Zips to Honor Seniors Prior to Home Finale against Bowling Green on Wednesday Evening

November 05 | Football

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Terry Bowden – MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio
MAC Weekly – Nov. 7 -- Monday

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Bowling Green (1-8, 0-5 MAC) at Akron (5-5, 3-3 MAC)
Wednesday, Nov. 9
InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field [30,000]
Akron, Ohio
8 PM ET | ESPNU

SENIOR NIGHT

THIS WEEK
Akron closes out its home slate at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field on Wednesday, Nov. 9, for an 8 p.m. game with Bowling Green. The Senior Class will be honored during a pregame ceremony.

ESPNU will televise the game with Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst) calling the game.

The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron-IMG Sports Network [SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), 1420 WHK in Cleveland, 1440 WHKZ in Warren/Youngstown] with Steve French calling the action, Brad Detwiler providing analysis, and Joe Dunn with the sideline report. The pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to kickoff. A free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.

Under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Terry Bowden, Akron stands 5-5 overall and 3-3 in MAC play after a 48-17 loss to Toledo. The Zips return 48 lettermen, including seven starters. The Zips utilize a spread offense and a 4-3 defense.

After 10 games, sophomore RB Van Edwards (Cape Coral, Fla.) is the team's leading rusher with 401 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries. Under center, junior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) is 146-of-241 for 2,079 yards and 18 touchdowns. Junior WR Jerome Lane (Akron, Ohio) is the top receiver with 866 yards and five touchdowns on 53 receptions. Defensively, sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert (Ocala, Fla.) has 106 tackles, including a team-best 55 solo stops, a team-high 8.5 TFL, two sacks, and seven hurries.

In this week's national rankings, Akron is No. 3 in punt returns (19.50), No. 12 in blocked punts (1), No. 18 in blocked kicks (2), No. 30 in passing offense (273.5). Individually, senior WR JoJo Natson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) leads the nation in punt return touchdowns (2) and ranks No. 3 in punt returns (18.2), No. 6 in receiving touchdowns (10). Junior WR Jerome Lane is No. 17 in receiving yards (866). Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert is No. 8 in total tackles (10.6) and No. 22 in solo tackles (5.5). Redshirt senior DE Daumantas Venckus (Weston, Fla.) is No. 9 in fumbles recovered (2). Junior QB Thomas Woodson is No. 16 in passing touchdowns (18).

The Falcons, under the guidance of first-year head coach Mike Jinks, stand 1-8 on the season and 0-5 in MAC play after a 45-20 loss at Northern Illinois. Bowling Green returns 43 letterwinners, including 12 starters, to its multiple offensive and multiple defensive schemes.

Senior RB Fred Coppet is the top rusher with 649 yards and three touchdowns on 149 carries. Redshirt freshman QB James Morgan is 148-of-258 for 1,654 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sophomore WR Scott Miller is the top receiver with 849 yards and 10 touchdowns on 64 receptions. Defensively, redshirt senior LB Trenton Greene leads the defense with 87 tackles, a sack, an interception, and a break-up.

In the NCAA stats, Bowling Green ranked No. 2 in net punting (44.49), No. 23 in first downs (199), and No. 27 in fumbles lost (4).

Junior P Joe Davidson is No. 5 in punting (47.0). Sophomore WR Scott Miller is No. 6 in receiving touchdowns (10), No. 13 in receptions per game (7.1), No. 20 in receiving yards (94.3), and No. 31 in total touchdowns (10). Senior LB Trenton Greene is No. 22 in total tackles (9.7).

AKRON-BOWLING GREEN CONNECTIONS
Zip freshman CB Alvin Davis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and BGSU senior RB Fred Coppet went to the same high school -- St. Thomas Aquinas.

Bowling Green has three players from the Akron area– redshirt junior LB Nate Locke (Canton, Ohio | Massillon HS), redshirt sophomore DB Jack Walz II (Cleveland, Ohio | St. Edward HS), and redshirt sophomore OL De'Angelo Ware (Cleveland Heights, Ohio | Cleveland Heights HS).

AKRON-BGSU: THE SERIES
Wednesday's game is the 23rd meeting between Akron and Bowling Green in series history, which began in 1941. The Falcons lead, 15-7. In MAC games only (since 1992), BGSU leads, 14-5. Bowling Green has won the last seven outings against the Zips.

Last fall at Perry Stadium on Oct. 17, Akron fell to Bowling Green, 59-10, as the Falcons posted 31-unanswered second-half.

In his fourth start of the season, QB Thomas Woodson completed 13-of-28 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Senior RB Conor Hundley was the top rusher with 15 carries for 69 yards. Sophomore WR Jerome Lane led all Zip receivers with four catches for 45 yards.

Defensively, senior LB Dylan Evans was the team leader with 11 tackles, while senior LBs Jatavis Brown and Darryl Monroe (Orlando, Fla.) had nine tackles each.

The Zips out-rushed the Falcons, 167-120. However, the difference in the game came in the air as BGSU out-gained the Zips, 412-104. The Falcons racked up 532 total yards of offense.

In the teams' last meeting at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field on Tuesday Nov. 4, 2014, Akron's offense out-gained Bowling Green, racking up 398 yards of total offense, but it was not enough to offset five turnovers as the Zips dropped a 27-10 decision to the Falcons.

Jatavis Brown was a standout defensively for Akron, leading all defensive players with a career-high 16 tackles, including nine solo efforts and two forced fumbles. Justin March added nine tackles and Se'Von Pittman posted seven. QB Kyle Pohl set career highs for completions (31) and attempts (62), throwing for 304 yards to lead the Zips' offensive charge. Jawon Chisholm rushed for 65 yards in the game, and scored Akron's only touchdown to move into second place on the program's all-time rushing list.

SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Bowling Green: 7-15
Akron in games at Akron: 4-7
Akron in games at Bowling Green: 3-8
Akron in games at a neutral site: 0-0
First meeting in series: 1941, at Akron, W, 8-0
Last meeting in series: 2015, at Perry Stadium, L, 10-59

SENIOR STATUS
Prior to the home finale with Bowling Green, Akron will honor the 23 members of its Senior Class – TE Christian Allen, RB Warren Ball, DB Michael Butler, OL Michael Casimos, WR Tyrell Goodman, DL Jelani Hamilton, DB Larry Hope, QB Matthew Hoyer, DB Bryce Jones, RB Denzel Jones, Jr., DL Jamal Marcus, WR Michael Means, Jr., WR Ibrahim Mohammed, S Cory Morrow, WR JoJo Natson, DL Se'Von Pittman, LB John Rachal, CB DeAndre Scott, DL Christopher Spruill, DB Zachary Sweat, S James Turner, DE Daumantas Venckus, and WR Darian Williams.

This is the first five-year graduating class to play under head coach Terry Bowden at Akron. During their collegiate careers, they competed in four of the nation's top five biggest college stadiums. They've been a part of the re-building process, helping the Zips to five wins each of the last three seasons, more wins than the previous three seasons combined.

The 2016 seniors may become just the second class to graduate with a winning record in FBS play. They currently stand 23-24 over the last three-plus seasons (2013: 5-7, 2014: 5-7, 2015: 8-5; 2016: 5-5) under Terry Bowden. The last class to finish with a winning record was 2006 at 25-24; however, that senior class had two different head coaches. The last senior class to have a winning record under one coach came in 1986 at 27-20; however, the Zips played at the DI-AA level then (now called FCS).

Five of the seniors have already earned their undergraduate degrees and are pursing master's degrees.

With five wins so far this fall, the seniors are on track to make school history with back-to-back bowl appearances. Individually, the Zips have re-written the record books and climbed the career charts while racking up weekly honors. Off the field, they've represented UA in the community with several activities, including game week visits to Akron Children's Hospital. Congratulations, Seniors!

LIVING ON THE EDGE
For the second consecutive season, Akron could make a dent in school history. With one more victory, the Zips will be bowl eligible for the second consecutive season– a feat that has never been reached in program history.

UA, which played in the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl as a part of the College Division as well as three post-season games in 1976 as a Division II member, has not earned bowl eligibility in consecutive seasons since joining the Football Subdivision (FBS) in 1987. Last year, the Zips won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and finished the season with an 8-5 record, the most wins as an FBS participant.

ACADEMIC HONORS
Junior S Zach Guiser (Fayette City, Pa.) and redshirt senior captain James Turner (Fairfield, Ohio) have been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 5 football team.

Guiser sports a 3.992 grade-point average in pre-physical therapy/exercise science. Competing this fall as a graduate student, Turner earned his bachelor's degree in business. He has a perfect 4.00 GPA in the sport science master's program.

UP NEXT
After a 13-day break, Akron closes the regular season at Ohio on Tuesday, Nov. 22, in a 7 p.m. game.