Zips Cruise to Second MAC Win with a 28-Point Victory over Ball State on Homecoming

Saturday, October 7

Akron, OH

3:30 PM

University of Akron

Ball State

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Zips Cruise to Second MAC Win with a 28-Point Victory over Ball State on Homecoming

October 07 | Football

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AKRON, Ohio– Akron football entered the second half with a 14-point advantage and tacked on 14 more points en route to a 31-3 win over Ball State during Saturday's Homecoming game at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.

With the win, the Zips moved to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play and 3-3 overall, while Ball State fell to 0-2 in the MAC and 2-4 overall.

Senior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) completed 17 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns. Senior WR A.J. Coney (Orlando, Fla.) hauled in six passes for a team-best 90 yards, while junior WR Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and senior WR Austin Wolf (Lebanon, Ohio) was targeted four times for 57 yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, sophomore RB Deltron Sands (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) racked up 53 yards on six carries with a 32-yard touchdown run, while senior RB Manny Morgan (Naples, Fla.) used eight carries for 44 yards.

Defensively, the Zips issued five sacks and three interceptions while limiting the Cardinals to just three points. Junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) and senior LB Andrew Hauser (Mason, Ohio) led Akron with 13 tackles apiece. Gilbert added a sack for eight yards of loss, while Hauser grabbed his first career interception.

In the opening quarter, Akron wasted no time to get the scoring started. The Zips used the first eight plays to travel 75 yards in 3:14. The drive started with a three-yard rush by junior RB Van Edwards, Jr. (Cape Coral, Fla.) before Akron went on an aerial attack. Woodson and Coney hooked up for Akron's initial first down on a 17-yard pass to midfield.

The Zips continued to move the chains with back-to-back passing plays. Senior WR Tra'Von Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the first target, hauling in a nine-yard pass to the Ball State 45 yard line for a first down. On the next play, Woodson found Coney for 17 yards. The scoring drive ended with Woodson finding Wolf for a 24-yard touchdown pass.

The two teams battled back-and-forth for field position, and with 18-seconds left in the quarter Ball State registered three points on a 31-yard field goal.

Akron opened the second quarter with the ball, and staring at second-and-three situation. Just like the opening drive, Woodson marched the Zips down the field through the air. Akron picked up three consecutive first downs, gaining 35 yards in the air as senior WR Anthony Young (Medina, Ohio), Chapman, Wolf, and Coney were all targeted. On second and four from the Ball State 32, Sands broke loose for a 32-yard touchdown run to give Akron a 14-3 advantage with 12:09 left in the half. The scoring drive was eight plays for 75 yards in 3:09.

Ball State responded with a drive to the Akron five-yard line. The Cardinals gained four more yards, but on third down and one yard to go, the Zips stuffed Ball State on the goal line. Ball State lined up one more time at the one-yard line, and again Akron stopped the Cardinals' offense, stalling Ball State's efforts to reach pay dirt.

On Akron's last drive of the half, redshirt freshman Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) entered the game behind center. He drove the Zips 52 yards down the field on a 14-yard rush and a 38-yard pass to Smith, setting up a 48-yard field goal from junior PK Tom O'Leary (Tucker, Ga.). At halftime, Akron led 17-3.

In the third quarter, The Zips defense prevented the Cardinals from putting points on the board, and UA's Hauser recorded his first career interception.

Akron opened the fourth quarter with the ball on the Akron 47-yard line. Woodson started the drive with a five-yard rush to enter Cardinal territory, and found Wolf for a 14-yard reception. Sands carried the ball 11 yards to take the Zips to the Cardinals 24. Smith capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown reception, pushing the Akron advantage to 24-3 with 11:16 remaining in the game.

Ball State responded with a 13-play, 40-yard drive to the Akron 22 yard line, but the scoring drive came to a halt when junior CB Darian Dailey (Bradenton, Fla.) intercepted a pass to give Akron the ball back with 7:27 left to play.

The Zips used a little over two minutes on the clock before Ball State started their next drive of the game at 5:13. The Cardinals moved the ball to their 41-yard line, but on second down, an errant pass led to Akron's 31-3 advantage as sophomore LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) returned the interception 35 yards for six points.

Ball State used their final drive of the game to travel to the Akron five-yard line, but back-to-back sacks by the Zips ended the drive and the game.

Akron begins a two-game road swing with a stop at Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 14, for a 3:30 p.m. contest on the CBS Sports Network. The next home contest is Saturday, Oct. 28, against Buffalo with an 11:30 a.m. kickoff on CBS Sports Network.