The Akron Zips fail to shut down Gardner-Webb early, then fall prey to their own critical mistakes down the stretch to finally lose in overtime, 38-37, to the Bulldogs.
View full sizeAkron's Jeremy LaFrance outruns a trio of Gardner-Webb defenders in the first quarter.AKRON, Ohio — The shadow of an 0-fer season suddenly looms for the Akron Zips and their first-year head coach Rob Ianello as Gardner-Webb stunned the Zips in overtime, 38-37, in a game where Akron (0-2) led throughout. A small but shocked crowd of 10,046 at InfoCision Stadium watched at the end.
The Zips showed more than enough flaws and cracks to allow the Runnin' Bulldogs (2-0) from the Football Championship Subdivision to hang around, and ultimately win with a touchdown and extra point in overtime.
G-W ran more plays than Akron (80-65), gained more yards (391-389), had more first downs (24-22), made fewer penalties (2-5) and had fewer mental mistakes than the Division I Zips.
"The offense had plenty of chances to win the game," Ianello said. "The defense had plenty of chances. Special teams had plenty of chances."
Left unsaid was the coaching staff as well, but they could not be absolved, either. Akron botched the coin toss, winning the flip, but then failed to defer to the second half. "A miscommunication between myself and the captains," Ianello said.
Twice Akron called timeouts for 10 men on the field. And a stubbornness trying to force a hit-or-miss passing game kept the door open for the Bulldogs, when Akron's ground-pounding, 224 yards rushing with a pair of 100-yard performers (Nate Burney, 119, Alex Allen, 110, three TDs) possibly could have sealed a win.
After holding the Bulldogs to three and out, the Zips got in position for a game-winning field goal. But a missed 35-yard attempt with five seconds left sent the game into overtime.
After scoring first in OT, Igor Ivelijic's missed extra point gave G-W a chance it did not misuse. A Juanne Blount 4-yard burst tied the score. And the PAT sealed the Bulldogs' victory -- their first in three tries against a MAC team.
Leading, 31-24, to start the fourth quarter, Akron opted to turn from a running game in favor of a passing game that had been sacked three times and thrown an interception. Five plays later, the Zips were punting, giving the ball to the Bulldogs with 11:33 to go.
A 14-play, 86-yard drive followed, ending with a 13-yard TD pass that tied the game, 31-31, and left the Zips 4:56 to win.
It never happened as a myriad of mistakes followed, leaving the winless Zips staring at games at Kentucky next week, then at Indiana, then at what now looms as a mammoth road game at rival Kent State.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253