RedHawk Rally Falls Short Against Zips
10/19/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Akron (2-6; 1-3 Mid-American Conference) took a 7-0 lead with 12:09 to go in the first quarter off a 2-yard run by Jawon Chisholm. The play was set up when the Zips blocked a punt and recovered the ball on the RedHawks’ 13-yard line. It took just four plays to capitalize on the field position.
Miami (0-7; 0-3 MAC) evened the game when senior quarterback Austin Boucher hit junior wide receiver David Frazier in the back of the endzone at the 4:36 mark of the first quarter. A sophomore Kaleb Patterson extra point knotted the game, 7-7.
With seconds to go in the second quarter, it looked as if Akron would break the stalemate heading into halftime. After Akron’s Fransohn Bickley caught an 11-yard pass, freshman safety Jay Mastin forced a fumble just before the goal line, and sophomore linebacker Josh Dooley recovered it in the endzone with 11 seconds to go. Miami took a knee to run out the half.
The Zips broke open the game with Chisholm touchdown runs of 8 and 1 yards at 11:35 and 7:18 in the third quarter. A 19-yard field goal by Akron’s Robert Stein at 8:19 in the fourth quarter extended the Zips’ lead to 24-7.
Boucher launched a 44-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Dawan Scott with 4:49 to go to cap a nine-play, 83-yard drive that pulled Miami within 10 of the Zips, 24-14.
After recovering an onside kick, Patterson booted a career-long 52-yard field goal with 1:27 to go to pull the RedHawks to within seven of Akron.
Senior defensive back Dayonne Nunley led all players with 11 tackles, including a game-high seven solo stops. Boucher finished 23-for-34 for 226 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Frazier led the RedHawks with nine catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Miami hits the road for a 2 p.m. Battle of the Bricks game at long-time Mid-American Conference rival Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 26.
