It certainly won’t be remembered as the University of Akron’s best game.
The Zips let one slip through their fingers and lost 45-38 to Appalachian State in front of 15,381 fans at InfoCision Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
From the onset, the Zips (2-2) played a mistake-riddled game.
“I don’t know if you give a game away to Appalachian State, a team that won 11 games last year,” Zips coach Terry Bowden said. “They’re a good football team. They were seven points better than us today.”
UA committed two turnovers, both interceptions by UA quarterback Thomas Woodson, and both were costly. Woodson threw into double coverage on each one and the Mountaineers (2-2) responded with a score each time.
On the Zips’ first possession, Woodson tried to throw to Austin Wolf, who was blanketed on both sides by Appalachian State defenders, on first-and-10 at the UA 49. The Mountaineers’ Clifton Duck picked it off at the Appalachian State 36-yard line.
Woodson said he had Wolf open on the play, but was hit from his blind side while in the process of throwing, giving the defender an opportunity to get to the ball.
Ten plays later, Appalachian State held a 7-0 lead.
The second pick came with 6:02 left in the second quarter and UA looking to answer a drive that put Appalachian State up 17-14. Instead, the Mountaineers’ Mondo Williams intercepted a Woodson pass and returned it to the UA 42-yard line. After a Zips penalty, Appalachian State quarterback Taylor Lamb found receiver Zy Letman for a 37-yard touchdown and a 24-14 lead.
Woodson said Williams made a good play on the ball but, in his mind, intended receiver Jerome Lane Jr. was held.
“That’s just something we’re going to have to get used to,” Woodson said.
It would be easy to look to those mistakes as the reason for the loss, but what’s becoming increasingly apparent is the Zips don’t have the defensive acumen as in years past. Bowden mentioned the UA defense was No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference last year, but the stifling, nasty style of play that’s been the calling card for the past two seasons hasn’t revealed itself yet this season.
The Zips defense blew a number of opportunities to end drives against the Mountaineers. A critical one came after UA grabbed its first and only lead of the game at 14-10. On Appalachian State’s next possession, the Zips forced a third-and-11 and had a golden opportunity to assert themselves.
Instead, Lamb completed a short pass to running back Darrynton Evans who broke at least three tackles on his way to a first down. Lamb capped the drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Levi Duffield.
That proved to be the story of the day as the Zips defense allowed two touchdowns of more than 35 yards through the air and two more of at least 30 yards on the ground. In all, the Mountaineers piled up 587 yards, including 307 on the ground.
Running back Jalin Moore led the onslaught with 257 yards and two scores on 39 carries, making him the first running back to gain more than 250 yards on UA since 2005, when Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe accomplished the feat.
The primary problem for the Zips defense was sloppy tackling.
“Sometimes they do a better job of breaking tackles than we do tackling,” Bowden said.
Linebacker Ulysses Gilbert agreed.
“[Moore] took the holes he seen,” he said. “I have faith in our defense and I feel we’re going to improve.”
Bowden said he expects to see improvement on that side of the ball.
“I’m not going to push any panic buttons,” he said. “[Defensive coordinator Chuck Amato] is running a lot of players in there and they’re going to get better and better.”
With the MAC season beginning next week with the Wagon Wheel game at rival Kent State, those kinks will have to be worked out soon.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at www.ohio.com/zips.