The University of Akron Athletics
Bowden Ball Visits SEC Country for Saturday Meeting with Tennessee
September 21 | Football
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Akron at Tennessee Game Notes in PDF Format
Terry Bowden – Tennessee Week Press Conference Video
Terry Bowden – MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio
Week Four Video Preview – MAC Digital Network
Game Day Coverage:
Listen to Free Audio Stream (SportsRadio1350.com)
Watch ESPN 3 Web Cast
Follow Free Live Statistics
GAME 4
Akron (1-2) at (rv/rv) Tennessee (2-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012
7:30 p.m. ET
Knoxville, Tenn.
Neyland Stadium (102,455)
Television: Comcast Sports South/ESPN3/ESPN Game Plan – Matt Stewart (play-by-play), Chris Doering (analyst) and Angela Mallen (sideline).
Live Statistics/Webcast: Live statistics available free of charge via UTSports.com. Webcast not available due to ESPN3 coverage.
Radio: Akron-IMG Sports Network – Fox Sports Radio 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) (6:30 p.m. ET airtime). Free audio stream via 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 141-64-2 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. He is 0-2 all-time versus Tennessee.
The Series: Saturday marks the second all-time meeting between the Zips and Volunteers on the gridiron. UT posted a 52-9 win on Nov. 11, 1989 in Knoxville. Akron is 0-5 all-time versus the current members of the SEC.
Up Next: Akron opens its league schedule with back-to-back home dates, facing Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. ET and Bowling Green on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. for Homecoming. The contest with BGSU will be carried by ESPN3.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars
• In its final non-conference game of the year, Akron (1-2) travels to Knoxville, Tenn., to face off against Tennessee (2-1) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. For the fourth-straight week the Zips will appear on ESPN3 and the game is also being carried via Comcast Sports South and on the ESPN Game Plan package.
• Akron enters Saturday's contest following a 66-6 victory over visiting Morgan State (a member of the Football Championship Subdivision). That win was the first for Terry Bowden as Zips head coach and also snapped a 10-game losing streak for the program that dated back to a 31-23 loss at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 1, 2011.
• 2012 marks the return of head coach Terry Bowden to the Football Bowl Subdivision sideline. He coached at Division-II North Alabama each of the last three seasons. From 1993-98, he was head coach at Auburn and twice faced Tennessee during that time. He is 0-2 in those meetings with the Vols, which includes a 30-29 loss in the 1997 SEC championship game.
• Akron boasts the fifth-ranked passing offense in the nation (378.00 ypg) and is second in passing touchdowns (13). Conversely, the UA defense ranks 14th against the pass (160.67 ypg).
• Akron also ranks in the top-30 nationally in first downs (13th, 28.00 fdpg), third-down conversion defense (t14th, 26.67 percent), total offense (26th, 496.33 ypg) and scoring offense (26th, 39.33 ppg).
• QB Dalton Williams, a fifth-year senior transfer from Stephen F. Austin, is ranked in the top-15 nationally in a number of categories, including TD passes (t2nd, 10), total points responsible for (t3rd, 64 points), passing yards (4th, 1,004), passing yards per game (5th, 334.67), points responsible for (t5th, 21.33 ppg), completions per game (7th, 31.33) and total offense (11th, 330.0 ypg). He leads the MAC in each of those areas.
• Williams connected on 37-of-48 passes for 446 yards and three TDs versus Morgan State, The 37 completions is a single-game school record, earning him honorable mention recognition by the Davey O'Brien Award this week.
For the Record vs. Morgan State
• In last Saturday's win over Morgan State, the Zips set or tied 13 school records and one Mid-American Conference mark.
• UA set or tied 10 team records, including points in a game (66), total offense (753 yards), passing yards (565), first downs (43), completions (44), pass attempts (59), touchdowns scored (9), passing touchdowns (6), extra points converted (9) and first downs via the pass (29).
• Akron's 565 yards passing also broke the MAC record set by Kent State (551 in 1997).
• Individually, QB Dalton Williams set the mark for single-game completions (37), while redshirt freshman K Robert Stein connected on all nine PATs. The previous mark was eight.
• UA was just shy of hitting several additional school marks, including total offensive plays (97) and points in a half (45). The school record for plays is 98 and points in a half is 48.
News, Notes, Trends
• Akron leads the Mid-American Conference in total offense (496.3 ypg), passing offense (378.0 ypg) and third-down conversion defense (26.7 percent). Additionally, the Zips are in the top-three in scoring offense (2nd, 39.3 ppg), total defense (2nd, 342.3 ypg), passing defense (2nd, 160.7 ypg), punt return average (2nd, 11.0 ypr) and first downs (2nd, 28.0 fdpg).
• Since 2006, UA has two victories over teams that compete in an automatic qualifying BCS conference – winning at Syracuse (Big East) 42-28 on Sept. 6, 2008; and at North Carolina State (ACC) 20-17 on Sept. 9, 2006 (coincidentally, NC State was then coached by current Zips defensive coordinator and associate head coach Chuck Amato).
• UA looks for its first road win since a 42-35 victory at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008 (stretch of 21-straight away losses). The Zips' last non-conference road victory also came in 2008 (22-3 win at Army on Sept. 20). The Zips are 0-1 on the road this season (41-38 overtime loss at Florida International on Sept. 8).
• The Zips average 88.6 plays per game compared to their opponents 70.0. UA ran a season-high 97 against Morgan State last week.
• Akron's 753 yards of total offense against Morgan State was the third-most by a single team in Mid-American Conference history, trailing only Toledo's 812 yards against Northern Illinois (2007) and Toledo's 804 yards versus Western Michigan (2011).
• Against Morgan State, the Zip posted a top-five performance in MAC history with six passing touchdowns (t4th) and 44 completions (t5th).
• Against Morgan State last Saturday, 13 different receivers caught at least one pass and six grabbed four or more. This season, 16 players have tallied a reception led by Marquelo Suel's 20 for 260 yards and three TDs.
• Head coach Terry Bowden is one of 59 coaches at Bowl Subdivision schools on the USA Today Board of Coaches, and is participating in this season's top-25 balloting.
• Through three games, UA has played 13 true freshmen, a number that ranks tied for fifth most nationally (Colorado, Georgia, Tulane).
Akron vs. the SEC
• Akron is 0-5 all-time versus the current members of the SEC, and last faced a team from that league in 2010 when it traveled to Kentucky (47-10 loss on Sept. 18, 2010). UA has also previously faced Auburn (1988; 0-1), Florida (1990; 0-1), LSU (1997; 0-1) and Tennessee (1989; 0-1).
More About QB Dalton Williams
• Through three games this season, senior QB Dalton Williams is 94-for-152 passing with 1,004 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 94 completions in that three-game stretch broke the program record of 89 set by Charlie Frye in 2003. Williams was 30-for-50 passing versus UCF (Aug. 30) and 27-for-54 against FIU (Sept. 8).
• Against FIU (Sept. 8), his five TD tosses matched the school-record mark set by Luke Getsy versus Northern Illinois on Sept. 24, 2005, and he was the first Akron QB to throw for 300 yards since Chris Jacquemain had 389 against Western Michigan on Oct. 6, 2007.
• His TD passes this season are tied for second nationally with USC's Matt Barkley (66 completions). Texas Tech's Seth Doege has 12 TDs (75 completions).
• Williams was named MAC East Division Player of the Week on Sept. 10 and became the first Zips' player to win the league's player of the week award since DB Miguel Graham was named defensive player of the week on Nov. 9, 2009 (Week 10), and the first offensive player to be so honored since the Akron offensive line was recognized on Nov. 8, 2008 (Week 11).
Noting Akron's Offense
• Backup QB Kyle Pohl has completed 8-of-14 passes for 130 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Against Morgan State last week, he was 7-of-10 passing for 119 yards with three TDs and one INT. He entered the game with about two minutes left in the third quarter, when the score was 38-6.
• WR Marquelo Suel's 6.67 receptions per game is third best in the MAC and tied for 24th nationally. He also ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (86.67) and is 34th nationally in that category. Fellow WR L.T. Smith is tied for ninth in the MAC with 5.33 receptions per game. Suel has a team-high 20 catches for 260 yards and Smith follows him with 16 grabs for 151 yards.
• RB Jawon Chisholm, who broke the program's freshman rushing record with 961 yards and five touchdowns in 2011, has a team-best 37 carries for 189 yards thus far this season. He has two TD catches, but both came in the air at FIU (Sept. 8).
• Freshman RB Conor Hundley posted two rushing TDs against Morgan State and has 18 carries for 59 yards this season (seven carries for 24 yards against MSU). He's also been active on special teams, tallying a forced fumble at FIU (Sept. 8) and two tackles.
Noting Akron's Defense
• The UA defense held Morgan State scoreless in the second half last Saturday. The Zips forced the Bears to punt on their first six possessions of the half, and then held them on a fourth-and-one situation during their seventh drive of the day.
• The Zips have six sacks thus far this season (one versus Morgan State last week). The team posted 11 sacks in 12 total games in 2011.
• DL J.D. Griggs is having a solid senior campaign. Through three games, he is tied for 12th nationally (t2nd MAC) in sacks per game (1.17). His 3.5 total sacks are tied for first in the MAC and tied for 10th nationally. He is also fifth in the MAC in tackles for a loss per game (1.50), which is tied for 36th nationally.
• LB Kurt Mangum, a fifth-year senior transfer from Howard, leads the team with 17 tackles (10 solo). He also has 1.5 TFLs and one sack. Mangum had a season-high 11 tackles at FIU (Sept. 8) with eight of those coming after halftime.
• The defense is also bolstered by key transfers and starters, junior DL Albert Presley (Dean College) and senior CB Avis Commack (Florida State). Presley has 15 tackles (11 solo) to go with half of one sack and one pass breakup, and Commack seven stops (five solo) and one PBU.
Noting Akron's Special Teams
• Freshman PR Imani Davis ranks 20th nationally with 14.62 yards per return, and is also tied for 11th nationally in put returns per game (2.67).
• Redshirt freshman K Robert Stein has made 2-of-5 field goal attempts (long of 41 at FIU on Sept. 8) and 14-of-15 PATs (miss came at FIU).
• Redshirt freshman P Zach Paul has punted 16 times for 641 yards (long of 54 versus Morgan State).
On this Date in Akron Football (Sept. 22)
2007: Down 17-7 midway through the third quarter, the Zips scored 17 unanswered and 20 of the last 23 points in the game to take a 27-20 victory over rival Kent State at the Rubber Bowl. Akron's Davanzo Tate's interception of KSU's Julian Edelman in the end zone preserved the win.
1990: After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Akron scored 20 points in the second and 28 in the third to earn a 48-17 win over Cal State Fullerton at the Rubber Bowl. QB Jeff Sweitzer rushed for 111 yards and two TDs and the Zips made five interceptions on the day.
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.
