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Devin Gardner was in the clutches of the Akron Zips all game before avoiding an upset with a 28-24 win

(AP Photo)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- If that's Rubber City cheese, it's hard cheese as the Akron Zips proved to be no pushover against the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines before a heart-pounding road upset bid fell short, 28-24, on the final play of the game.

Akron, considered a Mid-American Conference soft spot after three straight 1-11 seasons, is marked as 'W' on most schedules even before the game begins. But Zips head coach Terry Bowden is methodically building a future MAC contender with a simple philosophy; lose big, lose close, win close, win big. This game may have showed the Zips are much closer to 'win close' than many believe.

"Michigan had to stop us from beating them,'' a sunburned Bowden aptly said.

The Zips (1-2) came back from deficits of 7-0 early, 7-3 at halftime and 21-10 going into the fourth quarter to be 36 inches from a possible upset, twice. And that includes the final play of the game, before the Wolverines remained undefeated at 3-0.

Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl (25 of 49, 311 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) got the ball with 2:49 to go in the game after Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, in line to shoulder the blame, anchored a four-play, 70-yard drive with a 35-yard run and a 20-yard pass completion before Fitzgerald Toussaint scored from two yards out for a 28-24 lead.

"This is probably the most adverse situation we probably could be in,'' Gardner said. "We almost lost to Akron, no disrespect to Akron, but we almost lost after coming out and having a great win last week (Notre Dame) in front of the whole world, and we come out and almost blow it. I definitely would have been sick if we didn't get a chance to pursue our goals of a national championship and Big Ten championship because of the way I played today."

Gardner finished 16 of 30 for 248 yards with 2 TD, 3 INT, plus a fumble on a scramble. Two of his picks were in the red zone, along with the fumble, all in the first half to keep Michigan from building a comfortable lead. But Gardner's most costly mistake came with Michigan leading 21-10 and seemingly ready to put the game away. Deep in Akron territory Gardner threw a sidearm pass off his back leg that Akron's Justin Marsh picked off for a 27-yard TD return to give Akron new life, 21-17, with 14:46 to go.

"That was huge,'' Pohl said. "Our hopes might have been slipping right there."

Instead, after holding Michigan on downs, the Zips used the rest of the fourth quarter to silent the 107,120 in Michigan Stadium.

With 12:54 to play Pohl began a 59-yard drive that included a 43-yard deep strike to L.T. Smith to Michigan's seven. But two plays later, from Michigan's two, Pohl threw an ill-advised pass that Michigan's Jarrod Wilson, from Akron, picked off in the end zone.

"All week long I was told, 'don't force it,' '' Pohl said. "As soon as I let it go, I knew I had messed up."

But Akron's defense held and given a reprieve, Pohl went to work again with an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive that put an upset in Akron's hands, 24-21, with 4:10 to go. At that point Gardner showed his stripes, taking Michigan 70 yards in four plays for the go-ahead touchdown, 28-24.

"At times he's a little reckless, and a poor decision-maker,'' Bowden said of Gardner. "But whatever he did wrong, whenever he needed a play, he made a play."

Gardner might have done it a bit too fast, leaving Akron 2:49 to pull off a miracle.

Pohl took Akron 71 yards in 11 plays to Michigan's two with less than 10 seconds to play. A two-yard loss by Jawon Chisholm led to Akron's last timeout with five seconds left. Then Pohl misfired under heavy pressure to let the Wolverines escape.

"It happened fast,'' Pohl said of the final snap. "A half second more and I could have squeezed it and made a better throw.''

Bowden was hoping for the big connection, but also knew what Michigan head coach Brady Hoke was planning.

"Brady, true to himself, they were going to come after you,'' Bowden said of Michigan's all-out blitz. "They were going to bring more than you could block."

That was the difference between winning and losing, but not between maturing and progressing for the Akron football program.

"This game right here, we grew and became a better football team,'' Bowden said.