Football Continues MAC Home Stand With Buffalo on Oct. 19

Saturday, October 19

Akron, Ohio

3:30 PM

University of Akron

Buffalo

Football Continues MAC Home Stand With Buffalo on Oct. 19

October 14 | Football

Pregame Coverage:
Akron Game Notes in PDF Format
Arth'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

BUFFALO [2-4, 0-2 MAC] at AKRON [0-6, 0-2 MAC]
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019
InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field [30,000]
Akron, Ohio
3:30 PM | ESPN3

THIS WEEK
Akron continues its two-game MAC home stand on Saturday, Oct. 19, entertaining Buffalo at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

ESPN3 will televise the contest with Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Jerod Cherry (analyst) calling the game.

The Zips' radio broadcast will air on the Akron Sports Network [SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron (flagship), 1420 WHK in Cleveland, 1440 WHKZ in Warren/Youngstown] with Steve French calling the action, David Skoczen 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 first-year head coach Tom Arth, Akron stands 0-6 overall (0-2 MAC) after a 26-3 loss to Kent State. The Zips return 57 letterwinners, including 10 starters, to their pro style offense and multiple defensive schemes.

Redshirt junior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) is the team's top rusher with 136 yards on 65 carries. Under center, he stands 106-of-184 for 1,265 yards and eight touchdowns. Redshirt junior WR Nate Stewart (Bethlehem, Pa.) is the top receiver with 26 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, redshirt senior LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) is the top Zip with 68 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and a 25-yard fumble recovery.

In the NCAA stats, Akron is ranked No. 3 in kickoff return defense (12.13). Individually, redshirt senior LB John Lako is No. 3 total tackles (11.3). Freshman WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.) is No. 19 in kickoff returns (26.5) and No. 16 in combined kick returns (345).

The Bulls, under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Lance Leipold, stand 2-4 overall (0-2 MAC) after a 21-20 loss to Ohio. Buffalo returns 47 letterwinners, including 14 starters, to its multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes.

Sophomore RB Jaret Patterson is the team's top rusher with 598 yards and four touchdowns on 114 carries. Under center, redshirt freshman QB Matt Myers is 49-of-105 for 602 yards and six touchdowns, while sophomore Kyle Vantrease is 19-of-28 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. At wide receiver, junior Antonio Nunn has 18 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, junior S Tyrone Hill is the top defender with 43 tackles and four break-ups.

In the NCAA stats, Buffalo is ranked No. 12 in red zone defense (0.684), No. 18 in rushing offense (230.3), and No. 24 in total defense (315.5). Individually, junior DE Taylor Riggins is No. 5 in fumbles recovered (2), while sophomore RB Jaret Patterson is No. 20 in rushing yards (598).

AKRON-BUFFALO CONNECTIONS
Akron has no players from the state of New York on its roster.

Buffalo has six players from Ohio on its roster, including locals – junior WR Tito Overton [Lyndhurst, Ohio | Brush HS], redshirt freshman WR LeMaro Smith, Jr. [Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Heights HS], and redshirt sophomore QB Kyle Vantrease [Stow, Ohio | Stow-Munroe Falls HS].

Buffalo's associate head coach and wide receivers coach Rob Ianello was the Zips' head coach for two seasons (2010-11), recording a 2-22 record.

Buffalo's strength and conditioning coach is Matt Gildersleeve who worked with the Zips in the same capacity for the last seven seasons.

AKRON-BUFFALO: THE SERIES
Saturday's game is the 19th meeting between Akron and Buffalo in series history, which began in 1999. The Zips lead, 11-7, all in MAC play.

Last fall, Akron dropped a 24-6 decision at Buffalo in MAC play on Oct. 13 at UB Stadium. Penalties and turnovers limited Akron offensively, while Buffalo remained undefeated in league play.

For the Zips, senior Van Edwards, Jr. led the rushers with 55 yards on seven carries. Under center, sophomore QB Kato Nelson went 12-of-29 for 115 yards. Sophomore WR Andre Williams was the top receiver with three catches for 47 yards. Defensively, junior LB John Lako had eight tackles, including seven solo stops.

In 2017 at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field, the Akron Zips claimed their fifth win of the season with a 21-20 victory over Buffalo in MAC action on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon.

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.

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 was the top rusher with seven carries for a career-high 70 yards. Defensively, DB Jordan George had a career-high 11 tackles and an interception.

In 2016, Buffalo senior RB Jordan Johnson rushed for a school record 282 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulls to a 41-20 win over Akron in Mid-American Conference action on a rainy Thursday evening at UB Stadium. Despite two touchdowns from senior WR JoJo Natson and two field goals from redshirt sophomore PK Tom O'Leary, the Zips committed three turnovers and could not catch up to the Bulls on the scoreboard.

Natson led the Zips' receiving efforts with five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore RB Van Edwards was the top rusher with 56 yards on 14 carries. Junior QB Thomas Woodson was 18-of-42 for 178 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, freshman CB Alvin Davis led the Zips with eight tackles, including six solo stops.

The last time at InfoCision Stadium, the Akron Zips posted their sixth win of the 2015 season, becoming bowl eligible for just the second time in school history (as an FBS program) and first time since 2005, with a 42-21 Mid-American Conference win.

Sophomore QB Thomas Woodson went 17-of-30 for 258 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Senior RB Donnell Alexander led all rushers with a career-high 143 yards and a career-best two touchdowns as a Zip. In the air, senior WR Imani Davis had seven receptions for a career-high 118 yards and a touchdown. It marked the first 100-yard receiving game of Davis' collegiate career. Defensively, senior LB Jatavis Brown led all defenders with 12 tackles and two hurries.

In the teams' meeting at UB Stadium on Nov. 11, 2014, Buffalo QB Joe Licata threw four touchdown passes en route to a 55-24 win over Akron in MAC play.

SERIES INFORMATION
Akron all-time vs. Buffalo: 11-7
Akron in games at Akron: 7-1
Akron in games at Buffalo: 4-6
Akron in games at a neutral site: 0-0
First meeting in series: 1999, at Buffalo, W, 17-10
Last meeting in series: 2018, at UB Stadium, L, 6-24

LAST GAME
The Akron-Kent State football rivalry was thriving as 22,619 fans stuffed InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field to watch the Zips and the Golden Flashes battle for the Wagon Wheel and Kent State hoisted the artifact with a 26-3 victory on Saturday.

Kato Nelson led the Zips' offense, completing 17-of-28 for 202 yards with a 35-yard long pass to Nate Stewart. Nelson also led the ground attack with 64 yards on 14 carries. Freshman RB Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio) followed with 21 yards on five carries.

Stewart led the receiving corps with 71 yards on four receptions, while freshman WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.) and Hicks caught four passes for 57 and 28 yards, respectively. Timothy Scippio also gained 28 yards on two receptions.

Defensively, Akron posted seven tackles for 19 yards of loss which included two sacks by redshirt junior DL Jaquize Cross (Buckhorn, Ala.) and redshirt senior LB Josh Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.). Cross posted the sack of four yards of loss, while Ward's totaled two.

Sophomore LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) led the squad in tackles with a career-high 15, while senior LB John Lako recorded 10 tackles.

POSTGAME NOTES

True freshman DB A.J. Watts (Columbus, Ga.) made his first appearance in the starting line-up.
Redshirt freshman Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) converted a 24-yard field goal in the second quarter, the first of his collegiate career.
Akron's scoring drive of 16 plays for 80 yards over 7:06 was the longest so far this season.
Michael Mathison's 100 kickoff return yards are the most since 156 by Van Edwards (at Kent State, 10-1-16).

ZIPS QUICK HITS

Seven of Akron's 2019 opponents were bowl eligible last fall: UAB (Boca Raton), Troy (Dollar General), Buffalo (Dollar General), Northern Illinois (Boca Raton), Miami (not selected), Eastern Michigan (Camillia), and Ohio (Frisco).
Akron has 52 student-athletes on its roster from the state of Ohio; 44 of those live within a 30-mile radius to campus.
The Akron defense, which lost eights starters from 2018, is under the guidance of its third coordinator in three seasons– Matt Feeney (2019), Todd Stroud (2018), and Chuck Amato (2017).
Three of the defensive starters that Matt Feeney had to replace this fall are currently on NFL rosters– LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Pittsburgh Steelers), DB Kyron Brown (New York Jets), and DE Jamal Davis II (Indianapolis).