Akron Hosts Colgate for 2024 Home Opener at InfoCision Stadium

WHAT'S AHEAD
In week three, the Akron football program looks for its first win of the season in the home opener at InfoCision Stadium against Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. The game will broadcasted on ESPN+ with Anthony Lima (PxP) and Ryan Cavanaugh (Analyst) calling the action.

Television: ESPN+ - Anthony Lima (PxP) and Ryan Cavanaugh (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network - David Skoczen (pxp), Joe Dunn (analyst), WHLO 640 AM (flagship), WHK 1420 AM/102.5 FM, iHeart Radio, TheVarsityNetwork.com
Video Link: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required)
Live Stats Link: www.GoZips.com

HEAD COACHES
COLGATE (0-2, 0-0 Patriot)
Stan Dakosty (Colgate, 2005)
at Colgate (4th): 14-21
Overall (4th): Same

AKRON ZIPS (0-2, 0-0 MAC)
JOE MOORHEAD (Fordham, 1996)
at Akron (3rd): 4-22
Overall (8th): 56-47

SERIES HISTORY
Series: Colgate leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Colgate def. Akron, 44-0 (Hamilton, N.Y. - 1940)

The game between the Zips and the Raiders will mark the second encounter between the two schools. Colgate leads the all-time series, 1-0, capturing the lone meeting in 1940 (44-0).

SCOUTING COLGATE
Colgate is off to an 0-2 start, falling in the season opener at Maine (17-14) followed by a home-opening loss to Villanova (28-3). The Raiders have allowed the opponent to score 22.5 points per game on 675 yards of total offense. Colgate has allowed 429 yards in the air and 246 on the ground. The Raiders have generated 567 yards of total offense with 352 yards passing and 215 yards on the ground. QB Michael Brescia leads the aerial assault with 314 yards on 33 of 59 passing with one interception. He also leads the ground attack with 145 yards rushing on 27 attempts, followed by Marco Maldonado with 34 yards on 14 carries. Brescia top target is Treyvhon Saunders with 86 yard and 9.6 yards per reception on nine targets.

LAST TIME OUT
Akron fell 49-17 to Rutgers on the road Saturday, Sept. 7. Redshirt Jordon Simmons totaled 109 yards to lead the Zips' ground attack and added one touchdown, picking up 12.1 yards per carry along the way. Simmons broke loose for a 73-yard TD run which stands as the longest run from the line of scrimmage since 2021 (Jonzell Norrils vs Buffalo, 10/23/21). Redshirt junior Ben Finley led the passing game with 138 yards (14 of 31), including a 32-yard TD pass to sophomore Adrian Norton. Finley tacked on 29 yards on the ground, picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Norton reeled in three catches for 55 yards, including the Zips first touchdown of the season. Junior Bryan McCoy led the defensive efforts with 11 total tackles while senior Antavious Fish was close behind with 10. In addition, redshirt junior Daymon David registered the Zips first takeaway and appearance of the turnover tire with an interception deep in Rutgers territory on the Scarlet Knights first drive.

AKRON NAMES CAPTAINS FOR THE 2024 CAMPAIGN
The Zips elected junior LB Bryan McCoy (Chicago, Ill.) as captain for the second consecutive season. McCoy is joined by senior DL Bennett Adler (Lakewood, Ohio), redshirt junior WR Myles Walker (Monaca, Pa.) and redshirt junior QB Ben Finley (Phoenix, Ariz.) as captains for Akron for the 2024 campaign.

WHO IS WEARING NO. 1
Senior DL Bennett Adler and redshirt junior WR Myles Walker have emerged as leaders for third-year head coach Joe Moorhead as the Zips enter their season opener at Ohio State on Aug. 31 and the duo was recently rewarded with the No. 1 jerseys for the upcoming campaign.

Under Moorhead at Akron, head strength and conditioning coach Orie Sahlfeld identifies one player on each side of the ball that demonstrated their leadership both on and off the field over the course of the spring to earn the privilege of wearing the No. 1 jersey in the Akron Blue and Gold for the 2024 season.

PRESEASON HONORS
Six Akron football players have been named to Phil Steele's 2024 preseason All-Mid-American Conference teams. Earning preseason first-team All-MAC honors were senior DL CJ Nunnally, IV (Douglasville, Ga.) and junior LB Bryan McCoy (Chicago, Ill.). Named to the preseason second-team All-MAC was senior LB Antavious Fish (Atlanta, Ga.) followed by a pair of third-team recipients in senior WR Alex Adams (Osyka, Miss.) and junior WR Bobby Golden (Miami, Fla.). Rounding out the 2024 Phil Steele list was junior DL Lama Lavea (El Paso, Texas) with preseason fourth-team All-MAC recognition.

Eight Zips were named to Athlon Sports' 2024 preseason All-MAC teams as senior DL CJ Nunnally, IV and junior LB Bryan McCoy earned preseason first-team All-MAC accolades followed by seniors WR Alex Adams, LB Antavious Fish and CB Darrian Lewis (Akron, Ohio) with second-team honors. In addition, DL Bennett Adler, junior CB Devonte Golden-Nelson (Memphis, Tenn.) and junior S Daymon David (Baltimore, Md.) as third-team honors.

In addition, senior DL CJ Nunnally, IV was named to the 2024 preseason watchlists for The Lombardi Award, The Chuck Bednarik Award, the 2025 Shrine Bowl 1000 and the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl. In addition, redshirt junior WR Alex Adams (Osyka, Miss.) also made an appearance on the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl preseason watchlist.

2024 MAC Football Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Miami (9) – 119 points                               7. Western Michigan – 60 points
2. Toledo (3) – 109 points       `                       8. Central Michigan – 59 points
T3. Bowling Green – 92 points                       9. Ball State – 42 points
T3. Northern Illinois – 92 points                     10. Buffalo – 37 points
5. Ohio – 81 points                                         11. Akron – 24 points
6. Eastern Michigan – 64 points                     12. Kent State – 13 points

MAC Champion: Miami (10), Toledo (2)
First Place votes in ( ) | *Coaches were not able to vote for themselves

UP NEXT
The Akron Zips travel Columbia, S.C. to battle the Gamecocks of South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Akron Hosts Colgate for 2024 Home Opener at InfoCision Stadium

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Players Mentioned

Alex Adams

Bennett Adler

Daymon David

Ben Finley

Antavious Fish

Bobby Golden

Devonte Golden-Nelson

Lama Lavea

Darrian Lewis

Bryan McCoy

Adrian Norton

Jordon Simmons

Myles Walker

The University of Akron Athletics