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Akron Zips football and linebacker Gage Summers are on a roll with rival Kent State next
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- Akron Zips football and linebacker Gage Summers are on a roll with rival Kent State next
Akron Zips middle linebacker Gage Summers is on a takeaway hot streak most defenders can only dream about.
Summers recovered two fumbles and returned one of them for a touchdown in Akron's 44-10 blowout win over UMass on Nov. 4 at InfoCision Stadium .
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A redshirt senior, Summers also had two interceptions on Oct. 25 in the fourth quarter of Akron's 24-16 upset victory at Buffalo.
"God definitely got me right," Summers said. "I got lucky the last two games, for sure."
Sitting beside Summers during a news conference after Akron routed UMass, Zips quarterback Ben Finley corrected his teammate's statement about getting lucky.
"That's that work you put in showing off," Finley said.
Akron has won two consecutive Mid-American Conference games, and Summers tallied two takeaways in each of those triumphs. What is even more remarkable is Summers had never previously recorded an interception or a fumble recovery for Akron until he made those plays.
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Akron Zips: UA football score and recap vs. UMass
With UA's most recent victory, Akron (4-6, 3-3) tied its highest single-season win total during Joe Moorhead's tenure as Zips coach. Akron went 2-10 in each of Moorhead's first two seasons at the helm before going 4-8 in 2024.
Summers set the tone against winless UMass (0-9, 0-5).
Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Heinrich Haarberg (10) is tackled by Akron Zips linebacker Gage Summers (23) on Sept. 6, 2025, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
During the game's first play from scrimmage, UMass fumbled on a handoff to running back Rocko Griffin. Summers recovered the ball at the UMass 19-yard line with 14:53 left in the opening quarter.
Three plays later, Finley and wide receiver Kyan Mason connected for a 15-yard touchdown on third-and-6 with 14:11 left in the first quarter.
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"We just knew we were going to score, and we executed and did it," Finley said. "It started the carnage."
Akron Zips: From playing QB to walking a sideline, here are 5 questions with coach Joe Moorhead
University of Akron quarterback Ben Finley (10) fires off a pass to running back Sean Patrick during the first half at InfoCision Stadium in Akron on Sept. 20, 2025.
Finley's scoring strike to Mason was the first of Akron's six touchdowns. Finley threw for two TDs and rushed for another, Zips running back Jordan Gant rushed for two TDs and Summers produced a defensive TD.
"He's been playing his best ball the past two weeks," Moorhead said of Summers. "You talk about habits being realities. He's a guy that practices hard and prepares well and understands his responsibility and plays a hundred miles an hour with his hair on fire, kind of in the mold of [former Zips linebacker] Bubba Arslanian, who incidentally was at practice hanging out the other day."
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Summers also recovered a fumble during a play Akron defensive lineman Julien Laventure blew up in the backfield on third-and-1 at the UMass 42-yard line. Summers then returned the fumble 25 yards for a TD. The ensuing extra-point kick gave the Zips a 34-10 lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
The UMass turnover appeared to stem from miscommunication between quarterback AJ Hairston and running back Brandon Hood because an attempted handoff went awry while Laventure caused disruption.
After Summers scooped up the ball, Hood caught him and tried to tackle him near the 10. However, Summers kept moving his feet and dived into the end zone to score.
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Don't ask Summers to describe the highlight from his perspective, though. He explained he was too "in the zone" during the play to remember it.
"I didn't see nothing. I'm not going to lie," Summers said. "That was like a blur. It just happened."
Central Michigan’s Caleb Spann is ready to cut off Akron’s Jordan Gant on a carry during the Zips homecoming at InfoCision Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025.
Gant had a better memory of the moment.
"As soon as he scored, I went to my running backs coach and said, 'We need to get Gage some carries,'" Gant said.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Summers said he played high school running back for American Leadership Academy Queen Creek in Arizona. He looked the part while he rumbled toward the end zone.
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Akron led 27-10 at halftime, and Summers' first TD in college eliminated any thought of a UMass rally.
Akron Zips running back Jordan Gant celebrates his touchdown against Duquesne during the first half Sept. 20, 2025.
Gant put on a rushing clinic of his own. He had 28 carries for 153 yards (5.5 average) and two TDs.
Finley finished 12-of-20 passing for 197 yards and two TDs without an interception or a sack. He rushed four times for 28 yards and a TD.
"We're on a roll, and we're not stopping," Finley said.
What's next for the Zips? Akron will host the Wagon Wheel rivalry game at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 against Kent State. The Golden Flashes will need to be aware of Summers.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips football, linebacker Gage Summers are heating up in MAC
