Akron Football Team Starts Slow, Ends in 31-6 Blowout Victory

The University Akron Zips started slow, but poured it on when it counted.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported the University of Akron’s hard-hitting defense created opportunities for its offense, allowing the Akron Zips to walk away from Infocision Stadium with a 31-6 win against the Eastern Michigan Eagles to start Mid-American Conference play Saturday afternoon.

The defense, led by linebacker Jatavis Brown’s 12 tackles [including two for losses], held Eastern Michigan to 279 total yards with 94 coming on rushes. Quarterback Kyle Pohl passed for 326 yards, hitting 27-of-40 passes with two touchdowns, including a 31-yarder to receiver L.T. Smith, who caught 10 passes for 117 yards in the homecoming win.

CBS Sports reports Pohl ran for a third, leading Akron to the blowout victory.

Akron (3-2, 1-0) erased an early 6-0 deficit and surged ahead in the second half as Conor Hundley scored on a 28-yard run. Pohl threw touchdowns of 24 yards to L.T. Smith and 15 yards to Anthony Ritossa to make it a rout.

Smith finished with 10 receptions for 117 yards, and Zach D’Orazio had 8 for 87. Pohl had the Akron’s opening touchdown, a 5-yard run to put Akron ahead for good late in the first quarter.

Rob Bolden had 185 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Eagles (1-4, 0-1). He hit Tyler Allen for an 18-yard score on Eastern Michigan’s opening drive, but couldn’t muster up anything else.

According to the Eastern Michigan University website, the Eagles, donning their new flat, forest green helmets, did have a few moments on the field. Following an exchange of punts by both teams, including a career-long 63-yard boot by Eastern’s Owen Dubiel that pinned Akron at its own nine-yard line, the Zips took their first lead of the game. UA went 91 yards in 10 plays as Pohl found the pylon on a keeper from five yards out. A converted extra point gave the home team a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In his second start as an Eagle, senior quarterback Rob Bolden orchestrated a 78-yard touchdown drive on EMU’s first drive of the game. The Orchard Lake, Mich. native found Tyler Allen in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass that gave Eastern the early 6-0 lead. For the game, Bolden, a transfer from LSU who had also spent time at Penn State, finished with 185 yards through the air on 17-of-29, passing with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Eastern Michigan will be home next week for homecoming against the University of Buffalo. Akron will also be at home, facing Miami (OH).

[Image courtesy of Victory Bell Rings]