Minutemen Stopped by Akron at Gillette Stadium, 17-13

Nov. 7, 2015

FOXBORO, Mass. - University of Massachusetts football dropped a 17-13 game to the Akron Zips at Gillette Stadium Saturday despite Jamal Wilson's fourth rushing touchdown of the season and disruptive defensive efforts from Trey Dudley-Giles, Zeke Edmonds and Jovan Santos-Knox.

Wilson finished with 42 yards on the ground over nine carries, including his nine-yard touchdown. Wide receiver Tajae Sharpe tallied seven receptions for 53 yards, which put Sharpe into first all-time in UMass history for catches in a season. Sharpe surpassed Jimmy Moore (92; 1998) in the game and finished with 95 receptions through nine contests in 2015.

On the other side of the ball, Santos-Knox led both teams with 12 tackles, including an assisted TFL, and produced his second career interception to go with a forced fumble. Edmonds added a career-best 11 takedowns while Dudley-Giles had a pick, fumble recovery and pass breakup.

Logan Laurent posed a pair of made field goals in as many attempts on the day. Laurent hit from 36 and 40 yards away. Also the team's punter, Laurent placed two of his six attempts against the Akron special teams unit inside the Zips' 20 yard line.

Thomas Woodson finished 15-of-27 passing with two interceptions and a touchdown to Austin Wolf. Conor Hundley rushed for 92 yards over 23 career while Woodson added to the ground game with 58 yards on 13 carries, including one for a touchdown. Jatavis Brown and Dylan Evans led the Zips' defensive front with 11 tackles a piece.

Wilson pushed UMass (1-8, 0-5 Mid-American Conference) ahead by a touchdown with seven minutes, 50 seconds to go in the first quarter with his nine-yard endzone scamper that capped a five-play, 40-yard drive. Wilson totaled 22 yards on only three carries during the series, including a five-yard third down run to extend the drive.

Woodson-to-Wolf evened the score at seven less than five minutes later, but Laurent gave the Minutemen their 13-6 halftime lead with his made field goals in the second quarter. With under five minutes to go in the frame, Laurent lined up from 36 yards away on the first try. He capped the next UMass drive with his 40-yard make and improved to 6-of-9 on the season in the process.

The Zips (4-5, 2-3) clawed back in the second half with a pair of scoring drives spread across the third and fourth quarters. Woodson ran it in himself from 15 yards away at the 8:54 mark of the third, which put Akron ahead for good at 14-13. Robert Stein added a 36-yard field goal with 5:43 remaining in the contest to reach the final score.

The Minutemen return to action with a Saturday, Nov. 14 contest at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Kickoff for the ESPN3-boradcasted contest is slated for 3 p.m.

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