the half.
The Zips began the ensuing drive on their 25-yard line Hundley rushing for five yards before Chapman scampered for 10 yards on the next play to give Akron its second first down of the game at the 40-yard line. The Zips were not able to extend the drive and Paul lifted a 33-yard punt to the Oklahoma 20-yard line.
A four-play, 80-yard drive (1:08) capped by a 29-yard touchdown reception by Dede Westbrook gave the Sooners a 17-0 advantage with 2:21 left before the intermission.
After a three-and-out drive for Akron, junior FB Christian Allen forced and recovered a fumble by Shepard on the punt return at the Oklahoma 31-yard line with 1:18 left in the half.
The Zips moved the ball to the nine-yard line but three-straight passes from Pohl to redshirt junior WR Tyrell Goodman came up short. Stein connected on a 26-yard field goal with six seconds left on the clock to cut Akron's deficit to 17-3. The scoring drive consisted of seven plays for 22 yards over a span of 1:12.
The Zips tallied 126 first-half yards but the Sooners edged Akron in total yards, 212-126, including 190 through the air.
Pohl was 3-of-9 through the air for 60 yards in the first half, while his counterpart, Mayfield connected on 13-of-20 passes for 190 yards.
Evans registered a team-high tackles in the initial stanza, including six unassisted tackles. Senior Cody Grice (Akron, Ohio) added six tackles, with five being unassisted.
A 76-yard pass and catch from Mayfield to Joe Mixon on the Sooner's opening play of the second half extended Oklahoma's lead to 24-3 with 11:56 remaining in the third quarter.
On their ensuing drive, the Sooners drove 80 yards in 3:38, using nine plays capped by an 11-yard touchdown from Mayfield to Jeffrey Mead to push their advantage to 31-3 with 7:11 left in the third quarter.
A 24-yard run by Chapman for the Zips on a 3rd-and-8 play on the following drive gave Akron a first down on the Oklahoma 49-yard line. The play was the longest run from scrimmage up to that point in the game, but the Zips were unable to convert on the drive and punted back to the Sooners.
Starting on its own seven-yard line, Oklahoma used 2:31 to run nine plays for 93 yards to extend its lead to 38-3 with a two-yard rush by Mayfield at the 2:36 mark of the third quarter.
A 41-yard field goal from Siebert extended Oklahoma's lead to 41-3 at the 10:29 mark of the fourth quarter and capped the scoring in the game.
The Sooners were driving when junior CB DeAndre Scott intercepted Trevor Scott pass in the end zone with 4:23 remaining in the game.
The Zips open their home campaign on Saturday, Sept. 12, as Akron welcomes Pittsburgh to InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field for a 6 p.m. game.
(Courtesy of Akron Athletics)
Adding seven tackles apiece were seniors LB Jatavis Brown, CB Kris Givens and LB Darryl Monroe. Dominque Alexander paced the Sooners with 10 tackles. The seven tackles for Givens and Monroe represented career-high marks.
Stepping under center for his first collegiate start for the Zips was Chapman, who despite not completing a pass in the first half, rushed for 48 yards on a team-high 14 carries.
The Sooners collected a first down on the opening play of the game before falling to convert a first down thereafter over their first three drives.
The Akron defense was stout over the Sooners' initial two drives, limiting Oklahoma to 15 yards, including minus-5 on the ground. Redshirt junior DL Jamal Marcus (Durham, N.C.) registered a four-yard tackle for a loss on a 1-and-20 play.
Eventually, a gain of 35 yards on a pass down the sideline to Durron Neal set up the Sooners with a 1st-and-10 on the Akron 22-yard line. Akron dug in defensively on the drive surrendering only four more yards and forcing Oklahoma to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Austin Seibert with 3:58 remaining in the opening quarter.
In the fourth series for the Zips, Pohl made his 2015 debut at quarterback for Akron and attempted only one pass on the drive.
Senior P Zach Paul (Broadview Heights, Ohio) blasted a 73-yard punt to the Oklahoma six-yard line. The Sooners were only able to manage five yards on the drive before punting back to the Zips where senior WR Imani Davis (Miami, Fla.) fair-caught a ball on the Akron 47-yard line.
A 42-yard pass from Pohl to sophomore WR Jerome Lane (Akron, Ohio) on a 2nd-and-10 play set up the Zips on the Oklahoma five-yard line to end the first quarter.
Akron outgained the Sooners in the initial stanza in total yards, 68-59, including 26-0 on the ground. Hundley paced the Zips' rushing attack with 12 yards on two runs.
Akron held a 7:58-7:02 time of possession advantage in the first quarter. Junior DL Se'Von Pittman (Canton, Ohio) recorded the Zips' other tackle for a loss, while Evans collected four tackles.
After a delay of game penalty to begin the second quarter, Akron moved the ball to the four-yard line on a rush for five yards by Chapman. Senior K Robert Stein's 21-yard field goal attempt on 4th-and-10 dinged off the left upright to keep the Zips off the scoreboard.
After the Zips were unable to convert on their next drive, the Sooners had a long punt return by Sterling Shepard nullified by a holding penalty. Oklahoma started the drive on its own 40-yard line and was able to assume a 10-0 lead after a two-yard run by Perine capped an 11-play, 60-yard scoring drive (4:12) with 5:32 remaining in the half.
The Zips began the ensuing drive on their 25-yard line Hundley rushing for five yards before Chapman scampered for 10 yards on the next play to give Akron its second first down of the game at the 40-yard line. The Zips were not able to extend the drive and Paul lifted a 33-yard punt to the Oklahoma 20-yard line.
A four-play, 80-yard drive (1:08) capped by a 29-yard touchdown reception by Dede Westbrook gave the Sooners a 17-0 advantage with 2:21 left before the intermission.
After a three-and-out drive for Akron, junior FB Christian Allen forced and recovered a fumble by Shepard on the punt return at the Oklahoma 31-yard line with 1:18 left in the half.
The Zips moved the ball to the nine-yard line but three-straight passes from Pohl to redshirt junior WR Tyrell Goodman came up short. Stein connected on a 26-yard field goal with six seconds left on the clock to cut Akron's deficit to 17-3. The scoring drive consisted of seven plays for 22 yards over a span of 1:12.
The Zips tallied 126 first-half yards but the Sooners edged Akron in total yards, 212-126, including 190 through the air.
Pohl was 3-of-9 through the air for 60 yards in the first half, while his counterpart, Mayfield connected on 13-of-20 passes for 190 yards.
Evans registered a team-high tackles in the initial stanza, including six unassisted tackles. Senior Cody Grice (Akron, Ohio) added six tackles, with five being unassisted.
A 76-yard pass and catch from Mayfield to Joe Mixon on the Sooner's opening play of the second half extended Oklahoma's lead to 24-3 with 11:56 remaining in the third quarter.
On their ensuing drive, the Sooners drove 80 yards in 3:38, using nine plays capped by an 11-yard touchdown from Mayfield to Jeffrey Mead to push their advantage to 31-3 with 7:11 left in the third quarter.
A 24-yard run by Chapman for the Zips on a 3rd-and-8 play on the following drive gave Akron a first down on the Oklahoma 49-yard line. The play was the longest run from scrimmage up to that point in the game, but the Zips were unable to convert on the drive and punted back to the Sooners.
Starting on its own seven-yard line, Oklahoma used 2:31 to run nine plays for 93 yards to extend its lead to 38-3 with a two-yard rush by Mayfield at the 2:36 mark of the third quarter.
A 41-yard field goal from Siebert extended Oklahoma's lead to 41-3 at the 10:29 mark of the fourth quarter and capped the scoring in the game.
The Sooners were driving when junior CB DeAndre Scott intercepted Trevor Scott pass in the end zone with 4:23 remaining in the game.
The Zips open their home campaign on Saturday, Sept. 12, as Akron welcomes Pittsburgh to InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field for a 6 p.m. game.
(Courtesy of Akron Athletics)
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