Written by: Zack West
The gold team, made up of the second-team offense and the first-team defense, defeated the blue team, mad up of the first-team offense and the second-team defense, 51-21 in the annual University of Akron spring football game Saturday at InfoCision-Summa Field.
The day was set off by Tyler Williams returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown for the blue team.
Dalton Williams went 37-55 for 373 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions on the day. Williams split time between the two teams, going 21-28 for 233 yards and two touchdowns as a member of the Gold team, while going 16-27 for 150 yards and a touchdown against the first-string defense as a member of the blue team.
As a member of the blue team, Williams threw two interceptions, one being returned for a touchdown by Bill Alexander in the second quarter.
L.T. Smith led the receivers by catching 13 balls on the day. The former defenseman produced 107 yards on those 13 catches for the blue team.
Marquelo Suel, a receiver for the blue, had five catches for 57 yards and three touchdowns: A 20-yard pass from Williams in the first quarter, a 12-yard pass from Kyle Pohl in the second quarter and 22-yard haul in by Clayton Moore in the third.
Moore went 17-of-27 for 193 yards and a touchdown on the day (12-of-15 for 135 yards and a touchdown for the fold team). Pohl was 12-of-20 with 116 yards and a score.
The gold team’s defense was led by Justin March, who produced seven tackles and a sack. The blue team’s defense was paced by Johnny Robinson with nine tackles.
“Overall…[I’m] pleased my No. 1 defense didn’t give up but 14 points, and that the most important thing we can do as a football team is play better defense,” said Akron Head Coach Terry Bowden after the game. “Now we’ll go back and evaluate and try to make any final decisions on the talent we got and move forward from there.”
Even though the season is hardly on the cusp of beginning, Bowden says he is excited, from what he saw, to work with the team leading up to the fall.
The opening game for the Zips will be Aug. 30 when the University of Central Florida comes to town.