WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – Jerod Void ran for 101 yards and a score, and Dustin Keller caught two touchdown passes to lead No. 13 Purdue to a 49-24 win over Akron on Saturday.
New starter Brandon Kirsch ran the offense effectively, completing 22 of 34 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns for the Boilermakers (1-0), who had 267 yards passing and rushed for 211.
Kirsch’s favorite target was Dorien Bryant, who caught nine passes for 70 yards.
Luke Getsy, getting his first start for the Zips (0-1) after the departure of four-year starter Charlie Frye to the NFL, was 25-for-44 for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Jason Montgomery caught five passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns for Akron, which had 385 yards of total offense.
Purdue led 28-14 late in the third quarter when the Zips got down to the Boilermakers 5. They were held to a 22-yard field goal by Jason Swiger, however, and Purdue quickly asserted control. The Boilermakers went 77 yards on their next drive, which culminated with a 3-yard run by Bryant that made the score 35-17.
The Zips haven’t beaten a Big Ten opponent in more than a century and are 1-14 all-time against the conference. Their only win came over Ohio State in 1894.
The Boilermakers converted four third-down situations on the game’s opening drive before Ray Williams took an option pitch 13 yards for a touchdown.
The Boilermakers saw immediate success with their new option game.
On a third-and-1 on the opening drive, Kirsch got the yard he needed on an option keeper. On a second-and-goal from the Akron 13, Kirsch took the snap out of the shotgun then ran left and delivered a pitch to Williams, who scored just over six minutes into the game.
Purdue’s Kory Sheets recovered Bernard Pollard’s blocked punt and ran 13 yards for a touchdown to give the Boilermakers a 14-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter.
Akron’s offense got untracked early in the second quarter. Getsy’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery concluded a five-play, 81-yard drive that trimmed Purdue’s lead to 14-7.
Purdue responded less than a minute later when Void broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run.
Akron running back Brett Biggs completed a 79-yard touchdown pass to Montgomery to cut Purdue’s lead to 21-14 with 1:31 left in the first half.
Purdue responded by going 65 yards on six plays. Kirsch’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Keller gave Purdue a 28-14 halftime lead.
AP-ES-09-10-05 1710EDT
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