The University of Akron football team signaled that there is a lot of studying to do before next weekend’s game against Wisconsin.
The Zips struggled to beat the Virginia Military Institute 47-24 at InfoCision Stadium on Saturday night.
Playing a Football Bowl Subdivision team, expectations were UA should and would dominate the game. The Zips rolled up 576 yards of offense but dominant they were not.
“It was a slow start,” Zips coach Terry Bowden said in a radio interview after the game. “We got some lessons learned.”
UA quarterback Thomas Woodson completed 23-of-32 passes for 407 yards and six touchdowns, career bests in yardage and touchdown passes. Receiver Jerome Lane Jr. (Firestone) caught 10 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior receiver Austin Wolf scored one touchdown and added 82 yards on four receptions, and JoJo Natson grabbed four receptions for 90 yards and three touchdowns. The Zips needed every bit of that offense.
By the time the Keydets completed a 16-play, 99-yard drive that took 5:17 off the clock to draw within 19-17 at 5:50 of the third quarter, the fans had to sense that something was off.
At times, the Zips looked as if they thought all they had to do was walk on the field and the Keydets would roll over. They discovered something else. UA played out of sync and sloppily. VMI almost took advantage.
VMI dominated time of possession 36:12 to 23:48 and the Zips gifted the Keydets with 141 yards on 13 penalties.
“On defense, we have to find out what we do well,” Bowden said.
But the Zips deserve credit for at least responding after the Keydets cut the lead to 19-17, mustering an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with Woodson hitting Lane on a third-and-12 from the VMI 15-yard line. Lane fumbled and teammate Natson recovered in the end zone.
But even that was short-lived. A running-into-the-kicker penalty allowed the Keydets to take a field goal off the scoreboard and complete a third-and-5 pass for a touchdown from the UA 10-yard line with 10 seconds left in the quarter to complete an eight-play, 91-yard drive to cut the UA lead to 26-24.
There were bright spots and the Zips responded with three touchdowns to pull away, but it should not have come to that.
The passing numbers were impressive and Lane’s was as expected, but what happens against better competition later in the season will be a better judge.
Once defenses got wise to Lane’s skills last season, they were able to key on him. That might not be the case this year as the Zips appear to have found some complementary talent to provide some relief.
Wolf, a promising receiver from Central Ohio, stepped up and Natson, a transfer from Utah State, appears to be as advertised. Transfer Warren Ball, when given the opportunity to get into rhythm, delivered 110 rushing yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.
The problem was that the Zips’ defense, which gave up 386 yards — 300 passing — and those points, could be a work in progress the first few weeks of the season. If the offense plays consistently and runs up points, the defensive growing pains will be easier to take.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at www.ohio.com/zips.