With just under four minutes remaining, the Akron Zips had forced an incompletion on third down and 11, thanks to a timely pass break-up by a leaping AJ Watts on a Matt McDonald pass to Javonte Kinsey along the sidelines.
With the line of scrimmage at their own one-yard line, and trailing 10-3, the Falcons had no choice but to send punter Mason Lawler out to kick from the back of his own endzone to try and pin Akron as far back as possible. It wasn’t meant to be, as running back Michiah Burton got his hands on the ball, which floated to the waiting arms of reserve receiver Gavin Blunt, who ran in for the special teams touchdown to give Akron a firm 17-3 lead just before the end of the second half.