The University of Akron Athletics
August 27 | Football
Monday Press Conference Quotes
Saturday, Sept. 2
Akron
(0-0, 0-0 MAC)
at
No. 19 Penn State
(0-0, 0-0 Big
Ten)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
(EDT)
Location: University Park,
Pa.
Stadium:
Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Radio:
Akron-ISP Sports Network (Flagship station: Radio Free Ohio/WARF
1350-AM in Akron; WERE 1300-AM - in Cleveland) - Voice of the Zips
Steve French (play-by-play), Frank Stams (color) and Joe Dunn
(sidelines) have the call.
Telecast: ESPN2: Pam Ward
(play-by-play), Mike Gottfried (color) and Jimmy Dykes
(sidelines) call the action.
In the Red
Zone...
• Akron, coming off one of its most successful seasons in
school history and the consensus preseason choice to win the
Mid-American Conference East Division crown, opens the 2006
campaign Saturday on the road at Penn State. The Zips and Nittany
Lions have faced each other two other times. UA lost to Penn State,
48-10, in the 2004 season opener, and 70-24 to the No. 2-ranked
Nittany Lions in the first game of 1999.
• The Zips have won four of their last six games dating back
to last season, including the 2005 MAC Championship game. Akron won
its first-ever league title with a thrilling 31-30 victory over
Northern Illinois in the conference title game in Detroit. That win
secured a berth in the Zips' first-ever Division I-A bowl game, the
Motor City Bowl.
• Senior QB Luke Getsy headlines eight starters back on
the offensive side of the ball. Getsy threw for 3,455 yards and a
school-record 23 touchdowns passes in 2005. He enters 2006 ranked
fifth nationally among returning QBs in passing yards, sixth in
completions (21.4 pg) and tied for sixth in TD passes.
• The Zips also have eight starters back, including All-MAC
performers Kiki Gonzalez and Brion Stokes, as well as freshman
All-American Kevin Grant, from a defense which ranked 32nd
nationally last season in total yardage allowed (329.8 pg).
• UA is 54-46-5 (.538) all-time in season-opening games, but
has dropped 11 of its last 12 openers. The lone win in that stretch
came in 2001 with the Zips' 31-29 win over Ohio. That game marked
the debut of Charlie Frye who led Akron to the come-from-behind
win. However, that was one of just two season openers at the Rubber
Bowl over the last seven years.
Quick
Hitters...
• The Zips return 16 offensive and defensive starters from a
year ago, but they must replace three of the most productive
players in school history. Gone are wide receivers Domenik Hixon
and Jason Montgomery, as well as RB Brett Biggs. That threesome
ended their careers ranked among the top-10 in school history in
receptions and combined for over 75 percent of the all-purpose
yardage last season.
• QB Luke Getsy needs 61 yards of total offense to move
from 11th to 10th on the UA career list. His 3,426 total yards last
season was the second-highest tally in school history (3,837 by
Charlie Frye in 2003).
• The Zips win over Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 17, 2005
snapped an 11-game road losing streak to non-conference opponents.
UA's last road victory over a non-league foe came on Oct. 23, 1999,
when the Zips rallied from a 23-0 deficit to down Navy, 35-29. Five
of those 11 teams were ranked in the top 25 nationally.
• UA has an all-time record of 468-442-36 (.514) in 105 years
of football. Head coach J.D. Brookhart is 13-11 (.542) in two
seasons with the Zips.
Offensive Notes...
• Akron was ranked 54th nationally (seventh in the MAC) in
total offense (384.3 ypg) in 2005 and hopes to increase upon that
with eight starters back this season. The Zips averaged 510.00
yards over their final two games of 2005.
• QB Luke Getsy, a consensus preseason first-team All-MAC
selection, ranked 22nd nationally (fourth in the MAC) in total
offense (263.5 ypg) in 2005. Getsy was also 15th nationally in
completions (21.38 pg) and had some solid outings down the stretch.
One of his best games of the season came in the Motor City Bowl
(Dec. 26), when he threw for career-highs in completions (34),
attempts (59) and yards (455) which ranks No. 1 in school history.
His passing efficiency of 144.78 was the second-highest of his
career. In Akron's first-ever MAC Championship game (Dec. 1 against
NIU), Getsy went 30 for 50 with 413 yards (No. 3 in school
history).
• Junior Jabari Arthur enters the season as the No. 1 wide
receiver, but he will have some big shoes to fill as last year's
starting wideouts - Domenik Hixon and Jason Montgomery - accounted
for nearly 75 percent of the receptions by the receiving corps last
season. Hixon and Montgomery ended their playing days among the top
10 in school history in career receptions (Hixon - 2nd; Montgomery
- 6th). Arthur, who has 53 career catches, did haul in eight
receptions for 180 yards in the 2005 Motor City Bowl. The 180
receiving yards was a Motor City bowl record.
• Sophomore running back Dennis Kennedy is scheduled to make
his first career start vs. Penn State. He replaces two-year starter
Brett Biggs, who racked up 2,101 career rushing yards (No. 9 in
school history). Kennedy played in 12 games last season, rolling up
150 yards on the ground. Much like Biggs, who caught 54 passes last
season, Kennedy catches the ball well out of the backfield. He
posted 14 receptions, including a 79-yarder for a TD in an overtime
win over Northern Illinois (Sept. 24).
• The Zips did suffer a loss in the preseason as sophomore
Alex Allen, slated to be the No. 2 running back, injured a knee and
will be lost for the season. Redshirt freshman Bryant McMillon will
serve as Kennedy's back-up.
• Getsy and Andy Wills have each started 13-straight games,
tops on the offense, while LT Tim Crouch has started at left tackle
in 33 of the last 34 games.
Defensive
Notes...
• The Zips welcome back nine of their top-11 tacklers from a
year ago. Gone are leading tackler Jay Rohr (121) and Brian White,
who logged a team-best 16.5 tacklers for loss. Junior rover John
Mackey (95) is the leading-returning tackler, while junior LB Brion
Stokes checked in with 89 stops in 2005. Senior DL Jermaine Reid
led the team and ranked seventh in the MAC with seven sacks.
• Despite losing its two starting safeties (Chevin Pace / Dion
Elie) to injury last season, Akron ended the year second in
the MAC in total defense (339.8 ypg) and showed major progress on
that side of the ball. In 2004, UA ranked 10th in the league (and
98th in the nation) in total defense (425.9 ypg). The Zips finished
2005 ranked 32nd nationally in total defense. In 2005, the jump of
66 spots in the rankings over one year was tied for fourth
nationally with Rutgers. UA hadn't finished better than 59th
overall since 1996 when they ended the year tied for 26th. Miami's
Jason Taylor was a senior on that team.
• CB Reggie Corner and DL Kiki Gonzalez, a consensus
preseason first-team All-MAC choice, lead the defense with
24-straight starts. Reid is third with 15.
• Akron has recorded at least one interception in seven
of the last 10 games. Corner and SS Dionte Henry each had two picks
last season for a pass defense which was ranked No. 16 in the
country (180.8 ypg). Henry is the Zips' active career leader with
five interceptions.
• Stokes is the active career leader in tackles with 103.
Mackey is second with 101 and Pace third with 94.
Special Teams
Notes...
• The Zips are overhauling their kicking game this season due
the loss of Jason Swiger and Billy Sullivan. Swiger, who ranks
fourth on the UA all-time scoring list (229 points) and fourth on
the career field goals made chart (38), and Sullivan, who holds the
record for single-season punting yards (3,034 in 2005) each spent
the last three seasons starting. No one on the roster has kicked in
a collegiate game. Matt Domonkos, a back-up last season, enters the
year as the No. 1 place-kicker, while Andy Hildreth and true
freshman John Stec battled for the punting chores in the preseason
with Stec holding a slight edge entering the first game.
• The Zips also need to replace Domenik Hixon as the team's
primary returner. Hixon returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns
in 2004. Sophomores Brandon Anderson and Andre Jones are among
expected to fill the returner role.
Penn State
At-A-Glance...
• The 2005 Big Ten Champions finished 11-1 in last year,
including a 26-23 overtime win over Florida State in the Fedex
Orange Bowl. The lone blemish for PSU came at the hands of Michigan
on Oct. 27, 2005, falling 27-25. Penn State opens up the 2006
campaign ranked 19th in both the AP poll and ESPN/USA Today
Poll.
• PSU averaged 421.5 yards per game in 2005 and scored 34.4
ppg. The Nittany Lions' defense ranked second in the Big Ten in
points allowed (17 ppg) and rushing defense (93 ypg).
• Leading rusher, Tony Hunt, will return to the PSU backfield
this season to bolster a running attack the averaged 212.8 yards
per game last season. Hunt compiled 174 carries for 1080 yards
(87.2 ypg) in 2005. He tallied six touchdowns on the ground, and
also caught 20 balls for 206 yards.
• Anthony Morelli will take the controls under center for the
Nittany Lions and look to fill the void left behind by Michael
Robinson. Robinson was a double threat for PSU, throwing for 2,350
yards and 17 TDs, but he also racked up 806 yards on the ground to
go along with a team-leading 10 rushing touchdowns. Morelli saw
limited action in six games last season, completing 13-of-20 passes
for 155 yards and a TD.
• In his 41st season as head coach, Joe Paterno's squad
returns 34 lettermen and 11 starters for the 2006 season. Paterno's
coaching portfolio includes two National Championships (1982,
1986); five undefeated, untied teams; 20 finishes in the Top Ten of
the national rankings; five AFCA Coach-of-the-Year plaques, and
more than 300 former players who have signed National Football
League contracts, 29 of them first-round draft choices.
• All-America outside linebacker Paul Posluszny is among 35
"players to watch" for the The Walter Camp Football Foundation's
Player of the Year Award, the nation's fourth-oldest individual
college football honor. During the 2005 season, Posluszny was a
consensus first team All-American and winner of the Butkus and
Bednarik Awards, presented to the nation's top linebacker and
defensive player, respectively. The 2006 Big Ten and consensus
national pre-season Defensive Player of the Year, he is ranked No.
5 on the Watch List for the Heisman Trophy by Lindy's Football. A
first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American last year,
Posluszny is one of 10 defensive players on the Walter Camp Player
of the Year list.
• Wide receiver Deon Butler is looking to build on his
outstanding freshman campaign that saw him produce 37 catches for
691 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which led the team in
2005.
No Stranger To The Big
Ten...
The Akron-Penn State contest marks the seventh time in the last
eight seasons the Zips have faced a Big Ten opponent, with all
meetings coming on the road. Five of those matchups were season
openers, including this year's tilt. UA dropped a hard-fought 48-31
contest to No. 18 Wisconsin in 2003, but fell at Penn State, 48-10,
in 2004 and to No. 13 Purdue, 49-24, last season. The Zips dropped
the 2002 season opener to Iowa, 57-21, and faced Penn State in the
first game of the 1999 season. The second-ranked Nittany Lions won
that contest, 70-24. In 2001, Akron played at Ohio State and at
Purdue in consecutive contests. The Zips fell to the Buckeyes,
28-14, on Sept. 8 and then to the Boilermakers, 33-14, on Sept.
22.
Akron vs. the Big Ten...
Akron is 1-14 all-time against the Big Ten Conference, having faced
six of the league's members throughout school history. The Zips are
1-5 vs. Ohio State, 0-2 vs. Michigan State, 0-1 vs. Penn State, 0-2
vs. Purdue, 0-2 vs. Illinois, 0-1 vs. Iowa and 0-1 vs.
Wisconsin.
It's Been a
While...
Akron's lone victory over a Big Ten Conference school came all the
way back in 1894, when Akron (then Buchtel College) defeated Ohio
State, 12-6. Akron's head coach at the time was John Heisman, for
whom the Heisman Trophy is named. That victory over OSU is also the
only one against a team from what is now a BCS Conference.
MAC vs. Big
Ten...
The Akron-Penn State game is one of six MAC-Big Ten matchups on
this week's schedule. Minnesota visits Kent State and Northwestern
plays at Miami on Thursday. On Saturday, Northern Illinois heads to
Ohio State, Western Michigan plays at Indiana, and Bowling Green
plays host to Wisconsin at Cleveland Browns Stadium. In 2003, the
Mid-American Conference schools picked up three wins over Big Ten
foes with Bowling Green defeating No. 16 Purdue on Sept. 6 (27-26),
and Northwestern in the Motor City Bowl (28-24), and Miami posting
a 44-14 win at Northwestern on Sept. 13. But the league has gone
0-22 vs. the Big Ten dating back to 2004.
A Year of Firsts For the
Zips...
Less than nine months ago, Akron won its first Mid-American
Conference title and first league crown in school history with a
31-30 win over Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship game (Dec.
1, 2005). A week earlier UA picked up its first MAC East
crown with a 35-3 win over Kent State. The Zips entered the league
for the 1992 campaign and they finished tied for first in the
division in 2000 (in 1997 the league split into East and West
Divisions), but lost to Marshall early that season to lose the
tie-breaker. They also lost both West Division games that year when
the cross-over games did not count in the league standings. In
fact, Akron, which started playing football in 1891, had never won
a conference title at any level. As a member of the college
division (through 1973 season), the Zips played in the Ohio
Athletic Conference from 1915-1935 and 1948-1965, and while in
Division II they played in the Mid-Continent Conference from
1978-79. They moved on to the Ohio Valley Conference from 1980-86
when Akron was in Division I-AA. The Zips moved up to Division I-A
in 1987 and played as an independent until 1991. They have been
close to a title, however. UA finished second in the OAC in 1930,
1961 and 1962 before tying for second in 1965, Akron's final season
in the league. They also ended the 1978 campaign second in the MCC
and finished second in the OVC in 1982 before tying for second in
1983 and 1985.
Brookhart In Third
Season...
Head coach J.D. Brookhart is in his third season at the helm of the
UA football program, after leading the team to a 7-6 record last
year, which included a MAC East title, MAC Championship game
victory and first-ever berth in a Division I-A bowl game, the Motor
City Bowl. That earned him the MAC Coach of the Year Award by
College Football News. A year earlier, the Zips posted a
school-record six MAC wins and came within one game of their
first-ever MAC East Division title. Brookhart, the 2004 MAC Coach
of the Year, spent the previous seven years with the Pittsburgh
Panthers, including the final four as offensive coordinator. This
is his first head coaching job at any level and he is just the
fifth Zips head coach since the 1960 season. Brookhart's record in
2004 ranked third among the 14 new Division I-A head coaches.
Brookhart vs. the Big
Ten...
J.D. Brookhart is 1-5 all-time against Big Ten schools with all but
two of the games as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh against Penn
State. Brookhart coached against the Nittany Lions in 1997 (34-17
loss at Beaver Stadium), 1998 (20-13 loss in Pittsburgh) and 1999
(20-17 loss at Beaver Stadium). His lone victory came on Sept. 16,
2000 as the Panthers posted a 12-0 shutout of PSU at Three Rivers
Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Zips lost to Penn State, 48-10, in 2004
and to Purdue, 49-24, last year.
Kiki On the
Watch...
Senior defensive lineman Kiki Gonzalez was one of 101 players named
earlier this month to the Rotary Lombardi Award watch list, which
honors the top lineman in college football. This year's list is
almost evenly divided between offensive and defensive players, with
54 defenders and 47 offensive players currently listed. Gonzalez
joined five other Mid-American Conference players on the list,
including Central Michigan's Dan Bauzin, Northern Illinois' Doug
Free, Toledo's John Greco, Western Michigan's Ameer Ismail and
Ohio's Matt Muncy. Gonzalez, one of the top run-stoppers in the
league, was a second-team All-MAC choice in 2005. He is a consensus
2006 preseason first-team All-MAC selection.
Veteran
O-Line...
Last season the Zips had just one returning starter on the
offensive line - left tackle Tim Crouch. Crouch is back again and
this time joined by four more starters in seniors (LG) Mike
Donaldson, (C) Andy Wills and (RG) Andy Alleman, as well as
sophomore (RT) Chris Kemme. All four of last year's new starters
received valuable experience, including Kemme who was a true
freshman. This unit has made 78 career starts, led by Crouch who
has started 33 of the last 34 games. The o-line should be a
strength of the offense this season. They helped the Zips become
just the 31st team in NCAA history boast a 3,000-yard passer (Luke
Getsy), a 1,000-year receiver (Domenik Hixon) and a 1,000-yard
rusher (Brett Biggs) in the same season. They also allowed just 1.6
sacks per game (third lowest total in the MAC). Wills was the lone
lineman to start all 13 games in 2005, though Donaldson was the
only one of the five to miss time due to an injury. He missed the
2005 opener courtesy of a broken bone in his foot during preseason.
Junior Mike Schepp could be considered a starter as well as in the
opening lineup seven times in 2005, and played at both guard and
tackle throughout the season. The Zips hope to develop depth behind
those players.
2005
Trends...
• UA was 4-0 when winning the turnover battle. Akron defeated
Ohio on Nov. 15 despite turning the ball over twice and forcing one
turnover. The Zips entered the regular-season finale 104th
nationally in turnover margin (-0.80), but collected a pair in the
win over Kent State to move to 88th (-0.50). They did not turn the
ball over vs. Kent State despite horrible field conditions, but did
commit two vs. NIU (Dec. 1) and none vs. Memphis (Dec. 26). They
ended the year 90th in the country in turnover margin (-0.54).
• Akron was 7-0 when rushing for over 100 yards. The Zips had
a season-high 228 yards on the ground in the win over Ohio (Nov.
15), rolled up 161 in the victory over KSU (Nov. 24) and had 105
vs. Northern Illinois (Dec. 1)
• The Zips were 6-1 when posting three or more sacks.
Akron posted a season-high five sacks three times (vs. NIU, Sept.
24; at Buffalo, Oct. 8; at Ball State, Nov. 5).
• UA was 3-5 when the opposition rushed for over 100 yards.
The Zips came out victorious over Bowling Green (Oct.
29) when the Falcons rolled up 193 yards on the ground. The
Golden Flashes had 102 rushing yards in the loss to Akron. The Zips
surrendered an opponent-high 250 rushing yards to NIU (Dec. 1), but
came out victorious.
Twenty-Two and
Counting...
Senior QB Luke Getsy has a ways to go to catch four-year
(2001-04) starter Charlie Frye, but he did eclipse a number of the
former UA standout's 54 school records last season. Getsy enters
2006 holding 22 UA marks (see list on pg. 7), including
single-season completions (278 in 2005), single-season touchdowns
(23 in 2005), single-game TD passes (5 vs. Northern Illinois, Sept.
24, 2005) and single-game yardage (455 vs. Memphis, Dec. 26, 2005).
Frye was one of five players to toss four TDs in a game. Getsy also
matched Frye's mark for reaching 1,000 passing yards in the fewest
number of games. The transfer from Pittsburgh had 1,008 passing
yards over the first three contests of 2005 directing second-year
head coach J.D. Brookhart's west-coast offense, and Frye had 1,082
in the opening three games of 2003.
Fitting
In...
It was a new era for Zips football as QB Luke Getsy took over the
reigns under center in last year's opener at No. 13 Purdue. While
Getsy had the daunting task of taking over the position for
record-setting quarterback Charlie Frye, he performed admirably in
his first start in the Blue and Gold, completing 25 of 44 pass
attempts for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The passing yards
were the second-most ever by a UA quarterback in a debut. Mic
Hutton threw for 307 yards (at Butler, Sept. 15) in his first start
as a freshman in 1969. Getsy is just the fifth quarterback to start
a game for Akron since midway through the 1997 season, a span of 7
1/2 years. From 2001-04 Frye made 44 starts at quarterback. Nick
Sparks earned the starting nod in the 2001 season opener vs. Ohio
before giving way to Frye, and Micah Faler started the game at
Marshall in 2003 with an injured Frye coming in off the bench.
Prior to the Frye era, Butchie Washington made 38 consecutive
starts from the Oct. 18, 1997 game at Eastern Michigan through the
end of the 2000 season.
Big
Plays...
No matter who is tossing the ball, the Zips aren't afraid to
throw it deep. Over the last 14 games, Akron has come up with six
of the longest pass plays in school history. In the 2005 season
opener at No. 13 Purdue, RB Brett Biggs connected with
Jason Montgomery for a 79-yard touchdown pass, tied for the
eighth-longest pass play in school history. Against Northern
Illinois, QB Luke Getsy connected with RB Dennis Kennedy for
a 79-yard touchdown grab following a 78-yard touchdown grab by
Montgomery, the 12th-longest pass play in school history. In 2004's
season finale vs. Miami, WR Domenik Hixon caught a 67-yard
touchdown pass from QB Charlie Frye, and Biggs was on the receiving
end of a 74-yard bomb from Frye in the same game. The Zips also had
a 48-yard toss from Getsy to Hixon in the win at Middle Tennessee
State and the two hooked up again on a 51-yard TD vs. Northern
Illinois. That duo connected again in the CMU loss as Getsy hit
Hixon on a 52-yard TD pass. At Ball State on Nov. 5, Getsy hit
Hixon with a 58-yard pass. Getsy and Biggs also hooked up vs.
Memphis in the Motor City Bowl (Dec. 26) on a 72-yard TD pass.
Zips Versus Ranked
Teams...
With a 34-20 win over Marshall on Nov. 2, 2002, Akron picked up its
first victory over a top 25 team (Associated Press or Coaches Poll)
since entering Division I-A in 1987. The Thundering Herd entered
the game at No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, ranked No. 1
in the nation in total offense and had the top-rated defense in the
MAC. Akron dropped its first 14 contests to ranked opponents,
dating back to the 1987 season, and is 1-17 all-time vs. ranked
Division I-A foes, including a 48-31 loss at No. 18 Wisconsin in
2003, a 51-0 defeat at No. 12 Virginia in 2004 and last season's
49-24 loss at No. 13 Purdue. The Zips are facing a ranked opponent
in a season opener for the second time since meeting No. 11
Virginia Tech on Sept. 2, 2000.
Akron-Penn State...The Last
Time...Sept. 4, 2004...
(AP) Zack Mills ran for a touchdown, caught a TD and threw two
scoring passes to lead Penn State to a 48-10 victory over Akron in
the season opener for both teams
The Nittany Lions quarterback became the first Penn State player
to accomplish the rare triple under Joe Paterno, who started his
39th season as head coach with career victory 340.
Mills made it 14-3 with a 5-yard touchdown run with 50 seconds
left in the first quarter. The Nittany Lions then got the ball back
when Brett Biggs fumbled on the Zips' first play.
Michael Robinson stepped in at quarterback for Penn State, rolled
right and pump-faked, then threw a fade to Mills, who made his
first career catch in the corner of the end zone for a 21-3 lead at
the end of the first.
Mills returned the favor late in the second quarter, throwing a
10-yard touchdown pass to Robinson on a play set up by Anwar
Phillips' 47-yard interception return - the first of Phillips' two
interceptions.
It was Mills' second touchdown pass of the game, following a
17-yarder to Terrance Phillips earlier in the second.
The Nittany Lions led 41-3 at halftime.
Penn State's offense, which floundered throughout last year's 3-9
season, at times seemed unstoppable. Mills and Robinson combined to
complete 12 of 15 passes to a receiver corps that earned a
reputation for drops last year.
Tony Hunt rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown, and Austin Scott
rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, Paterno
sidelined both players late in the season over concerns about their
experience.
Hunt - freed up by a Robinson block - ran 77 yards for a touchdown
and a 7-0 lead on Penn State's second play from scrimmage.
Scott's touchdowns were a 1-yard leap over the top in the second
quarter, then a 3-yard option in the third.
Charlie Frye completed 29 of 36 passes (school-record 80.5
percent) for 223 yards, but Akron didn't reach the end zone until
late in the fourth quarter, when Biggs rushed in from 1 yard out to
make it 48-10.
The Zips had to settle for a field goal in the first quarter after
Frye was sacked on a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Jason
Swiger's 27-yard field goal made it 7-3.
Akron 3-0-0-7 - 10
Penn State 21-20-7-0 - 48
