The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
VMI
Zips Football Pulls Off 47-24 Win Over VMI in Home Opener
September 03 | Football
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POSTGAME NOTES | POSTGAME QUOTES
AKRON, Ohio – Junior quarterback Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) threw for a career-high 407 yards on 23-of-32 passing and a school record six touchdowns to help Akron to its first win of the season, defeating Virginia Military Institute, 47-24, Saturday evening at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field.
Junior wide receiver Jerome Lane (Akron, Ohio) accounted for a career-high 196 yards and two of Akron's touchdowns, while senior JoJo Natson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) tallied 90 yards for three touchdowns in his Zips' debut. Senior running back Warren Ball (Columbus, Ohio) rushed for 110 yards and touchdown in his first game in Blue and Gold.
The Keydets (0-1) opened the game with a nine-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that featured a balanced attack with five rushes and four passes. Quan Myers scored the game's first points on a one-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a good field goal attempt by Reed King. Woodson then found Natson in the endzone on a 46-yard throw less than a minute later, but the VMI defense spoiled the one-point conversion attempt that followed.
UA (1-0) took its first lead of the game, 12-7, with a 30-yard pass by Woodson to Lane at the 5:03 mark of the first quarter. The Zips struck quickly in the second quarter with another 17-yard snatch by Lane, giving Akron a 19-7 advantage with 12:32 remaining until halftime.
VMI cut the deficit to nine on a 37-yard field goal by King to end the second quarter. Akron headed into intermission with a 19-10 advantage.
Akron started off the third quarter with a seven play, 31-yard drive that resulted in a VMI defensive stop. However, sophomore punter Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) had a beautiful 47-yard punt that landed on the VMI two-yard line. Despite the kick, the Keydets managed to find themselves on the Akron nine-yard line. VMI used the field location to their advantage as Al Cobb found Ryan Swingle for a three-yard touchdown catch.
The Zips separated themselves again when Lane fumbled a 14-yard pass that was recovered by Natson in the endzone for a touchdown with 2:49 left in the third stanza. Akron could not shake off the Keydets as one more VMI touchdown at the hands of Swingle made it 26-24.
The offense extended the Akron lead to 33-24 in the beginning of the fourth quarter with junior Austin Wolf's (Lebanon, Ohio) first touchdown of the contest.
The Zips scored once again as Natson lined up behind the line of scrimmage and dashed across the goal line for a 19-yard touchdown. Ball capped the Zips' scoring with a five-yard run (47-24), a lead that Akron would ride out through the final minutes of the game.
Senior safety James Turner (Fairfield, Ohio) and sophomore Ulysees Gilbert (Ocala, Fla.) led the Akron defense with 10 tackles (seven solo) apiece. Junior defensive lineman Darius Copeland (Ft. Myers, Fla.) contributed nine attacks, while senior Jamal Marcus (Durham, N.C.) also added four stops and two sacks.
The Zips travel to Wisconsin on Sept. 10 for a 3:30 ET matchup with the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium and will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
