Zips enter MAC competition with 51-7 knockout of Duquesne
By Keno Sultan
Stark County Prep Press
www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com
AKRON--It took four games but the Akron Zips are starting to fire on their cylinders and pistons.
After scoring 28 points in a competitive loss to Alabama-Birmingham, the pieces to the puzzle finally fell into their respective pieces and paced by a key 28-0 second quarter, the hosts obtained their first victory just in time before next week's Mid-American Conference opener on the road at Toledo with a 51-7 win over Duquesne to close out their non-conference slate in the confines of InfoCision Stadium.
After being scoreless in their first two contests, the Zips have now scored an impressive 82 points the last two weeks and the fact the offense is starting to generate points left fourth-year Zips head coach Joe Moorhead pleased.
"That is what it is supposed to look like. After the last two games, you know, we're all human and great leaders to me look in the mirror and not out the window and point thumbs, not fingers," he said. "Part of what you have seen in our improvement in our production the last two weeks, we've been able to get our production on first and second downs and play with tempo and be in different formations where we mix the run and the pass. The credit goes to the kids for their practice habits and execution. That is how our offense is designed to operate."
The night belonged to the offense, mainly running back Jordan Gant, whose first quarter 17-yard touchdown set the tone for the evening. He finished with 161 yards on 13 carries and added on touchdowns of nine and eight yards respectively. Quarterback Ben Finley completed 13 passes on 23 attempts and delivered scoring passes to former St. Edward receiver Kyen Mason that spanned 20 yards and a third quarter score to Tim Grear Jr. that went for 15 yards.
The defense also joined the scoring party when Malcolm DeWalt scored on a 22-yard interception return. It was the second touchdown in a 56 second span that ultimately decided the outcome of the contest.
Duquesne's only score game on a Logan Kushner one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter as the Dukes descended to 1-3 on the season as they have one more non-conference game against New Haven before commencing NEC conference play.
Akron finished with 514 total yards of offense to just 230 for the Dukes.
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