Akron Begins Second Half of MAC Slate Hosting Miami

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GAME NO. 4 - AKRON VS. MIAMI GAME NOTES (11/28)

Akron (0-3, 0-3 MAC) vs. Miami (1-1, 1-1 MAC)
Saturday, Nov. 28
InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field
Akron, Ohio • 1 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 35-25-2
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Radio: 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron football team begins the back nine of its 2020 schedule this Saturday, Nov. 28, as the Zips welcome Miami University to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The showdown with the RedHawks is set for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Anthony Lima and David Bacon calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Miami: Chuck Martin (Milliken, 1990), overall record: 105-53 (13th Season)/record at Miami: 31-45 (Seventh Season)
Akron: Tom Arth (John Carroll, 2003), overall record - 49-36 (Eighth Season)/record at Akron - 0-15 (Second Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Miami leads, 19-9-1
Arth vs. Miami: 0-1, Miami def. Akron, 20-17 (Oxford, Ohio - Nov. 20, 2019)
Last Meeting: Miami def. Akron, 20-17 (Oxford, Ohio - Nov. 20, 2019)
Last Meeting in Akron: Miami def. Akron, 41-17 (Akron, Ohio - Oct. 6, 2018)

Akron is meeting Miami for the 30th time in program history with the RedHawks owning a 19-9-1 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, Miami registered a 20-17 triumph past Akron on Nov. 20, 2019 at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. The Zips and RedHawks last met in Akron on Oct. 6, 2018 as Miami posted a 41-17 victory.

The series between the two schools dates back to the 1916 campaign when Miami earned a 23-6 road victory over Akron. The Zips and RedHawks have met every season since 2010 with Akron in search of its third home triumph over Miami in its last four games at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field dating back to a 29-19 victory past the RedHawks during the 2014 season.

UPDATED AKRON FOOTBALL FAN POLICY
The University of Akron announced a revision to the spectators' attendance policy in accordance with the Summit County Stay at Home Advisory guidelines that were issued on Thursday, Nov. 19, coupled with the Mid-American Conference Basketball Attendance Policy announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and an increase in positive cases across the state, family members and friends of the players and coaches, as well as fans, will not be permitted to attend on-campus events starting immediately, including Saturday's football game against Miami, through at least Dec. 16, 2020.

The University of Akron is following the Summit County Stay at Home Health Advisory issued by Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda.

The University will continue to work closely with state and local health officials on protocols for hosting events and make appropriate adjustments throughout the coming weeks. Please follow GoZips.com, the Akron Athletics app and all Zips' social media platforms for the most recent and up-to-date information.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 20, 2019 - OXFORD, OHIO)
Akron fell 20-17 to the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division Champions Miami RedHawks at Yager Stadium on Nov. 20, 2019.

The Akron defense did not make it easy for the Miami offense in the first quarter, limiting the RedHawks to three first downs and 44 yards of total offense, all on the ground. Despite having zero yards of receiving in the opening stanza, Miami was able to put the first points on the scoreboard. Akron only allowed six yards on four plays in the scoring drive, but Sam Sloman nailed a 44-yard field goal to give the home team a 3-0 advantage at the 2:31 mark.

Akron also struggled to get the offense going in the first quarter until senior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) found senior WR Nate Stewart (Bethlehem, Pa.) for a 40-yard pickup. The play moved Akron into scoring position at the Miami eight-yard line which the Zips converted into three points. when sophomore PK Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) split the uprights from 33-yards away.

The RedHawks responded with 14-points to take a 17-3 halftime lead. During the second stanza, Miami gained 120 yards on the ground and 59 yards in the air as RB Tyre Shelton recorded the first touchdown and RB Jaylon Bester claimed the second score.

The defensive battle spilled into the second half as the Zips outscored the RedHawks 14-3 in the final 30 minutes. LB John Lako started the scoring with a pick-6, intercepting Miami QB Brett Gabbert at the Akron 36 yardline and taking the ball 64 yards for the touchdown. The Zips trailed 17-10 with 4:29 left in the third quarter.

After a 23-yard field goal by Miami, the Zips found pay dirt again. It was the lone score of the fourth quarter as Akron used six plays to travel 75 yards in 1:57. Nelson gained 12 yards on the ground and threw for 63 yards. Stewart and redshirt junior WR Jeremiah Knight (Jefferson, Ohio) caught passes of 12 and 17 yards, respectively, before junior WR Timothy Scippio (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) snagged a 34-yard touchdown pass from Nelson. With 13:17 left to play in the game, the Zips trailed 20-17.

Akron had two additional possessions and gained four first downs, but could not put more points on the scoreboard.

Sophomore LB Corey Thomas, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) intercepted Gabbert's first miscue and Lako grabbed the second with a 64-yard return and six points. Lako led the Zips' defense with 14 tackles and a sack that totaled eight yards of loss. Redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) followed with 12 tackles and DB Alvin Davis, Jr. had 10 takedowns.

A WIN WOULD GIVE AKRON
• Its first victory of the 2020 season
• Its first victory under head coach Tom Arth
• The 50th career coaching win for head coach Tom Arth
• Its first home win of the season
• Its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami enters play this Saturday following a 42-10 setback at Buffalo on Nov. 10. The RedHawks were 8-6 a season ago, including a 6-2 mark in the Mid-American Conference en route to an appearance at the Lending Tree Bowl, where Miami fell to Louisiana, 27-17.

Redshirt sophomore QB AJ Mayer is 23-of-49 for 328 yards, including throwing four touchdowns for the RedHawks, while in limited action sophomore QB Brett Gabbert is 5-of-8 for 76 yards. Senior RB Zach Kahn has rushed for 81 yards on the strength of 17 carries. Senior WR Jack Sorenson has hauled in 177 yards receiving on a team-high 10 catches.

Senior LB Ryan McWood has directed Miami's defensive attack recording 28 tackles, including a team-high 11 solo stops and 17 assists. Sophomore LB Ivan Pace has added 20 tackles.

The RedHawks' total 680 yards of offense, throwing for 407 yards and rushing for 273 yards, while defensively, Miami has recorded 160 total tackles (83T/77A), 10 tackles for a loss, 10 pass break-ups and one interception.

As a team, the RedHawks are rated fourth in the NCAA in fewest penalties (9) and punt return defense (-0.50), eighth in first-down defense (48) and net punting (43.91), 11th in fewest penalty yards (80), 13th in fewest penalty yards per contest (40.0), 23rd in yards per completion (14.03), 24th in team passing efficiency defense (179.84) and 31st in fourth-down conversions (.667).

Individually, McWood is second in the NCAA in total tackles (14), 13th in interceptions per game (0.5), and 33rd in solo tackles (5.5). Sophomore DL Lonnie Phelps and senior DL Dominque Robinson are ninth in sacks (1), Mayer is 21st in passing yards per completion (14.26), freshman P Dom Dzioban is 27th in punting (43.8), Pace is 28th in total tackles and Sorenson is 34th in receiving yards per contest (88.5).

LAST GAME
University of Akron junior RB Teon Dollard (Lake City, Fla.) rushed for a career-high 202 yards, including scoring four touchdowns, but Kent State retained the Wagon Wheel with a 69-35 victory over the Zips in Mid-American Conference football action on Nov. 17, at Dix Stadium, as part of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge.

Dollard became the first Akron player to rush for more than 200 yards since Dennis Kennedy post a 277-yard effort against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008. He also finished with four touchdowns on the ground, the most for a Zip since Bobby Hendry rushed for five scores versus Eastern Michigan on Nov. 24, 2001.

Akron finished the game registering more than 350 total yards of offensive production for the second consecutive game as the Zips collected 366 yards on the strength of 212 yards on the ground and 154 through the air. Kent State concluded the game with 390 yards passing and 360 rushing.

Freshman WR Tony Grimes, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the Zips with 51 yards receiving on the strength of a team-high four catches, while redshirt freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.) was 9-of-15 for 154 yards.

LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) directed Akron's defensive efforts turning in a season- and team-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops. Sophomore CB A.J. Watts (Columbus, Ga.) added a career-best 12 tackles, with nine solo tackles.

The Golden Flashes got on the scoreboard first as Kent State capitalized on an interception driving five plays on 46 yards capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Marquez Cooper at the 12:05 mark of the first quarter.

After being unsuccessful on their opening drive, the Zips made a key special-teams play as Kent State's Isaac Vance fumbled the ball on the punt return with the ball being recovered at the Golden Flashes' 10-yard line by Arslanian at the 8:49 mark.

On a third-and-goal play from the five-yard line, Gibson rushed for three yards before the ball was fumbled into the end zone. Recovering the ball for the Zips for the touchdown was redshirt freshman OL Xavior Gray (Massillon, Ohio) to knot the score at seven with 7:52 left in the opening quarter.

The Golden Flashes answered on the ensuing drive with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive as QB Dustin Crum rushed 15 yards into the endzone to give Kent State a 14-7 lead.

The Zips took the ball with 13:50 remaining in the half and went 86 yards on eight plays to even the score at 14 on a 28-yard touchdown run by Dollard.

On a 3rd-and-16 play from the Akron 34-yard line, Gibson hit WR Nate Stewart for a 26-yard reception to the Kent State 40-yard line. Gibson then connected with Grimes for a 17-yard catch to the Golden Flashes' 23-yard line. After an Akron penalty back the ball up five yards, Dollard took the hand-off and found the back of the endzone for the first time as a Zip.

A 75-yard touchdown pass from Crum to Isaiah McCoy on the opening play of the next drive gave the Golden Flashes a 21-14 lead.

Dollard had an answer for the Zips taking the opening play of the next drive 59 yards to the back of the house for his second touchdown of the quarter with 9:38 left before halftime.

Kent State then drove 79 yards on nine plays to assume a 28-21 advantage after Cooper scored a 19-yard touchdown.

The Zips again had an answer going 64 yards on nine plays over 4:44 to knot the contest at 28 after Dollard's third touchdown of the quarter, a 13-yard run, with 58 second left before halftime.

Key plays in the drive were a 12-yard reception from Gibson to Grimes Jr. on 3rd-and-6 from the Kent State 46-yard line, as well as a 15-yard catch over the middle of the field by redshirt junior TE Maverick Wolfley (Morgantown, W.Va.) to the Golden Flashes' 30-yard line.

Kent State went into the intermission maintaining a 35-28 lead as Crum completed an 11-yard pass to Ja'Shaun Poke with 15 seconds left in the half.

The Golden Flashes extended their lead to 42-28 on a nine-yard rush by Crum at the 13:08 mark of the third quarter, before Cooper rushed for one yard for a touchdown to make it 49-28 at the 9:14 mark.

Akron moved down to the Kent State 13-yard line on their next possession but were unable to convert a 4th-and-4 play turning the ball over on downs.

Crum added another touchdown pass, this time 13 yards to Bryan Bradford with 20 second left in the third quarter to extend the lead for the Golden Flashes to 55-28 after the two-point conversion failed.

Dollard continued his ground assault on the evening scoring his fourth touchdown of the night on an eight-yard run with 12:50 left in the game.

The Golden Flashes added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to account for the final margin.

DOLLARD OFF TO FAST START RUSHING THE BALL
RB Teon Dollard has gotten of smashing start to his Akron career rushing the ball running for a team-best 434 yards on 66 carries. His 202 yards against Kent State (Nov. 17) represented the highest single-game rushing total Dennis Kennedy post a 277-yard effort against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008. Dollard became Akron's first 100-yard rusher since Van Edwards Jr. ran for 109 yards vs. Morgan State on Sept. 28, 2018, with a 39-yard scamper on a 3rd-and-1 play from the Zips' 39-yard line against Ohio (Nov. 10).

He is ranked seventh in the NCAA in rushing (144.7), 15th in rushing yards per carry (6.58) and 19th in all-purpose yards (152.0).

Dollard became the fourth Zips since 2000 to rush for 200 or more yards in a game joining Dennis Kennedy (277 at Eastern Michigan - Oct. 18, 2008), Bobby Hendry (240 vs. Liberty - Oct. 12, 2002), Brandon Payne (207 vs. Connecticut - Oct. 21, 2000).

Dollard became the first Akron player to rush for more than 200 yards since Dennis Kennedy post a 277-yard effort against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 18, 2008. He also finished with four touchdowns on the ground, the most for a Zip since Bobby Hendry rushed for five scores versus Eastern Michigan on Nov. 24, 2001.

ZIP TIDBITS
• WR Nate Stewart reached 1,000 yards receiving for his collegiate career after pulling in two catches for 68 yards at Kent State on Nov. 17. He enters play against Miami with 1,010 career receiving yards.
• RB Teon Dollard is ranked seventh in the NCAA in rushing (144.7), 15th in rushing yards per carry (6.58) and 19th in all-purpose yards (152.0), while PK Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) is 38th in field goal percentage (.750) and 56th in field goals (1.00).
• RB Jeremiah Knight's (Jefferson, Ohio) is ranked ninth among active career leaders in the NCAA in punt return touchdowns (1), 15th in kickoff returns per game (1.8), 19th in kickoff returns, 23rd in kickoff return yards per contest (35.6), 24th in combined kick returns (1,063), 27th in kickoff return yards, 46th in punt return yards per tilt (7.0) and 50th in punt return yards.
• Bubba Arslanian has had 10 or more total tackles in 11 of the last 15 games overall. He has led the Zips in tackles all three games this season and four straight overall and in six of Akron's last eight contests dating back to the 2019 campaign.
• Bubba Arslanian is rated 10th in the NCAA in total tackles (11.3), 11th in solo tackles (6.7) and 49th in fumbles recovered (1) and ranks 30th among active career leaders in the NCAA in total tackles per contest (6.37) and 64th in assisted tackles (91).
• DB A.J. Watts established career-high marks for tackles (12) and solo stops (9) against Kent State (Nov. 17). He is ranked 32nd in the NCAA in forced fumbles (1)
• The Zips are rated ninth in the NCAA in fewest penalties (14) and fewest penalties per game (38.00), 10th in fewest penalty yards (114), 17th in fewest penalties (4.67), 24th in punt return defense (2.71), 29th in first-down defense (73), 42nd in red-zone defense (.875) 45th in rushing offense (186.0) and 50th in time of possession (31.07).
• Teon Dollard and Jeremiah Knight are ranked 19th and 32nd, respectively, in the NCAA in all-purpose yards averaging 152.0 and 137.33 yards per game.
• Jeremiah Knight is rated 33rd in the NCAA in combined kick returns (290).
• Akron is 7-for-8 in the red zone this season, including a pair of touchdown passes from QB Zach Gibson.
• Five of Akron's 2020 opponents were bowl eligible a year ago: Buffalo, Kent State, Miami, Ohio and Western Michigan.

UP NEXT
Akron concludes its 2020 home campaign hosting Bowling Green in a 2 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Dec. 5. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Dave Skoczen and Joe Dunn calling the action.

Akron Begins Second Half of MAC Slate Hosting Miami

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Players Mentioned

Bubba Arslanian

Alvin Davis, Jr.

Teon Dollard

Zach Gibson

Xavior Gray

Tony Grimes, Jr.

Jeremiah Knight

John Lako

Kato Nelson

Timothy Scippio

Cory Smigel

Nate Stewart

Corey Thomas, Jr.

A.J. Watts

Maverick Wolfley

The University of Akron Athletics