by Kent, Ohio– The last two Wagon Wheel clashes between Kent State and Akron have proven to be midweek MACtion classics. This year, the matchup demanded a Saturday game in front of a filled Dix Stadium.
This game was neck and neck for three quarters in this rivalry matchup. Akron played their best football all year until the fourth quarter hit. That’s when Kent State took the lead and ran away with it with a final score of 35-20. Kent earned their third win of the year, keeping Bowl hopes alive, while Akron will miss out on a bowl for the ninth year in a row.
Like the past two matches between these two teams, it started slow. Both sides hit big plays as offense was not lacking from either side. Both defenses gave up chunk plays and then improved as the opposing offense approached the goal line.
Akron would be the first to strike in the first half. Jordan Gant and Marquese Williams led a dual rushing attack that would put the Flashes on their heels. The St. Eds alumnus Kyan Mason showed moments of brilliance on this drive out wide as the Zips first possession was capped off by a Gant touchdown.
Kent had chances to tie the game up but failed in the red zone with a failed fourth-down attempt. Kent State had a chance to get on the board before they eventually did with a field goal that went wide right.
It wasn’t until Kent had the ball with less than two minutes left in the half that we would see them get to the endzone. An RPO saw Dru DeShields find Wayne Harris at the one, who would reach over the goal line to even up the score going into the half.
The second half saw both teams continuing to battle back and forth; when it would appear that one team would run away with it, the momentum would swing.
Kent State took their first lead of the game from the arm of DeShields to Hunter Hooper. It was Wayne Harris who set up the play as he broke lose setting up an and-on situation for the Flashes.
The third quarter showed how even both these teams really are; Akron struggled to get going, and Kent State failed to take advantage of the Zi mistakes early in the fourth quarter.
It was only a matter of time for Kent State, as their defense caused Roggow and company to stagger as they failed to move the ball when down in the game. Kent tacked on two more touchdowns on top of the four-point lead that they already owned.
After losing the Wheel two years in a row, Kent State is on a Wagon Wheel winning streak of their own.
