The University of Akron Athletics
Football Resumes League Schedule at Eastern Michigan Saturday
September 30 | Football
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Akron at Eastern Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format
MAC Digital Network – Week 5 Video Preview
Rob Ianello – Eastern Michigan Week Press Conference Video
Rob Ianello – MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio
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GAME 5
Akron (1-3, 0-1 MAC) at Eastern Michigan (2-2, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011
1 p.m. ET
Ypsilanti, Mich.
Rynearson Stadium (30,200)
Television: None
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network – SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), 1420 WHK in Cleveland, 1440 WHKZ in Warren/Youngstown. Steve French (play-by-play), Brad Detwiler (analyst) and Joe Dunn (sideline) (noon ET airtime). Free audio stream via SportsRadio1350.com.
Akron Coach Rob Ianello (Catholic, 1987): Is in his second season at the helm for the Zips and as a collegiate head coach, owning a 2-14 (1-8 MAC) record in that time. He was introduced as the program's 26th all-time coach on Dec. 10, 2009, but is just the sixth person to hold the position since 1960. Ianello is one of 59 FBS coaches voting in this season's USA Today Top-25 poll. This is Ianello's first time facing Eastern Michigan.
The Series: Saturday marks the 29th all-time meeting between the Zips and Eagles on the gridiron, with Akron leading the all-time series 17-11. UA has won three-straight and five of the last seven meetings. EMU holds an 8-6 edge in the series when playing at home.
Up Next: Akron competes in its final non-league game of the season when it plays host to FIU on Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. ET at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field as part of Homecoming. The Zips and Panthers are meeting for the first time on the gridiron, but UA holds an 11-11-2 all-time record versus current Sun Belt Conference members.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars
• Akron (1-3, 0-1 MAC) resumes Mid-American Conference play on Saturday when it visits Ypsilanti, Mich., to face off against West Division opponent Eastern Michigan (2-2, 0-0) in a 1 p.m. ET contest at Rynearson Stadium. The Zips have defeated the Eagles in three-straight meetings.
• The Zips come off a 36-13 victory over VMI last Saturday in Akron and look for back-to-back wins for the first time since 2008 (42-35 at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008; 47-30 versus Toledo on Nov. 5, 2008).
• Versus VMI last Saturday, Akron tallied 534 yards of total offense (294 rushing, 240 passing) and committed zero turnovers.
• Akron's defense is allowing 180.2 passing yards per game, a number that ranks as the 22nd fewest nationally and third least by a MAC team.
• UA is competing on the road for the second time in three weeks (at Cincinnati on Sept. 17), but open a three-game homestand versus FIU on Oct. 8 (Homecoming). Included in that home stretch is the squad's off week (Oct. 15).
• The Zips look for their first road win since a 42-35 victory at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008 (stretch of 16-straight away losses).
• Including junior college transfer sophomore QB Clayton Moore, Akron's Week 5 depth chart features 30 underclassmen (12 offense, 12 defense, 6 specialists).
• Last Saturday versus VMI, UA started nine underclassmen (five offense, four defense), four of which are redshirt freshmen or true freshmen (RB Jawon Chisholm [RFr.], LB Jamar Williams [RFr], S L.T. Smith [RFr.], S Bre' Ford [Fr.]).
• Of the 76 scholarship players on the Zips' roster, 46 are listed as freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores.
Akron Player Notables
• LB Brian Wagner ranks tied for 15th nationally and first in the MAC in tackles (10.5 tpg). He has recorded 304 career tackles (team high 42 this season; 25 solo) in 28 career starts. The school record for career tackles is 715 by Steve Cockerham (1974-77). Wagner is on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List – awarded to the nation's best defensive player.
• RB Jawon Chisholm has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last two games (188 on 27 carries versus VMI, 133 on 25 carries at Cincinnati). His 102.5 yards per game ranks 30th nationally and fourth in the MAC. For the season, Chisholm has rushed 77 times for 410 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and has one touchdown.
• WR Keith Sconiers has a team-high 19 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns. His 84.8 receiving yards per game rank 43rd nationally and fourth in the MAC. He had eight catches for 154 yards and two TDs last Saturday against VMI, and seven grabs for 137 yards, including a 51-yard TD catch, at Cincinnati (Sept. 17).
• QB Clayton Moore has completed 47 percent of his passes, going 47 of 100 for 682 yards with five touchdowns (three versus VMI). Against VMI, he completed 13 of 28 passing attempts and had three touchdown strikes.
• P Zack Campbell's 41.1 yards per punt ranks tied for 44th nationally and seventh in the MAC (20 punts, 822 yards). He was sidelined versus VMI due to an ankle injury sustained at Cincinnati (Sept. 17). Campbell has recorded three punts of 50-plus yards this season, including a long of 53 at Ohio State (Sept. 3).
• Junior college transfer WR A.J. Price recorded his first Division I touchdown (a one-handed grab at Cincinnati on Sept. 17) – an 11-yard pass from Clayton Moore, and recorded his first Division I start last Saturday against VMI. He has four catches for 51 yards and one TD (one catch for a season-long 17 yards against VMI)
• CB Manley Waller leads the UA defense with four pass breakups (tied for seventh in the MAC) and is responsible for 15 tackles this season (five tackles, one breakup versus VMI).
• Freshman LB Jamar Williams has started in each of the last three games and ranks second on the squad in tackles, with 30. He has recorded one forced fumble (against Temple on Sept. 10) and one fumble recovery (versus VMI).
• Freshman FB Nick Rossi started in the first two games of the season and is listed first on the depth chart at that position. He has three catches for 27 yards (long of 14) and also logs time on special teams (four tackles).
News, Notes, Trends
• After not recording a sack in its first three games, the Zips defense posted three last Saturday versus VMI (one each by Emmanuel Lartey, Dan Marcoux and Oren Wilson).
• The UA defense has forced four fumbles (two against Temple on Sept. 10) and recovered three of them. LB Jamar Williams had one last Saturday against VMI, DE John Griggs versus Temple (Sept. 10) and CB Emmanuel Lartey at Ohio State (Sept. 3).
• Akron is 5-9 in two-plus seasons at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field.
VMI Postgame Notes
• Fueled by 534 yards of total offense Akron defeated visiting VMI 36-13 last Saturday.
• Akron did not commit a turnover for the first time since its game at Indiana on Sept. 25, 2010.
• Jawon Chisholm rushed 27 times for 188 yards and one touchdown, an effort that tied him for the 23rd-best single-game performance in program history.
• Keith Sconiers caught eight passes for 154 yards and two scores for the Zips. The effort tied him for the 16th-best individual performance by a UA pass catcher.
• The combined production of Chisholm and Sconiers gave Akron its first game ever with both a 150-yard rusher and receiver.
• Jerrod Dillard scored his first career TD a 23-yard pass from Clayton Moore, while freshman Karl Bostick's 17-yard rushing TD was the first of his career as well.
• Moore completed 13 of 28 passes for 223 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions.
• Brian Wagner led the Akron defense with 10 tackles and Jamar Williams added six stops, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
On This Day in Akron Football
• 2005: Following back-to-back wins to improve to 2-1 in its MAC Championship season, Akron fell 31-17 to Central Michigan at the Rubber Bowl despite 138 yards receiving and two touchdowns from wideout Domenik Hixon.
• 1988: After opening the season 0-3, the Zips ran their winning streak to two games thanks to a 33-7 road victory over Youngstown State. The Penguins were coached by third-year head coach Jim Tressel and went on to finish the campaign 4-7 while the Zips would go 5-6.
• 1977: Akron continued its hot start to the season with a 20-3 win over Indiana State at the Rubber Bowl. The win improved the Zips' record to 3-1-1 on the season and was the start of a three-game UA winning streak.
• 1949: Sixty-two years to the day, Akron went on the road to earn a 20-6 victory over future Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti.
Year Two
Akron head coaches have seen success and improvement in year two at the helm. Five of the last seven Zips' coaches have posted a .500 or better record in year two in charge. Included in the second-year success was the program's 2005 Mid-American Conference Championship and trip to the Motor City Bowl under then-head coach J.D. Brookhart. The 2005 edition of the Zips went 7-6 overall and 5-3 in MAC.
Captains Selected
Prior to the season, senior OT Jake Anderson, junior LS Adam Steiner and junior LB Brian Wagner were selected as this season's captains by a player vote. Additional players will be selected for each game.
USA Today Coaches Top-25 Poll Voter
Second-year head football coach Rob Ianello is one of 59 coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools on the USA Today Board of Coaches, and will participate in this season's top-25 balloting.
Staff Experience
The Akron coaching staff is one of the more experienced staffs in the Mid-American Conference. Five of the Zips' 10 coaches have been on the sideline for 25-plus seasons, including head coach Rob Ianello (25th season), defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove (32nd season), offensive coordinator John Latina (32nd season), offensive line coach Mitch Browning (33rd season) and special teams coordinator Vince Okruch (33rd season). In all, the UA staff has coached in 46 bowl games, including 12 BCS bowl games.
Wagner on Bronko Nagurski Watch List
Akron junior LB Brian Wagner is one of 87 players on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.
Wagner led Akron in tackles each of the last two seasons (130 in 2010, 132 in 2009) and was an All-American as a redshirt freshman in 2009.
Zips Live Coaches Show
Every Monday throughout the season from 7-8 p.m. ET Akron head coach Rob Ianello can be heard on the weekly radio program Zips Live. The show airs locally on 1350 AM (WARF) and is streamed online at SportsRadio1350.com. The show originates from the Winking Lizard Tavern in nearby Fairlawn (25 Ghent Road).
