The University of Akron Athletics
Tuesday, November 7
Oxford, OH
7:30 PM
University of Akron
at
Miami (Ohio)
Photo by: Jeff Harwell
Akron Football Travels to Miami for Tuesday Game on ESPN2
November 02 | Football
Pregame Coverage:
Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Bowden's Weekly Press Conference Video
MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio (Bowden)
MAC Weekly Release
Gameday Coverage:
Buy Single-Game Tickets
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn.com)
Follow Free Live Statistics
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THIS WEEK
Akron switches to Tuesday night MACtion for the month of November. The Zips play their final road contest on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Miami (Ohio) in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Yager Stadium.
ESPN2 will televise the game with Kevin Negandhi (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline) calling the game. Â
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 5-4 overall and 4-1 in MAC play after a 21-20 win over Buffalo. 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 224 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries. Under center, senior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) is 154-of-264 for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns. Redshirt senior WR Tra'Von Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio) is the top receiver with 37 receptions for 344 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) leads the Zips with 85 tackles, four sacks, three hurries, two break-ups, and two interceptions.
In the NCAA stats, Akron is No. 5 in defensive touchdowns (3), No. 15 in fourth down conversions (0.714), and No. 19 in red zone defense (0.735). Individually, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III is ranked No. 24 in total tackles (9.4).
The RedHawks, under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Chuck Martin, stand 3-6 overall and 2-3 in MAC play after a 45-28 loss at Ohio. Miami returns 54 letterwinners, including 17 starters, to its multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes.
Junior RB Kenny Young is Miami's top rusher with 587 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries. Junior QB Billy Bahl is 61-of-117 for 820 yards and five touchdowns. Junior WR James Gardner is the leading receiver with 847 yards and nine touchdowns on 42 receptions. Defensively, junior LB Brad Koenig has 70 tackles, three sacks, three hurries, three break-ups, and a forced fumble.
In the NCAA stats, Miami is ranked No. 20 in passing yards per completion (14.13), No. 26 in net punting (40.44), and No. 37 in red zone defense (0.778). Junior WR James Gardner is No. 3 in receiving touchdowns (9), No. 6 in receiving yards (847), and No. 31 in total touchdowns (9).
AKRON-MIAMI CONNECTIONS
Miami has three players from the Akron area on its roster– freshman TE Adam Mehelic (Hudson, Ohio | Hudson HS), freshman WR Dominique Robinson (Canton, Ohio | Canton McKinley HS), and freshman DB Donte Taylor, Jr. (Akron, Ohio | St. Vincent-St. Mary HS).
AKRON-MIAMI:Â THE SERIES
Tuesday's game is the 27th meeting between Akron and Miami in series history, which began in 1916. The RedHawks lead, 16-9-1.
Last fall at InfoCision Stadium on Homecoming weekend, the Akron alumni witnessed the Zips' dominating performance against Miami for a 35-13 win to remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference play. It was the Zips' sixth consecutive conference win, and Akron's longest league winning streak since joining the MAC in 1992.
Akron's starting QB junior Tra'Von Chapman had a career day in passing completions (15), attempts (29), and touchdowns (3) while passing for 174 yards. He also found the endzone on a 70-yard run for the Zips' first touchdown. He led the team with a career-high 80 yards on the ground on 10 carries.
Senior WR JoJo Natson led the Zips in receiving, scoring two touchdowns on seven catches for 81 yards, while junior WR Austin Wolf followed with one reception for 24 yards and a touchdown.
The Zips' defense managed two sacks, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert led the squad with nine take downs and one for loss. Senior DE Daumantas Venckus and sophomore DL Brock Boxen recorded sacks for nine and seven yards for loss, respectively.
In 2015 at Yager Stadium, PK Robert Stein nailed a 50-yard field goal with less than three minutes to play to seal the Zips' 37-28 Mid-American Conference victory.
Despite a 27-7 halftime lead, the Zips allowed 21 MU second-half points, including two touchdowns less than a minute apart in the fourth quarter.
Akron racked up 432 yards of total offense, including 211 yards on the ground. Senior RB Conor Hundley, playing before a huge hometown crowd, rushed for 110 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Â
QB Thomas Woodson went 13-of-28 for 221 yards. WR Imani Davis led the receiving corps with seven catches for 64 yards, while WR Jerome Lane had four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, LB Jatavis Brown had a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stops, 4.5 TFL for a loss of 25 yards, two sacks, an interceptions, and a forced fumble.
In the teams' last meeting at InfoCision Stadium on Oct. 11, 2014, the Zips found the end zone twice in the second half while posting nine sacks on defense to down the Miami RedHawks, 29-19. The win was the third-straight-overall for Akron and the fifth-straight win in league play dating back to the 2013 season. The victory also marked No. 150 in head coach Terry Bowden's career.
In 2013, Jawon Chisholm rushed for three touchdowns to lead the Akron to a 24-17 victory at Yager Stadium. Chisholm closed out the day with 86 yards rushing on 16 carries and also had one catch for 18 yards. His first score came with 12:09 to go in the opening quarter.
SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Miami:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-16-1
Akron in games at Akron:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6-6
Akron in games at Miami:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3-10-1
Akron in games at a neutral site:Â Â Â Â Â Â 0-0
First meeting in series:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1916, at UA, L, 23-6
Last meeting in series:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2016, at InfoCision Stadium, W, 35-13
BEST MAC START
Opening the 2017 season with three consecutive wins in Mid-American Conference play was a first for Akron. While the Zips had opened MAC play with two wins seven times ['92, 93, 01, 07, 08, 14, 16] since joining the league in 1992, winning three consecutive MAC games to open this season was a first in program history. Â
ONE WIN SHY OF BOWL ELIGIBILITY
Akron could make a dent in school history. With one more victory, the Zips will be bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons– a feat that has never been reached in program history. Â
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 only earned bowl eligibility twice since joining the Football Subdivision (FBS) in 1987. Under Terry Bowden, the Zips won the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and finished the season with an 8-5 record, the most wins as an FBS participant. Â
MAC HONORS
Following the win over Buffalo, senior QB Thomas Woodson and junior P/PK Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors. Woodson took home Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Gasser was named Specialist of the Week.
In Akron's 21-20 win over Buffalo, Woodson went 21-of-29 for a season-high 286 yards and three touchdowns. With his 286 passing yards on the day, Woodson moved into second place on the Akron career list with 6,829 passing yards, surpassing James Washington (1997-00) who had 6,699 yards. He is also No. 2 in career passing touchdowns (53).
Against the Bulls, Gasser kicked off four times for 241 yards, averaging 60.2 yards. He also punted four times for 167 yards, including a 52-yard long punt, for a 41.8 average and no returns. His first punt of the game landed on the four-yard line for the start of UB's drive.
LAST GAME
The Akron Zips claimed their fifth win of the season with a 21-20 victory over Buffalo in Mid-American Conference action on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.
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Senior QB Thomas Woodson went 21-of-29 and threw for a season-high 286 yards and all three touchdowns. He moved into second place on Akron's career passing chart and now has 6,829 yards (second to Charlie Frye). Woodson is also second in career passing touchdowns with 53.
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Senior A.J. Coney led the receivers with a career-high 91 yards on a career-high seven receptions. On the ground, sophomore Deltron Sands (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was the top rusher with seven carries for a career-high 70 yards. Defensively, DB Jordan George (Dayton, Ohio) had a career-high 11 tackles and an interception.
POSTGAME NOTES
UP NEXT
Akron closes out the regular season with two home Tuesday night games. The Zips host Ohio on Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.
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Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Bowden's Weekly Press Conference Video
MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio (Bowden)
MAC Weekly Release
Gameday Coverage:
Buy Single-Game Tickets
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn.com)
Follow Free Live Statistics
Â
Akron (5-4, 4-1 MAC) at Miami (3-6, 2-3 MAC)Â Â
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Yager Stadium [24,286] | Oxford, OH
7:30 PM ET | ESPN2
Tuesday, Nov. 7
Yager Stadium [24,286] | Oxford, OH
7:30 PM ET | ESPN2
THIS WEEK
Akron switches to Tuesday night MACtion for the month of November. The Zips play their final road contest on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Miami (Ohio) in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Yager Stadium.
ESPN2 will televise the game with Kevin Negandhi (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline) calling the game. Â
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 5-4 overall and 4-1 in MAC play after a 21-20 win over Buffalo. 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 224 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries. Under center, senior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) is 154-of-264 for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns. Redshirt senior WR Tra'Von Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio) is the top receiver with 37 receptions for 344 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) leads the Zips with 85 tackles, four sacks, three hurries, two break-ups, and two interceptions.
In the NCAA stats, Akron is No. 5 in defensive touchdowns (3), No. 15 in fourth down conversions (0.714), and No. 19 in red zone defense (0.735). Individually, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III is ranked No. 24 in total tackles (9.4).
The RedHawks, under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Chuck Martin, stand 3-6 overall and 2-3 in MAC play after a 45-28 loss at Ohio. Miami returns 54 letterwinners, including 17 starters, to its multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes.
Junior RB Kenny Young is Miami's top rusher with 587 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries. Junior QB Billy Bahl is 61-of-117 for 820 yards and five touchdowns. Junior WR James Gardner is the leading receiver with 847 yards and nine touchdowns on 42 receptions. Defensively, junior LB Brad Koenig has 70 tackles, three sacks, three hurries, three break-ups, and a forced fumble.
In the NCAA stats, Miami is ranked No. 20 in passing yards per completion (14.13), No. 26 in net punting (40.44), and No. 37 in red zone defense (0.778). Junior WR James Gardner is No. 3 in receiving touchdowns (9), No. 6 in receiving yards (847), and No. 31 in total touchdowns (9).
AKRON-MIAMI CONNECTIONS
Miami has three players from the Akron area on its roster– freshman TE Adam Mehelic (Hudson, Ohio | Hudson HS), freshman WR Dominique Robinson (Canton, Ohio | Canton McKinley HS), and freshman DB Donte Taylor, Jr. (Akron, Ohio | St. Vincent-St. Mary HS).
AKRON-MIAMI:Â THE SERIES
Tuesday's game is the 27th meeting between Akron and Miami in series history, which began in 1916. The RedHawks lead, 16-9-1.
Last fall at InfoCision Stadium on Homecoming weekend, the Akron alumni witnessed the Zips' dominating performance against Miami for a 35-13 win to remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference play. It was the Zips' sixth consecutive conference win, and Akron's longest league winning streak since joining the MAC in 1992.
Akron's starting QB junior Tra'Von Chapman had a career day in passing completions (15), attempts (29), and touchdowns (3) while passing for 174 yards. He also found the endzone on a 70-yard run for the Zips' first touchdown. He led the team with a career-high 80 yards on the ground on 10 carries.
Senior WR JoJo Natson led the Zips in receiving, scoring two touchdowns on seven catches for 81 yards, while junior WR Austin Wolf followed with one reception for 24 yards and a touchdown.
The Zips' defense managed two sacks, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert led the squad with nine take downs and one for loss. Senior DE Daumantas Venckus and sophomore DL Brock Boxen recorded sacks for nine and seven yards for loss, respectively.
In 2015 at Yager Stadium, PK Robert Stein nailed a 50-yard field goal with less than three minutes to play to seal the Zips' 37-28 Mid-American Conference victory.
Despite a 27-7 halftime lead, the Zips allowed 21 MU second-half points, including two touchdowns less than a minute apart in the fourth quarter.
Akron racked up 432 yards of total offense, including 211 yards on the ground. Senior RB Conor Hundley, playing before a huge hometown crowd, rushed for 110 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Â
QB Thomas Woodson went 13-of-28 for 221 yards. WR Imani Davis led the receiving corps with seven catches for 64 yards, while WR Jerome Lane had four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, LB Jatavis Brown had a game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stops, 4.5 TFL for a loss of 25 yards, two sacks, an interceptions, and a forced fumble.
In the teams' last meeting at InfoCision Stadium on Oct. 11, 2014, the Zips found the end zone twice in the second half while posting nine sacks on defense to down the Miami RedHawks, 29-19. The win was the third-straight-overall for Akron and the fifth-straight win in league play dating back to the 2013 season. The victory also marked No. 150 in head coach Terry Bowden's career.
In 2013, Jawon Chisholm rushed for three touchdowns to lead the Akron to a 24-17 victory at Yager Stadium. Chisholm closed out the day with 86 yards rushing on 16 carries and also had one catch for 18 yards. His first score came with 12:09 to go in the opening quarter.
SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Miami:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-16-1
Akron in games at Akron:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6-6
Akron in games at Miami:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3-10-1
Akron in games at a neutral site:Â Â Â Â Â Â 0-0
First meeting in series:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1916, at UA, L, 23-6
Last meeting in series:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2016, at InfoCision Stadium, W, 35-13
BEST MAC START
Opening the 2017 season with three consecutive wins in Mid-American Conference play was a first for Akron. While the Zips had opened MAC play with two wins seven times ['92, 93, 01, 07, 08, 14, 16] since joining the league in 1992, winning three consecutive MAC games to open this season was a first in program history. Â
ONE WIN SHY OF BOWL ELIGIBILITY
Akron could make a dent in school history. With one more victory, the Zips will be bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons– a feat that has never been reached in program history. Â
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 only earned bowl eligibility twice since joining the Football Subdivision (FBS) in 1987. Under Terry Bowden, the Zips won the 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and finished the season with an 8-5 record, the most wins as an FBS participant. Â
MAC HONORS
Following the win over Buffalo, senior QB Thomas Woodson and junior P/PK Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors. Woodson took home Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Gasser was named Specialist of the Week.
In Akron's 21-20 win over Buffalo, Woodson went 21-of-29 for a season-high 286 yards and three touchdowns. With his 286 passing yards on the day, Woodson moved into second place on the Akron career list with 6,829 passing yards, surpassing James Washington (1997-00) who had 6,699 yards. He is also No. 2 in career passing touchdowns (53).
Against the Bulls, Gasser kicked off four times for 241 yards, averaging 60.2 yards. He also punted four times for 167 yards, including a 52-yard long punt, for a 41.8 average and no returns. His first punt of the game landed on the four-yard line for the start of UB's drive.
LAST GAME
The Akron Zips claimed their fifth win of the season with a 21-20 victory over Buffalo in Mid-American Conference action on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.
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Senior QB Thomas Woodson went 21-of-29 and threw for a season-high 286 yards and all three touchdowns. He moved into second place on Akron's career passing chart and now has 6,829 yards (second to Charlie Frye). Woodson is also second in career passing touchdowns with 53.
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Senior A.J. Coney led the receivers with a career-high 91 yards on a career-high seven receptions. On the ground, sophomore Deltron Sands (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was the top rusher with seven carries for a career-high 70 yards. Defensively, DB Jordan George (Dayton, Ohio) had a career-high 11 tackles and an interception.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Senior WR Fransohn Bickley's (Akron, Ohio) 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter was his first score this fall and his first TD for the Zips since the 2013 season.
- Junior CB Jordan George's interception in the endzone (during the second quarter) was the third INT of his career and his second interception this season. He led the Zips with a career-high 11 tackles.
- Senior WR Kevin Gladney's (Akron, Ohio) 36-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was the first TD of his collegiate career.
UP NEXT
Akron closes out the regular season with two home Tuesday night games. The Zips host Ohio on Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field.
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QB
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