Fans watching Saturday's game may have experienced some déjà vu seeing No. 12 storm his way upfield, sprinting sideline-to-sideline.

They could have used any number of superlatives to describe the new No. 12 -- just don't call him Michael Robinson.

True freshman cornerback A.J. Wallace, wearing Robinson's old number, touched the ball only three times but exploded for 137 all-purpose yards against Akron -- more than enough to catch the eye of teammate Derrick Williams.

"He's going to be one of those guys that's going to help us win a lot," Williams said. "He's a guy that can go all the way with something."

For the 106,505 people in the stands, that was pretty evident after Wallace's first and only carry. The former five-star recruit got his first career touch on a reverse play early in the second quarter, and he scampered 42-yards before being pushed out of bounds at the Akron 20-yard line. Apparently it was a play he was ready for -- Justin King recalled a conversation he had with Wallace a few days before the game.

King said Wallace asked him about his first career reverse while the two ere walking together. King replied by saying Wallace's would be the first reverse the Zips would see and that he should just "hit it and go."

"And he did that today," King added.

"I asked A.J., 'How did it feel after running the reverse; how did it feel running the kickoff?' He said that he loved it," Williams said. "I said that, 'You've got so much more coming.' "

Wallace fumbled his first kickoff return to open the second half but rebounded for a 54-yard return on his next opportunity. Regardless, Wallace's teammates certainly didn't seem to invest much stock in the turnover.

After all, Wallace had nine more all-purpose yards in his rookie debut than Williams, King and Lydell Sargeant combined in their first game last season.

"He made one mistake. No biggie. He's a freshman; he's going to make them," center A.Q. Shipley said. "He's extremely fast. He's capable of being able to help us with some big plays."

Wallace wasn't the only true freshman to gain some experience. Wideout Chris Bell and tight end Andrew Quarless saw some time, while defensive ends Maurice Evans and Jared Odrick played in the final quarter.

Bell recorded his first career catch for 19 yards and was a staple in the Lions' red zone passing attack. Two balls were thrown his way in the end zone, but the 6-foot-2 wideout was unable to pull them in.

"Our freshman class is great for us this year," safety Anthony Scirrotto said. "A lot of talent, a lot of speed -- and you see how Joe isn't scared to play freshmen, especially since last year.

"We had great impact players in Derrick Williams and Justin King, and this year they're going to be great for us, too."