AKRON, Ohio – A disastrous final 18 seconds of the first half helped to spoil Kent State's hopes of ending the 2017 season by reclaiming the Wagon Wheel trophy and spoiling arch-rival Akron's chance to win the Mid-American Conference's East Division.
The Zips scored two touchdowns in those closing seconds to take control of a close game, then hung on for a 24-14 win over the Golden Flashes on Saturday at InfoCision Stadium, securing their spot in the MAC Championship Game.
Akron held a slim 10-7 advantage with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter as Kent State's offense took at its own 30-yard line with the hopes of mounting a drive to either tie or take the lead going into intermission.