Akron stomped Kent

Football

Akron had its most significant achievement since entering the MAC by beating Kent State 35-3 to win the MAC East Championship, propelling the Zips to the MAC Championship Thursday against Northern Illinois in Detroit.

For anyone who wasn't there, it wasn't a pretty game. The field was covered in snow. Players (and fans) dealt with very harsh wind and temperatures. I couldn't feel my feet or toes until a few hours later.

Kent had no chance. Akron opened with a fumble return for a touchdown and never looked back. Kent's passing game is its only redeeming quality, but Mother Nature silenced Michael Machen. Kent's QB passed for seven yards on four completions. Akron's Luke Getsy was a little better. He threw for 47 yards on five completions. He also had two touchdowns. The biggest pass of the day, however, may have been Brett Biggs' 27-yard completion on a halfback pass.

Biggs was, without a doubt, the player of the game. He rushed for 149 yards on 36 carries. Domenik Hixon had a difficult time in the snow, but also had a huge touchdown catch in the second half from Getsy. The ball was thrown into the wind -- almost a toss up for whoever wanted it more. Hixon did, and he hauled it in.

Attendance was, as I expected, low. Why Akron played on Thanksgiving morning without a commitment from ESPN or ESPN2 (not ESPNU), is beyond me. Oh well. Long story short, the Zips are bound for Detroit. They will play the NIU Huskies, whom they already beat in overtime this year at the Rubber Bowl. NIU has one of the country's best running backs in Garrett Wolfe. I saw him play Akron last year in DeKalb, Ill. and this season in Akron. He's not big, but he's quite elusive. He will be a challenge to Jay Rohr and the Zips linebackers.

More on the game is coming. I'm just giving you a brief rundown while I recover from gorging myself at the dinner table. If you would like to add comments from the game, please feel free.