#MACtion Time: Akron Opens League Play at Ohio

Saturday, September 28

Athens, Ohio

3:30 PM

University of Akron

Ohio

September 27 | Football

Game Notes PDF

WHAT'S AHEAD
It's #MACtion Time! as the Akron Zips open 2024 Mid-American Conference play against the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Athens, Ohio. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi (PxP) and Marcus Ray (Analyst) calling the action.

Television: ESPN+ - Michael Reghi (PxP) and Marcus Ray (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
OHIO BOBCATS (2-2, 0-0 MAC)
Tim Albin (Northwestern Oklahoma, 1989)
at Ohio (4th): 25-18
Overall (7th): 50-26

AKRON ZIPS (1-3, 0-0 MAC)
JOE MOORHEAD (Fordham, 1996)
at Akron (3rd): 5-23
Overall (8th): 57-48

SERIES HISTORY
Series: 41st Meeting - Ohio leads 26-13-1
Last Meeting: Ohio def. Akron, 25-14 (Akron, Ohio - 11/24/2023)

Akron is meeting Ohio for the 41st time in program history with the Bobcats owning a 26-13-1 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools (2023), Akron held a 14-3 advantage at halftime, but the Bobcats held the Zips scoreless in the second half and claimed a 25-14 win at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. In 2022, Ohio registered a 55-34 triumph past the Zips in Athens.

Akron and Ohio last met at Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium on Oct. 8, 2022 as the Bobcats posted a 55-34 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.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters league play at 2-2 overall and 2-0 at home, defeating South Alabama (27-20) and Morgan State (21-6). The Bobcats dropped the season opener to Syracuse (38-22) and fell to Kentucky 41-6 last week. Ohio averages 19.0 points per game on 351.3 total yards per game. The Bobcats balanced attack averages 180.8 yards on the ground and 170.5 yards through the air. Defensively, Opponents average 26.25 points on 380.3 yards per game, allowing 250.0 yards in the air and 130.3 on the ground.

Parker Navarro is the primary passer, completing 50 of 73 attempts with four INT's for 547 yards (182.33 avg) and two touchdowns. He is also the third leading rusher on the squad with 107 yards on 31 carries (3.5 yds/c - 35.67 yds/g) with two touchdowns. Anthony Tyus III does the bulk of the work on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry for 391 total yards (97.5 yds/g) with four TDs. Coleman Owen leads the receiving corps with 25 targets for 336 yards (84.0 yds/g), followed by Chase Hendricks (10-131 yds-32.75 yds/g-1 TD) and Rodney Harris II (6-61 yds-15.25 yds/g-1 TD). Blake Leake paces the defense with 29 tackles and 1.5 TFL, while Austin Brawley follows with 28 tackles and two tackles for loss of two yards. Kyle Kennard leads in the sack category with five for 38 yards of loss and seven total tackles for loss of 44 yards.

ZIPS WIN HOME OPENER
After falling behind 17-0, the Zips scored 28 unanswered points led by redshirt junior Ben Finley and four passing touchdowns as Akron defeated Colgate,31-20 at Infocision Stadium in the Zips' home opener. Finley set a career high in passing yards (358) touchdowns thrown (4) and longest pass (56 yards). Sophomore Adrian Norton and junior Bobby Golden both recorded over 100 yards receiving while Norton led all receivers with 125 yards. Along with Norton and Golden, redshirt sophomores Jake Newell and Charles Kellom all hauled in strikes from Finley for touchdowns. Redshirt junior Darrian Lewis led the defensive efforts with 12 total tackles and snagged one interception which helped lead to a Zips' touchdown. Senior Paul Lewis III and junior Bryan McCoy each had nine tackles to help the Akron cause. Akron was efficient in the red zone, going 4-of-6 in the process.

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.

ABOUT AKRON
• The Zips recorded a season-high 75 tackles at South Carolina.
• Senior Antavious Fish and junior Bryan McCoy led the defense with 16 combined tackles with eight each at South Carolina.
• McCoy is 72nd in the NCAA for tackles per game with 7.8.
• McCoy is sixth in the MAC with 31 total tackles.
• Fish is eighth in the MAC with 28 total tackles.
• Redshirt juniors Justin Anderson and Darrian Lewis combined for 12 tackles with six each at South Carolina.
• The Blue and Gold have recorded 60 or more tackles in three straight games.
Akron has recorded 70 or more tackles twice this season (75 at South Carolina, 71 at Rutgers)
• The Blue and Gold have recorded 60 or more tackles in three straight games.
Fish, CJ Nunnally IV and Bennett Adler all recorded a sack against South Carolina.
• Nunnally is tied for seventh in the MAC with two sacks.
• Senior Avery Book recorded his longest punt of the season with a 61-yard kick. His previous high was 60 yards at Ohio State.
• Book punted nine times for the Zips with an average of 49.8 yards. He had five punts of 50 or more yards against South Carolina and pinned the Gamecocks in their own 20 three times.
• Book leads the MAC with 46.9 yards per punt. He's 8th in the NCAA for Punting Yards per game.
• Book is first in the MAC with 13 punts of 50 or more yards.
• Sophomore Adrian Norton recorded the longest catch of his career with a 42-yard TD reception in the second half from Finley.
• Norton is 39th in the NCAA in yards per reception with 19.67. Bobby Golden is 48th with 18.67.
• Finley has thrown at least one touchdown in the past three games.
• Finley has thrown a 40+ yard touchdown in consecutive games.
• Back-to-back games that have seen have seen a player record 10+ tackles (Bryan McCoy (11), Antavious Fish (10) at Rutgers, Darrian Lewis (12) vs Colgate)
• Back-to-back games with 60+ tackles (74 at Rutgers, 61 vs Colgate)
• Three players (D. Lewis 12, McCoy (9), Paul Lewis III (9) had at least nine tackles against Colgate
• Finley began the first Zip to throw for over 300 yards since Jeff Undercuffler threw for 312 at Northern Illinois on November 26, 2022.
• Finley set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns thrown and longest pass thrown.
•Finley was the first Zip to throw for at least four touchdowns since Kato Nelson threw four TDs at Ohio on November 23, 2018.
• Akron recorded 416 yards on offense while holding Colgate to 243.
• Golden set a career-high for longest reception with a 56-yard catch for a TD from Finley.
• Golden's 56-yard reception was the longest since Alex Adams had a 54-yard and 61-yard reception against Eastern Michigan on November 8, 2022.
• Akron featured a pair of 100-yard receivers as Norton (125) and Golden (119) both hauled in over 100 yards. The pair were the first Zips to both have a 100-yard game since November 1, 2023, when the Zips defeated Kent State for the Wagon Wheel.
• Akron saw 31 of its 61 tackles come from D.Lewis (12), McCoy (9) and P.Lewis (9).
• Zips recorded the first two sacks of the season as Lama Lavea recorded Akron's first Sack and CJ Nunnally IV had a strip sack to close the game. Nathan Kapongo recovered the fumble.
• Akron converted 7 of 14 third downs vs Rutgers
• Jordon Simmons recorded the TD longest run from scrimmage (73 yds) since 2015
• Jordon Simmons collected 109 yards rushing, averaging 12.1 yards per carry
• Daymon David INT marked the Zips first takeaway and appearance of the turnover tire in 2024
• Adrain Norton scored the Zips first TD in 2024 32 yd pass from Ben Finley
• McCoy (11) and Fish (10) combined for 21 tackles vs Rutgers
•Garrison Smith converted on two field goals of 48 and 49 yards, marking longest since 2015 for Akron (Robert Stein, 50 yards (11-14-15)
• Akron converted 4 of 16 third downs while Ohio State was successful on 9 of 14.
• Avery Book punted six times with an average of 48.2 yards per punt
• Akron went 2-for-3 on fourth down, converting on 66.7 percent of attempts.
•Bullock completed 69.2% of his passes on the day, going 9-for-13.
• Akron returns five offensive starters and eight defensive starters from a year ago
• Akron returns its top four tacklers in;
            Antavious Fish (95 tackles, 38 solo, 57 assists, 4 TFL)
            Bryan McCoy (94 tackles, 33 solo, 61 assists, 6 TFL)
            Darrian Lewis (75 tackles, 26 solo, 49 assists, 4 TFL)
            CJ Nunnally (65 tackles, 35 solo, 30 assists, 15.5 TFL, 7 Sacks)

UP NEXT
Akron continues #MACtion with the MAC home opener at InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field on Saturday, Oct. 5 against Bowling Green. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. for Akron's Homecoming, Hall of Fame and Family Weekend.