Zips, Flashes Face Off Saturday in 42nd-Annual Battle for the Wagon Wheel

November 02 | Football

Follow Akron Football on Twitter (@ZipsFB) and Facebook

PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge

Akron at Kent State Game Notes in PDF Format
Terry Bowden – Kent State Week Press Conference Video
Terry Bowden – MAC Weekly Coaches Media Teleconference Audio
Week 10 Video Preview – MAC Digital Network
Akron-Kent State Rivalry Video Feature (MAC-Sports.com)

Game Day Coverage:
Listen to Free Audio Stream (SportsRadio1350.com)
Watch Free Webcast on ESPN3 or MAC-Sports.com
Follow Free Live Statistics (KentStateSports.com)

GAME 10

Akron (1-8, 0-5 MAC) at Kent State (7-1, 4-0 MAC)

Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012
2 p.m. ET
Kent Ohio
Dix Stadium (20,500)

Television: SportsTime Ohio / ESPN Game Plan / ESPN3 – Matt Underwood (play-by-play) and Frank Stams (analyst). SportTime Ohio Channel Guide

Live Statistics/Webcast: Available free of charge via KentStateSports.com and MAC-Sports.com.

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) (1 p.m. ET airtime). Audio stream at SportsRadio1350.com.

Akron Coach Terry Bowden (West Virginia, 1978): Is in his first season at the helm for the Zips and his 19th campaign as a collegiate head coach, owning a 141-70-2 record. He was named the program's 27th all-time coach on Dec. 22, 2011, but is just the seventh person to hold the position since 1960. This is his first time facing Kent State.

The Series: Saturday marks the 55th all-time meeting between the Zips and Flashes on the gridiron. Akron leads the series 30-22-2, but since the coveted wooden Wagon Wheel trophy has been at stake (dating to 1946) Kent State maintains a 21-19-1 edge. The Zips are 8-13 in the series when playing on the road, and have won three of the last five overall matchups. KSU claimed the last two meetings (35-3 on Nov. 12, 2011 at InfoCision Stadium; 28-17 on Oct. 9, 2010 at Dix Stadium).

Up Next: Akron is at home on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. ET to take on UMass on Senior Day.

Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars
• Akron (1-8, 0-5 MAC) faces Mid-American Conference East Division opponent and neighborhood rival Kent State (7-1, 4-0 MAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET at Dix Stadium. The game will be televised regionally by SportsTime Ohio and also be available via ESPN3, ESPN Game Plan and the MAC Digital Network (MAC-Sports.com).
• The Zips and Flashes are meeting for the 55th time on the football field and 42nd occasion with the coveted wooden Wagon Wheel at stake. 2012 marks year two of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, which includes competition between 15 of the school's varsity sports. Akron leads the 2012-13 standings 2.5-1.0 (KSU won 9.0-6.0 in 2011-12). For more information and to follow updated standings, visit WagonWheelChallenge.com.
• Akron outgained Central Michigan 492-444 in total offense last Saturday, but lost 35-14 to the Chippewas. The Zips trailed 14-7 at the half and had a chance to pull to within a touchdown with about nine minutes to play, but their 10-play, 76-yard drive fell short after quarterback Dalton Williams overthrew the endzone on a fourth and goal opportunity from the 4-yard line.
• The UA offense is ranked 13th nationally in passing (316.0 ypg, 1st MAC), 42nd in total offense (436.1 ypg, 6th MAC) and 63rd in scoring offense (28.0 ppg, 7th MAC).
• Akron's 3,925 yards of total offense ranks fifth in the MAC and 21st nationally (436.1 ypg). The Zips are on pace to break both their total offense (5,643 yards) and total offense per game (470.2 ypg) season records set in 2003.
• The Zips have one of the more efficient red zone offenses in the MAC, having scored on 80.6 percent (29-for-36) of its trips into that territory (sixth best in the league). The squad's 24 red zone TDs is fourth most in the MAC. UA has converted on seven of its last nine red zone drives (2-for-4 at Central Michigan last Saturday).
• 2012 marks the return of head coach Terry Bowden to the Football Bowl Subdivision sideline. He coached at Division-II North Alabama the last three seasons (20-6 record) and was head coach at Auburn from 1993-98 (47-17-1).

News, Notes, Trends
• QB Dalton Williams leads the MAC in passing yards (2,691), passing yards per game (299.0) and touchdown passes (22).
• Akron's 25 passing touchdowns this season (two at Central Michigan last Saturday) set the school's single-season record, surpassing the mark of 24 established in 2005.
• RB Jawon Chisholm has posted at least 100 yards of rushing in four games this season. He had eight carries for 13 yards against Northern Illinois (Oct. 20, before leaving the game with a shoulder injury and did not play at Central Michigan last Saturday.
• 18 UA players have caught at least one pass this season (nine did so against Central Michigan), with 10 of those grabbing 10 or more.
• Biletnikoff Award Watch List member WR Marquelo Suel leads the team with 52 catches (600 yards). He had a career-high 12 receptions at Tennessee (Sept. 22).
• UA's 44 completions against Morgan State (Sept. 15) is tied as the seventh most nationally this season (Marshall versus Ohio, Sept. 15; Louisiana Tech versus Texas A&M, Oct. 13). The Zips' 565 passing yards in that game rank as the fifth-most by any team this season.
• The UA coaching staff has used 24 first year players (13 true freshmen, 11 redshirt freshmen). That ranks as the fifth most nationally, behind TCU (27), Kentucky (26), UCLA (25) and USC (25). The 13 true freshmen number is tied for third most nationally (Colorado, Georgia).
• After giving up six sacks through its first five games, the Zips have allowed 11 total in their last four outings (zero last Saturday at Central Michigan). Thus far this season the UA line has given up 17 sacks (1.8 spg) compared to 30 (3.3 spg) through the first nine games in 2011 (allowed 38 total in 2011).
• The Zips are 0-4 on the road this season (47-26 loss at Tennessee on Sept. 22; 41-38 overtime loss at Florida International on Sept. 8; 34-28 loss at Ohio on Oct. 13, 35-14 loss at Central Michigan on Oct. 27).
• UA looks for its first road win since a 42-35 victory at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008 (stretch of 24-straight away losses).

2012 in Perspective
Here's perspective on how close the Zips have come to claiming additional wins this year...
• at FIU (Sept. 8): UA trailed 21-20 after three quarters, but took a 38-35 lead with 1:53 to go. FIU converted a field goal as time expired in regulation (38-all) and hit another to win in overtime.
• at Tennessee (Sept. 22): Score was tied 23-all at half and UA was within 30-26 after a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
• vs. Miami (Ohio) (Sept. 29): UA led 49-48 with 7:06 to go after twice tying the score, at 28-all and 35-all.
• at Ohio (Oct. 13): After being down 20-7 at half, UA pulled to within 34-28 with 1:55 remaining and nearly recovered an on-side kick that went out-of-bounds.

Senior Signal Caller – Dalton Williams
• Through nine games this season, fifth-year senior transfer QB Dalton Williams from Stephen F. Austin is 260-for-426 passing with 2,691 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His 260 completions is the most in a season by a senior in program history, topping Charlie Frye's 220 in 2004, and third most in a season by any player.
• Williams was 31-of-51 for 329 yards, two TDs and two INTs last Saturday at Central Michigan.
• Against Ohio (Oct. 13), he completing 32-of-53 passes for 298 yards and four TDs to tie his second-highest TD production of the season (four against Miami on Sept. 29; five against Morgan State on Sept. 15).
• He leads the MAC in passing yards (2,691), passing yards per game (299.0), pass completions (260), pass attempts (426) and touchdown passes (22). He ranks third in the league and 24th nationally in total offense (288.0).
• His 446 passing yards against Morgan State (Sept. 15, 37-of-48 passing) and Miami (Sept. 29, 32-of-42 passing) are tied as the 17th most in a single game nationally this season.
• His 2,691 passing yards rank fifth in the Akron record book for a single season. Fourth is 2,748 by Chris Jacquemain in 2008.
• His 446-yard passing performance against Miami on Sept. 29, set the school mark for most yards passing in a four-game stretch with 1,444 yards through the air. He passed Charlie Frye's 1,301 yards over a four-game stretch during the 2003 season. So far, Williams has set or tied nine individual school records, and has help the Zips set or tie 12 Akron and one MAC team record.
• Is one of four QBs in the MAC to have thrown for 400 yards in a game (446 vs. Morgan State on Sept. 15 and 446 vs. Miami on Sept. 29). Ball State's Keith Wenning has done so twice (445 against Kent State; 434 against Northern Illinois) and Toledo's Terrance Owens once (401 against Eastern Michigan). Miami's Zac Dysert threw for a league season-high 516 yards against Akron on Sept. 29.
• Against FIU (Sept. 8), his five TD tosses matched the school-record mark set by Luke Getsy versus Northern Illinois on Sept. 24, 2005.
• Williams was named MAC East Division Player of the Week on Sept. 10. On Sept. 17, he earned weekly honorable mention recognition by the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award.
• He completed 72-of-110 passes for 724 yards and seven TDs as backup QB at Stephen F. Austin from 2008-11.

Noting Akron's Offense
• WR Marquelo Suel leads the team with 52 catches (600 yards). His 5.8 catches per game rank eighth in the MAC and tied for 47th nationally. He has four TD catches.
• Suel caught a career-high 12 passes for 92 yards at Tennessee (Sept. 22). The 12 receptions was three shy of tying the school's single-game mark in that category.
• WR Dee Frieson follows Suel in the receiving category, with 39 catches for 308 yards (eight for 65 yards and one TD at Central Michigan last Saturday).
• RB Jawon Chisholm, who broke the program's freshman rushing record with 961 yards and five touchdowns in 2011, has a team-best 124 carries for 688 yards (86.0 ypg) this season. He has four touchdowns this year, two on the ground and two in the air. Chisholm also has 24 catches for 198 yards (24.8 ypg) (season-long reception of 34).
• Chisholm has four 100-yard rushing performances this season. He had a season-high 177 yards on 28 carries at Ohio (Oct. 13). He also had five catches for 55 yards versus the Bobcats. Chisholm has also returned kickoffs (two returns for 21 yards).
• RB Quentin Hines has 175 rushing yards on 30 carries, 70 of those yards came on a single TD sprint at Tennessee (Sept. 22).
• Freshman RB Conor Hundley posted two rushing TDs against Morgan State (Sept. 15) and had another on the ground versus Miami (Sept. 29). He has 62 carries for 254 yards this season (25 attempts for 155 yards over the last two games; 17 for 92 yards last Saturday at Central Michigan).

Noting Akron's Defense
• LB Kurt Mangum, a fifth-year senior transfer from Howard, leads the team with 80 tackles (35 solo) (12 tackles last Saturday at Central Michigan). He also has 3.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack. Mangum had a career-high 16 tackles at Ohio (Oct. 13), after posting 13 stops against Bowling Green (Oct. 6). He has four double-digit tackle performances this season.
• DL J.D. Griggs ranks tied for sixth in the MAC in sacks per game (0.61 spg). His 5.5 total sacks is also tied for sixth most in the league. He has 34 total tackles (27 solo) and a team-high 10.0 tackles-for-loss that is tied for fourth most in the conference, while his 1.11 tackles-for-loss per game is also tied for fourth in the MAC.
• 6-foot-3 CB Avis Commack, a fifth-year senior transfer from Florida State, has 37 tackles (20 solo). He picked off a Tyler Bray pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown 35 seconds into the Tennessee game (Sept. 22).
• CB Malachi Freeman, a transfer from Nassau Community College (N.Y.), leads the team with six pass breakups (0.67 per game).

Noting Akron's Special Teams
• Redshirt freshman K Robert Stein has converted 7-of-10 field goal attempts this season and has been true on six straight, but has not had an attempt in the last three games. He made a career-high 46-yarder against Bowling Green (Oct. 6) as time expired at the half.
• Redshirt freshman P Zach Paul ranks seventh in the MAC in punt average (41.0 ypp). He also handles kickoffs, averaging 58.8 yards per kick.

Zips Live Coaches Show
Every Thursday throughout the season from 7-8 p.m. ET Akron head coach Terry Bowden can be heard on the weekly radio program Zips Live. The show airs locally on 1350 AM (WARF) and originates from the Winking Lizard Tavern in nearby Fairlawn. Visit GoZips.com/broadcasts to listen online.

Zips Football with Terry Bowden
Weekly throughout the season, head coach Terry Bowden will review the previous week's game and preview the Zips' upcoming opponent on the 30-minute television show, Zips Football with Terry Bowden presented by Wentz Financial Group. The show will be carried by SportsTime Ohio. Visit GoZips.com/broadcasts for a complete schedule of airtimes.