The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Pittsburgh
Football Brings Home 21-10 Road Win at Pittsburgh
September 27 | Football
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PITTSBURGH – For the first time since 2006, the Akron Zips football team defeated a team from the ACC, defeating Pittsburgh 21-10 on Saturday at Heinz Field.
The Zips defeated N.C. State 20-17 on September 9, 2006, also on the road. Akron's last win over a BCS/Power 5 school came on Sept. 6, 2008. UA downed Syracuse 42-28 in that game.
Led by a career day from RB Conor Hundley, Akron (2-2) posted 169 yards on the ground and 382 yards overall. Hundley finished with a career-high 148 yards on 19 carries (7.8 yards/carry).
Junior NT Cody Grice added two goal-line touchdowns and junior QB Kyle Pohl added a 52-yard touchdown pass. Pohl finished the day connecting on 15-of-29 for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The Akron defense held Panthers' RB James Conner, the nation's leading rusher (174.8 yards/game), to just 92 yards on 25 carries and zero touchdowns. Overall, Pittsburgh (3-2) was held to 349 yards offense and committed two turnovers.
After both teams had drives stall on their first two possessions, the Zips forced the first turnover of the game. With the Zips punting, a Pitt blocker ran into his own returner and Akron recovered the ball after it bounced off a Panthers' player. However, UA would not convert the fumble into points as Pohl's third-down pass intended for L.T. Smith would be intercepted in the endzone.
The Panthers would get on the board first, driving 80 yards on 10 plays for an 8-yard touchdown pass by Chad Voytik with 4:28 to go in the opening half. Pitt converted two third downs on the drive after going 1-for-6 prior to that drive.
The Zips responded, needing just three plays to tie the game at 7-all with 3:40 on the clock. Pohl hit Mykel Traylor-Bennett on a 52-yard touchdown pass to cap a three-play, 75-yard drive that took just 48 seconds.
After the Akron defense forced a Pitt three-and-out, the Zips drove down to the Panthers' 30-yard line with 24 seconds remaining. UA would not be able to stop the clock and would go into the locker room tied with Pitt, 7-7.
The Zips took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 75 yards on nine plays to take 14-7 lead. Hundley opened the drive with a 42-yard run and Cody Grice capped off the drive with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone with 12:13 on the third-quarter clock.
It looked like Pitt had tied the game on a six-yard pass, but offensive holding would negate the score, pushing the Panthers back to the UA 16. Kris Givens would break up the third-down pass, forcing the Panthers to kick a 34-yard field goal. The Zips would lead 14-10 with 6:15 left in the third quarter.
Akron opened the fourth quarter closing out a 10-play, 70-yard drive to take a 21-10 lead with 12:20 left in the game. Grice picked up his second touchdown of the day, this time punching it in from two yards. Grice, Akron's starting nose tackle, played and was recruited as a fullback.
With Pitt driving mid-way through the fourth quarter, DeAndre Scott would pick off Voytik at the UA 8 to give the ball back to the Zips with 9:30 remaining.
Scott thought he had the game-winner, picking off Voytik for a pick-six, but the Zips were called for offsides on the play. The Panthers would cross mid field, only to see the drive stall at the Zips' 32, with UA taking over on downs with 1:34 to go.
The Zips return home on Saturday, Oct. 4, when they play host to Eastern Michigan at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field. The homecoming contest is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN3.
