Zips Shock 'Cats, Pull Off First Big Ten Win Since 1894

Where do I even start? Deep in the heart of Evanston, our Akron Zips rallied from an 18-point deficit on the road to pull off their first win against a Power 5 team since 2014 and their first win against a Big Ten team since 1894. If that's a lot to take in, I understand, and I'm here to take you through it quarter by quarter.

1st Quarter
Northwestern was first on the board after capitalizing on a disastrous special team play which gave the Wildcats possession at the Zips 7 yard line. Jeremy Larkin took it in himself, 7-0 Cats.  The rest of the first quarter was a defensive battle as both sides had drives of 9 plays or less, all ending in punts or turnover on downs. At the end of the 1st, it was 7-0 Northwestern

2nd Quarter
After an Akron punt, Northwestern had a 7 play, 73 yard drive which ended with a Jeremy Larkin 5 yard run from the Wildcat Formation. 14-0. Nick Gasser put the Zips on the board with 39 seconds to go in the half to cut the score to 14-3. A personal foul penalty on the ensuing kickoff gave the Wildcats possession at their 44, and Thorson slung it through the air, 6 plays, 56 yards and a Touchdown to end the half. Entering halftime, the Zips were down 21-3.

3rd Quarter
On the first Zips drive of the half, Nick Gasser hit another field goal and the Zips were inching back into it, 21-6. After the Northwestern offense stalled, Kato Nelson showcased his cannon, finding Andre Williams in the back of the endzone. All of a sudden, this is a game. 21-13. And then, the defense decided it was time to take over. On a 4th and 3 from the Akron 16, Alvin Davis intercepted a Thorson pass and took it 97 yards to the house to cut it to 21-19 after a failed 2 point conversion.
Both Thorson and Nelson threw for TDs before the end of the 3rd. Heading into the 4th Quarter, it was 28-26 Northwestern.

4th Quarter
The 4th quarter started off with a Northwestern missed field goal. Then, after a punt by the Akron offense, the magic happened. On 3rd and 4 from the 'Cats 14, Thorson was strip-sacked and Ulysses Freaking' Gilbert recovered it for 6. All of a sudden, the Zips are up 32-28. THE VERY NEXT DRIVE, Alvin Davis intercepts a deflected pass and takes it to the crib for his 2ND of the GAME. Northwestern was then stopped on downs. 39-28 Akron with 7:24 left. Northwestern would tack on one more touchdown with an absolutely incredible throw by Thorson and catch by Skowronek. The hail mary would bounce innocently to the ground, and Akron would shock the Cats, 39-34.


So, as everyone continued to overlook the Zips, (4th in the MAC East? Give me a break), and as the odds continued to pile up against us, the boys stayed mentally tough and focused. Despite going down 18 at half, despite 140 penalty yards, despite no one giving us a chance in the world, at the end of the day. It's Akron Hail. All Hail.

Give us your best thoughts from the incredible upset by tweeting at us @Zips_United, or if you have any comments, questions or concerns, leave them in the comment section below. It's been a pleasure, for all of us here at Zips United, I'm Chris Stahler telling you to always believe in the Z, and GO ZIPS!