KENT, Ohio — Grafton native Dustin Crum passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more, Marquez Cooper added three scores on the ground and Kent State used a big third quarter to beat Akron 69-35 to retain the Wagon Wheel trophy.
The Golden Flashes are off to their best start (3-0) since 1958. The Zips lost their 20th straight game dating back to 2018.
Crum was 22-of-25 passing for 348 yards and he carried it 13 times for 104 yards. Teon Dollard carried it 28 times for a career-high 202 yards and four touchdowns for Akron.
The two archrivals actually went back-and-forth throughout the first half, with KSU leading only 35-28 at intermission. However, the Flashes scored three times in the third quarter thanks, in-part, to several Zips miscues, including a blocked punt.
Kent State has now won the last two Wagon Wheel games and will next head to fellow unbeaten Buffalo on Nov. 28 for a crucial MAC East showdown. Akron, which as still yet to win under second-year coach Tom Arth, will host Miami of Ohio on the same day.
