Box Score
AKRON, Ohio ? Western Michigan (8-4, 6-2 MAC) shut out its first Division 1-A opponent since Kent State (42-0) in 2000 and allowed -13 yards rushing in its 17-0 bowl-clinching win at Akron (5-7, 3-5 MAC) on Friday evening at the Rubber Bowl. The Broncos captured their eighth win in a season for only the fifth time and improved to 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference, securing second place in the West Division.
On the third play of the game Ameer Ismail recorded his 16th sack of the season, taking hold of the Western Michigan single season record alone and moving into a three-way tie for the Mid-American Conference one-year mark with Jonathan Goddard (Marshall) and Dan Bazuin (Central Michigan). He did not share the record for long as he brought down Getsy on a solo sack on a fourt-and-eight play to get his 17th of the year and the conference mark alone.
The Bronco defense held Akron to zero points in the opening half. It was the second time an opponent did not manage to score in the first two quarters this year (Temple, Sept. 23). The Zips were held to 63 total yards on 29 plays and minus four yards on the ground during the first two quarters. Akron ended the game with 119 total yards and -13 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Akron had its chances, intercepting Ryan Cubit in the first quarter, setting up a 48-yard field goal attempt from Matt Domonkos. That attempt was swatted away by Cory Flom. It was Flom's fourth blocked kick of the season (WMU record) and the Broncos' sixth as a team. The Zips had the ball in the final minute of the half but a 54-yard field goal attempt was off target as the clock expired.
Western Michigan's lone points of the first half came at the 4:31 mark of the second quarter when Nate Meyer knocked a 38-yard attempt through the uprights. It was the 16th made field goal of the season and improved his accuracy from a distance of 30-39 yards to 3-for-4.
Cubit keyed the drive with methodic short completions to Jamarko Simmons (eight yards), Mark Bonds (eight yards) and Joe Chapple (four yards). These first-down registering plays enabled WMU to move the ball 28 yards in nine plays. Bonds ended the game with 75 yards on the ground, giving him 1,082 on the season, which is the seventh-best single-season rushing mark in program history.
WMU's defense had its chances to add points to the board. C.J. Wilson dropped a sure interception near midfield with not a Zip in sight. Londen Fryar also had a chance at an interception that he could not haul in. On an earlier tipped pass, Fryar batted the ball to Matt Ludeman who scooped it up for the first interception of his career. The senior also registered a pair of tackles for loss.
The Broncos defense thought it had put six points on the board late in the first half but an offside penalty on Greg Marshall negated a fumble recovery for a score. Akron's Luke Getsy, lined up in the shotgun, bobbled the snap and by the time he regained his composure and readied himself to throw, Wilson knocked it out of his hand. Paul Tithof recovered in the end zone but the play was negated because of the penalty.
Meyer attempted a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter but it was sent back courtesy of Akron's Al-Teric Balaam, his first of the season and the Zips' second as a team.
Western Michigan pulled ahead, 10-0, at the 6:41 mark of the third quarter when Cubit found Keith Schultz in the front corner of the end zone for the junior's third career scoring reception. The drive, which last eight plays and stretched 57 yards, was kept alive when Simmons (eight catches for 98 yards) hauled in a Cubit pass and broke a tackle that would have dropped him far behind the needed line for a first down. Simmons spun out of the attempt and scampered for 12 yards on the third-and-four play.
Akron's next possession ended three plays after it began when Matt Buskirk stripped the ball from Arthur after he had hauled in a Getsy pass. WMU went to work quickly as Cubit (17-for-29 for 217 yards and one touchdown) hit Herb Martin on a crossing pattern and the junior out ran almost everyone, taking the catch and run down to the Zips' one-yard line. After a illegal participation penalty moved the ball one half yard closer to the goal, Brandon West ran it in for his second score of his freshman season to put WMU up, 17-0.
Western Michigan will now wait to see where it will be playing its first bowl game since the California Bowl in 1988. That announcement should be made some time this coming week.
WMU at AKRON GAME NOTES
- First meeting between Akron and WMU since 2001 (WMU 31, Akron 14)
- This is the latest in the season the two teams have played
- Ameer Ismail captured the Mid-American Conference and WMU single-season sack record with a pair against Akron, giving him 17.0 on the year
- Cory Flom blocked fourth kick of season by swatting a 48-yard FG attempt off the foot of Matt Domonkos in the first quarter
- Ryan Cubit recorded fifth punt of the season in the second quarter (touchback)
- Matt Ludeman registers first career interception in second quarter (Londen Fryar tipped pass)
- Nate Meyer makes 38-yard field goal to give WMU 3-0 at 4:31 mark of second quarter (matching lowest WMU first half score of the season without being scoreless)
- Jamarko Simmons recorded career long 31-yard reception in third quarter
- Herb Martin recorded career long 52-yard reception in third quarter
- Brandon West scored second career touchdown at the 4:06 mark of the third quarter
- WMU held Akron to -13 yards rushing as a team
- Mark Bonds finished regular season with 1,082 yards (seventh all-time in a season)
- WMU earns eighth win in a season for only fifth time in program history
- WMU earns first bowl bid since 1988 (will learn of destination in upcoming week)
