Story by
NCAA football: Akron wins 'fun game' against Kent State to retain coveted Wagon Wheel
- Story by
- NCAA football: Akron wins 'fun game' against Kent State to retain coveted Wagon Wheel
KENT — The smell of a victory cigar has not been associated with the University of Akron football team many times in recent seasons.
Quarterbacks Ben Finley and Tahj Bullock joined running backs Jordon Simmons and Charles Kellom to give the Zips reasons to celebrate Tuesday night at Dix Stadium against Kent State University.
Advertisement
So did wide receivers Adrian Norton and Jarvis Rush , linebacker Bryan McCoy and cornerback Elijah Reed as Akron defeated Kent State 38-17 in a Mid-American Conference game before a crowd of 6,768.
Akron Zips center Tyhler Williams celebrates with the Wagon Wheel after beating Kent State, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
Akron third-year coach Joe Moorhead and select players met with media members on the field after the game. Several Zips players filed out of the locker room to take pictures with the wooden Wagon Wheel and light up a cigar.
When asked if he smokes cigars, Moorhead said: "I don't. I don't even know where they came from. Good for them. I don't know. I am not going to indulge."
Moorhead smiled as he spoke after Akron topped Kent State for the second year in a row to retain the Wagon Wheel .
Akron Zips running back Charles Kellom scores a second-half 2-point conversion, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
Akron (3-8, 2-5) erased a 7-0 deficit and dominated Kent State (0-11, 0-7) in many aspects, including holding an edge in rushing yards (277 yards on 46 carries to 56 yards on 28 carries) and first downs (28-9).
Advertisement
"Defensively, our goals for the game were we needed to suffocate the run and pressure the passer [ Tommy Ulatowski ]," Moorhead said. "I thought we did very well. Held them to 56 yards rushing. We knew [Luke] Floriea and [Chrishon] McCray are two of the best receivers in this conference.
"We didn't want to get the ball thrown over our head, and obviously that was challenged early when we got the third play of the game thrown over our head [as Ulatowski connected with Floriea for an 80-yard touchdown pass] and we let them get one late [when Ulatowski threw a 37-yard TD pass to McCray]. Very proud of our defense for their ability stop the run."
Akron leads the all-time series with Kent 37-28-2.
"You know this is going to be a game of emotion," Moorhead said. "What we talked about all week was defining and preparing our response to adversity and our response to prosperity."
Akron Zips quarterback Ben Finley gets a first-half pass off under pressure from Kent State defensive lineman Lavell Gibson, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
Finley completed 14 of 29 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown, a 36-yard strike to Rush in the third quarter as the Zips extended their lead to 38-10. Finley and Rush are redshirt juniors.
Advertisement
"Domination, pure domination all around," Finley said. "Running game was firing. We had receivers making grabs. It was a fun game. It is always a fun game to put it all together in all three phases, especially against your rival."
Norton, a sophomore, had five catches for 107 yards.
"He is a good route runner with great hands," Finley said of Norton. "One-on-one, that is a good matchup for AD."
Akron linemen Tyhler Williams, Josh Blanchard, Keylen Davis, Delvin Morris and Jayvin James and tight end Jake Newell also had good matchups and routinely opened holes.
Akron Zips running back Jordon Simmons breaks away for a first-half first down, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
Simmons, a redshirt junior, ran for 113 yards on 11 carries. Kellom, a redshirt sophomore, ran for 104 yards and a TD on 19 carries and had two catches for 44 yards.
Advertisement
"Me and CK have a big relationship," Simmons said. "We support each other. When I am out, I am always supporting him. When I am in, he is supporting me. We have got a brotherhood."
Said Kellom: "We have got a great bond. If one of us succeeds, we both succeed. The offensive line did great today. Gotta give credit to them, too. We are happy we got this W."
Simmons and Kellom became Akron's first tandem to surpass 100 yards rushing in the same game since Sept. 23, 2023 when DJ Irons and Lorenzo Lingard accomplished the feat against Indiana.
Akron Zips quarterback Tahj Bullock scores a second-half touchdown against Kent State, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
"This offensive system has got a long and storied tradition of running the ball successfully," Moorhead said. "It is something that has been difficult for us over the past two and a half seasons. This is something that we needed to fix, address and get better, and I think it has the past few games."
Advertisement
Bullock, a redshirt junior, contributed 42 yards and two TDs on 10 carries and completed a 2-point conversion pass to Kellom.
"Both of them played well," Moorhead said of Finley and Bullock. "Their styles compliment each other. ... We are very fortunate to have two quarterbacks of that caliber."
Akron Zips defensive back Elijah Reed celebrates an interception against Kent State in the final moments, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Kent.
Akron's defense also produced standout performances with Reed, a redshirt sophomore, totaling seven tackles and one interception. McCoy, a junior, had eight tackles.
Zips seniors Antavious Fish and Paul Lewis III and redshirt junior Gage Summers each had five tackles. Senior C.J. Nunnally IV and redshirt juniors Justin Anderson and Dimitri Madden each had a sack.
Advertisement
Akron redshirt junior Garrison Smith made 3 of 3 extra points and 3 of 3 field goals from 43, 26 and 27 yards.
"This game means a lot to a lot of people," Moorhead said. "People ask me what are the ingredients of a great rivalry: proximity, passionate fan bases, which obviously shows up, and then familiarity of the players. This [transfer] portal era, that is a little bit different. To get our third win of the year and our second conference win, I think they said both of those things haven't happened since 2018. We place a significant amount of emphasis on this game throughout the year. ... There is always something that is a little bit different and special about a rivalry game."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron runs past Kent State to retain Wagon Wheel in NCAA football game
