Ohio Football Secures Homecoming Victory Over Akron, 55-34

Saturday, October 8

Athens, Ohio

2 p.m.

3-3 , 1-1

Akron

1-5 , 0-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Akron	0	13	7	14	34
Ohio	14	14	20	7	55

Sieh Bangura (Clay Stark / Ohio Athletics)

Ohio Football Secures Homecoming Victory Over Akron, 55-34

10/8/2022 6:37:00 PM | Football

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ATHENS, Ohio—The Ohio football team (3-3, 1-1 MAC) secured their first Mid-American Conference win, defeating the Akron Zips (1-5, 0-2 MAC) 55-34.

Redshirt junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) finished the game 24-for-27 with 427 yards in the air and three passing touchdowns. Graduate student wide receiver Sam Wiglusz (Brecksville, Ohio) led the receivers, going for a personal-best 144 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman running back Sieh Bangura (Bowie, Md.) finished the game with four touchdowns, three of which were rushing, while recording 90 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards.

Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Keye Thompson (Barberton, Ohio) recorded the Bobcats' first interception and finished the day leading the team with 11 tackles. Redshirt senior defensive end Jack McCrory's (Springfield, Ohio) fumble recovery in the third quarter marked Ohio's second defensive touchdown of the season.

The Bobcats opened the game with touchdowns on back-to-back drives. Wiglusz completed a 75-yard pass from Rourke for the first touchdown; redshirt freshman running back Nolan McCormick (Mason, Ohio) extended Ohio's lead to 14-0, ending a 12-play, 63-yard drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown.

"The first play of the game was the best way to start the game," said Wiglusz. "We got a couple plays that we know we were going to get a chance to call out if we got the right look. It could not have played out much better and it really got us off to a hot start, so it felt great."

Akron scored their first three points with 13:26 remaining in the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal, but Bangura quickly followed with a 12-yard rushing touchdown, giving Ohio an 18-point lead. Akron put pressure on Ohio's defense, scoring on a 42-yard field goal with 6:28 remaining the half.

With 45 seconds remaining in the quarter, the Zips scored their first touchdown of the game. The Bobcats answered with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Bangura completed a six-play, 78-yard drive and put the score at 28-13 heading into the third quarter.

The Zips cut Ohio's lead to eight points with a rushing touchdown, but a 30-yard reception by Wiglusz with 9:14 left in the third quarter put the score at 35-20. Bangura scored his third touchdown of the day with 5:13 left in the quarter; McCrory followed with a fumble recovery for a touchdown to give the Bobcats a 48-20 lead.

Two Akron touchdowns in the fourth quarter put the score at 48-34, but Bangura's fourth touchdown of the day extended the Bobcats' lead once again. With 1:21 remaining in the game, an interception by Thompson allowed Ohio to go into victory formation with a 55-34 final score.

"Unbelievable weekend; we were sold out for homecoming," said head coach Tim Albin. "Really, our most complete game of the year without question."

Up next, the Bobcats travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. on Saturday, Oct. 15 to take on Western Michigan. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game can be watched on CBSSN.

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