Blue Earns 27-20 Triumph over Gold in Akron Spring Football Game

Blue Earns 27-20 Triumph over Gold in Akron Spring Football Game

April 30 | Football

2022 AKRON FOOTBALL SCHEDULE | PHOTO GALLERY-1 | PHOTO GALLERY-2 | POST-GAME COMMENTS

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron football program, under the leadership of first-year head coach Joe Moorhead, capped a successful spring campaign as the Akron Blue squad registered a 27-20 triumph past the Zips' Gold unit on Saturday, April 30 before an energized crowd at the Stile Athletics Field House.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Redshirt junior QB DJ Irons (Lawrenceville, Ga.) led the offensive attack for the Blue team throwing for 112 yards, including connecting on three touchdowns, finishing the afternoon hitting on 13-of-21 attempts. Sophomore QB Calvin Cloud (Loveland, Ohio) was 2-of-5 for 34 yards.
• Redshirt sophomore Cam Wiley (Las Vegas, Nev.) rushed for 25 yards for the Blue side, while sophomore WR Alex Adams (Osyka, Miss.) and senior WR Shocky Jacques-Louis (Fort Myers, Fla.) each pulled in four catches for 44 and 34 yards, respectively.
• Sophomore QB Joey Marousek (North Royalton, Ohio) directed the Gold squad passing for 98 yards and one touchdown on 8-of-14 through the air. Sophomore QB Ryan Jankowski (Vero Beach, Fla.) started for the Gold team and went 6-for-11 for 78 yards.
• Sophomore RB Jonzell Norrils (Toledo, Ohio) ran for 30 yards on seven carries and a touchdown for the Gold team. Sophomore WR Tony Grimes, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) hauled in a game-high five catches for 78 yards for the Gold unit, while sophomore WR Jasaiah Gathings (Statesville, Ga.) pulled in a two catches for 45 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown strike.
• Senior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore LB Camari Harris (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led the Blue team with six and four tackles, respectively, while the Gold squad was paced by four tackles from sophomore DB Darrian Lewis (Akron, Ohio).
• Redshirt junior K Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) opened the scoring hitting on 23- and 33-yard field goals for each side for a 3-3 score.
• Irons then connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass to Adams to give the Blue team a 10-3 advantage.
• A two-yard run by Norrils squared the contest at 10.
• Irons gave the Blue side a 17-10 lead heading into halftime after hitting Jacques-Louis on a five-yard scoring strike.
• A 40-yard touchdown pass from Marousek to Gaithings evened the contest at 17 early in the third quarter.
• The Blue team went ahead to stay, 24-17, on 25-yard touchdown from Irons to sophomore RB Blake Hester (Ashland, Ky.) to close out the third quarter.
• Smigel capped the scoring with a pair of 25-yard field goals.

UP NEXT
Akron opens the 2022 season versus Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sept. 1 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

GET YOUR 2022 SEASON TICKETS NOW
Season tickets are available now by calling or texting the Akron ticket office at 888-99-AKRON (25766) or visiting The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field (located at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the corner of E. Exchange and S. Union streets) Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.