The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Football Falls 27-24 at Kent State in Battle for the Wagon Wheel
November 28 | Football
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KENT, Ohio – Senior RB Jawon Chisholm rushed for a game-high 184 yards and three touchdowns, but a late score by Kent State gave the Golden Flashes a 27-24 win over Akron in the 44th edition of the Wagon Wheel game on Friday at Dix Stadium.
The loss ended Akron's season with a 5-7 record, including a 3-5 mark in Mid-American Conference play. Kent State closed the season with a 2-9 record, 1-6 in league play. The win gave Kent State a 4.0-1.0 lead in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge and a 23-20-1 lead in the Wagon Wheel era. Akron leads the overall series, 31-24-2.
Chisholm came up four yards shy of his career high, rushing 19 times, including a career-long 80-yard touchdown run to give Akron a 24-20 lead with 4:30 to go. Akron finished with 188 yards on the ground to go with 191 yards through the air (379 total).
QB Kyle Pohl finished the game 17-of-42 for 191 yards and two interceptions while WR Zach D'Orazio led the Zips with five catches for 41 yards.
On the defensive end, LB Jatavis Brown posted 10 tackles (seven solo) and three tackles for a loss.
Kent State drove 73 yards in eight plays on the opening possession of the game to take an early 7-0 lead. The Golden Flashes converted two third downs on the drive, including a 38-yard pass play on third-and-five at their own 32.
After Akron's first drive stalled at midfield, the Akron defense forced a three-and-out. Dylan Evans came up with the first blocked punt of his career, setting up the Zips at the Kent State two-yard line. Chisholm would put the Zips on the board on the next play, scoring on a two-yard run, to tie the game at 7-all (6:47, 1st).
Kent State responded with a seven-play, 64-yard drive to regain the lead. Nick Holley scored his second touchdown of the day on a 24-yard run. The Golden Flashes would attempt the two-point conversion, but would come up short. KSU would lead 13-7 with 3:00 on the first-quarter clock.
The Golden Flashes looked at add to its lead, but missed on a 31-yard field goal with 13:26 to go in the half.
With Akron driving late in the first half, Pohl's pass was intercepted by Demetrius Monday and returned 47 yards to the Akron 45. The Kent State possession would not last long, as Martel Durant picked off Colin Reardon – his third interception of the season – with nine seconds left in the half. The Zips would head into the locker room trailing 13-7.
Akron opened the second half by taking its first possession down the field, resulting in a 41-yard Robert Stein field goal. The score cut the Kent State lead to 13-10 with 12:50 on the third-quarter clock. KSU responded, going 75 yards on four plays to push its advantage to 10 points (20-10) with 11:00 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Zips drove down the field, converting three third downs of five yards or longer, but could not convert as Stein's 25-yard attempt would be pulled wide left at the 7:04 mark.
Chisholm cut the Akron deficit to 20-17 with 2:52 to go in the third quarter on a 41-yard touchdown run. The score capped off a five-play, 62-yard drive that covered 2:33 on the clock.
With 4:44 to go and Kent State in the redzone, the Akron defense stuffed the KSU run on fourth-and-1 to take over on downs. Chisholm put Akron up 24-20 on the next play on an 80-yard touchdown run, his third score of the day.
The Golden Flashes answered on their next possession, driving 77 yards on 10 plays to regain the lead, 27-24, with 1:00 remaining. On the first play of the ensuing Zips' drive, Pohl's pass skipped off D'Orazio's hands and was intercepted.
