Football Travels to Western Michigan for Battle of MAC Unbeatens

Sunday, October 15

Kalamazoo, MI

1 PM

University of Akron

Western Michigan

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Football Travels to Western Michigan for Battle of MAC Unbeatens

October 09 | Football

Pregame Coverage:
Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Bowden's Weekly Press Conference Video
MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio (Bowden)
MAC Weekly Release – Oct. 9

Gameday Coverage:
Buy Single-Game Tickets
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn.com)
Follow Free Live Statistics

Akron (3-3, 2-0 MAC) at Western Michigan (4-2, 2-0 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 14
Waldo Stadium [30,000] | Akron, OH
3:30 PM ET | CBS Sports Network

THIS WEEK
Akron begins a two-game Mid-American Conference road swing. The Zips' first stop is Kalamazoo, Mich., for a 3:30 p.m. contest at Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 14, at Waldo Stadium.

The CBS Sports Network will televise the game with Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Corey Chavous (analyst), and Melanie Collins (sideline) 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 sideline report. The pregame show starts one hour prior to kickoff. A free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips.

Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Terry Bowden, Akron stands 3-3 overall and 2-0 in MAC play after a 31-3 win over Ball State during Homecoming. UA returns 57 lettermen, including 15 starters. The Zips utilize a spread offense and a 4-3 defense.

Junior RB Van Edwards (Cape Coral, Fla.) is the team's leading active rusher with 152 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries. Under center, senior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) is 102-of-178 for 1,124 yards and right touchdowns. Redshirt senior WR Tra'Von Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio) is the top receiver with 25 receptions for 194 yards. Defensively, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) leads the defense with 58 tackles, three sacks, three hurries, two break-ups, and an interception.

In the NCAA stats, Akron is No. 4 in defensive touchdowns (3), No. 13 in passes intercepted (8), No. 30 in third down conversions (0.455), and No. 38 in red zone defense (0.762). Individually, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III is ranked No. 17 in total tackles (9.7).

The Broncos, under the guidance of first-year head coach Tim Lester, stand 4-2 overall and 2-0 in MAC play after a 71-68 (7 OT) win at Buffalo. Western Michigan returns 24 letterwinners, including 15 starters, to its multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes.

Senior RB Jarvion Franklin is WMU's top rusher with 408 yards and six touchdowns on 90 carries. Sophomore QB Jon Wassink is 91-of-140 for 1,019 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sophomore WR D'Wayne Eskridge is the leading receiver with 352 yards and two touchdowns on 17 receptions. Defensively, senior LB Asantay Brown has 50 tackles ,two forced fumbles, and two sacks.

In the NCAA stats, Western Michigan is ranked No. 13 in scoring offense (42.8), No. 14 in kickoff returns (26.47), No. 16 in red zone offense (0.929), and No. 21 in net punting (41.33). Senior CB Darius Phillips is No. 1 in kickoff return touchdowns (2) and No. 4 in kickoff returns (36.8). Sophomore QB Jon Wassink is No. 17 in points per game (17.0).

AKRON-WESTERN MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS
Akron has four players on its roster from the state of Michigan– redshirt freshman LS Peyton Coffman [Grand Blanc, Mich. | Fenton HS], freshman DB Jerome Cooper (Detroit, Mich. | Stevenson HS], sophomore LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich. | St. Mary Catholic HS], and sophomore RB Chuck Turfe [Canton, Mich. | Canton HS].

Western Michigan has three players on its roster from Ohio with none from the local area.

UA's Cooper and WMU's freshman DL Dezmond Lance were high school teammates.

AKRON-WESTERN MICHIGAN: THE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the 19th meeting in series history between the Zips and Broncos on the gridiron. Riding a three-game series win streak, Western Michigan leads the series, 14-4.

In the teams' last meeting, the Akron Zips football team forced the No. 23 ranked Western Michigan Broncos' first turnover of the season, but could not recover from a first-half offensive explosion, as the Broncos defeated the Zips, 41-0, at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field on Oct. 15, 2016.

In addition, it was the first time the Zips have been held scoreless in 60 games (vs. Ohio State, 42-0, Sept. 3, 2011). It was also the first time UA was shutout at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field.

The Broncos snapped the Zips' six-game Mid-American Conference winning streak.

The Zips gained 283 total yards, 153-yards in the air by junior QB Tra'Von Chapman and 130 yards on the ground by committee.

Senior WR JoJo Natson had five receptions for 46 yards, junior WR Jerome Lane four catches for 42 yards, and junior WR Austin Wolf two receptions for 50-yards with a long of 44 yards.

Leading the rushing attack was junior RB Manny Morgan with 53-yards on eight carries, followed by Chapman with 49-yards on 14 carries. Sophomore RB Van Edwards rounded out ground attack with 28-yards on six carries.

Defensively, Akron's sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert forced Western Michigan's first turnover of the season when he stripped the Bronco RB Davon Tucker, and senior DE Daumanta Venckus recovered the fumble.

The last time at Waldo Stadium (on Nov. 25, 2011), Tyler Van Tubbergen threw six touchdown passes and ran for another score as Western Michigan defeated Akron, 68-19, in the Mid-American Conference regular-season finale for both teams on a Friday afternoon.

Akron first scored on a safety by James Harvey and then A.J. Fox converted a 28-yard field goal to cut the Western Michigan first half lead to 10-5, but Van Tubbergen's 9-yard TD pass to Chleb Ravenell started a streak of eight Broncos' touchdowns without any Zips' points.

Van Tubbergen was 19-of-21 passing for 252 yards. He threw two scoring passes apiece to Jordan White – who had 138 yards receiving – and one each to Ravenell, Eric Monette, Dallas Walker and Matt Cutler. Van Tubbergen also scored on an 8-yard run and finished with 60 yards rushing. Receiver Robert Arnheim also threw a touchdown pass to Ravenell.

It was 66-5 before Akron would score again; this time on Jawon Chisholm's 1-yard run with 3:24 to go in the third quarter. During the next WMU drive, Troy Gilmer returned a Mike Perish fumble 72 yards to give the Zips their final point total. It was Gilmer's first career TD and he also recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

In 2010 at InfoCision Stadium, the Broncos defeated UA, 56-10.

SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Western Michigan:           4-14
Akron in games at Akron:                             2-5
Akron in games at Western Michigan:          2-9
Akron in games at a neutral site:                  0-0
First meeting in series:                                1938, at UA, W, 6-0
Last meeting in series:                                2016, at InfoCision Stadium, L, 0-41

MAC HONORS
Junior P/PK Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) was tabbed the Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for the East Division on Oct. 9

In Akron's 31-3 win over Ball State, Gasser had a busy day. He punted six times for 270 yards (45.0 average) with a career long 59-yard punt. Gasser also kicked off six times for 366 yards (61.0 average) with two touchbacks.

The MAC honor is the first of Gasser's career. He is the third Zip to earn conference recognition this fall, joining junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Sept. 11) and junior CB Kyron Brown (Oct. 2).

LAST GAME
Akron football entered the second half with a 14-point advantage and tacked on 14 more points en route to a 31-3 win over Ball State during Saturday's Homecoming game at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.

Senior QB Thomas Woodson completed 17 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns. Senior WR A.J. Coney hauled in six passes for a team-best 90 yards, while junior WR Kwadarrius Smith (Orlando, Fla.) caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and senior WR Austin Wolf (Lebanon, Ohio) was targeted four times for 57 yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, sophomore RB Deltron Sands (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) racked up 53 yards on six carries with a 32-yard touchdown run, while senior RB Manny Morgan (Naples, Fla.) used eight carries for 44 yards.

Defensively, the Zips issued five sacks and three interceptions while limiting the Cardinals to just three points. Junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III and senior LB Andrew Hauser (Mason, Ohio) led Akron with 13 tackles apiece. Gilbert added a sack for eight yards of loss, while Hauser grabbed his first career interception.

POSTGAME NOTES
Senior WR Austin Wolf (Lebanon, Ohio) put UA on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a 24-yard touchdown reception. It marked the 10th TD of his career and his second this fall. He finished with four receptions for 57 yards.

Redshirt junior PK Tom O'Leary (Tucker, Ga.) converted a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter, a career long.

Sophomore LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) had six tackles and a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It marked his second career interception and his first pick six.

UP NEXT
Akron continues two-game road swing with a stop at Toledo on Saturday, Oct. 21. The next home contest is Saturday, Oct. 28, against Buffalo with an 11:30 a.m. kickoff on CBS Sports Network.