Flores leads 332-yard rushing effort as Central Michigan beats Akron 41-17

Angel Flores ran for 154 yards and a touchdown as Central Michigan beat Akron 41-17 on Saturday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The Chippewas fell behind early in the second quarter, then scored three touchdowns before halftime and never surrendered the lead in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.

Central Michigan finished with 332 rushing yards on 45 attempts. Four players scored rushing touchdowns, while Flores and backup quarterback Jadyn Glasser each threw a touchdown pass. The Chippewas produced 481 total yards, compared with Akron's 340.

Flores supplies the immediate answer

Neither team scored in the first quarter. Akron broke through on Jordan Gant's nine-yard touchdown run with 13:59 remaining in the second, giving the Zips a 7-0 lead.

Flores answered with a 55-yard touchdown run at 10:37. On Central Michigan's next scoring possession, he connected with Shawn Foster II for a 48-yard touchdown that put the Chippewas ahead 14-7. Those two plays changed the game from an Akron lead to a Central Michigan advantage within a little more than six minutes of game time.

Brock Townsend added a five-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left before halftime. That score completed a 21-point quarter and sent the Chippewas into the break with a two-touchdown lead. Akron did not score again before halftime, leaving Central Michigan's run of unanswered points intact.

The ground game keeps extending the lead

Nick Woodford opened the third-quarter scoring with a 27-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 28-7. Matthew Schramm's 29-yard field goal gave Akron three points back, but Central Michigan answered with another rushing score.

Jayden Clerveaux finished that possession with a 23-yard touchdown run. He totaled 82 yards on 12 carries, complementing Flores' 18-carry afternoon. Woodford contributed 42 rushing yards on five attempts. Central Michigan averaged 7.4 yards per rushing attempt in the final team box score.

Glasser supplied the Chippewas' last touchdown, throwing 71 yards to Langston Lewis with 5:32 remaining. The extra point failed, leaving the score 41-10. Akron's final touchdown came in the closing minute on an eight-yard pass from Brayden Roggow to Brandon Hills.

Akron moves the ball but loses possessions

Gant gave Akron a productive rushing performance of his own, finishing with 102 yards on 17 carries. Roggow completed 15 of 32 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, but the final box also credits him with three interceptions. Central Michigan had one turnover, a lost fumble.

Both teams finished with 20 first downs. Akron converted six of 14 third downs, while Central Michigan converted three of nine and both of its fourth-down attempts. The Chippewas' long scoring plays and four rushing touchdowns produced the larger scoring return despite the matching first-down totals.

Central Michigan improved to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Its next game is at Ohio on October 10. Akron fell to 1-4 and 0-1 in the MAC and returns home to face Eastern Michigan that day.