uofmbrad Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Akron wide receiver is among the best Hixon saved the Zips in MAC championship game By Jim Masilak Contact December 20, 2005 As someone who rides motorcycles in order to "loosen up," Domenik Hixon isn't very good at standing still. During the second half of the recent Mid-American Conference championship game against Northern Illinois, Akron's standout senior receiver could hardly stand at all. Suffering from severe stomach cramps as a result of dehydration in the controlled climate of Detroit's Ford Field, and unable to play in the biggest game of his life, Hixon felt miserable and useless. "I was hurting," he said. "The last two games we played it was like negative-2 degrees. Now (we were in a dome and) it was 72. I didn't hydrate myself properly, and during halftime I felt it. I drank a lot of Gatorade, but it was too late. "It felt like my balance was off. It was like I had four or five charley horses in my stomach. I couldn't bend over, I couldn't stretch. It was terrible." Then, Hixon thought, "If I'm going to be in pain, it might as well be with the ball in my hands in the end zone." Seeking its first conference title of any kind in 90 years of football, Akron trailed the Huskies by six points with about 20 seconds left when Hixon decided to give it one more try. "I was looking at the clock, and it's my senior year ticking away," he said. "I had confidence in my teammates, but I thought I could help them. "It was a one-shot deal. I had to run at full speed. I asked God for one play, and he gave it to me." Struggling to stay upright moments earlier, Hixon somehow managed to run a post pattern behind the Huskies' defense. Akron quarterback Luke Getsy saw the 6-2, 192-pound former defensive back break open and let fly. A sliding Hixon hauled in Getsy's pass in the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown. Jason Swiger made the extra point, and Akron took a 31-30 lead. There were but 10 seconds left. Akron, the only bowl-eligible team not invited to play in a postseason game last season, could soon begin celebrating arguably the biggest victory in school history. "The play we ran wasn't even one of our plays that week. We hadn't run it in a while, but (assistant coach Joe Moorhead) called it anyway," Hixon said. "I saw the safety bite, but I didn't think it was gonna be that wide open. "It's something you dream about when you're a kid, making a catch like that and winning a game." As a result of that catch, Akron (7-5) earned a return trip to Ford Field on Dec. 26 to play the University of Memphis in the Motor City Bowl. None of the Zips were surprised it was Hixon who helped secure the school's first Division 1 bowl berth. "He's a playmaker for us," running back Brett Biggs said. "He's our home-run threat." The son of a 21-year Army veteran-turned-police officer, Hixon was born in Germany and moved frequently as a child. As a freshman at Akron, Hixon played in all 12 games, starting eight at safety. The next year, he led the team with 111 tackles. Then came a switch to offense. Hixon caught a team-best 66 passes as a junior. This season, he has 68 receptions for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. "Domenik is one of our more indispensable players," coach J.D. Brookhart said. "He's versatile and very intelligent when it comes to understanding our receiver positions and our special-teams schemes. He's also a player who leads by example, and the young guys look up to him a great deal." When Hixon joined the huddle before the decisive play against Northern Illinois, Biggs sensed something good was about to happen. "I was excited. I knew he was coming in to make a play," Biggs said. "You could see it in his eyes. He was hungry for it. He's been here four years, and he wanted it more than anybody." Extra points UofM senior linebacker Tim Goodwell has accepted an invitation to play in the 2006 All-American Classic Jan. 14 in Las Vegas. The game showcases approximately 105 seniors from across the country. -- Jim Masilak: 529-2311 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Motor City Bowl Matchup: Memphis (6-5) vs. Akron (7-5) When, where: Dec. 26, 3 p.m. CST, at Ford Field, Detroit TV: ESPN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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