Akron concludes their non-conference slate with an adverse result in Columbia.
The lights at Williams-Brice Stadium flashed on and off so much on Saturday night, one would have thought it was a rave if they didn’t know any better.
Instead, it was a football game involving the Akron Zips (1-3) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1, 1-1 SEC), one which saw the home side take home a reassuring 50-7 victory seven days removed from a controversial loss to conference mate LSU on a College GameDay Saturday.
Akron started the night on a positive note, holding the hosts to a three-and-out on the game’s opening, drive, but they were held to the same standard in return. South Carolina took advantage of the neutralizing moment, driving down the field for a 13-play, 89-yard drive lasting 5:38 of game clock before Oscar Adaway III scored from two yards out to put the Gamecocks up 7-0 with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter.
USC found themselves in the endzone once again before the end of the first frame on a true freshman connection from 30 yards out, as Robbie Ashford found Mazeo Bennett Jr. to put the Gamecocks up 15-0 after a successful two-point conversion.
Akron, on the other hand, would have no luck in the first quarter offensively, with both of their other possessions ending in three-and-out punts.
An exchange of punts opened the second quarter, but South Carolina found the scoreboard for a third time in the first half when Ashford targeted Juju McDowell for a 12-yard touchdown to finish off an 11-play, 80-yard drive and push the score to 22-0.
The Zips finally found some success near the end of the first half, as Adrian Norton broke free of his assignment on a downfield streak and Ben Finley tossed it in his direction for a 42-yard touchdown to get Akron on the board to put the halftime margin at 22-7.
Akron got the ball to start the third quarter, but punted after five plays, giving South Carolina the ball back early. The defense stepped up in a big way, with Antavious Fish sacking Robbie Ashford on third-down for a 10-yard to force the home team to punt.
Kai Kroger would flip the field on the ensuing boot, with a 75-yard punt to pin the ball down at the Akron one-yard line.
Despite drawing a targeting and personal foul penalty on the next drive, it ended as most did for Akron, with Avery Book punting the ball back to the Gamecocks. Oscar Adaway III scored his second touchdown of the day soon after, effectively putting the game to bed from there.
Robbie Ashford would get a rushing TD of his own to start the fourth quarter, then the backups came in, with Davis Beville finding Connor Cox for a nine-yard passing touchdown and Jawarn Warren adding the exclamation mark with a 23-yard rush to put the score at its final 50-7 tally.
Akron struggled offensively to put it lightly; 10 of their 13 drives ended in punts, with the others being a touchdown, an interception and a half-end.
Ben Finley finished 14-of-27 for 110 yards, a touchdown and an interception, with Tahj Bullock going 2-of-3 for 7 yards. Jordon Simmons led the rushing effort with 19 yards— an indication of how tough it was to run all night. Adrian Norton led the receivers with four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, though there was at least one missed target which could have resulted in another long score.
Defensively, there was some good moments to build on for the Zips.
Antavious Fish and Bryan McCoy led the tackle charts with eight apiece, with Fish notching an additional sack and a tackle-for-loss on the night. McCoy’s eight tackles were all of the solo variety— a rare accomplishment for any player, especially against an SEC squad.
CJ Nunnally IV also got a sack in the game, finishing with four tackles overall. New Hampshire transfer Nate Kapongo also got in on the action with a TFL, while Bennett Adler had both a TFL and a pass break-up on the evening.
South Carolina, meanwhile, out-talented the Zips despite deploying backups at many key positions.
True freshman Robbie Ashford, starting in place of the injured LaNorris Sellers, finished 15-of-21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns passing and also led the team in rushing with 133 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Oscar Adaway III was the primary backfield option, with 14 carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Mazeo Bennett Jr. was the leading receiver, with five receptions for 71 yards and a score. No other receiver had more than two receptions— though former Miami RedHawk Gage Larvadain did haul in 79 yards on two catches to lead the team in receiving yards.
Demetrius Knight Jr. led South Carolina with five tackles on what was a short day for the unit. Rondarius Porter collected a solo sack, with Debo Williams and Kyle Kennard combining for another one. Kennard and defensive back O’Donnell Fortune each notched a pass break-up.
Akron will now regroup for conference play, with a trip to Athens to take on the Ohio Bobcats next on the docket. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with ESPN+ broadcasting.
South Carolina will enjoy a BYE week before their third conference matchup in just over a month, as they’re next scheduled to face the University of Mississippi in Columbia on Oct. 5.