Wyoming at Akron: What the Stats Reveal About the Game

Jeff Bugher
Sep 1
3 min read

Wyoming players huddle during pre-game warmups at Akron. Photo by Jeff Bugher, PokesNews.com staff.

Wyoming heads into week two at 1-0 after defeating the Akron Zips last Thursday night in a 10-0 shutout. Below is a list of key statistics that paint a bigger picture of the game... behind the scenes.

Passing

Wyoming quarterback Kaden Anderson threw 19/36 (completion rate: 52.8%), 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, long of 49 yards on the night. He finished with a quarterback rating of 117.1. Anderson showed flashes of big-play ability with his 49-yard strike to wide receiver Chris Durr Jr.. The offensive line allowed zero sacks in the game. On the other side of the ball, Akron quarterback Ben Finley threw 16/38 (completion rate: 42.1%), 139 yards, 1 INT, long of 18 yards. Finley struggled to find rhythm throughout the game and was sacked three times by Wyoming.

Rushing:

Wyoming running back Sam Scott dominated the running game, accounting for 79% of Wyoming’s rushing yards for the game. The team had 39 carries for 166 yards (4.3 avg), of which Sam Scott had 29 carries for 132 yards (4.6 avg) - QB Kaden Anderson contributed 20 rushing yards. Akron rushed the ball 28 times for 89 yards (3.2 avg).

Receiving:

Wyoming had 260 receiving yards on 19 receptions (13.7 avg), with wide receiver Chris Durr Jr exploding for 8 catches for 190 total yards (23.8 avg), one touchdown, and a long of 49 yards. Beyond Durr, nobody had more than 35 yards for the night. Akron: 139 yards on 16 receptions (8.7 avg).

Defensive Pass Rush:

Wyoming had three sacks on the night for 20 yards lost. Lucas Samsula (1.5 sacks), Ben Florentine (one sack), Chisom Ifeanyi (0.5 sack). Justin Taylore, Brayden Johnson and Tyce Westland all registered QB hurries, contributing to Akron’s QB Ben Finley registering a 42% completion rating on the night. Akron: No QB sacks and only two QB hurries.

Pass Defense:

Brayden Johnson had one interception that was returned 18 yards. He also had one pass breakup, Vyas joined him with one, and Thomas had two. Akron: The Zips intercepted Kaden Anderson once and had six total pass breakups. The Zips defense gave up 260 yards passing.

Run Defense:

Outside of a couple 12+ yard gains, Wyoming closed gaps and contained the run game, allowing only 89 rushing yards on 28 carries (32. Avg). The Akron Zips allowed 166 rushing yards on 39 attempts, and couldn’t contain the rushing attack from Sam Scott.

Wyoming Tackling:

· Brayden Johnson (LB): 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 ast) + INT.

· Andrew Johnson (S): 6 tackles.

· Evan Eller (LB), Jones Thomas (FS) both with five tackles each.

Key Front-7 Impact:

· Ben Florentine (NT): 2 tackles, 1.5 TFLs for 7 yards.

· Lucas Samsula (DT): 2 tackles, 1 TFL + 1 sack (9 yds).

· Chisom Ifeanyi (DE): Assist on TFL (4 yds).

Balance: 21 players recorded at least one tackle, showing the depth Sawvel has been talking about throughout the offseason.

Efficiency & Situational Football:

3rd Downs: Wyoming 9/20 (45%), Akron 3/15 (20%).
4th Downs: Wyoming 1/3, Akron 2/3.
Yards per Play: Wyoming 5.68, Akron 3.45.
Time of Possession: Wyoming 33:16, Akron 26:44.

Key Defensive Stats Comparison:

Sacks: Wyoming 3.0 (20 yds) - Akron 0.0
Interceptions: Both 1 each
Pass Breakups: Wyoming 4 - Akron 6
3rd Down Defense: Wyoming held Akron to 3/15 (20%) - Akron allowed 9/20 (45%)
Yards per Play Allowed: Wyoming 3.45 - Akron 5.68