The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Akron – INSIDE SLANT
Akron looked good in the first half. That’s about all the good news in Akron’s 37-7 loss to Northern Illinois at InfoCision Stadium. And that’s not all bad. The Zips (1-7, 0-4 MAC East) hung with the defending conference champions and one of the best mid-major teams in the country for 30 minutes.
The Zips cut the deficit to one score, when Dalton Williams hit Jerrod Dillard for a 4-yard touchdown to slice the gap to 13-7 with 1:32 left until halftime. But the Huskies, led by junior quarterback Jordan Lynch, reeled off 24 unanswered points to close out the victory.
“The last two minutes of the half and the last two minutes of the game are where the games are won or lost in so many ways,” Akron coach Terry Bowden said.
The Huskies won their seventh straight game and handed the Zips their fifth straight defeat since beating Morgan State on Sept. 15. The Zips couldn’t move the ball against NIU’s ball-hawking defense. Coming into the game as one of the best offenses in the conference and highly ranked in several national categories, the Zips managed just seven points, 199 total offensive yards and 42 rushing yards. Akron turned the ball over three times, including twice on fumbles in the first two quarters.
Meanwhile, the Huskies netted 305 rushing yards and 528 total yards, with Lynch tallying 131 yards on the ground and two touchdowns and 223 yards passing and two touchdowns.
“They say this is a quarterback league and you think of throwing quarterbacks, but this guy can run the football like a fullback,” Bowden said of Lynch. “They have a running game that wears you down and it doesn’t look like they’re worried about being in too close of a game to start, because they know they’re going to wear you down, and they did.”
Akron tailback Jawon Chisholm had a day to forget with eight carries for 13 yards. Chisholm had rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games, including a season-high 177 yards against Ohio last week. Chisholm left the NIU game with an injured shoulder after Bowden was looking for a way to spark the kickoff return game. Chisholm injured his shoulder on a kick return.
“Let’s just take our best runner and put him back there,” Bowden said. “I think he was real reluctant to go back there. We’re going to try what we can try.”
In a battle of first-year highly ranked starting quarterbacks, Williams looked human compared to Lynch’s superpower numbers. Williams, who entered the game leading the conference in passing yards, passing yards per game and touchdown passes, finished with 157 yards passing and minus-44 yards rushing.
The Zips turned the ball over three times, including a pair of back-breaking fumbles in the first half. Bowden admitted he saw some encouraging signs.
“The defensive scheme started out well,” Bowden said. “To hold that team to a couple of field goals and a few punts … and then offensively we couldn’t do a thing; they whipped us up front.”
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NCAAF Team Report – Akron – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: Akron embarks on a two-game swing away from home with this Saturday’s contest at Central Michigan. The Zips have a good opportunity to steal a road win against a struggling Central Michigan squad. The Chippewas allowed 55 points to Northern Illinois and 50 points to Toledo to back-to-back road games after beating Iowa. Central Michigan has lost four in a row since beating Iowa.
–TB Jawon Chisholm’s three-game streak of 100-plus yards was snapped by Northern Illinois. Chisholm carried the ball eight times for 13 yards. He left the game with an injury to his left shoulder.
–Akron quarterback Dalton Williams was limited to 113 total yards, with 157 yards passing and minus-44 yards on the ground.
–The Zips had one touchdown pass, a Dalton Williams scoring toss to Jerrod Hillard, to lift the season total to 23 touchdown passes on the season. The school record is 24 set in 2005.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Running back Conor Hundley was one of the few bright lights in Akron’s 30-point loss to Northern Illinois. Hundley had 81 of Akron’s 199 total yards against the Huskies. Hundley tallied 63 yards on the ground on 18 carries to lead the Zips. He added one reception for 18 yards.
LOOKING GOOD: The Zips played well against one of the MAC’s elite teams in the first half. The Huskies are the defending conference champions and played in the last two conference title games, with another trip to Detroit looking like a real possibility. The Huskies scored just 13 points until Jordan Lynch’s touchdown run with 19 seconds before halftime. The Zips managed to hold NIU’s high-powered offense in check despite two turnovers in the first half. The Huskies converted just three of their nine first-half third down attempts.
STILL NEEDS WORK: Everything. The Zips are certainly a work in progress. The construction sign will be parked in Akron for a few more years. The Zips don’t have the depth, overall talent and skill players to match up with the elite conference teams for four quarters. Akron played strong for the first two quarters against Northern Illinois. But just like against Ohio and Bowling Green, the Zips couldn’t sustain playing quality football for four quarters.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “You look at that game and you sit there and say ‘what are the answers? I don’t know that there is an answer for us to beat Northern Illinois right now. Offensively we couldn’t do a thing. They whipped us up front.” — Akron coach Terry Bowden following a 37-7 defeat to Northern Illinois.
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NCAAF Team Report – Akron – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–QB Dalton Williams looked human against Northern Illinois. Williams had perhaps his toughest game of the season. He threw for 157 yards and one touchdown, but was harassed all game. Williams had minus-44 yards rushing due to the constant pressure by NIU’s defense.
Williams just missed the 300-yard passing mark, finishing 32-of-53 for 298 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
–RB Conor Hundley is going to receive more playing time each week if he keeps up his recent string of solid games. Hundley, a freshman from Hamilton, Ohio, had 81 of Akron’s 199 total yards. He had a team-best 63 yards rushing and caught an 18-yard pass.
–WR Jerrod Dillard had a second straight solid game. One week after catching three passes for 32 yards and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns at Ohio, Dillard hauled in a 4-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against Northern Illinois. On a team without many playmakers, Dillard is stepping up to partially fill that void.
ROSTER REPORT
–NT Nico Caponi sat out Saturday’s Northern Illinois game with an injured left ankle.
–DE Albert Presley missed the third game in a row after suffering a fractured fibula against Bowling Green.
–TB Jawon Chisholm left the game with a left shoulder injury. Chisholm, the leading rusher on the team, got some reps at kickoff return team.
–RT Adam Bice left the game with an apparent sprained ankle.
–RB Quentin Hines suffered an undisclosed injury against Northern Illinois.
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