Akron to Face Toledo in 2017 MAC Championship Game

Saturday, December 2

Ford Field | Detroit, MI

Noon

University of Akron

Toledo

Tickets

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Akron to Face Toledo in 2017 MAC Championship Game

November 27 | Football

Pregame Coverage:
Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Bowden's Weekly Press Conference Video
MAC Weekly Media Teleconference Audio
MAC Weekly Release

Gameday Coverage:
Buy Tickets
Listen to Free Audio Stream (TuneIn.com)
Follow Free Live Statistics
Watch ESPN

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Akron (7-5, 6-2 MAC) vs. Toledo (10-2, 7-1 MAC)
Saturday, Dec. 2
Ford Field [65,000] | Detroit, MI
Noon ET | ESPN

THIS WEEK
The MAC East champion Akron Zips travel to Detroit, Mich., for the 2017 Mid-American Conference Championship. The Zips face MAC West champion Toledo on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Noon at Ford Field.

ESPN will televise the game with Mark Jones (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (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. IMG Radio will provide a national radio broadcast with Andrew Allegretta calling the action and Jon Jansen providing analysis.

Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Terry Bowden, Akron stands 7-5 overall. The Zips finished MAC play at 6-2 with a 24-14 win over Kent State in the Wagon Wheel Challenge. UA returns 57 lettermen, including 15 starters. The Zips utilize a spread offense and a 4-3 defense.

Senior RB Manny Morgan (Naples, Fla.) is the team's leading rusher with 342 yards and three touchdowns on 88 carries. Under center, senior QB Thomas Woodson (Monroeville, Pa.) is 154-of-264 for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) is 53-of-107 for 732 yards and six touchdowns. Redshirt senior WR Tra'Von Chapman (Cincinnati, Ohio) is the top receiver with 48 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) leads the Zips with 118 tackles, five sacks, four hurries, two break-ups, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.

In the NCAA stats, Akron is No. 7 in defensive touchdowns (4), No. 25 in turnover margin (0.58), and No. 31 in red zone defense (0.791). Individually, junior LB Ulysees Gilbert III is ranked No. 15 in total tackles (9.8), while junior DB Jordan George (Dayton, Ohio) is No. 19 in interceptions (4).

The Rockets, under the guidance of second-year head coach Jason Candle, stand 20-1 overall. Toledo finished MAC play at 7-1 with a 37-10 over Western Michigan. Toledo returns 44 letterwinners, including 15 starters, to its spread offensive and multiple defensive schemes.

Senior RB Terry Swanson is Toledo's top rusher with 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns on 210 carries. Senior QB Logan Woodside is 225-of-345 for 3,451 yards and 24 touchdowns. Sophomore WR Diontae Johnson is the top receiver with 1,139 yards and 11 touchdowns on 63 receptions. Defensively, senior LB Jack Linch has 62 tackles, 5.5 TFL, an interception, a forced fumble, and a hurry.

In the NCAA stats, Toledo is ranked No. 5 in passing efficiency (165.88), No. 9 in total offense (505.7), No. 15 in scoring offense (38.7), and No. 15 in first downs (288). Senior QB Logan Woodside is No. 3 in passing efficiency (170.5), No. 4 in completions per game (15.34) and No. 13 in passing yards (3,451). Junior PK Jameson Vest is No. 2 in field goals per game (2.00), No. 7 in total points scored (122), No. 8 in scoring (10.2), and No. 15 in field goal percentage (0.857).

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.

AKRON'S MAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Akron earned the 2017 MAC East title and a spot in the 2017 MAC championship game with its win over Kent State in the regular-season finale. Since joining the MAC in 1992, Akron has won the MAC East three times (2000, 2005, 2017). UA has only played in the MAC Championship game once (2005).

In 2005, Akron participated in its first MAC Championship game, claiming a 31-30 victory over Northern Illinois.

Ironically, Toledo returns to the MAC Championship game for the first time since 2004.

AKRON-TOLEDO CONNECTIONS
Akron has no players from the Toledo area.

Toledo has five players from the Akron vicinity on its roster, including sophomore QB Mitchell Guadagni [Hudson, Ohio | Hudson HS], sophomore OL Bryce Harris [Akron, Ohio | Firestone HS], junior DB Quincy Iverson [Copley, Ohio | Copley HS], freshman DB DeAmonte King [Akron, Ohio | St. Vincent-St. Mary HS], and junior DB Marcus Whitfield [Massillon, Ohio | Washington HS].

Zips' senior WR Kevin Gladney, junior DL Brennan Williams, and freshman OL Rueben Durkee were teammates at Akron's Firestone High School with Toledo's sophomore OL Bryce Harris.

UA junior DL Brian Reinke and Rockets' junior DB Quincy Iverson played together for coach Ron Viscounte at Copley HS.

Joining UT's freshman DB DeAmonte King as a St-Vincent-St. Mary High School alum as eight Zips– sophomore LB Youssef Barakat, senior WR Fransohn Bickley, junior DB Nathan Bischof, junior LB Travonte Junius, sophomore S Vince Lockett, freshman DE Justin Sampson, junior TE Newman Williams, and freshman WR Malik Wooldridge.

Toledo head coach Jason Candle served as the offensive coordinator at his alma mater– Mount Union– during the 2008 national championship season when Akron offensive line coach (C) Brett Ekkens and strength coach (WR) Matt Gildersleeeve were freshmen on that team.

AKRON-TOLEDO: THE SERIES
Saturday's MAC Championship game is the 21st meeting between Akron and Toledo in series history, which began in 1923, and their second meeting this season. Toledo leads, 11-9. In MAC games only (since 1992), Toledo leads, 9-3. In games at UA, the Zips lead, 7-5.

In the teams' last meeting on Oct. 21, the Toledo Rockets utilized 626 yards of total offense en route to a 48-21 win over Akron in Mid-American Conference action on a Saturday afternoon at the Glass Bowl. Akron, which suffered its first loss in MAC play, fell to 4-4 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, while the preseason MAC favorite Rockets improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the MAC, becoming the first MAC team to earn bowl eligibility this season.

Senior QB Thomas Woodson led under center for Akron, going 18-of-33 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Senior WR Tra'Von Chapman led the receivers with 70 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, while senior RB Manny Morgan was the top rusher with 25 yards on nine carries.

Defensively, LB Ulysees Gilbert, DL Ibrahima Camara (Reynoldsberg, Ohio), and DE Jamal Davis (Canton, Ohio) led the Zips with eight tackles each.

For the Rockets, QB Logan Woodside threw for 304 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-24. Terry Swanson rushed for 123 yards on 20 carries, while Jon'Vea Johnson had 102 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five receptions.

SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Toledo:   9-11
Akron in games at Akron:   7-5
Akron in games at Toledo:   2-6
Akron in games at a neutral site:   0-0
First meeting in series:   1923, at Akron, W, 10-3
Last meeting in series:   2017, at Glass Bowl, L, 48-21

ZIPS EARN BOWL ELIGIBILITY
With the victory over Ohio, the Zips became bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons– a feat that had 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 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.

BALL NAMED TO COSIDA All-DISTRICT ACADEMIC TEAM
Senior RB Warren Ball (Columbus, Ohio) was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 5 football team. He earned a bachelor's degree in sports industry from Ohio State in spring 2016 before transferring to Akron. He is pursuing a master's degree in sport administration and sports a 3.56 grade-point average. District winners now move onto the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-America honors.

LAST GAME
The University of Akron football team captured the 2017 Mid-American Conference East Division title on the strength of a 24-14 victory over rival Kent State while claiming its third consecutive Wagon Wheel victory at InfoCision Stadium– Summa Field on Nov. 21.

With the win, Akron improved to 7-5 overall and 6-2 in league play. The Zips will play for the 2017 MAC Championship. Also with the win, Akron earned one point for the Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Wagon Wheel Challenge, bringing the overall tally to 3.5 to 1.5 in the Zips' favor.

The Zips' offensive efforts were led by QB Kato Nelson, completing six passes for 69 yards, which included the 25-yard touchdown pass to TE Kobie Booker (Barberton, Ohio). Junior RB Van Edwards, Jr. (Cape Coral, Fla.) carried most of the load on the ground, posting 6.1 yards per carry on nine touches and 55 total yards. Morgan followed with 46 yards and added a touchdown, while Nelson rounded out the ground attack with 21 yards.

POSTGAME NOTES

Freshman TE Kobie Booker put Akron on the scoreboard with a 25-yard touchdown reception from QB Kato Nelson. It marked Booker's third TD reception this fall and his longest to date.
Junior PK Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) made a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was his second field goal and his longest to date. His 45.9 punting average and five punts inside the 20 were both career highs.
Sophomore DB Alvin Davis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had an interception in the second quarter, the first of his career. He returned it two yards. It set up RB Manny Morgan's one-yard touchdown run six plays later.
Junior LB Ulysees Gilbert (Ocala, Fla.) made his first career fumble recovery as time expired in the second quarter, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown is the linebacker's fourth of his career as he has two from interception returns and one from a punt return.
Redshirt sophomore DB Denzel Butler (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) made his first career interception in the third quarter.

ZIPS QUICK HITS

The players elected seniors RB Warren Ball, WR A.J. Coney, and S Zach Guiser as team captains for the 2017 season.
Six of Akron's 2017 opponents— Penn State (Rose), Troy (Dollar General), Western Michigan (Cotton), Toledo (Camelia), Miami (St. Petersburg), and Ohio (Dollar General)— participated in bowls in 2016.
Seven of Akron's 2017 opponents— Penn State, Iowa State, Troy, Western Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, and Buffalo— are bowl eligible this fall.
Since 1979, Akron has faced 29 nationally ranked teams, going 1-28. The Zips' sole victory was a 34-20 win over No. 25 Marshall at the Rubber Bowl on Nov. 2, 2002.
Akron has 46 student-athletes on its roster from the state of Ohio; 33 of those live within a 30-mile radius to campus.

THE ZIPS ARE UNDEFEATED
This season, Akron has an undefeated record in games when leading at the half (7-0), when scoring 30+ points (4-0), in games decided by 3 points of less (2-0), when holding the opponent to nine points or less (2-0). The Zips are also undefeated when wearing blue jerseys (5-0) and gold helmets (2-0). Conversely, Akron has not won a game when trailing at the half (0-5).

GASSER & GILBERT NAMED MAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Juniors P/PK Nick Gasser (Liberty Township, Ohio) and LB Ulysees Gilbert III earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors for the East Division on Nov. 27.

Gasser made a 45-yard field goal, his second field goal and his longest to date. His 45.9 punting average and five punts inside the 20 were both career highs.

Gilbert made his first career fumble recovery as time expired in the second quarter, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. The TD gave Akron a 24-7 halftime lead. The touchdown was the linebacker's fourth of his career. Gilbert finished the game with a game-high 14 tackles.

POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE
Seven Zips competing this season already have their bachelor's degrees: RB Warren Ball (sports industry), WR Tra'Von Chapman (sport management), OL Nick Fazio (mechanical engineering), OL LaVonne Gauthney (sport management), LB Andrew Hauser (sport management), QB Robbie Kelley (business management), and TE Mykel Traylor-Bennett (organizational supervision). The seven Zips ranked 10th nationally with players with degrees. Northwestern leads the country with 18 graduated players on its roster.

UP NEXT
Bowl bids will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 3. Stay tuned to www.GoZips.com for information.