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The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Late picks make Zips slip

“The University of Akron football team ended its season by falling to Temple University, 27-6, at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, after the Zips’ threw two fourth-quarter interceptions. Akron (5-7, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) tied Temple (5-7, 4-4 MAC) at 6-6 with 10:15 left in the game on an 18-yard field goal by Igor Ivelijic, but the Owls would retake the lead for good on their ensuing possession.”

The University of Akron football team ended its season by falling to Temple University, 27-6, at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, after the Zips’ threw two fourth-quarter interceptions.

Akron (5-7, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) tied Temple (5-7, 4-4 MAC) at 6-6 with 10:15 left in the game on an 18-yard field goal by Igor Ivelijic, but the Owls would retake the lead for good on their ensuing possession.

Redshirt senior quarterback Adam DiMichele led the Owls on a 6-play, 72-yard touchdown drive. The score was setup by a 50-yard pass from DiMichele to junior wide receiver Jason Harper. DiMichele ran for the 4-yard score on the next play.

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The Zips’ hopes for a second comeback were dashed when redshirt junior quarterback Chris Jacquemain threw an interception at the Owls’ 26-yard line on the next possession that was returned by defensive back Kevin Kroboth to the Zips’ 18-yard line.

The Owls capitalized on the UA mistake and took a commanding 20-6 lead on a 3-yard touchdown run by redshirt senior Marcel Grigsby.

Temple would intercept another Jacquemain pass and add another Grigsby touchdown-run to close the game’s scoring.

The game, which featured two high-powered offenses and was expected to be an offensive shootout, turned into a defensive battle for much of the game.

After the Owls’ opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown with 9:08 left in the first quarter, Temple’s Jake Brownell missed the extra point. Brownell’s two field goal attempts also failed.

The Zips countered with miscues of their own. Ivelijic missed two field goals in the first half. His 32-yard attempt was blocked and his 41-yard attempt was wide.

UA also failed to capitalize on two Temple turnovers early in the second half that gave the Zips the ball in Owls’ territory. UA managed only a 24-yard Ivelijic field goal.

I knew coming in this was a very good defense, fifth-year UA head coach J.D. Brookhart in his post-game news conference. We had a very slow start, (which was) part them and part us. The opportunities that we didn’t convert were very difficult.

The Zips were led offensively by senior running back Dennis Kennedy, who recorded his sixth-straight 100-yard rushing game by gaining 153 yards on 25 carries. His 72-yard scamper put the team in position for its second field goal and his 1,321 rushing yards this season ranks third on UA’s single-season list.

Jacquemain completed 20-of-39 for 166 yards and three interceptions.

The quarterback said the offense’s inability to score was caused by a lack of execution.

We’ve got to give them credit, Jacquemain said. We made some mistakes at the end and gave them the chance to take the lead. They didn’t do anything we haven’t seen.

DiMichele led the Owls in his final collegiate game, completing 15-of-30 for 220 yards and two interceptions. The signal caller also rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns.

The Zips end the season in fourth place in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division.

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