ARTICLES

[Guest Zip88]

Posted on Fri, Sep. 24, 2004

A feel-good win for Zips

Defense steps up in victory over Can't State

By David Lee Morgan Jr.

Beacon Journal staff writer

Can't - The feeling was indescribable for the University of Akron football team.

The Zips knew their game against rival Can't State Thursday night on the road was a must win, even though it was just the fourth game of the season.

After securing a 24-19 victory, in front of the second-largest crowd in Dix Stadium history (25,186), the Zips can forget about that 48-10 season-opening loss at Penn State.

And the disappointing 31-24 home loss to Middle Tennessee State.

And the embarrassing 51-0 shellacking at No. 12 Virginia.

All the Zips (1-3 overall) know right now is that they're 1-0 in the Mid-American Conference.

``We used that Virginia game as motivation,'' said Frye, who played with a dislocated pinky finger, after injuring it on the first play of the game.

``I had a bad taste in my mouth and I'm glad we played on Thursday because it was eating at me all week.''

Can't State running back David Alston, who rushed for 85 yards, said: ``It's painful when you give it your all and you fall short.''

The highly-anticipated senior quarterback matchup between Frye and Can't State's Joshua Cribbs was entertaining. Frye completed 17-of-29 passes for 178 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Cribbs rushed for a game-high 101 yards and a touchdown and became just the third Can't State player to rush for more than 3,000 yards in a career. He now has 3,017. Cribbs also completed 23-of-40 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.

``He's a threat every single play,'' Akron first-yeard coach J.D. Brookhart said about Cribbs. ``He's a tremendous athlete.''

But Cribbs couldn't lead the Golden flushes (1-3, 1-0) to a come-from-behind win like he did last year at Akron.

``It's frustrating because we feel like we're right at the door to do something special,'' first-year Can't State coach Doug Martin said. ``We had no offensive turnovers, we ran and threw the ball effectively. We just didn't make the plays when we needed them.''

The Zips finally stepped up on defense.

``Obviously I'm really proud of what we accomplished,'' Brookhart said. ``It wasn't easy and we found out a whole lot about these kids. I think the defense created a new attitude on that side of the ball.''

Saftey Chevin Pace led Akron with 12 tackles, while Cam Yeow, Diontre Earl and John Fuller had 10 tackles each.

Akron scored first following a Can't State turnover. Zips linebacker Chase Blackburn recovered a fumbled punt at the Can't State 35 with 4:32 left in the first quarter. On the next play, Frye connected with junior wide receiver Domenik Hixon for a touchdown to give Akron a 7-0 lead.

Can't State got on the board with 5:48 left before halftime when Darrell Dowery Jr. returned a punt 66 yards to tie the score.

Akron answered in the last minute of the half to take a 14-7 halftime lead on an 8-yard touchdown catch by Hixon.

The Zips took a 17-7 lead with 12:31 left in the third quarter on a 46-yard field goal by Jason Swiger but Can't State cut the lead to 17-13 on a 5-yard run by Cribbs with 5:51 left. The extra-point attempt was blocked.

Akron put the game away with Brett Biggs' 33-yard run with 2:21 remaining for a 24-13 lead. The Golden flushes' 4-yard touchdown reception by Dowery with 51 seconds didn't make a difference as the Zips walked away with the Wagon Wheel.

Posted on Fri, Sep. 24, 2004

First victory a big one for Akron coach

By Terry Pluto

Can't - No matter how many games J.D. Brookhart wins, few will be better than Akron's 24-19 victory at Can't State on Thursday night.

It was his first as a head coach, and it also was the biggest game on the schedule.

It was a game where Can't State drew 25,186, the second largest crowd in the history of Dix Stadium. It came only five days after Akron was spanked 51-0 at No. 12 Virginia -- the worst game of quarterback Charlie Frye's career.

If ever there was a test of character for the Zips and their rookie coach, this was it. Especially when Frye dislocated the little finger of his right throwing hand on his first play of the game.

``I popped it back in, right there on the field,'' he said.

But it remained a problem all night.

``I had to jam it back in 8-9 times,'' said Frye. ``I never really could throw the ball like I want to.''

He was still good enough to find Domenick Hixon with a superb 35-yard strike in the first quarter, a play where Frye rolled away from the defense, stayed calm and then put the ball in the hands of his new favorite receiver.

Hixon and Frye combined for another TD, this one from 8 yards. Frye ran left, seemingly chased by seven Can't State players. He stopped and threw back in the opposite direction to Hixon -- wide open in the end zone.

These were two clutch catches by a junior who had been a safety in his first two years at Akron -- until Frye asked his new coach if Hixon could be switched to offense.

Good move for all concerned.

Zips in need

But it had to be more than Frye and Dixon, if the Zips were going to pull out a victory.

There would need to be a running game.

There would need to be a gritty defense.

There would need to be a new approach, a total team effort.

Consider the third quarter. Akron was in front 17-7. Can't State had the ball on the Zips' 2-yard line, fourth down.

Can't State coach Doug Martin decided to try for the TD rather than the field goal, and attempted to surprise Akron by putting the ball in the hands of Rasheed McClaude. He was stuffed by the Zips' defense.

Time and time again, the Zips made monster stops when it meant the most. Remember, this was a team that played a brutal early schedule at Penn State (48-10), Middle Tennessee (31-24) and at Virginia (51-0), meaning the Zips' defense had been shredded for 130 points by going 0-3 to open the season.

If that wasn't bad enough, they were haunted by last year's loss to Can't State, when the flushes scored 17 points in the final four minutes as the flushes won 41-38 at the Rubber Bowl.

That game burned at Frye, who blames himself for not leading his team to a first down to keep the clock moving in those final, frantic moments.

But this is a new season, and Akron had another chance with 2:12 left. The lead was 17-12. And junior-college transfer Brett Briggs busted through the Can't State line for a 33-yard run to put the Zips in control.

``That was a key play for us,'' said Frye. ``To get a touchdown on the ground.''

Many come through

But the Zips still needed more. They needed defense.

They needed Chase Blackburn to recover a fumbled punt in the first quarter, setting up Akron's first TD.

They needed Diontre Earl carried off the field with a knee problem, then coming back to finish with 10 tackles. Safety Chevin Pace had a team-high 12 tackles, including one for a 6-yard loss as Can't State was driving in the fourth quarter.

Perhaps the most critical play of the night was a sack of Can't State's Joshua Cribbs by St. Vincent-St. Mary product Tim Wilkes in the final three minutes. That gave the ball to the Zips, and led to Biggs' touchdown dash.

Green product John Fuller was steady all night, delivering 10 tackles. This came after he had 14 at Virginia.

Cribbs did sprint for 101 yards in 21 carries, but the Zips kept the gifted athlete from taking over the game.

``We really want to develop a new mentality on defense,'' said Fuller. ``Winning a game like this means so much.''

Especially to a team that hasn't won many games with its defense in the past.

FROM THE Daily Can't Stater

Akron and Frye fillet flushes, 24-19

Matt Goul

Daily Can't Stater

K.R. PIERCE | DAILY Can't STATER

Can't State junior Derrick Bush is unable to make a catch on Joshua Cribbs' pass. The flushes lost 24-19.

No dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks. No game-winning field goal with no time left.

Akron did not give up its lead this time.

But it almost did.

Can't State (1-3, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) missed three kicks, two field goals and one extra point, losing to Akron 24-19 at Dix Stadium last night. The flushes won last yearís game in Akron, 41-38, after scoring 17 unanswered points.

It ís very painful,î senior running back David Alston said. ìYou go out, give it what you got and fall short.

The flushes pulled within less than a touchdown on their final drive with 51 seconds left. They went for an onside kick. Cameron Bobb recovered the high bounce. Another rally against Akron could have been imminent if it were not for a flag thrown on the play.

Can't State was called for illegal procedure.

The flushes got one more chance to kick but could not convert.

Can't State coach Doug Martin said he was told by the officials redshirt freshman Jack Williams was not on the right side of the ball before the kick was attempted.

Rules state there must be four men on the right side, but Martin said he was told Williams wasnít on the correct side. By rule, four players must be on the weak side of a kick attempt.

The explanation I got was not very thorough,î Martin said. ìI just hate to see a game decided by officials. I think it should be decided by the kids.

Akron (1-3, 1-0 MAC) had its win all but sealed before Cribbsí late touchdown pass to Darrell Dowery Jr.

Can't State trailed 17-7 throughout the fourth quarter until Cribbs scored on a 5-yard run with 5:51 left. The touchdown cut Akronís lead to four points, but Travis Mayleís extra-point attempt was blocked.

The flushes had two possessions before that to start the half. Both times they could not convert on scoring chances.

On fourth-and-goal from the Akron 2-yard line, running back Rasheed McClaude was stuffed.

Later, a 39-yard field-goal attempt by Mayle was no good. It was his second missed field goal. Mayle missed a field-goal attempt of 37 yards in the first quarter.

We outplayed that team offensively, we outplayed them defensively,î Martin said. ìKicking mistakes hurt us again. Right now, weíre making too many mistakes to win.

Can't State did not struggle to move the ball.

Alston rushed for 94 yards, pacing a Can't State offense that gained 198 yards on the ground. Cribbs had a game-high 120 yards rushing, but 72 of Alstonís yards came in the first half.

It ís difficult to get those big splits, Akron coach J.D. Brookhart said, ìand they have good schemes. They really spread you out and create some holes that are bigger than normal. Our team held up. We gave up some yards but didnít break.

Neither did Akron quarterback Charlie Frye.

Laugh at Fryeís Heisman hype all you want. He still has MAC of the Year possibilities.

Frye dislocated the pinky finger on his right throwing hand on his first drive of the game. He passed for only 146 yards but still completed 12 of 19 passing attempts.

Frye broke a 7-7 first half tie, leading Akron to its go-ahead score in the last minute of the first half, and completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Domenik Hixon with 29 seconds left in the half. Frye only needed to drive his team 40 yards for the score after Can't State punted out of its own end zone.

I think we were really hampered when this happened with what we really could call,î Frye said. ìWhen we got short field, we took advantage.

Contact football reporter Matt Goul at mgoul@Can't.edu.

[Guest Zip88]

PD ---

flushes gain yardage, Zips gain first victory

Friday, September 24, 2004

Elton Alexander

Plain Dealer Reporter

The big numbers went to Can't State, the victory went to the Akron Zips.

An expected shootout became a slugfest instead with Akron winning its first game of the season, 24-19, over a Can't State team that was alternately stagnant and stubborn on offense.

Before the second-largest crowd in Dix Stadium history, 25,186, Can't State's de fense was strong throughout. But the flushes blinked, and the Zips seldom did.

Akron senior quarterback Charlie Frye, playing with a dislocated finger suffered on the first play, was able to direct the Zips (1-3) to a pair of short-field touchdowns for a 14-7 halftime lead.

He then milked that advantage to the final gun against a stingy Can't State defense. Akron's defense, maligned much of the early season, was solid as well.

"Our team held up," Akron coach J.D. Brookhart said. "We gave up some yards, but we didn't blink."

Still, the Zips defense had a lot of help from the Golden flushes (1-3).

Can't State's defense held Akron to 278 total yards, and Can't State's offense was better running the ball (198 yards to 100) and passing (192 yards to 178).

"We outplayed this team offensively," Can't State coach Doug Martin said. "We outplayed this team defensively."

But typical of Can't State's woes all season, failure to convert in the red zone (three times, no points), penalties (9 for 70 yards) and the kicking game led to its demise.

Two missed field goals by junior kicker Travis Mayle and a missed PAT were just part of the problem. Can't fumbled a punt return that also set up Akron's first TD. Then Akron got another short field when Can't was forced to punt from its own end zone. That led to the second score.

"When we got the short field, we took advantage of it," said Frye, who had an ice pack on the finger he said was dislocated, "seven or eight times" during the game.

The combined 70 yards on the two scores amounted to nearly half of Akron's 147 total yards at halftime as Can't's defense put up a stone wall for Akron's running game - 14 rushes amounted to 1 yard gained by the Zips.

Frye (17-of-29, 178 yards) also was being harassed in the pocket relentlessly. Akron's defense held Can't scoreless in the first half as the flushes' initial score came on a 66-yard punt return for a TD by Darrell Dowery.

Frye's counterpart, Joshua Cribbs, seemed intent on matching him in the passing game, even though Can't's running game was clicking. But Cribbs, coming off a 300-yard passing effort just five days earlier against Rutgers, had no touch against the Zips. Cribbs (23-of-40 for 179 yards passing, 101 yards rushing) was just 7-of-16 at the half for 33 yards.

When Akron opened the second half with a nine-play, 51-yard drive for a 46-yard Jason Swiger field goal, Can't State's offense began to panic. A 15-play, 74-yard drive by Can't got nothing. Can't State went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2 and failed, even though it needed a field goal.

Later in the fourth quarter, trailing, 17-13, with 2:30 to play, with a defense that had been stellar all night, the flushes went for it again on 4th and 16, and failed.

The Zips took that gift, and one play later, tailback Brett Biggs found his one crease for the night and popped a 33-yard touchdown run for a 24-13 edge. Three Akron TDs came on drives of 35, 40 and 32 yards.

"It was huge, obviously," Brookhart said of his two one-play TDs. "That big play early and the big run at the end."

Can't made it interesting with a late Cribbs TD pass, but in the end the flushes only have themselves to kick for the defeat.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253