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VMI
Football Handles Visiting VMI, 36-13
September 24 | Football
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AKRON, Ohio – Jawon Chisholm rushed 27 times for 188 yards and one touchdown as Akron defeated visiting VMI 36-13 on Saturday afternoon at Infocision Stadium – Summa Field.
Chisholm's rushing effort tied him for the 23rd-best single-game performance in program history.
Keith Sconiers also caught eight passes for 154 yards and two scores for the Zips as they were able to capitalize on a plus-two turnover differential.
The 154 receiving yards tied Sconiers for the 16th-best individual performance by a UA pass catcher. The combined production of Chisholm and Sconiers gave Akron (1-3) its first game ever with both a 150-yard rusher and receiver.
Sconiers caught first-half touchdown passes of 31 and 10 yards from Clayton Moore, who completed 13-of-28 passes for 223 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The Zips opened the scoring with a four-play, 78-yard touchdown drive featuring completions of 41 yards and 31 yards from Moore to Sconiers on the first and last plays of the drive, respectively.
Akron snuffed out the ensuing drive when Emmanuel Lartey sacked VMI (0-4) quarterback Eric Kordenbrock, forcing a fumble that Nico Caponi recovered at the Akron 47. After the teams traded punts, Akron moved the ball 60 yards for a second score in the opening period and Karl Bostick finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead.
The Keydets responded with a score of their own on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Kordenbrock to receiver Stefawn Ross at the 6:04 mark of the first quarter to pull within six at 13-7.
Akron finished the first-quarter scoring with a 26-yard field goal by T.J. Marchese.
The Zips also capped the scoring in the second period when Chisholm, who rushed for 154 yards on 20 carries in the opening half, scampered in from nine yards out to boost Akron's lead to 29-7.
A fumble after a reception of 22 yards by VMI's Dexter Bridge, recovered by Akron's Jamar Williams, set Akron up at the Keydets' 19-yard line midway through the third quarter, but the Zips were unable to convert the miscue into points.
Neither team was able to generate significant offensive momentum in the scoreless third quarter that saw the UA defense hold VMI to two punts and a turnover.
Moore produced the lone Akron score of the second half when he found Jerrod Dillard in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown pass on the Zips' first drive of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 36-7.
VMI posted its lone score of the second half on a 3-yard touchdown run by Chaz Jones with 6:42 remaining in the game.
Brian Wagner led the Akron defense with 10 tackles and Williams added six stops, one fumble recovery and one pass break-up.
Akron returns to action on Oct.1, when it travels to Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich., to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the Zips' second MAC contest of the season. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. ET.
Zips Notebook: Junior Vinnie Rizzo made his first Division I start (left guard) ... freshman running back Karl Bostick's 17-yard rush was the first of his career ... Jawon Chisholm (188) and Keith Sconiers (154) became the first Zips duo in school history to post 150 yards rushing and receiving in the same game ... junior linebacker Brian Wagner recorded his 300th career tackle during the second quarter (304 total for his career) ... Akron did not commit a turnover for the first time since its contest at Indiana on Sept. 25, 2010 ... sophomore Jerrod Dillard scored his first-career touchdown with his 23-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter.
