Courtesy: Jeff Harwell-Zips Sports Photography Dennis Kennedy rushed for 89 yards and scored a TD in the Zips win at Syracuse.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The University of Akron football team led until Syracuse tied the game at 28-28 at the start of the fourth quarter. However, the Zips scored twice unanswered to defeat the Orange, 42-28, Saturday afternoon before 31,808 at the Carrier Dome.

Chris Jacquemain, Alex Allen and Dennis Kennedy paced the Zips offense. Jacquemain completed 20-of-26 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Allen had 103 rushing yards on 21 attempts with two scores and Kennedy rushed for 89 yards. Andre Jones, the converted defender to wideout, just missed triple digits with 98 yards on seven catches with two scores.

The win for the Zips was just the second in the program’s history over a BCS school. In 2006, after a season-opening loss at nationally-ranked Penn State, Akron went to North Carolina State in week two to defeat the Wolfpack 20-17. (This year, Akron opened the season with a road loss at nationally-ranked Wisconsin before coming to a second BCS team – Syracuse – in week two.)

Syracuse, who held the ball for all but four minutes in the third quarter, had the momentum after Akron missed a field goal and, after trading turnover, backed the Zips to their own three after the punt. Akron was able to get some breathing room after a 20-yard Jacquemain-to-Jones completion. Akron would ultimately punt and Syracuse knotted the game 28-28 with a six-play, 56-yard drive. On fourth and inches, Carter had a 17-yard run and, on the next play, Dantley found Nick Provo in the right corner of the endzone for a 15-yard pass.

Akron immediately snatched back the lead on the ensuing drive, going back up seven, 35-28. Jacquemain hit Jeremy Bruce on a short pass on third down and Andrew Johnson had consecutive runs of 14 and 12 yards to put the Zips on the SU 21. After a run for no gain, Jacquemain threw a fade Jones in the right corner of the endzone for the score.

Syracuse got the Akron 46 and went for it on fourth-and-1. Delone Carter was stuffed at the line by Joe Rash and Bryan Williams.

Akron rode that momentum, getting runs of 13 and 16 yards by Allen. Jacquemain would eventually add the insurance score with an 18-yard strike to Merce Poindexter, providing the 42-28 final.

Akron took the opening kickoff and drive 65 yards in seven plays to take an early 7-0 lead. The Zips converted two third-and-one opportunities. The drive was capped by a 33-yard Jacquemain to Jones touchdown pass, the first offensive score by Jones for his career.

The Zips pushed their lead to 14-0 late in the first. Facing third and 23, Kennedy burst through the middle of the line and then broke a few tackles down field to score a 35-yard touchdown. It marked Kennedy’s first trip to the endzone since scoring twice versus Bowling Green in 2006 (a span of 17 games.) The seven-play, 79-yard drive was sustained thanks to back-to-back runs of 20 and 11 yards by Allen.

Syracuse got on the board, making the score 14-7, as the second quarter opened. Quarterback Cameron Dantley marched the Orange downfield and found tight end Mike Owen open down the seem for a 32-yard score.

Akron answered right back a 12-play, 70-yard drive that consumed over six minutes. Big plays included a 12-yard completion to Dashan Miller on 3rd-and-11 and a 22-yard completion Brandon Williams to the Syracuse one. Two plays later, Allen followed Matt Harmon over the left side for the score.

The Orange cut their deficit back to seven, 21-14, with a methodical 11-play drive. Curtis Brinkley was denied once from one-yard out, but leaped over the top of the pile to score on his second attempt for the one-yard score.

Undaunted with 1:55 left in the half, Akron bounced right back to resume its 14-point lead, 28-14. Bryan Williams, who ranked second in the NCAA in kick returns last season, returned the kickoff 36 yards to give the Zips good starting field position. Jacquemain completed three straight passes to Bruce for 7, 15 and 8 yards. Akron escaped a near interception, thanks to a good play by intended receiver Miller. The Zips stayed on the ground with under a minute to go as Kennedy had an 11-yuard run, followed by an 11-yard Allen run. Allen would finish the eight-play, 62-yard drive with a one-yard TD run.

The back-and-forth game continued as the second half began. SU rode the strength of an 18-yard completion to Donte Davis and a 32-yard run by Carter to set up a four-yard Dantley to Owen TD pass to make the score 28-21 in Akron’s favor.

As he did to end the first after an Orange score, Bry. Williams opened the second half after an Orange score to give Akron good field position, returning the ball 46 yards to the SU 46. Also as he did in the first, Miller made a key reception on third and long to keep the drive alive. However, Igor Iveljic’s 42-yard field goal missed left, snapping a streak of six consecutive makes dating back to last season and setting up the exciting finish.

Defensively for the Zips, another new name came through. After Tyler Campbell logged 18 stops in week one, transfer linebacker Mike Thomas led Akron with seven total tackles Saturday, including one for a loss with a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Akron will play its home opener next Saturday (Sept. 13), hosting Ball State. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm, which is a change from the originally posted start.