Akron Hosts Ohio on Homecoming and Family Weekend to Open MAC Play

Saturday, October 2

Akron, Ohio

3:30 PM

University of Akron

Ohio

Akron Hosts Ohio on Homecoming and Family Weekend to Open MAC Play

September 29 | Football

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GAME NO. 5 - AKRON VS. OHIO NOTES (10/2)

Akron (1-3) vs. Ohio (0-4)
Saturday, Oct. 2
InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field
Akron, Ohio • 3:30 p.m.

Series History: Ohio leads 23-13-1
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Radio: 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron football team hosts Ohio in its annual Homecoming Game at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on Saturday, Oct. 2. The 3:30 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on the ESPN3 with Jason Ross and Marcus Ray calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.

HEAD COACHES
Ohio: Tim Albin (Northwest Oklahoma, 1989), overall record: 25-12 (Fourth Season)/record at Ohio: 0-4 (First Season)
Akron: Tom Arth (John Carroll, 2003), overall record - 51-41 (Ninth Season)/record at Akron - 2-20 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Ohio leads 23-13-1
Arth vs. Ohio: 0-2, Ohio def. Akron, 24-10 (Athens, Ohio - Nov. 10, 2020)
Last Meeting: Ohio def. Akron, 24-10 (Athens, Ohio - Nov. 10, 2020)
Last Meeting in Akron: Ohio def. Akron, 52-3 (Akron, Ohio - Nov. 26, 2019)

Akron is meeting Ohio for the 38th time in program history with the Bobcats owning a 23-13-1 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, Ohio registered a 24-10 triumph past the Zips on Nov. 10, 2020 at Peden Stadium. Akron and Ohio last met in Akron on Nov. 26, 2019 as the Bobcats posted a 52-3 victory.

The series between the two schools dates back to the 1912 campaign when Akron earned a 27-0 home victory over Ohio. The Zips and Bobcats have met every season since 1992 and Akron is in search of its first home triumph over Ohio since posting a 37-34 victory over the Bobcats during the 2017 season.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters play against Akron following a 35-6 setback at Northwestern on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Redshirt sophomore QB Kurtis Rourke has directed the Bobcats' attack throwing for 582 yards, including three touchdowns. Redshirt junior RB Allison O'Shaan owns a team-best 202 yards, while redshirt junior WR Ty Walton and senior WR Cameron Odom have registered 162 and 140, respectively, through the air en route to combining to score two of Ohio three receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, the duo of redshirt junior LB Bryce Houston and senior S Alvin Floyd have combined to record 62 tackles, including posting 32 and 30 stops, respectively. Senior DE Will Evans owns 2.5 tackles for a loss this season.

As a unit, the Bobcats average 13.8 points per game, while registering 312.8 yards per game, including rushing for 141.0 yards and throwing for 171.8 yards per tilt.

Individually, senior RB De'Montre Tuggle is ranked second in the NCAA in kickoff return touchdowns (1), fourth in combined kickoff returns (321) and 34th in kickoff returns (22.9).

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 10, 2020 - ATHENS, OHIO)
The University of Akron football team garnered 217 yards rushing, but the Zips were unable to earn the road victory as Ohio registered a 24-10 triumph on Nov. 10, 2020 inside Peden Stadium.

Akron finished the contest with 435 combined offensive yards, including 218 through the air and 217 on the ground.

Redshirt freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.) passed for a career-high 218 yards (18-of-30), including connecting with six different receivers. Redshirt junior WR George Qualls, Jr. (Caruthersville, Mo.) and freshman WR Tony Grimes, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) recorded career-high marks in receiving with 64 and 60 yards, respectively.

Redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) led the Zips with eight tackles, including a pair of sacks, while contributing five and four tackles, respectively, was junior LB Brandon Bischof (Akron, Ohio) and sophomore S Adetutu Daranijo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

ZIPS HOST BOBCATS ON HOMECOMING AND FAMILY WEEKEND
Homecoming and Family Weekend at The University of Akron is slated for this Friday through Sunday, Oct. 1-3, with a variety of Homecoming events, all leading to the football game against Ohio at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The festivities will commence with a Homecoming Cookout from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at Coleman Common. A Pop Up Pep Rally will follow on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 12:30 p.m. at Coleman Common, one that will feature Akron head coach Tom Arth. Prior to the football game on Saturday, Oct. 2, a virtual and in-person UA5K Homecoming Run/Walk will kick off at 8 a.m.

LAST GAME
Akron scored the first touchdown of the game at Ohio Stadium, but could not overcome 38 unanswered points in the first half as No. 10 ranked Ohio State defeated Akron 59-7 on Sept. 25.

Akron touched the scoreboard first as redshirt sophomore QB DJ Irons (Lawrenceville, Ga.) drove the Zips down the field with a nine-play, 55-yard scoring drive. Irons sparked the drive with a 16-yard run for a first down. He completed 4-of-5 passes with the final two passes targeting freshman WR Konata Mumpfield (Hoschton, Ga.). Mumpfield caught a 17-yard pass for a first down on the OSU four yardline, and on the next play, Irons hit Mumpfield again for the touchdown.

Irons finished the game with 115 yards in the air and 17 yards on the ground, while Mumpfield averaged 9.6 yards per reception, hauling in a team best seven catches for 67 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, Akron posted two sacks and a takeaway as redshirt junior S Jaylen Kelly-Powell (Detroit, Mich.) and sophomore DL Ryan Johnson (Starkville, Miss.) recorded the sacks with eight and seven yards of loss, respectively. Kelly-Powell finished the game with a second-best five tackles, while LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) and LB Brandon Bischof (Akron, Ohio) led the team in takedowns with six total tackles apiece.

ARSLANIAN LEADS THE DEFENSE
LB Bubba Arslanian leads Akron's defensive efforts this season registering team-high marks in tackles (43), solo stops (19) and assists (24). He has recorded eight, 17, 12 and six tackles, respectively, versus Auburn, Temple, Bryant and Ohio State this season. He has led the Zips in tackles over the last 10 games overall and in 13 of Akron's last 15 contests dating back to the 2019 campaign.

Over the course of his decorated career he has recorded 127 solo tackles, including 19 this season, and 128 career assisted tackles. He is ranked 53rd among active career leaders across all divisions assisted tackles (128), 65th in total tackles (255) and 70th in total tackles per game (7.50).

He turned in a dominant season as one of the premier linebackers in both the Mid-American Conference as well as the NCAA in 2020, leading the defensive efforts for the Zips. He led the NCAA in solo tackles (7.8) and in total tackles (12.3).

In MAC play, Arslanian headlined the league in total tackles (74), solo tackles (47) and tackles per game (12.3), while ranking sixth in assisted tackles (27) and eighth in sacks (0.50).

Arslanian turned in a dominant performance to help lift the Zips to a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green on Dec. 5, 2020 with a 16-tackle effort. His 16 total tackles represented a season-high mark, while equaling a career-high total with 11 solo stops, to go along with five assists. His performance was recognized by @PFF_College, who rated Arslanian as grading out as the fourth-best linebacker in college football in Week 14.

Arslanian has had 10 or more total tackles in 17 of the last 22 games overall. Arslanian surpassed the 250-tackle plateau for his career against Ohio State on Sept. 25, 2021.

ZIP TIDBITS
• LB Bubba Arslanian registered his 250th career tackle with his first stop at Ohio State on Sept. 25.
• RB Blake Hester established career-best marks in rushes (12), rushing yards (47), receptions (3) and receiving yards (22) against the Buckeyes on Sept. 25.
• Akron's 514 yards of total offense versus Bryant represented the Zips' highest total since registering 626 against Savannah State on Sept. 19, 2015.
• Nine different Akron receivers pulled in a reception for the Zips against Bryant, the most for Akron since the same number recorded a catch at UMass on Sept. 28, 2019.
• QB DJ Irons threw for a career-high 296 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for a career-best 136 yard rushing against Bryant en route to collecting 432 yards of total offense.
• QB DJ Irons is off to a solid start to his Akron career connecting on 58-of-87 passes for 649 yards and six touchdowns. He was perfect in debut as a Zip against Auburn, completing 13-of-13 passes for 129 yards with his first passing touchdown coming to Norrils in the fourth quarter. He followed with a 19-of-23 effort for a career-high 296 yards versus Bryant.
• Akron's freshmen trio of WR Konata Mumpfield, freshman TE Tristian Brank (Asheville, N.C.) and freshman WR Oran Singleton, Jr. (Clewiston, Fla.) recorded career-highs in receiving yards posting 69, 46 and 36 yards, respectively, against Bryant.
• Redshirt freshman RB Anthony Williams, Jr. (Chicago, Ill.) recorded a career-best 39 yards rushing on nine carries before scoring a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Bryant for his first career touchdown at Akron.
•Sophomore WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.) leads the Zips in catches (21) and receiving yards (247) this season and has garnered 68, 101, 61 and 17 yards, respectively, in Akron's first four games this season.
• The Zips posted 14 tackles for a loss for 59 yards in a 35-14 victory over Bryant. Redshirt sophomore ILB Jeslord Boateng (Dublin, Ohio) led the way for Akron with three tackles for a loss, including a sack, while redshirt junior LB Michael Scott (Tallahassee, Fla.) garnered a career-best two sacks for the Zips.
• LB Bubba Arslanian recorded a team-best 17 tackles against Temple and is rated eighth in the NCAA in total tackles (10.8).
• ILB Jeslord Boateng ranks second on the team in total tackles (24), solo stops (13) and assists (11), while leading the Zips in tackles for a loss (3.0).
• Akron is 10-of-14 in the red zone this season, including eight touchdowns and a pair of field goals this season after going 12-for-14 a year ago with nine touchdowns.
• Akron is rated ninth in the NCAA in time of possession (33:51), 15th in fewest penalty yards per contest (40.00), 18th in fewest penalty yards (160), 19th in fewest penalties (19) and in fewest penalty per game (4.75) and 34th in completion percentage (.661).
• QB DJ Irons is rated 36th in the NCAA in completion percentage (.667), 43rd in points responsible for (48) and 46th points responsible per tilt (12.0).
• WR Michael Mathison registered his first career 100-yard receiving day versus Temple pulling in career-high marks in catches (8) and yards (101).
• RB Jonzell Norrils posted career-best marks in rushing attempts (15) and yards (66) against Temple, a week after scoring his second-career touchdown and first of 2021 with a four-yard reception in the fourth quarter versus Auburn.
• Bubba Arslanian's 17 tackles versus Auburn represent the fourth-highest single-game effort in the NCAA this season.
• Five Zips made their first starting appearance against Auburn in 2021 season opener as ILB Jeslord Boateng, senior DL Zach Morton (Detroit, Mich.) and freshman S Ronald Jackson, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) started on defense, additionally WR Konata Mumpfield and RB Jonzell Norrils received starts on offense.
• Junior CB Jalen Hooks (Warren, Ohio), junior CB Charles Amankwaa (Hillsborough, N.J.) and redshirt junior DL Angelo Howze (Fishers, Ind.) each registered a tackle for a loss against Temple.
• QB Kato Nelson is Akron's active career leader in rushing attempts (356), pass attempts (790), pass completions (414), passing yards (5,282) and passing TD's (35) and is responsible for 37 career offensive TD's.
• Eight different Zips pulled in a reception for Akron against Auburn. WR Michael Mathison led the Zips with a career-high seven catches for 68 yards. Adding four, three, two, two and two receptions, respectively, was WR George Qualls, Jr., WR Konata Mumpfield, RB Jonzell Norrils, RB Anthony Williams, Jr., and WR Oran Singleton, Jr.
• In his Akron debut as punter, redshirt sophomore Ethan Slike (Greensburg, Pa.) registered five punts for 250 yards, including a career-long of 60 yards. He followed with three punts for 154 yards and a 51.3 yard average against Temple.
• Akron didn't commit a turnover in the Zips' season opener at Auburn matching the feat a year ago in a 31-3 triumph past Bowling Green on Dec. 5, 2020.
• For the first time since battling Florida Atlantic on Dec. 19, 2017 at the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, the Zips were involved in a game where neither team committed a turnover. The last Akron regular season contest in which this occurred happened on Sept. 28, 2013 at Bowling Green.
• Four of Akron's 2021 opponents played in bowl a year ago: Auburn, Ball State, Buffalo and Ohio State.

UP NEXT
The University of Akron football team travels to Bowling Green for a 12 p.m. tilt against the Falcons on Oct. 9.

NO RE-ENTRY POLICY FOR AKRON FOOTBALL
Guests and students that exit InfoCision Stadium -Summa Field will not be permitted to re-enter. Guests and students arriving after halftime will be required to use Gate 1 for entrance. Tickets may be purchased at Gate 1 ticket office through the end of the third quarter.