area football roundup | Friday’s games

Akron 20, Kent State 0

AKRON

Thomas Woodson threw a touchdown pass and ran for 84 yards to lead Akron to victory. Woodson was 11 of 19 for 140 yards passing. Conor Hundley had 98 yards rushing on22 carries with a touchdown for Akron (7-5, 5-3 Mid-American Conference), which has won five straight. George Bollas was 10 of 18 for 102 yards passing for Kent State (3-9, 2-6). Woodson completed three passes, and had a 14-yard run to set up Hundley’s 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Se’Von Pittman recovered a Bollas fumble on the Kent State 11 in the second quarter. Woodson threw a touchdown strike to Newman Williams on the next play. Robert Stein kicked field goals of 23 and 20 yards in the second half to cap the scoring. The Zips had 369 yards of offense, forced three turnovers, and held the Golden Flashes to 135 yards.

Miami 29, Pitt 24

PITTSBURGH

Pat Narduzzi spent most of his first season at Pittsburgh convincing the Panthers they weren’t beholden to the recent past and that big-time success could be had if they believed. Maybe it worked almost too well. Lethargic and sloppy at the start against Miami, the Panthers spotted the Hurricanes a 20-point lead and couldn’t quite make it all the way back. “If we start slow again, we have to find a way to get a jumpstart,” Narduzzi said. “I might have to bring my jumper cables out or something.” Anything would have been better than what Narduzzi saw from his team in the opening 20 minutes or so against the Hurricanes. Quarterback Nathan Peterman threw his first interception in ACC play, the defense gave up a series of big gains and before Pitt collected itself, Miami was up three scores. “A lot of guys, including me, just weren’t out there doing our jobs,” wide receiver Tyler Boyd said. “We weren’t executing the plays. Once you don’t do your job or your assignment, things are not going to work.” Boyd caught five passes for 70 yards and ran three times for another 47 yards but declined to offer specifics on whether it was his last game at Heinz Field. The junior is eligible for next spring’s NFL Draft.

Associated Press