Wagon Wheel (trophy)
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| Kent State (19) | Akron (17) |
|---|---|
| 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 2007 |
| 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, Kent State 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 28-20-2 edge in the overall series and Kent State holds a 19-17-1 series lead in Wagon Wheel games.
[edit] Recent meetings
Akron has won nine of the last eleven meetings against Kent State, beginning with six consecutive victories from 1997-2002. Kent State finally broke through in 2003, winning a 41-38 thriller at Akron, led by current Cleveland Browns returner Joshua Cribbs. The Zips, led by current Seattle Seahawks quarterback Charlie Frye, bounced back with 24-19 and 35-3 wins in both 2004 and 2005 respecively before Kent State won 37-15 at Kent in 2006. The most recent game, on September 22, 2007, saw the Zips win 27-20 over Kent State at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, making the overall Wagon Wheel series 19-17-1 in favor of Kent State.
The next scheduled meeting between the two teams will be in 2008, at Dix Stadium in Kent.
[edit] Game results
Akron victories are shaded ██ blue. Kent State victories shaded ██ gold. Ties shaded ██ silver. 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 |
| 1955-1971 | No games played between Akron and Kent State | |||||
| 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 |
| September 22 2007 | Akron | Akron | 27 | Kent State | 20 | KENT 19-17-1 |
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