Sept. 28, 2002
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Luke Clemens ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns and Ben Roethlisberger threw for two more scores to lead Miami to a 48-31 win over Akron Saturday evening at the Rubber Bowl.
With the win the RedHawks improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference, while the Zips dropped to 0-5 and 0-2 in the MAC. UA closed to within a field goal at 34-31 early in the fourth quarter on an Ashanti Barbee 6-yard touchdown run, but Miami answered with a 10-play, 64-yard drive that culminated in Roethlisberger's 8-yard toss to Michael Larkin. The touchdown pass was Larkin's ninth in 16 career games.
The RedHawk defense then made a statement, sacking UA quarterback Charlie Frye on three straight plays to force a punt. Miami's four sacks in the game, lead by senior linebacker Matt Robillard's four, were a season high.
Taking over at the 50 with a 10-point cushion, Miami ran Clemens on four straight plays, the final one a 6-yard scoring scamper with less than five minutes left in the game. The Zips, who racked up 462 yards of total offense and had 31 first downs, jumped out to an early 14-0 lead as Frye completed his first six passes, including a 22-yard TD pass to Matt Cherry on their opening possession of the game.
Akron had trouble stopping the RedHawks in the second half as the Miami scored on each of its first four possessions. MU rolled up 233 yards of total offense over the last two quarters. Roethlisberger hit Korey Kirkpatrick on a 50-yard TD strike early in the third quarter, but Zips came right back with a 12-play scoring drive that ended with Frye hitting wideout Miquel Irvin in the corner of the end zone with a 8-yard scoring toss.
The Frye-to-Irvin connection made the score 27-24 with seven minutes remaining in the third.
Frye's second-straight career day went for naught, though. The sophomore connected on 29 of 46 passes for a school-record 348 yards. His 29 completions were also the most in UA history.
Roethlisberger was 16 of 22 for 240 yards and no interceptions.
Miami next takes on area archrival the University of Cincinnati in the 107th Battle for the Bell next Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
