Zips High Powered Offense In Complete Control
The Akron Zips won a solid game one of the season with little resistance. The Quarterback for the Zips, Thomas Woodson threw six touchdowns and four hundred and seven yards on the game which was phenomenal. The running game was solid with a rushing effort of a hundred and eight yards, and a touchdown from the Ohio State transfer, Warren Ball. Two receivers stood out to be sensational but the main receiver for Woodson was Jerome Lane, who had an amazing ten catches for a hundred and ninety-six yards, and tacked on two touchdowns.
A very quick start was ignited by the Zips defense, with a quick three and out and solid pursuit on a muffed snap. Akron came out of the tunnel ready to play, and awaiting the opening snap after a win in the Potato Bowl. Unfortunately, the opening offensive drive was initiated by a fumble by Akron’s JoJo Natson, and that gave the VMI Keydets a solid secondary drive that resulted in a touchdown run from VMI’s Quan Myers. Some optimism was sparked in the Zips with a forty-yard kick return, and then a forty-four-yard touchdown pass to Utah State state transfer, JoJo Natson. Following the touchdown, the momentum was carried with a concrete defensive stop, with another three and out.
To begin the following drive, Thomas Woodson threw another deep pass Austin Wolf for a forty-yard gain and just pushed more momentum. Thomas Woodson was on fire on that third drive with three passes for ninety yards, and had no incompletions. He capped the drive off with a touchdown to Jerome Lane, and went ninety-yards in one minute and eleven seconds. Following the first drive, the Zips defense looked exceptional and held VMI’s offense to four, three and outs and the offense continued to role with a twelve to seven lead at the end of the first.
Dominance was continued on the offensive side of the ball with a dynamic offense, and Jerome Lane continued with another recevining touchdown to give the Zips a lead of nineteen to seven. Following the touchdown from Jerome Lane, the game slowed down a bit and was very back and forth with defensive stops. VMI’s Tyriuq Trotman returned a interception about thirty yards with three minutes left in the first half to attempt to make the game close by half. The Keydets capped the drive off with negative six yards, but still maintained to get in a field goal at the half with two minutes remaining for an Akron two-minute drill. Akron failed at this attempt while having a three and out, and the Keydets kept it interesting with a score of nineteen to ten at the end of the first half.
The third quarter started off kind of slow, and then led to a ten yard receiving touchdown from the VMI tight end, Ryan Swingle. This created a slight lead of nineteen to seventeen with the Zips up and made it uncomfortable for the Zips. The following drive was full of penalties, and was sparked by the Ohio State Transfer Warren Balls rushing attack. This drive was capped off by a fumble from Jerome Lane, and a touchdown recovery from JoJo Natson. At this point things started to get interesting, and VMI came back with another sold drive. This drive began with a deep pass to star running back from the Keydets, Quan Myers. The Keydets capped it off with another touchdown from the productive tight end, Ryan Swingle and capped off the third quarter with an Akron lead of twenty-six to twenty-four.
Jerome Lane was the key receiver and began the third with a forty-two yard pass, and Austin Wolf had a receiving touchdown following. Thomas Woodson had a spectacular game, and on this beginning drive of the third only threw two passes for about eighty yards and a touchdown. The Keydets attempted a fake punt with twelve minutes left while being on there own twenty-five-yard line and failed, and set the Zips up for a scoring attempt with a short field. The Zips took advantage of the situation, and Woodson completed another touchdown pass to JoJo Natson, which was his third of the night. Akron continued to show the dominant offense that they have with a Warren Ball rushing touchdown, followed by sixty rushing yards that drive. This put the Zips up forty seven to twenty four, and they completely broke free at that point.
The end score was forty-seven to twenty-four, and the Zips looked very solid on the opening game of the season. This is something that will bring the fans, and the excitement, and really get the fall sports started on a good foot. Hopefully the Zips can keep it up next Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers at three-thirty.
-Isaiah Houde