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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football team celebrated homecoming with a 30-10 victory over the Akron Zips Saturday (Sept. 28) evening. The victory marked the first time Ohio opened Mid-American Conference play at Peden Stadium since 2011. 

The Zips charged down the field in their first drive to put themselves in field goal range. Garrison Smith booted the ball from the 49-yard line for three points to put the Zips ahead. 

Akron's lone touchdown of the evening came on a 17-yard pass to Jake Newell. Ohio managed to thwart Akron's plans on the ground and forced it into -18 rushing yards. Saturday marked the first time since Ohio held a team to 0 or less rushing yards since it played Akron in 2006.

"The guys are bought in. They want to be great. They take the coaching, and sometimes it's really hard coaching, especially after some of the penalty or two," head coach Tim Albin said. 

Ohio didn't connect the wires on offense until the second quarter. It got the ball back after redshirt freshman safety DJ Walker (Aliquippa, Pa.) snagged a pass from Finley for his first career interception. After several short drives, graduate student running back Anthony Tyus III (Portage, Mich.) got Ohio to the endzone, however, it was redshirt freshman tight end Mason Williams (Mogadore, Ohio) who scored. Tyus fumbled the ball in the endzone, and Williams recovered it for his first touchdown of the season. 

With just a few seconds left in the quarter, graduate student wide receiver Coleman Owen (Gilbert, Ariz.) caught an 18-yard over-the-back pass from graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro to reclaim Ohio's lead. 

Owen collected his second touchdown in the fourth quarter: a season-high 75-yard reception to mark second-longest of his career. Owen recorded 130 yards on six receptions Saturday night. 

Navarro also had a career day, setting a new career highs in all purpose yards (317) and rushing yards (113). The quarterback went 12-for-18 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the air, matching his single-game passing yards record as well. 

"I'm sure he's excited with how tonight transpired, but he is humble and hungry. With his work ethic, he has all the most respect from his teammates," Albin said. "I really couldn't tell, body-language wise, but he had a big burden on him and he never wavered. I'm really proud of him and his leadership." 

The defense didn't relent in the second half, either. Graduate student defensive end Marcel Walker-Burgess (Piscataway, N.J.) sacked quarterback Finley for a loss of three yards into the endzone for a safety in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, redshirt sophomore safety Austin Brawley (Massilon, Ohio) intercepted a pass to give Ohio the ball for Navarro's final touchdown.

"[The defense] gives us all the confidence in the world," Owen said. "We know that if we have a bad driver, we make a mistake, we go three-and-out or whatever it is, we know that these guys have our back. We see it every time we're running off the field. They're all screaming at us 'we got you.' These guys play like crazy. They played so well."  

Sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic (Chardon, Ohio) ended the night 2-for-2 in PATs. 

Ohio will be back in action on October 12 against Central Michigan. Kickoff from Point Pleasant, Michigan will be announced at a later date. 

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