Zips rally past Ball State 35-25 with 4 TDs after halftime

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) Thomas Woodson passed for 338 yards and ended a crucial late-game drive with three straight completions, including an insurance touchdown, as Akron rallied past Ball State 35-25 on Saturday, scoring 28 points after halftime.

The win keeps the Zips (5-3, 3-1 Mid-American) tied with Ohio atop the East Division as they rebounded from a crushing shutout loss to No. 23 Western Michigan a week earlier.

After losing to Western Michigan 41-0, Akron fell behind Ball State (4-4, 1-3) 10-0 before kicking into gear. Van Edwards broke the scoring drought with a 45-yard TD run early in the second quarter, and JoJo Natson put the Zips ahead for good at 21-17 late in the third when he hauled in a 23-yard pass from Woodson.

Akron's Jordan George sealed the win when he intercepted Neal Riley for the game's only turnover. Riley passed for 187 yards with a touchdown and ran for another.