On second-and-goal, with 2:13 remaining in the third quarter, the Akron Zips (0-1) found themselves on the precipice of their first scoring drive of the night, driving into Wyoming’s redzone after true freshman Markus Boswell hauled in an interception off a Bruno Dall tipped pass on the previous drive.
Owen Wiley had earlier shanked a field goal attempt, which would have tied the game at 3-3 in the second quarter, so the Zips instead were down three points and looking to take the lead with a touchdown or settle for a shorter field goal try in favorable position.
Ben Finley rolled back into the pocket and fired a pass directly into the mitts on WILL linebacker Brayden Johnson, who caught it in front of the endzone and returned it 18 yards the other way before Finley managed to wrangle him down.
It was the start of a 15-play, 75-yard drive lasting nearly seven minutes for the Wyoming Cowboys (1-0), ending unceremoniously with a failed fourth-and-two conversion inside the Akron redzone, as Julien Laventure collected a tackle-for-loss on halfback Sam Scott.
Once again, Akron had the chance to take the lead thanks to a stellar defensive effort, but the inablity to compete a pass on third down forced yet another three-and-out— with a delay of game penalty on the ensuing punt neutralizing the five yards gained on the drive.
The teams exchanged punts, but it was Wyoming who would find those game-deciding plays inside of them at game’s end, as Kaden Anderson would find Chris Durr for a 44-yard reception on the first play of a new drive and then find paydirt three plays later on a wide receiver bubble screen to Durr for a 39-yard scoring scamper with 4:26 to play.
Akron would have no reply, going for -7 yards on their next possession and mismanaging the clock on their last possession to take the possibility of even a field goal off the charts, losing by a final score of 10-0 in what was an apt end to what had been a physically and mentally draining night in Akron, Ohio.
The first half was a remarkable one, with neither team claiming points and 185 total yards between them on 41 plays. The scoring drought would be broken by an Evan Sandvick field goal from 25 yards out with 5:20 to go in the third quarter, capping off a six-play, 52-yard drive lasting just over two minutes.
Akron would set up Wiley for a 49-yard shot after a 13-play, 43-yard drive lasting over four minutes, but the result would not be the same.
The fourth quarter would be where most of the action happened, with Wyoming taking their first shutout since blanking Gardner-Webb 27-0 in 2017 in the process. The shutout was also the program’s first in a season-opening contest since 1977, when the Cowboys tied Air Force 0-0.
Kaden Anderson finished the contest 19-of-36 for one touchdown and one interception for Wyonming, with running back Sam Scott leading all rushers with 132 yards on 29 carries. Chris Durr led all receivers with eight receptions for 190 yards— including 130 yards after the catch— and the game’s lone touchdown.
Brayden Johnson was the star for the Cowboys defense, coming down with what was ultimately the decisive interception to go with his team-leading eight tackles on the night. Lucas Samsula led the team with 1.5 sacks, while Ben Florentine had a solo stop and Chisom Ifeanyi assisted for a half-sack. Jones Thomas had a team-leading two pass break-ups to go along with five tackles.
For Akron, Ben Finley struggled at the quarterback spot, finishing 16-of-38 for 139 yards and an interception, taking three sacks on the evening. Michael Johnson Jr. came in as a change-of-pace quarterback and had four rushes for 21 yards. Marquese Williams had a nice 14-yard run to set up a Zips scoring chance in the redzone, but finished with 30 yards overall on six carries. Sean Patrick was the team’s leading skill player, with 47 receiving yards and 26 yards rushing on nine total touches.
Shammond Cooper led the Akron defensive effort with 10 tackles (a game-high), while also leading the team with 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Defensive lineman Bruno Dall and defensive back Malcolm DeWalt IV each had two pass break-ups on the day, while Markus Boswell had the interception for the Zips. Justin Anderson and Alex Branch each had nine tackles to help the effort.
Akron now gets set to travel to Nebraska for a Saturday night tilt with the Cornhuskers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, with broadcast coverage by the Big Ten Network.
Wyoming will open their home slate with a visit from FCS foe Northern Iowa. That game will kick off at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday afternoon.