Akron Football Travels to Rutgers

Saturday, September 7

Piscataway, NJ

Noon

University of Akron

Rutgers

September 03 | Football

Akron FB Notes GM2 vsRutgers9724

WHAT'S AHEAD
In week two, the Akron football program travels to Piscataway, N.J. to battle the second Big Ten opponent in as many weeks as Rutgers hosts the Zips at SHI Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Big Ten Network (FOX Sports App) will broadcast the game live at Noon with Jason Horowitz (PxP), Adam Breneman (analyst) and Taryn Hatcher (sideline reporter) calling the action.

Television: BTN - Jason Horowitz (PxP), Adam Breneman (analyst),Taryn Hatcher (sideline)
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
RUTGERS (1-0, 0-0 B1G)
Greg Schiano(Bucknell, 1988)
at Rutgers (16th): 88-95
Overall (16th): Same

AKRON ZIPS (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
JOE MOORHEAD (Fordham, 1996)
at Akron (3rd): 4-21
Overall (8th): 56-46

SERIES HISTORY
Series: Rutgers leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Rutgers def. Akron, 20-17 (Piscataway, N.J. - Oct. 27, 1990)

The game between the Zips and the Scarlet Knights will mark the second encounter between the two schools. Rutgers leads the all-time series, 1-0, capturing the lone meeting on Oct. 27, 1990 (20-17). It was a back-and-forth battle as Rutgers survived a late offensive push by Akron. The Scarlet Knights used a 50-yard drive to take the 20-17 lead. The Zip retaliated with a drive of their own, but threw an interception in the endzone with 44-seconds remaining in the contest.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers opened the season with a 44-7 win over Howard. The Scarlet Knights scored on six of their final seven offensive drives. Rutgers scored five touchdowns during that span. Rutgers returns 91 players and has 43 newcomers, including nine all-conference players. Rutgers saw 15 players make their team debut in the opener, 10 make their collegiate debut and five earn their first career start.

LAST TIME OUT
Akron fell 52-6 in the 2024 season opener to the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Redshirt junior K Garrison Smith made a pair of field goals, scoring the Zips six points. Smith split the uprights with 48- and 49-yard kicks, marking the longest field goals since Robert Stein buried a 50-yarder in 2015. Three quarterbacks saw action for the Zips in the season opener as redshirt junior Tahj Bullock paced both the passing (68 yards) and rushing (42 yards) categories. Redshirt junior Ben Finley earned the starting role and threw for 53 yards, while redshirt sophomore RB Charles Kellom added nine yards on the ground. In addition, redshirt sophomore TE Jake Newell reeled in two catches for 41 yards to lead receiving corps, while redhirt junior RB Jordon Simmons caught four passes for 25 yards. Redshirt junior S Daymon David paced the Akron defense with six tackles while redshirt junior DL CJ Nunnally IV and senior LB Antavious Fish each had five tackles.

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 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 are scheduled to open the season at home on September 14 against Colgate at InfoCision Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.