The University of Akron Athletics
Football Zips Prepare to Tangle With Nationally-Ranked Hokies
August 28 | Football
AKRON - The Akron Zips open their 100th season in the deep end of the pool.
From Lincoln, Nebraska, to the Little Apple in Kansas, and from LSU's Death Valley to Penn State's Happy Valley, coach Lee Owens and his Zips have faced long odds in the past. Granted, coach Frank Beamer's 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies were the national runnersup last season, but the big-time atmosphere in Blacksburg will not be completely foreign to Akron's 2000 gridders.
Kickoff is noon Saturday. ESPN Regional will provide live television coverage. It will be the opener for both teams.
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Butchie Washington |
Akron has made great strides the last five seasons under Owens' leadership. This year, the Zips are primed to contend for the Mid-American Conference title, after a 7-4 posting last fall. UA features a record-setting quarterback in senior James "Butchie" Washington, a seasoned corps of skill players, a solid group of offensive linemen, and what Owens terms the deepest and most talented defensive unit Akron has had during his tenure.
"I have a great deal of respect for what coach Beamer and his staff have achieved at Virginia Tech," said Owens, a former assistant at Ohio State under John Cooper. "Michael Vick is a tremendous talent. We recognize the challenge, but we'll show up, play hard for 60 minutes, and see what happens."
Owens remembers all too well his last trip to Blacksburg when the Hokies pasted the Zips 77-27 in 1995. He also recalls Tech's 21-18 escape from the Rubber Bowl in 1996.
The Hokies were to open their season last night (Aug. 27) in the BCA Bowl against Georgia Tech; however, the game was canceled due to severe weather.
ZIP QUICK FACTS: Here's a quick thumb nail on
the history of Akron football. The Zips are celebrating their 100th
season this fall:
* In 1893, John Heisman was hired as UA's first paid football coach
and athletic director.
* Akron played in the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl against
Terry-Bradshaw-led Louisiana Tech (lost 33-13).
* The Zips played in the 1976 NCAA Division II national
championship game and lost to Montana State, 24-13.
* Akron qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs in 1985.
* In '87, the Zips were the first university to go from Division
I-AA to I-A with former Notre Dame coach Gerry Faust leading the
transition.
* Ohio State assistant Lee Owens was named head coach in December,
1994. The Zips opened their 1997 season at sixth-ranked Nebraska
(lost 59-14) and their '99 season at second-ranked Penn State (lost
70-24).
* Three former Zips are on NFL rosters: Jason Taylor, first
alternate DE for the Pro Bowl in 1998 with Miami, DB Victor Green
with the N.Y. Jets, and FB Jamie Reader (Philadelphia).
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Paul Ondrusek |
MEDICAL UPDATE: The Zips expect to regain the services of two players who did not see action in the two scrimmages: junior guard Paul Ondrusek (Darlington, Pa./Blackhawk), out with a knee strain and senior defensive end Ade Edwards (Springfield/Shawnee), still sidelined following arthroscopic surgery earlier this summer on his left knee. Both will travel. Reserve quarterback Ryan Uhlenhake (St. Henry) broke his right ankle Aug. 14 and is out 4-6 weeks.
SERIES: The Hokies are 4-0 against the Zips, with the last win coming on Sept. 7, 1996 at the Rubber Bowl, 21-18, in the annual Acme-Zip game. Tech is 16-4 all-time against current MAC schools. Miami shocked Tech, 24-17, in Blacksburg in 1997.
The Zips are 7-16 all-time against schools currently in the Big East Conference. All seven wins have come against Temple, including five of the last six meetings. The Zips do meet Connecticut on Oct. 21, but the Huskies do not play Big East football until 2005.
Vs. RANKED TEAMS: A year ago, the AP second-ranked Nittany Lions were the highest ranked Division I-A football team the Akron Zips had ever played (lost 70-24). UA opened its 97 season at No. 6 Nebraska (lost 59-14) and played No. 13 LSU later that same year (lost 56-0). In 1996, Akron dropped a 21-18 heartbreaker to No. 15 Virginia Tech at the Rubber Bowl. In Lee Owens' first season as head coach, the Zips were blanked by #19 Kansas State.
Under Gerry Faust, Akron lost to #12 Auburn in 88, #11 Tennessee in 89 and #17 Florida in 90. The Zips became a full-fledged Division I-A football school in 1987.
SEASON OPENERS: Zips are 55-39-5 (.581) all-time in season openers. At home: 37-19-3 (.653). Away: 18-20-2 (.475).
RECORD WATCH: Butchie Washington needs 130 yards to break the UA career total offense mark held by Vernon Stewart (4,735, 1983-86). Washington is at 4,606 career yds. He already owns UA career marks for completions and yardage.
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Dwight Smith |
PRE-SEASON NOTICE: Three Zips have been nominated for national awards.
Zip senior defensive back Dwight Smith (Detroit, Mich./Central) is on the 40-man Watch List for the Jim Thorpe Award. Smith, a preseason top 20 pick at his position by The Sporting News, tied for MAC leadership in passes defended (16 break-ups and two INTS) last fall. He was a second-team All-MAC selection. Smith is the second Zip (Andre McCray having been tabbed in 1998) in three years to be listed by the Thorpe Award, which recognizes the nation's premier defensive back.
Sophomore tailback Brandon Payne's (Rankin, Pa./ Woodland Hills) name has been forwarded to the Doak Walker Award committee, which recognizes the nation's outstanding running back. The 1999 MAC Freshman of the Year rushed for 845 yards last fall and ranked second in the league in scoring with 14 touchdowns.
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Tim Ritley |
Sure-handed Tim Ritley (Perry/Lake Perry) has been nominated for the inaugural John Mackey Award, symbolic of the country's outstanding tight end. A top candidate for Academic All-American, Ritley has 20 career catches and three touchdowns in two seasons.
ALL-MAC: Three Zips have been named to the Football News preseason All-MAC first team.
Record-breaking quarterback Butchie Washington (Columbus/ Beechcroft) and speedy wide receiver Lavel Bailey (Cleveland/JFK) along with rugged DB Dwight Smith (Detroit, Mich./Central) were tabbed on the elite unit.
Already Akron's all-time leading passer, Washington needs just 130 yards to break the Zips' career total offense mark. Bailey, who a year ago ranked third in the nation in yards per reception at 22.4, is 34 catches shy of breaking UA's career mark. Bailey has 94 career grabs to Dan Ruff's (1967-70) 127. Smith, listed among the nation's top 20 corner backs by The Sporting News, has been a consensus first-team All-MAC selection after tying for the league lead in passes defended a year ago with 18 (16 breakups, two INTs).
In addition, Blue Ribbon, in its first college football annual, has forecasted the Zips to win the MAC East. The CNNSI.com web site has projected Akron to win the MAC and play in the 2000 Motor City Bowl Dec. 27 at the Pontiac Silverdome.
1996 MEETING: The 15th-ranked Hokies survived 21-18 on Sept. 7, 1996 at the Rubber Bowl in the annual Acme-Zip Game. Zip DE Jason Taylor had a monster game racking up 12 tackles, including three TFLs (17 yards in losses), two fumble recoveries, and one tackle for a safety to earn MAC Defensive Player of the Week. RB Shyrone Stith scored two TDs for Tech. QB Jim Druckenmiller added a TD pass and a two-point pass. Cornell Brown was an All-America defensive lineman for Tech. Zips led 8-0 after the first quarter and 11-8 early in the third quarter.
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Andy Jerdon |
EATON: The Zips' punting chores will stay in Eaton. Redshirt freshman Andy Jerdon of Eaton, Ohio, won the No. 1 job in camp. Andy had an unbelievable camp, said Lee Owens. Jerdon, originally a walk-on, has earned a scholarship. A year ago, Zip senior free safety Jonathan Eaton was also the Zips' punter. Akron's nominee for the Vern Smith MAC Outstanding Player Award, Eaton was released earlier this month by the N.Y. Jets.
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Rich Reliford |
CAPTAINS: The Zips have selected their captains for the 2000 season seniors FB Tony McCray (Akron/Buchtel), DB Rich Reliford (Bolingbrook, Ill.), DB Dwight Smith (Detroit, Mich./Central) and QB Butchie Washington (Columbus/ Beechcroft). McCray is the younger brother of former Zip captain Andre McCray and maybe the fastest fullback in the MAC. Reliford and Smith might be the best pair of corners in the MAC. Washington, who according to Lee Owens is our Michael Vick, ranked fifth in the MAC in passing efficiency a year ago.
MEDIA GUIDES: 100th year Zip football media guides are on sale in the Athletic Communications office (Room 76) in James A. Rhodes Arena. Guides are priced at $10 per copy. You can order by mail: write to Mary Lafferty, 76 JAR Arena, 373 Carroll Street, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325. Make your check payable to The University of Akron and please include $1 for postage.
ELDER STATESMAN: Zip offensive guard Jeremiah Danielson (American Samoa/City College of San Francisco) will turn 28 on Sept. 28. Along with Florida State's Chris Weinke, he is one of the two oldest players in Division I-A football. Danielson served four years in the Navy, including two-plus years with the Presidential Honor Guard in Washington, D.C., before enrolling at City College of San Francisco in January of 1997.
Q&A with Jeremiah Danielson
PRE-SEASON MAC POLLS: The Zips have been picked to finish anywhere from first to third in the seven-team Mid-American Conference East Division. The MAC News Media Association preseason poll had the Zips second in the East behind three-time defending league champion Marshall.
VARSITY A KICKOFF DINNER SET: The annual Varsity A Association Kickoff Dinner is set for Thursday, Aug. 31, at Tangier Restaurant, 532 West Market Street, Akron.
The social hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 7:15. The program will start at 8 p.m. Head coach Lee Owens, his coaching staff and the 2000 Zip squad will be given a send-off for their Sept. 2 season opener at 11th-ranked Virginia Tech. In celebration of the Zips' 100th football season, former Zip grid coaches have been invited back to rally around this year's squad. Tickets are priced at $25 per person and are available through officers of the Varsity A or by calling the UA Athletic Ticket Office at 330/972-6920.
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Louis Mackey |
DEFENSE: Akron's showed extremely well in camp. Zip coach Lee Owens has said all summer that this year's defensive unit is the deepest and most talented in his six seasons at Akron, including the 1996 outfit which ranked third in the Mid-American Conference in total defense and featured star end Jason Taylor. Keep an eye on #49 Louis Mackey (Richmond, Calif.) and #15 Dwight Smith (Detroit, Mich.) both are considered NFL prospects.
RADIO COVERAGE: ESPN 1350-AM is the flagship station for play-by-play coverage of Zips' football. Steve French is returning for his 12th year as the Voice of the Zips and will be joined by Dunn in the broadcast booth when Akron opens its 2000 grid campaign Sept. 2 at 11th-ranked Virginia Tech. The 15-minute pre-game show is set for 11:45 a.m. You also can listen to the Zips via the internet at www.espn1350.com
Scrimmage Capsules
SCRIMMAGE II (Aug. 23): Brandon Payne and Jimmie Gray demonstrated on Wednesday why they are the No. 1 and 2 tailbacks, respectively, for the 2000 Akron Zip football team.
Payne carried 17 times for 131 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown to end the Zips' second scrimmage. Gray toted the ball just seven times, but racked up 74 yards and scored the first TD of the scrimmage on a 15-yard burst.
The Zip staged their second preseason scrimmage on the grass field adjacent to the Rubber Bowl. The team came through the 1 hour, 30 minute intrasquad game without serious injury. Sophomore tight end Nick Fortener did sustain a left shoulder injury.
Other than Payne and Gray, the Zip defensive unit held the offense in check most of the scrimmage. Senior strong safety Mike Hughes had one interception. Sophomore defensive tackle Ryan Schulz had one of four sacks registered by the defense. Junior kicker Zac Derr added both extra points and a 24-yard field goal.
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Brandon Payne |
SCRIMMAGE I (Aug. 19): The Akron Zip football team staged its first scrimmage of preseason Saturday morning on the grass field adjacent to the Rubber Bowl. The team came through the up-tempo 1 hour, 45 minute intrasquad game with no significant injuries.
Neither the offense nor the defense dominated the scrimmage. Both sides had their moments, and that pleased Zip head coach Lee Owens. The players we expect to make plays looked good, he added.
Donning a red jersey, senior quarterback Butchie Washington completed 5 of 8 throws for 28 yards and played just four series. His 10-yard TD pass was batted straight up in the air and landed in the arms of TE Tim Ritley.
Sophomore tailback Brandon Payne carried seven times for 33 yards and had two eight-yard bursts. The Zips' star back has added 15 pounds of muscle during the off-season and looks good.
Two true freshmen caught the eye of Zip coaches. Defensive back John Fuller made several impressive plays, including an acrobatic interception late in the scrimmage. Tailback Duane Griffin, listed at 5-11, 232 pounds, demonstrated good speed and power, gaining 46 yards on seven carries.
Zip defensive backs had three INTs on the day. In addition Fuller's pick, rookies Rickey McKenzie and Maurice Taylor also made athletic plays to intercept balls. North Canton Hoover product Bob Hendry was given considerable work with 10 carries for 35 yards.
Game Day Information
Date: Sept. 2, 2000
Site: Blacksburg, Va.
Stadium: Lane/Worsham Field (55,075)
Kickoff: Noon ET
Team Records: UA is 0-0, 0-0 in MAC; Va. Tech. is 0-0, 0-0 in Big
East.
Radio: ESPN 1350-AM. Steve French and Joe Dunn are the talent.
TV: ESPN Regional. WVPX-TV 23 in NE Ohio. Dave Sims and Jeff Bostic
are the talent.
Series: 4-0, Va. Tech.
Zip Football Quick Facts
Location: Akron, Ohio (NE Ohio, pop. 223,000)
Enrollment: 23,264
Founded: 1870
Conference: Mid-American
President: Dr. Luis M. Proenza
Interim AD: Mike Rodriguez
Head Coach: Lee Owens
Alma Mater: Bluffton, 1977
Age: 44
6th Yr. at Akron: 19-36
Overall: same
1999: 7-4, 5-3 MAC (3rd East)
HS Record: 89-32-2 (11 yrs.)
Offense: Offset-I
Defense: Flex 50
Zip Sports Information
Phone: (330) 972-7468
FAX: (330) 374-8844
Web Site: www.GoZips.com
MAC ROUNDUP
Early Season Schedule
Aug. 31
SE Missouri at Marshall, 7:00
No. Illinois at Northwestern, 7:00 CT
W. Michigan at Wisconsin, 7:05 CT
Sept. 2
Ohio at Iowa State, 11:30 CT
Akron at Virginia Tech, Noon
Bowling Green at Michigan, Noon
Toledo at Penn State, Noon
C. Michigan at Purdue, 1:00 CT
Kent State at Pittsburgh, 3:30
Ball State at Florida, 6:00
Miami at Vanderbilt, 6:00 CT
Connecticut at E. Michigan, 7:00
Buffalo at Syracuse, 7:00
1999 UA Football Schedule
Sept. 4 Penn St. 70, UA 24 Sept. 11 UA 17, Buffalo 10* Sept. 18 UA 25, Temple 15 Sept. 25 E. Michigan 38, UA 17* Oct. 2 UA 31, Ball State 9* Oct. 9 UA 41, Ohio 28* Oct. 16 UA 55, Bowl. Green 25* Oct. 23 Akron 35, Navy 29 Oct. 30 W. Michigan 24, UA 10* Nov. 6 Miami 32, UA 23* Nov. 13 UA 37, Kent 34* * Mid-American Conference game
1999 Final MAC Standings
East Division Conf Overall Marshall* 8-0 12-0 Miami 6-2 7-4 Akron 5-3 7-4 Ohio 5-3 5-6 Bowling Green 3-5 5-6 Kent 2-6 2-9 Buffalo 0-8 0-11
West Division Conf Overall W. Michigan 6-2 7-5 Toledo 5-3 6-5 Northern Illinois 5-3 5-6 E. Michigan 4-4 4-7 C. Michigan 3-5 4-7 Ball State 0-8 0-11
MAC Championship Game (Dec.3)
Marshall 34, Western Michigan 30
Motor City Bowl (Dec. 27)
Marshall 21, BYU 3
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