Wagon Wheel (trophy)
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| Kent State (19) | Akron (16) |
|---|---|
| 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1974 1981 1984 1987 1988 1992 1994 1996 2003 2006 |
1979 1983 1985 1986 1989 1990 1993 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2005 |
| Ties (1) | |
| 1972 | |
The Blue and Gold Wagon Wheel, now known simply as the Wagon Wheel, is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the University of Akron and Kent State University.
The trophy is, as the name implies, the wheel from a horse-drawn wagon that is painted blue and gold, the colors in which both teams play.
[edit] History
The University of Akron and Kent State University, located just 10 miles apart, first played for the Wagon Wheel in 1946. The story goes that John R. Buchtel was searching for a site to start a new college in 1870 near what is now Kent State University when his wagon became stuck in the mud. The horses pulled the wagon apart and one of the wheels ended up being buried. Buchtel would eventually settle on a site in Akron for Buchtel College, which would eventually become the University of Akron. In 1902, while digging for a pipeline in Kent, the wheel was discovered and eventually came into the possession of Kent State dean of men Dr. Raymond Manchester. It was he who suggested in 1945 that the wheel be used as a trophy for the winner of the Kent State-Akron football game[1]. When the rivalry first started, Akron dominated the series every year until 1954, when the rivalry was scrapped due to a lack of competition. It was reinstated in 1972 and has been an annual contest since. In 1992, Akron joined the Mid-American Conference and the rivalry became a conference game.
Akron currently holds a 27-20-2 edge in the overall series and Kent State holds a 19-16-1 series lead in Wagon Wheel games.
[edit] Recent meetings
Akron has won 8 of the last 10 meetings against Kent State. The most recent game, on September 30, 2006, saw Kent State win 37-15 at Dix Stadium, their first win in the series since a 41-38 thriller in 2003 at the Rubber Bowl and Kent State's first win in the series at Dix Stadium since a 32-17 win in 1996.
The next scheduled meeting between the two teams will be in 2007, on a date to be announced, at the Rubber Bowl in Akron.
[edit] Game results
Akron victories are shaded ██ blue. Kent State victories shaded in ██ gold. Ties shaded white. Only trophy games are listed.
| Date | Site | Winning team | Losing team | Series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 16, 1946 | Akron | Kent State | 13 | Akron | 6 | KENT 1-0 |
| November 14, 1947 | Kent | Kent State | 6 | Akron | 0 | KENT 2-0 |
| November 12, 1948 | Akron | Kent State | 31 | Akron | 0 | KENT 3-0 |
| November 12, 1949 | Kent | Kent State | 47 | Akron | 0 | KENT 4-0 |
| November 11, 1950 | Akron | Kent State | 19 | Akron | 7 | KENT 5-0 |
| November 10, 1951 | Kent | Kent State | 48 | Akron | 7 | KENT 6-0 |
| November 7, 1952 | Akron | Kent State | 34 | Akron | 14 | KENT 7-0 |
| November 7, 1953 | Kent | Kent State | 54 | Akron | 19 | KENT 8-0 |
| November 6, 1954 | Akron | Kent State | 58 | Akron | 18 | KENT 9-0 |
| September 13, 1972 | Akron | Akron | 13 | Kent State | 13 | KENT 9-0-1 |
| October 26, 1974 | Kent | Kent State | 51 | Akron | 14 | KENT 10-0-1 |
| September 15, 1979 | Akron | Akron | 15 | Kent State | 13 | KENT 10-1-1 |
| September 19, 1981 | Kent | Kent State | 17 | Akron | 6 | KENT 11-1-1 |
| September 3, 1983 | Akron | Akron | 13 | Kent State | 6 | KENT 11-2-1 |
| September 1, 1984 | Kent | Kent State | 24 | Akron | 17 | KENT 12-2-1 |
| September 14, 1985 | Akron | Akron | 24 | Kent State | 0 | KENT 12-3-1 |
| September 13, 1986 | Kent | Akron | 17 | Kent State | 7 | KENT 12-4-1 |
| September 12, 1987 | Akron | Kent State | 27 | Akron | 23 | KENT 13-4-1 |
| September 10, 1988 | Kent | Kent State | 32 | Akron | 12 | KENT 14-4-1 |
| September 9, 1989 | Akron | Akron | 40 | Kent State | 7 | KENT 14-5-1 |
| September 8, 1990 | Kent | Akron | 38 | Kent State | 10 | KENT 14-6-1 |
| October 10, 1992 | Kent | Kent State | 20 | Akron | 16 | KENT 15-6-1 |
| September 11, 1993 | Akron | Akron | 42 | Kent State | 7 | KENT 15-7-1 |
| September 17, 1994 | Kent | Kent State | 32 | Akron | 16 | KENT 16-7-1 |
| October 28, 1995 | Akron | Akron | 14 | Kent State | 6 | KENT 16-8-1 |
| October 5, 1996 | Kent | Kent State | 32 | Akron | 17 | KENT 17-8-1 |
| November 8, 1997 | Akron | Akron | 45 | Kent State | 35 | KENT 17-9-1 |
| October 10, 1998 | Kent | Akron | 45 | Kent State | 16 | KENT 17-10-1 |
| November 13, 1999 | Akron | Akron | 37 | Kent State | 34 | KENT 17-11-1 |
| November 18, 2000 | Kent | Akron | 34 | Kent State | 6 | KENT 17-12-1 |
| September 29, 2001 | Akron | Akron | 14 | Kent State | 10 | KENT 17-13-1 |
| November 23, 2002 | Kent | Akron | 48 | Kent State | 10 | KENT 17-14-1 |
| August 28, 2003 | Akron | Kent State | 41 | Akron | 38 | KENT 18-14-1 |
| September 23, 2004 | Kent | Akron | 24 | Kent State | 19 | KENT 18-15-1 |
| November 24, 2005 | Akron | Akron | 35 | Kent State | 3 | KENT 18-16-1 |
| September 30, 2006 | Kent | Kent State | 37 | Akron | 15 | KENT 19-16-1 |
