by The first half was a freezing slug fest between two squads that expected a warm August night. Instead, they got a cold end-of-fall breeze that arrived a few months too early. This game was ugly, with a final score of Wyoming 10, Akron 0. The Zips only ever threatened to score. Wyoming, on the other hand, had the momentum for the majority of the ball game.
The quick-moving winds and the rain that came in later in the game played a major role in Akron and why they failure to move the ball at all during the ball game.
Akron at a moment early on that proved to be vital, QB Ben Finley found star WR Alex Adams wide open for a reception that would have landed the Zips on the Cowboys’ side of the field. Adams struggled to haul in the catch as it fell to the ground with no contest. Adams never got another chance as we left the game with no receptions.
“They played more cover 2 and 2 Tampa… it limits opportunity for what Alex played,” Said Akron coach Joe Moorhead when asked about Adams and his lack of involvement in the offense.
Finley, not having a number one receiver in Adams and failing to find Israel Polk more than three times, left him hopeless when looking downfield for an open option. Finley had one of, if not his worst, days as an Akron Zip since joining the team last season.
This game remained uneventful for the majority of its time. Wyoming had its moments with big breakout plays, but failed to finish drives due to the Akron defense that would not break when backed up in its own endzone. There was one moment in the game where it seemed as if the Zips had a chance to not just earn a point on the board but take the lead.
Akron was knocking on the doorstep with a few big plays and momentum on their side after an interception on the Wyoming side of the field. Finley missed an open receiver in the corner of the endzone and looked for the running back in the middle of the field. Unfortunately for Finley, a Wyoming linebacker sat in front of his target and snagged the ball out of the air.
This third-quarter turnover killed any momentum the Zips had on offense, as they would not get this close again to scoring a touchdown. The defense continued to stand tall throughout the rest of the game, and eventually, the pressure of no offense to help out got to the Blue and Vegas Gold defense.
Kaden Anderson found Chris Durr, who was a blur all day, for a 35-yard touchdown pass that closed the game out. Akron had another possession with plenty of time, with momentum against them in every way. Akron folded and went three and out. The Zips’ day was defined by a great defense that kept the team in it from start to finish and an offense that failed to be competitive for the entirety of the game.
Akron travels to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their lone challenge against the Big Ten.
