Wagon Wheel is Coming Home After 31-27 Akron Victory over Rival Kent State

Wednesday, November 1

Akron, Ohio

7:30 PM

University of Akron

2-7 , 1-4

Kent State

1-8 , 0-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Kent St.

Akron

Wagon Wheel is Coming Home After 31-27 Akron Victory over Rival Kent State

November 01 | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

BOXSCORE (PDF)

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron football team put together an eight-play, 57-yard drive, culminating in a five-yard rushing touchdown from with :26 left in the ballgame to give the Zips a 31-27 win over rival Kent State and the return of the coveted Wagon Wheel on Wednesday night at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

Redshirt senior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. (Delran, N.J.) led Akron's passing attack with 298 yards through the air, tossing two touchdowns without throwing an interception. The signal caller also added one touchdown on the ground.

Redshirt senior RB Lorenzo Lingard (Orange City, Fla.) led all Zips rushers with 106 yards and one touchdown in the contest, picking up 4.8 yards per carry. Lingard also added 49 receiving yards.

Redshirt senior WR Daniel George (Fort Washington, Md.) reeled in nine catches for 104 yards and one score. Redshirt sophomore WR Jasaiah Gathings (Statesville, N.C.) got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in nine balls for 103 yards and one touchdown.

junior LB Antavious Fish (Atlanta, Ga.) directed the Zips with a game-high 10 tackles, including six solo stops, while junior DL CJ Nunnally, IV (Douglasville, Ga.) added five tackles, 1.5 TFL, and one sack. Junior DL LaJoshua Jackson (Senatobia, Miss.) recorded five tackles, 1.0 TFL, and one sack in the win.

The Akron offense did a good job keeping drives alive, converting on 42.9 percent of third-down attempts.

Defensively, Akron held up fairly well against the Kent State offensive attack, holding the Golden Flashes to 346 total yards.

How It Happened

Kent State scored first to take a 6-0 lead, but Akron fired back with 1:48 remaining in the first quarter to go ahead 7-6.Kent State then scored to take a 13-7 lead before the Zips put a field goal on the board to narrow the advantage to 13-10.

After Kent State scored to increase its lead to 27-10, Akron responded with a touchdown from Gathings with 9:12 left in the fourth quarter lead to cut the deficit to 27-17.The Zips then got on the scoreboard again, narrowing the gap to 27-24 on a 37-yard touchdown run from Lingard.

Akron scored again, a five-yard touchdown run from Undercuffler with :26 left in the fourth quarter, and grabbed a 31-27 lead in the process.

Game Notes

» Akron outgained Kent State, 393-346, including a 298-229 advantage through the air.
» The Zips got 100 yard receiving days from George and Gathings.
» Akron tallied 21 points in the fourth quarter, accounting for 67.7 percent of their total score.
» Akron converted 6 of 14 third downs while Kent State was successful on 5 of 14.
» The Zips had two players with more than eight tackles in the ballgame led by Fish, who had 10.
» Akron scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns.
» Akron went 1-for-2 on fourth down, converting on 50 percent of attempts.
» The Zips ended the game on a strong note, scoring 21 unanswered points to close out the contest.
» Tommy Ulatowski led the Golden Flashes passing attack, completing 15 of his 23 attempts for 229 yards and three touchdowns.
» Chrishon McCray was Kent State's leading receiver with 161 yards and two touchdowns.