Controlling the ball and dominating the ground game, Western Michigan defeated Akron 42-14 in Mid-American Conference action on Tuesday night.
The visiting Broncos piled up 566 yards of total offense compared to just 233 yards for the Zips at InfoCision Stadium — Summa Health Field. Western Michigan improved its record to 7-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play, while Akron dropped to 1-9 and 0-6 in the MAC.
Despite the lopsided statistics, Akron Cibastian Broughton connected with Marcel Williams for a pair of long touchdowns. Broughton completed 12 of 18 passes for 173 yards and two scores without throwing an interception.
Williams provided the primary highlights for the Zips’ offense, pulling in five receptions for a team-high 85 yards. His day included touchdown catches of 35 and 39 yards. Jordan Gant added 61 rushing yards on nine carries, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt, while Miles Burris contributed three catches for 55 yards.
Ground Attack and Time of Possession
Western Michigan dictated the tempo by rushing for 360 yards and holding a 42:46 to 17:14 advantage in time of possession. Jalen Buckley led Western Michigan with 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries, while Cole Cabana added 107 yards, highlighted by an 82-yard touchdown run.
After the Broncos built a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, Akron struck quickly. Broughton found Williams for a 35-yard touchdown with 11:14 left in the half, capping a three-play, 74-yard drive that took just 1:12 off the clock. Western Michigan answered with a 17-play, 75-yard drive consuming 9:19, ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Buckley to make it 21-7 at halftime.
In the second half, the Broncos extended their lead behind a 35-yard scoring run from Buckley in the third quarter and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Broc Lowry to Keivin Boone-Nelson early in the fourth.
Akron responded midway through the final period when Broughton directed a four-play, 75-yard drive in 1:46, connecting with Williams again for a 39-yard score with 11:44 remaining to trim the deficit to 35-14. Western Michigan capped the scoring later with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Mason Reynolds to Nathan Levicki.
Tairan Davis Leads Akron Defense with 15 Tackles
Defensively, Tairan Davis led all players with 15 tackles, including 13 solo stops, for the Zips. Donelius Johnson added nine tackles, featuring 2.5 tackles for loss, and Dwight Nunoo finished with six stops. Cyrus Durham and Jalen Williams combined for Akron’s lone sack of the night.
The Broncos converted 13 of 17 third-down opportunities and did not punt throughout the contest. Akron generated both of its scoring plays through quick-strike possessions, covering 149 combined yards in under three minutes of total possession time.
