Akron Travels to MAC East Champion Miami for Wednesday MACtion

Wednesday, November 20

Oxford, OH | Yager Stadium

7:30 PM

University of Akron

Miami (OH)

Akron Travels to MAC East Champion Miami for Wednesday MACtion

November 15 | Football

Pregame Coverage:
Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Arth's Weekly Press Conference Video
MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio
MAC Weekly Release

Gameday Coverage:
Buy Tickets
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn.com)
Follow Free Live Statistics
Watch ESPN

AKRON [0-10, 0-6 MAC] at MIAMI (Ohio) [6-4, 5-1 MAC]
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019
Yager Stadium [24,286]
Oxford, Ohio
7:30 PM | ESPNU

THIS WEEK
Akron travels to Miami (Ohio) for its final road trip of the 2019 season. The Zips and RedHawks face off on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Yager Stadium.

ESPNU will televise the contest before a national audience with Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst) calling the game.

The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron Sports Network [SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), 1420 WHK in Cleveland, 1440 WHKZ in Warren/Youngstown] with Steve French calling the action, David Skoczen providing analysis, and Joe Dunn with sideline report. The pregame show starts one hour prior to kickoff. A free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.

Under the guidance of first-year head coach Tom Arth, Akron stands 0-10 overall (0-6 MAC) after a 42-14 loss to Eastern Michigan. The Zips return 57 letterwinners, including 10 starters, to their pro style offense and multiple defensive schemes.

Sophomore RB Brandon Lee (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) is the team's top rusher with 177 yards on 60 carries. Under center, redshirt junior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) stands 135-of-241 for 1,613 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight starts, while freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.) is 38-of-70 for 402 yards and a touchdown in three games. Redshirt junior WR Nate Stewart (Bethlehem, Pa.) is the top receiver with 34 receptions for 463 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, redshirt senior LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) is the top Zip with 116 tackles, including a team-best 54 solo stops, 8.5 TFL, a 25-yard fumble recovery, and a hurry.

In the NCAA stats, Akron is ranked No. 2 in kickoff return defense (10.00). Individually, redshirt senior LB John Lako is No. 4 total tackles (11.6) and No. 26 in solo tackles (5.4). Freshman WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.) is No. 21 in kickoff returns (25.6) and No. 26 in combined kick returns (435).

The RedHawks, under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Chuck Martin stand 6-4 overall (5-1 MAC) after a 44-3 victory over Bowling Green. Miami, which clinched the 2019 MAC East Division championship and has become bowl eligible, returns 41 letterwinners, including 12 starters, to its multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes.

Junior RB Jaylon Bester is the team's top rusher with 436 yards and nine touchdowns on 96 carries. Under center, freshman QB Brett Gabbert is 123-of-229 for 1,734 yards and nine touchdowns. At wide receiver, junior Jack Sorenson has 19 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, junior LB Ryan McWood is the top defender with 75 tackles, 5.0 TFL, two hurries, a forced fumble, and a break-up.

In the NCAA stats, Miami is ranked No. 7 in defensive touchdowns (3), No. 9 in tackles for loss (8.2), No. 19 in punt returns (12.43), No. 19 in blocked kicks (2), and No. 21 in passing yards allowed (191.3). Individually, senior RB Maurice Thomas is No. 6 in punt returns (13.6) and No. 11 in combined kick returns (547), while senior DB Travion Banks is No. 7 in total interceptions (4) and No. 7 in interceptions per game (0.5).

AKRON-MIAMI CONNECTIONS
Miami has five players from the Akron area on its roster– redshirt sophomore LB Griffin Baumoel [Canton, Ohio |Central Catholic HS], redshirt freshman Brody Carper [Mogadore, Ohio | Springfield HS], redshirt sophomore TE Adam Mehelic [Hudson, Ohio | Hudson HS], junior WR Dominique Robinson [Canton, Ohio | Canton McKinley HS], and freshman DB Matthew Salopek [Kent, Ohio | Archbishop Hoban HS].

AKRON-MIAMI: THE SERIES
Wednesday's game is the 29th meeting between Akron and Miami in series history, which began in 1916. The RedHawks lead, 18-9-1.

Last fall on Homecoming, Akron football opened Mid-American Conference play with a 41-17 loss to Miami (Ohio) on a Saturday afternoon at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field.

For the Zips, sophomore QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) led the rushing efforts with 30 yards on 14 carries. Under center, he went 19-of-35 for 203 yards and a touchdown. He also threw three interceptions in the second half. Sophomore WR Andre Williams (Orlando, Fla.) was the top receiver with seven catches for 66 yards. Defensively, senior S Jordan George (Dayton, Ohio) had seven tackles, including six solo stops, and a break-up.

For the RedHawks who amassed 422 total offensive yards, RB Kenny Young had 78 yards and two touchdowns rushing. QB Gus Ragland went 24-of-33 for 214 yards and a touchdown.

In their final road game of the 2017 regular season, the Akron Zips dropped a 24-14 decision at Miami (Ohio) in Mid-American Conference action on a Tuesday night at Yager Stadium.

Making his first start at quarterback, redshirt freshman Kato Nelson went 19-of-38 for 218 yards and a touchdown.

Junior WR Kwadarrius Smith led the receivers with a career-high six receptions for 69 yards. Senior RB Manny Morgan was the top rusher with 41 yards on 10 carries. Defensively, sophomore CB Alvin Davis led Akron with nine tackles.

In 2016 at InfoCision Stadium on Homecoming weekend, the Akron alumni witnessed the Zips' dominating performance against Miami for a 35-13 win to remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference play. It was the Zips' sixth consecutive conference win, and Akron's longest league winning streak since joining the MAC in 1992.

Akron's starting QB junior Tra'Von Chapman had a career day in passing completions (15), attempts (29), and touchdowns (3) while passing for 174 yards. He also found the endzone on a 70-yard run for the Zips' first touchdown. He led the team with a career-high 80 yards on the ground on 10 carries.

Senior WR JoJo Natson led the Zips in receiving, scoring two touchdowns on seven catches for 81 yards, while junior WR Austin Wolf followed with one reception for 24 yards and a touchdown.

The Zips' defense managed two sacks, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert led the squad with nine take downs and one for loss. Senior DE Daumantas Venckus and sophomore DL Brock Boxen recorded sacks for nine and seven yards for loss, respectively.

In 2015 at Yager Stadium, PK Robert Stein nailed a 50-yard field goal with less than three minutes to play to seal the Zips' 37-28 Mid-American Conference victory.

Despite a 27-7 halftime lead, the Zips allowed 21 MU second-half points, including two touchdowns less than a minute apart in the fourth quarter.

Akron racked up 432 yards of total offense, including 211 yards on the ground. Senior RB Conor Hundley, playing before a huge hometown crowd, rushed for 110 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.

QB Thomas Woodson went 13-of-28 for 221 yards. WR Imani Davis led the receiving corps with seven catches for 64 yards, while WR Jerome Lane had four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, LB Jatavis Brown had a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stops, 4.5 TFL for a loss of 25 yards, two sacks, an interceptions, and a forced fumble.

In the teams' last meeting at InfoCision Stadium on Oct. 11, 2014, the Zips found the end zone twice in the second half while posting nine sacks on defense to down the Miami RedHawks, 29-19. The win was the third-straight-overall for Akron and the fifth-straight win in league play dating back to the 2013 season.

In 2013, Jawon Chisholm rushed for three touchdowns to lead the Akron to a 24-17 victory at Yager Stadium. Chisholm closed out the day with 86 yards rushing on 16 carries and also had one catch for 18 yards. His first score came with 12:09 to go in the opening quarter.

SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Miami: 9-18-1
Akron in games at Akron: 6-7
Akron in games at Miami: 3-11-1
Akron in games at a neutral site: 0-0
First meeting in series: 1916, at UA, L, 23-6
Last meeting in series: 2018, at InfoCision Stadium, L, 17-41

MEEKS NAMED COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Junior DE Dylan Meeks (Orlando, Fla.) has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 5 football team.

A starter in nine games this season, the junior has 33 tackles, including 11 solo stops, 0.5 TFL, and a break-up. A MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-MAC selection, and Dean's List student, Meeks sports a 3.881 GPA in exercise science/pre-physical therapy.

SENIOR STATUS
Prior to the home finale with Ohio, Akron will honor the 18 members of its Senior Class– OL Trevor Brown, LS Peyton Coffman, DB Alvin Davis, Jr., WR Jaquavis Dixon, DB Shawn Featherstone, Jr., DL Andy Jean-Baptiste, DL Davon'te Jest, TE Nick Johns, WR De'von Jones, TE Brandon Junk, OL Rich Kallay, QB Robbie Kelley, LB James King, LB John Lako, LB DeMarcus Lloyd, TE Darryl Long, RB Deltron Sands, and LB Josh Ward.

The 2019 Senior Class leaves campus as one of the all-time most productive classes in program history. In four seasons, they helped the Zips to 16 wins, becoming bowl eligible in 2017. They claimed the 2017 MAC East title, played in the 2017 MAC Championship game, and
competed in the Boca Raton Bowl while winning three consecutive Wagon Wheel trophies.

Five of the seniors had already earned their undergraduate degrees prior to starting the season and are pursuing master's degrees.

Individually, the Zips have re-written the record books and climbed the career charts while racking up weekly honors. Off the field, they've represented UA in the community with several activities, including game week visits to Akron Children's Hospital. Congratulations, Seniors!

NOW IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Zip senior LBs John Lako and Josh Ward are tied with 14 former Zips for most games played in their collegiate careers with 48 each. Five players hold the No. 2 spot at 49 games, while five players [Alex Allen, DB Kyron Brown, LS Michael Buddenberg, LB Ulysees Gilbert III, and OL Kyle Ritz] hold the school record with 51 games. Senior DB Alvin Davis, Jr., is No. 4 with 46 career games.

LAST GAME
Midweek football returned to the Mid-American Conference as Akron fell 42-14 to Eastern Michigan on a frigid, 22-degree Tuesday evening at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.

Akron posted 342 total yards of total offense as redshirt junior QB Kato Nelson led the way, completing 20-of-33 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. With 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Nelson threw a career-long 87-yard strike to sophomore WR Timothy Scippio (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) for the first score, and redshirt sophomore WR Julian Hicks (Cleveland, Ohio) grabbed the second with 1:09 left in the game.

Hicks led the Zips' receiving corps with a team-best seven receptions for 41 yards, while sophomore WR Jeremiah Knight (Jefferson, Ohio) caught six passes for 121 yards. Scippio corralled 91 yards on two receptions.

Defensively, freshman CB Randy Cochran (Doraville, Ga.) and redshirt sophomore LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) led Akron with 10 tackles apiece. Cochran's 10 takedowns and eight solo stops was a career-high while adding a forced fumble. Arslanian recorded a pass break-up, while senior LB John Lako and senior DB Alvin Davis, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) tallied eight tackles each, including a pair of tackles for five yards of loss.

For Eastern Michigan, Mike Glass lined-up behind center, going 20-of-25 for 246 yards and a long of 41 yards. The Eagles ground attack proved to be the difference in the game as Glass gained a second-best 83 yards on the ground with a touchdown.

The Eagles rushed for 252 total yards as Shaq Vann performed much of the heavy lifting, gaining 142 yards on 28 carries with four touchdowns. Willie Parker added the Eagles sixth score on an 11-yard carry.

POSTGAME NOTES

Freshman OL Xavior Gray (Massillon, Ohio) made his first collegiate start, playing left tackle, while freshman RB Peter Hayes-Patrick (Orlando, Fla.) started at running back.
Freshman RB Taylor Griffin (Strongsville, Ohio) made his collegiate debut on special teams.
Sophomore WR Timothy Scippio scored an 87-yard touchdown on a pass from Nelson in the third quarter. It marked the second touchdown of Scippio's collegiate career. The 87-yard reception was a career long. Scippio finished with two receptions for 91 yards.
Redshirt sophomore WR Jeremiah Knight led the receivers with a career-high 121 yards on six receptions. It marked the second 100-yard performance of his career. He also had four kickoff returns for a career-high 95 yards, including a 39-yard return.

ZIPS QUICK HITS

Akron has started seven true freshmen this season, which ranks second nationally. Alabama leads the nation with nine true freshmen in the starting line-up.
Seven of Akron's 2019 opponents were bowl eligible last fall: UAB (Boca Raton), Troy (Dollar General), Buffalo (Dollar General), Northern Illinois (Boca Raton), Miami (not selected), Eastern Michigan (Camillia), and Ohio (Frisco).
With two weeks to go in the regular season, four of Akron's 2019 opponents are already bowl eligible this fall: Illinois, UAB, Central Michigan, and Miami (Ohio).
Akron has 52 student-athletes on its roster from the state of Ohio; 44 of those live within a 30-mile radius to campus.
The Akron defense, which lost eight starters from 2018, is under the guidance of its third coordinator in three seasons– Matt Feeney (2019), Todd Stroud (2018), and Chuck Amato (2017).
Three of the defensive starters that Matt Feeney had to replace this fall are currently on NFL rosters– LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Pittsburgh Steelers), DB Kyron Brown (New York Jets), and DE Jamal Davis II (Indianapolis).

UP NEXT
Akron closes out the 2019 season at home on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with a 6 p.m. game with Ohio at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field on ESPN+. The Senior Class will be honored during a pregame ceremony.