Akron takes MAC title on TD pass with 10 seconds left
WIN OVER N. ILLINOIS CLINCHES ZIPS A SPOT IN MOTOR CITY BOWL
Luke Getsy threw a 36- yard touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon with 10 seconds left to give Akron a 31-30 victory over Northern Illinois on Thursday in the Mid- American Conference championship game at Detroit’s Ford Field.
The victory wrapped up a berth in the Motor City Bowl for Akron.
The Zips (7-5) had to overcome 270 rushing yards and two touchdowns by Huskies tailback Garrett Wolfe.
‘‘In the fourth quarter, if I could have broken one more tackle or made one more move, maybe we could have gotten the first down we needed,’’ he said. ‘‘We lost the game, so it doesn’t matter how many yards I had.’’
Wolfe had 42 carries and easily broke the previous MAC title-game record of 188 yards, set by Toledo’s Chester Taylor in 2001.
Akron’s winning drive started on its 19 with 1:41 left and no timeouts. The Zips drove into Northern Illinois (7-5) territory and Hixon beat Adriel Hansbro down the middle of the field and grabbed Getsy’s pass deep in the end zone.
‘‘We were 2 yards short of the first down that would have ended the game,’’ Northern Illinois Coach Joe Novak said. ‘‘We couldn’t make the play when we needed one, and they did.’’
Zips Coach J.D. Brookhart said, ‘‘It was an unbelievable finish. We found a way to go 80 yards.’’
The Zips had never won a football title in any conference, dating to their joining the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1915.
Getsy was 30 of 50 for 413 yards, and Hixon had eight catches for 144 yards.
The game was as wild as the teams’ first meeting, which Akron won 48-42 in overtime Sept. 24.
Linebackers A.J. Hawk of Ohio State and DeMeco Ryans of Alabama and end Darryl Tapp of Virginia Tech were selected as finalists for the Lott Trophy, presented to college football’s defensive player of the year.
Candidates for the award, named for former USC defensive back Ronnie Lott, are judged on on- field and off- field performance. Defensive end David Pollack of Georgia, a first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, won last year.
The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at the sponsoring Pacific Club in Newport Beach.