The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Opens InfoCision Stadium With 41-0 Win Over MSU
September 12 | Football
Akron seniors Chris Jacquemain and Deryn
Bowser helped the Zips open a sold out InfoCision Stadium-Summa
Field in fine fashion, hooking up three times for touchdowns, in
UA's 41-0 victory in the facility's grand opening Saturday
afternoon.
The shutout was Akron's first since since 1992 (a 13-0 win over
Ohio) and the Zips' defense has not alowed a score over its last
six quarters (final two at Penn State and four versus Morgan
State)>
Both teams drove into scoring position on their first drives. Akron's Branko Rogovic missed on the first drive from 28 yards and MSU's Kemar Scarlett later missed from 40 yards.
After an Akron punt, Zips' sophomore Manley Waller picked off Morgan State quarterback Carlton Jackson - who began his career at Akron - and returned the ball 37 yards to the Bears' nine. Two plays later, UA's Jacquemain hit an open Bowser in the left corner of the north endzone for a nine-yard score, the first touchdown scored on Akron's campus since November 25, 1939.
The Zips extended their lead to 14-0 as the second quarter began on a 16-yard Jacquemain-to-Bowser pass. On Akron's second possession of the second quarter, sophomore signal caller Matt Rodgers engineered an eight-play, 53-yard drive. In the drive he had a 12-yard run and an 18-yard run to the MSU one. Senior Alex Allen capped the drive with a one-yard run, the 11th score of his career, for a 21-0 lead.
Akron pushed its advantage to 24-0 with 49 seconds left before the break as Rogovic split the uprights from 31 yards out, his first career field goal made.
On the Zips' first drive of the second half, Akron reeled off 11 straight running plays from the MSU 45 to the Bear three. The final play of the drive was a three-yard Jacquemain-to-Bowser pass for a 31-0 advantage. On their next drive, the Zips' Rogovic hit a 32-yard field goal for a 34-0 UA advantage.
As the fourth quarter began, freshman UA linebacker Brian Wagner picked of Jackson and showed his excellent form as a standout high school running back and returned the ball 32 yards for a TD, making the score 41-0.
