Events Calendar
In This Section
Time off doesn't help Eastern Michigan
Defeat sets back Zips' bowl hopes
Young gets old for Zips in defeat
Lake Catholic star to play softball at UA
Playing No. 6 Pitt provides tough test for UA men's basketball team
UA's Brookhart warns Ohio better than record
Bowl me over, Zips could go to game
Most Read Stories
Blogs:
Akron Law Café:
More Questions On The National City Sale
Car Chase:
What will happen at the big January auctions?
The Heldenfiles:
More Catching Up: "Grey's Anatomy," "Survivor"
Patrick McManamon:
Someone gets it that LeBron might not leave, and why the difference in judgment with Quinn and Anderson?
Browns Bulletin:
Live blog this Sunday
Cleveland Browns:
Quinn has fractured finger
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cleveland vs. Atlanta Hawks - Quicken Loans Arena
CavsHQ: A Fan's View:
Roasted Hawk - Cavs v. Hawks Postgame Quickhits
Akron Zips:
Bowl berth looks bleak after loss at Ohio
Varsity Letters:
Archbishop Hoban duo headed to University of Akron
Kent State Sports:
Fisher on fire in overtime win
Ohio Politics:
Hillary To Accept Secretary Of State Nomination
See Jane Style:
Weekend Inspiration
All Da King's Men:
Should We Bail Out The Big Three Automakers ?
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Prophets And Charts
HRLite House:
HR & Strategy, Police Selection
Akron Gamer:
Perhaps the greatest thing ever
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Pat requests information on the German bands playing at Lock 3.
Sound Check:
GNR's Chinese Democracy set for November 23 release…seriously!
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Sugar Plum Home Tour 2008
Jacquemain leads Zips to 42-28 victory
By Jim Mandelaro
Special to the Beacon Journal
POSTED: 07:53 p.m. EST, Sep 06, 2008
SYRACUSE, N.Y.: The game plan was simple enough for the University of Akron football coach J.D. Brookhart on Saturday:
''Take what you'll give us,'' he said.
The porous Syracuse University defense obliged, and the Zips turned in a balanced effort in a 42-28 upset win before 31,808 at the Carrier Dome.
Chris Jacquemain passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns, and the Zips rushed for 218, led by 103 from Alex Allen.
''Our offensive line worked their tails off,'' said senior tailback Dennis Kennedy, who rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown. ''They gave us great pushes and opened up holes.''
UA (1-1) built a quick 14-0 lead, but Syracuse (0-2) rallied to tie it 28-28 early in the fourth quarter. The Zips answered on touchdown passes from Jacquemain to Andre Jones and Merce Poindexter, scoring a victory for the Mid-American Conference over a team from the BCS-represented Big East.
''This was huge,'' Jones said. ''We got excited when they scored, because we knew we had to match their intensity.''
It was a big change from last week for the UA rushing game, when it could only manage just 70 yards rushing in a 38-17 loss to Wisconsin.
The Zips took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in just seven plays. Jacquemain hit a wide-open Jones at the goal line for a 33-yard touchdown. Another big play pushed UA's lead to 14-0 near the end of the first quarter, as Kennedy juked his way past five would-be tacklers to score on a 35-yard run with the Zips facing third-and-23.
UA was 10-of-14 on third-down conversions.
Syracuse woke up the crowd with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Cam Dantley, son of former NBA star Adrian Dantley, to tight end Mike Owen in the first minute of the second quarter.
Dantley received a surprise start ahead of junior Andrew Robinson.
UA answered with a 67-yard drive that culminated in Allen's 1-yard touchdown run. Syracuse cut it to 21-14 on Curtis Brinkley's 1-yard touchdown plunge with 2:17 left in the half. Once again, the Zips offense had an answer, driving 62 yards on eight plays in just 1:55, capped by another 1-yard touchdown run from Allen to take a 28-14 lead into halftime.
Former Copley High star Delone Carter gained 34 yards on four carries on Syracuse's opening drive of the second half, including a 27-yard burst. The Orange scored on a 4-yard pass from Dantley to Owen.
Carter was the Beacon Journal's 2005 Player of the Year and was named Mr. Ohio Football after leading the state with 2,788 yards rushing and 49 touchdowns for Copley.
He's coming back from a dislocated hip that sidelined him the entire 2007 season. Carter barely played in the first half but started the second half. He rushed 13 times Saturday for 77 yards and figured in two of the game's biggest plays.
Syracuse faced fourth-and-1 from the UA 31 early in the fourth quarter, and Carter pounded his way 15 yards up the middle for a first down. Dantley then hit tight end Nick Provo in the right corner of the end zone on the next play, tying the score 28-28.
The Zips kept their cool and marched 78 yards on 10 plays, as Jacquemain lofted a pass to a wide-open Jones in the right corner of the end zone to give UA a 35-28 lead with 7:28 remaining.
SU faced fourth-and-1 from the UA 46 with 4:55 remaining, and this time Carter was stuffed at the line by strong safety Bryan Williams.
''That was a huge stop,'' Brookhart said.
Poindexter then hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 remaining.
''It doesn't matter if we lose to Akron or Penn State (next week's opponent),'' Syracuse receiver Bruce Williams said. ''Akron is a good team. We're stunned and shocked.''
The Zips host Ball State on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the home opener at the Rubber Bowl.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.: The game plan was simple enough for the University of Akron football coach J.D. Brookhart on Saturday:
''Take what you'll give us,'' he said.
The porous Syracuse University defense obliged, and the Zips turned in a balanced effort in a 42-28 upset win before 31,808 at the Carrier Dome.
Chris Jacquemain passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns, and the Zips rushed for 218, led by 103 from Alex Allen.
''Our offensive line worked their tails off,'' said senior tailback Dennis Kennedy, who rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown. ''They gave us great pushes and opened up holes.''
UA (1-1) built a quick 14-0 lead, but Syracuse (0-2) rallied to tie it 28-28 early in the fourth quarter. The Zips answered on touchdown passes from Jacquemain to Andre Jones and Merce Poindexter, scoring a victory for the Mid-American Conference over a team from the BCS-represented Big East.
''This was huge,'' Jones said. ''We got excited when they scored, because we knew we had to match their intensity.''
It was a big change from last week for the UA rushing game, when it could only manage just 70 yards rushing in a 38-17 loss to Wisconsin.
The Zips took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in just seven plays. Jacquemain hit a wide-open Jones at the goal line for a 33-yard touchdown. Another big play pushed UA's lead to 14-0 near the end of the first quarter, as Kennedy juked his way past five would-be tacklers to score on a 35-yard run with the Zips facing third-and-23.
UA was 10-of-14 on third-down conversions.
Syracuse woke up the crowd with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Cam Dantley, son of former NBA star Adrian Dantley, to tight end Mike Owen in the first minute of the second quarter.
Dantley received a surprise start ahead of junior Andrew Robinson.
UA answered with a 67-yard drive that culminated in Allen's 1-yard touchdown run. Syracuse cut it to 21-14 on Curtis Brinkley's 1-yard touchdown plunge with 2:17 left in the half. Once again, the Zips offense had an answer, driving 62 yards on eight plays in just 1:55, capped by another 1-yard touchdown run from Allen to take a 28-14 lead into halftime.
Former Copley High star Delone Carter gained 34 yards on four carries on Syracuse's opening drive of the second half, including a 27-yard burst. The Orange scored on a 4-yard pass from Dantley to Owen.
Carter was the Beacon Journal's 2005 Player of the Year and was named Mr. Ohio Football after leading the state with 2,788 yards rushing and 49 touchdowns for Copley.
He's coming back from a dislocated hip that sidelined him the entire 2007 season. Carter barely played in the first half but started the second half. He rushed 13 times Saturday for 77 yards and figured in two of the game's biggest plays.
Syracuse faced fourth-and-1 from the UA 31 early in the fourth quarter, and Carter pounded his way 15 yards up the middle for a first down. Dantley then hit tight end Nick Provo in the right corner of the end zone on the next play, tying the score 28-28.
The Zips kept their cool and marched 78 yards on 10 plays, as Jacquemain lofted a pass to a wide-open Jones in the right corner of the end zone to give UA a 35-28 lead with 7:28 remaining.
SU faced fourth-and-1 from the UA 46 with 4:55 remaining, and this time Carter was stuffed at the line by strong safety Bryan Williams.
''That was a huge stop,'' Brookhart said.
Poindexter then hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 remaining.
''It doesn't matter if we lose to Akron or Penn State (next week's opponent),'' Syracuse receiver Bruce Williams said. ''Akron is a good team. We're stunned and shocked.''
The Zips host Ball State on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the home opener at the Rubber Bowl.


YEAH GO ZIPS!!! Can't State got crushed again, what an embarrassment!
Nice win Zips! Prepare well for next week!