Zips Fall 42-14 to Eastern Michigan in Midweek MACtion

Tuesday, November 12

Akron, Ohio

6 PM

University of Akron

0-10 , 0-6

Eastern Michigan

5-5 , 2-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

EASTERN MICHIGAN

AKRON

Photo by: David Dermer

Zips Fall 42-14 to Eastern Michigan in Midweek MACtion

November 12 | Football

Box Score

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STATS | STATS IN PDF | POSTGAME NOTES | POSTGAME QUOTES | PHOTO GALLERY | VIDEO

AKRON, Ohio – Midweek football returned to the Mid-American Conference as Akron fell 42-14 to Eastern Michigan on a frigid, 22-degree Tuesday evening at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

Akron posted 342 total yards of total offense as redshirt junior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) led the way, completing 20-of-33 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. With 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Nelson threw a career-long 87-yard strike to sophomore WR Timothy Scippio (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) for the first score, and redshirt sophomore WR Julian Hicks (Cleveland, Ohio) grabbed the second with 1:09 left in the game.

Hicks led the Zips' receiving corps with a team-best seven receptions for 41 yards, while sophomore WR Jeremiah Knight (Jefferson, Ohio) caught six passes for 121 yards. Scippio corralled 91 yards on two receptions.

Defensively, freshman CB Randy Cochran (Doraville, Ga.) and redshirt sophomore LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) led Akron with 10 tackles apiece. Cochran's 10 takedowns and eight solo stops was a career-high while adding a forced fumble. Arslanian recorded a pass break-up, while senior LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) and senior DB Alvin Davis, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) tallied eight tackles each, including a pair of tackles for five yards of loss.

For Eastern Michigan (5-5 overall, 2-4 MAC), Mike Glass lined-up behind center, going 20-of-25 for 246 yards and a long of 41 yards. The Eagles ground attack proved to be the difference in the game as Glass gained a second-best 83 yards on the ground with a touchdown.

The Eagles rushed for 252 total yards as Shaq Vann performed much of the heavy lifting, gaining 142 yards on 28 carries with four touchdowns. Willie Parker added the Eagles sixth score on an 11-yard carry.

The Zips (0-10 overall, 0-6 MAC) started hot as Knight took the opening kick-off to the Zips' 44 yard-line and entered Eastern Michigan territory on the first play of the game, a 10-yard pass from Nelson. Akron marched to the EMU nine-yard line, but was just an inch short of the first down before the Eagles claimed possession.

The Zips' defense stalled EMU's initial drive at the EMU 41-yard line, but Eastern Michigan eventually started the scoring. The Eagles used a five-play, 63-yard drive capped by a six-yard run by Vann with 46-seconds left in the first frame to take a 7-0 advantage. Vann found the endzone two more times in the second quarter to give the Eagles a 21-0 advantage at the break.

In the third quarter, Parker and Glass crossed the goal line for Eastern Michigan before Akron's 87-yard touchdown connection between Nelson and Scippio. The 87-yard pass play stands as third-best in program history, the Zips' longest of the season, and Nelson's career-best. At the end of three quarters, Akron trailed 35-7.

Both teams found paydirt in the fourth quarter as the Zips completed game's scoring on a pass from Nelson to Hicks.

Akron makes its final road trip of the 2019 season, visiting Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday, Nov. 20, for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Yager Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPNU.