AKRON, Ohio (Interstat) — Western Michigan used a balanced offense and several big plays to defeat Akron 42-14 on Tuesday at InfoCision Stadium. In the Bowl Division matchup, the Broncos improved to 7-3, while the Zips dropped to 1-9. Western Michigan scored in every quarter and pulled away after halftime, handing Akron its ninth loss in 10 games. The announced attendance was 4,243.

Western Michigan opened the scoring on Mason Reynolds’ 3-yard touchdown pass to Nate Levicki with 2:19 left in the first quarter. Dieter Kelly added the extra point. The Broncos extended their lead in the second quarter when Cole Cabana broke free for an 82-yard touchdown run at the 12:33 mark. Akron answered when C. Broughton connected with Marquese Williams on a 35-yard scoring pass with 11:14 remaining. Western Michigan added another second-quarter touchdown on Jalen Buckley’s 1-yard run with 1:55 left before halftime. Kelly’s extra point made it a two-score game. The first half featured three touchdowns in the second quarter, and Western Michigan’s ground game produced the longest play of the day when Cabana went 82 yards for a score.

Buckley found the end zone again in the third quarter, racing 35 yards for a touchdown with 5:04 remaining. Kelly converted the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Broc Lowry threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Keivin Boone-Nelson II with 13:38 left. Akron responded when Broughton hit Williams for a 39-yard touchdown with 11:44 remaining. Aidan Stire made the extra point. Western Michigan closed the scoring when Reynolds found Levicki for a 10-yard touchdown with 6:53 left. Kelly’s extra point capped the scoring. Kelly made all six of his extra-point attempts, and Stire made both of Akron’s extra points.

Broc Lowry led Western Michigan’s offense by completing all 15 of his passes for 149 yards and one touchdown. The quarterback from Canfield, Ohio, also helped the Broncos sustain drives and control the clock. Mason Reynolds completed 7 of 8 passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns and carried five times for 42 yards. Aveion Chenault caught two passes for 26 yards. Joshua Franklin recorded two tackles and one sack. Dillon Moore made three tackles. Scoop Gardner Jr. had three tackles and a sack. Domanick Moon and DeJuan Echoles Jr. each recorded four tackles. Emazon Littlejohn returned a kickoff for no gain. Adam Parks caught a 6-yard pass. Keivin Boone-Nelson II caught two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Nate Levicki caught four passes for 25 yards and two touchdowns. Jarvarius Sims made two tackles. Egypt Nelson caught three passes for 30 yards. Baylin Brooks caught eight passes for 78 yards. Jordon Thomas did not record a statistic. AJ Green Jr. rushed seven times for 34 yards. Donovan Triplett rushed seven times for 69 yards. Cole Cabana rushed nine times for 107 yards, caught one pass for 2 yards, returned three punts for 21 yards and scored a touchdown. Zavian Tibbs made one tackle. Austin Alexander recorded one quarterback hurry. Freddy Brown, Dakari Frazier, Daeh McCullough, Jermar McCarter, Angelo Chapman, Andrew Baker, Brenden Anes and Willard Ferrell each made one tackle. KJ Burley, Braden Steely, Cam’ron Barber, Gabe Welch, Micah Davis and Joey Pope each made two tackles.

For Akron, Jeremiah Jones, Jalen Williams, Daunte Curtis, Cyrus Durham and Mehki Flowers each made five tackles. Williams and Durham each added half a sack. Dwight Nunoo made six tackles, Donelius Johnson had nine, and Tairan Davis Jr. made 15 tackles and one quarterback hurry. Aamii Branch added four tackles. Offensively, Wyatt Hook caught a 6-yard pass, Conner Cravaack caught two passes for 17 yards, and Miles Burris caught three passes for 55 yards. Broughton threw two touchdown passes to Williams, covering 35 and 39 yards. Williams finished with two touchdown catches totaling 74 yards, and Burris led Akron’s receivers with 55 yards on three catches. The Zips moved the ball well at times but could not keep pace after halftime.

Western Michigan’s victory follows a 23-10 win over Bowling Green in its previous game. In his previous outing against Bowling Green, Lowry completed 9 of 18 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown and rushed seven times for 4 yards. Western Michigan has beaten Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Buffalo, Rice, Monmouth and Akron this season. Its losses came against Toledo, Boise State and Michigan. The Broncos have won two of their past three games and will next host Eastern Michigan before facing Miami (Ohio). Akron’s lone win this season came against Robert Morris. The Zips have lost to Ohio, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, UNLV, Minnesota, Wake Forest and Western Michigan. Akron will visit Massachusetts and then host Buffalo.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Western Michigan 36, Akron 24. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Western Michigan with an 87.7 percent probability to win. Western Michigan had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -16. The total score of 56 went under the over/under line of 49.5.