MAC Football Final Scoreboard:
Saturday, October 28
Akron 21, Buffalo 20 Final
Thursday, October 26
Northern Illinois 30, Eastern Michigan 27 (OT) Final
Toledo 58, Ball State 17 Final
Game stories courtesy of MAC Athletic Communication Departments
Akron 21, Buffalo 20
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -- The Akron Zips claimed their fifth win of the season with a 21-20 victory over Buffalo in Mid-American Conference action on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field. Akron improved to 5-4 overall and 4-1 in MAC play, while Buffalo fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in MAC play. With the victory, Akron moved into the top spot in the MAC East standings. This is the fifth consecutive season at the Zips have won at least five games (2013-17).
Akron senior QB Thomas Woodson went 21-of-29 and threw for a season-high 291 yards and all three touchdowns. He moved into second place on Akron's career passing chart and now has 6,834 yards (second to Charlie Frye). Woodson is also second in career passing touchdowns with 53.
Senior A.J. Coney led the receivers with a career-high 91 yards on a career-high seven receptions. On the ground, sophomore Deltron Sands was the top rusher with seven carries for a career-high 70 yards. Defensively, DB Jorden George had a career-high 11 tackles and an interception.
For the Bulls, sophomore QB Tyree Jackson received the start under center. He went 34-of-50 for 313 yards. Sophomore RB Emmanuel Reed rushed for 116 yards on 28 carries, while senior WR Kamathi Holsey had 100 receiving yards on seven catches.
Neither team scored on its the opening drive. On the Zips' second possession, UA drove 53 yards over 10 plays. But an incomplete pass on third down forced the Zips to attempt a 37-yard field goal. Junior PK Tom O'Leary shanked the ball wide left.
Buffalo rebounded with an 80-yard scoring drive. Reed put the Bulls on the scoreboard with a two-yard rush, going ahead 7-0.
Akron tied the game on its next possession. Woodson drove the Zips 67 yards and connected with senior WR Fransohn Bickley for a 23-yard touchdown. O'Leary tacked on the extra point to make it 7-7 in the first quarter.
Buffalo opened the second quarter with a 55-yard drive. After a break-up and near interception by Shawn Featherstone on a third-and-7, the Bulls settled for a 37-yard field goal by Adam Mitcheson to go ahead, 10-7, with 12:22 to go in the first half.
The Zips went three-and-out on the next possession.
UB drove the field once again. On third down, Jackson threw into the endzone where Zips junior CB Jordan George intercepted. Akron made good use of the turnover, driving to the UB 46 before Woodson connected with senior WR Austin Wolf for a 41-yard touchdown pass. O'Leary made the extra point and gave Akron its first lead of the game, 14-10, with 4:50 to go in the first half.
Buffalo drove the length of the field, and connected in the endzone, but a holding penalty sent the Bulls back to the 29. On the last play of the half (and nine second on the clock), Mitcheson made a 36-yard field goal. Akron held a one-point advantage at halftime, 14-13.
While neither team scored in the third quarter, Buffalo went ahead 20-14 on the third play of the fourth quarter. Reed scored his second rushing touchdown on the afternoon, a 10-yard rush, to finish an 11-play, 54-yard drive.
On its next drive, Akron marched down the field 41 yards. On a third-and-1, Morgan took a direct snap and gave UA the first down. The Zips ended the drive with a Woodson interception. The Bulls took over on the one-yard line but didn't reach the red zone.
On their next possession, Akron scored the game-winning touchdown. Fueled by rushing efforts by Sands, the Zips went 91 yards and went ahead, 21-20, on a 36-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Kevin Gladney.
On Buffalo's final possession, the Bulls made it as far as the 29-yard line and were forced to kick a field goal. Mitcheson missed a 46-yard attempt. With 1:26 to go, the Zips ran out the clock to seal the win.
Following a 10-day break, Akron switches to Tuesday night action for all of November. The Zips visit Miami on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The next home game is Nov. 14, against Ohio at 7 p.m. at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.
