Zips Conclude Campaign at No. 24 Buffalo

Saturday, December 12

Buffalo, N.Y. | UB Stadium

2:30 PM

University of Akron

Buffalo

December 10 | Football

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GAME NO. 6 - AKRON AT BUFFALO GAME NOTES (12/12)

Akron (1-4, 1-4 MAC) at No. 24 Buffalo (4-0, 4-0 MAC)
Saturday, Dec. 12
UB Stadium
Buffalo, N.Y. • 2:30 p.m.

Series History: Akron leads 11-8
Live Stats: www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required)
Television: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required)
Radio: 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)

WHAT'S AHEAD
The University of Akron football team concludes its 2020 schedule this Saturday, Dec. 12, as the Zips face a road test at No. 24 Buffalo. The showdown with the Bulls is set for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network with Ed Cohen and Malik Zaire calling the action.

HEAD COACHES
Buffalo: Lance Leipold (UW-Whitewater, 1987), overall record: 145-38 (15th Season)/record at Buffalo: 32-35 (Sixth Season)
Akron: Tom Arth (John Carroll, 2003), overall record - 50-37 (Eighth Season)/record at Akron - 1-16 (Second Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Akron leads, 11-8
Arth vs. Buffalo: 0-1, Buffalo def. Akron, 21-0 (Akron, Ohio - Oct. 19, 2019)
Last Meeting: Buffalo def. Akron, 21-0 (Akron, Ohio - Oct. 19, 2019)
Last Meeting in Buffalo: Buffalo def. Akron, 24-6 (Buffalo, N.Y. - Oct. 13, 2018)

Akron is meeting Buffalo for the 20th time in program history with the Zips owning a 11-8 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Bulls registered a 21-0 triumph past Akron on Oct. 19, 2019 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The Zips and Bulls last met in Buffalo on Oct. 13, 2018 as Buffalo posted a 24-6 victory.

The series between the two schools dates back to the 1999 campaign when Akron earned an 17-10 road victory over Buffalo. The Zips and Bulls have met every season since 2014 with Akron in search of its fifth road triumph over Buffalo.

IN OUR LAST MEETING (OCT. 19, 2019 - AKRON, OHIO)
Akron dropped a 21-0 decision to Buffalo in Mid-American Conference action at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on Oct. 19, 2019.

Defense dominated play for both teams as the game only produced one offensive touchdown and a pair of defensive scores. The lone offensive score came on the first drive of the game as Buffalo turned the opening kickoff into seven points. The Bulls used 14 plays to drive 75 yards in 7:13. The scoring drive was capped by a two-yard rush from Kevin Marks.

After the initial drive, the Zips and the Bulls battled back-and-forth, fighting for field position. Akron marched into Buffalo territory two times during the second quarter, but the Bulls' defense forced the Zips into a pair of 45-yard field goal attempts. The Zips missed the mark on both, and neither team put points on the scoreboard for the rest of the half. At halftime, Buffalo led 7-0.

In the second half, Buffalo caused a pair of fumbles that resulted in 14 points. At the 3:54 mark of the third quarter, Buffalo's Taylor Riggins sacked Akron's redshirt freshman QB Zach Gibson (Alpharetta, Ga.) and stripped the ball in the process. Buffalo's Ledarius Mack recovered the loose ball and returned it 35 yards to the endzone. Later, in the fourth quarter, the Bulls caused a second sack-fumble play for the score as Kadofi Wright knocked the ball out of Gibson's hand near the one-yard line and recovered the ball in the endzone.

Defensively, the Zips only allowed seven points as LB John Lako led the way with 14 tackles, adding two tackles for four yards of loss. Jalen Hooks followed with nine tackles and sophomore DB A.J. Watts (Columbus, Ga.) had seven tackles, a forced fumble and two pass break-ups.

Gibson led the Zips' offense, completing 22-of-39 passes for 193 yards with a long of 39 yards to redshirt junior RB Jeremiah Knight (Jefferson, Ohio). Redshirt junior WR Julian Hicks (Cleveland, Ohio) led the Zips' receiving corps with nine receptions for 51 yards, while senior WR Nate Stewart (Bethlehem, Pa.) followed with five catches for 42 yards.

AKRON FOOTBALL HAS
• Been selected to finish sixth in the MAC East in 2020 by the media and the coaches
• Appeared in a bowl twice in three seasons, a program first [2015, 2017]

A WIN WOULD GIVE AKRON
• Its second victory and first road win of the 2020 season
• Its second victory under head coach Tom Arth
• Its second Mid-American Conference victory of the season

SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo enters play this Saturday following a 70-41 victory over Kent State on Nov. 28. The Bulls were 8-5 a season ago, including a 5-3 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo earned a 31-9 triumph past Charlotte in the 2019 Bahamas Bowl.

Junior QB Kyle Vantrease is 47-of-78 for 753 yards, including throwing five touchdowns for the Bulls.

Junior RB Jaret Patterson, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, has rushed for 920 yards on the strength of 107 carries, including 16 touchdowns. Senior WR Antonio Nunn has hauled in 348 yards receiving on a team-high 19 catches.

Junior LB James Patterson has directed Buffalo's defensive attack recording 37 tackles, including a team-high 22 solo stops and 15 assists.

The Bulls total 2,048 yards of offense, rushing for 1,295 yards and passing for 753 yards, while defensively, Buffalo has recorded 309 total tackles (182T/127A), 19 tackles for a loss, 17 pass break-ups. and eight sacks.

As a team, the Bulls are leading the NCAA in scoring offense (50.8) and winning percentage (1.000), second in rushing offense (323.8) and turnover margin (1.50), third in passing yards per completion (16.02) and defensive touchdowns (3), sixth in punt return defense (0.00), eighth in red-zone offense (.944) and third-down conversion percentage (.524), 10th in total offense (512.0), 14th in punt returns (13.50), 16th in team passing efficiency (159.94), 17th in first-down defense (91), 19th in fewest penalties (25) and third-down conversion defense (.327), 23rd in fewest penalty yards (240), 29th in red-zone defense (.765), 38th in scoring defense (24.5) and 39th in team passing efficiency defense (125.58).

Individually, Patterson is leading the NCAA in all-purpose yards (230.0), rushing yards per carry (8.60), rushing yards per game (230.0) and scoring (24.0), second in points responsible for per game (24.0), third in rushing touchdowns (16), fourth in total touchdowns (16), fifth in total points scored (96), 10th in rushing yards (920) and 50th in points responsible for (96). Vantrease is rated fourth in yards per completion (16.02), 14th in yards per pass attempt (9.65) and 21st in passing efficiency (159.9), while Nunn is 34th in receiving yards per game (87.0) and 35th in yards per reception (18.32).

LAST GAME
Three defensive takeaways along with 185 yards rushing from junior RB Teon Dollard (Lake City, Fla.) propelled the University of Akron football squad to a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday, Dec. 5, at InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field.

The triumph represented the 50th career coaching win for Zips' head coach Tom Arth and first at Akron.

Dollard rushed for a game-high 185 yards on 26 carries for the Zips (1-4, 1-4 MAC), while QB Zach Gibson completed 9-of-17 passes for 87 yards, including one touchdown pass.

Freshman TE Tristian Brank (Asheville, N.C.), sophomore WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.) and junior WR George Qualls, Jr. (Caruthersville, Md.) combined for eight catches for Akron totaling 32, 27 and 23 yards, respectively.

The Zips finished the contest with 282 total yards, including 195 yards rushing, while the Falcons recorded 295 total yards.

Redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) directed Akron's defensive efforts on the afternoon registering a season- and team-high 16 tackles, including garnering a career-best 11 solo stops. Sophomore CB Randy Cochran, Jr. (Doralville, Ga.) and senior DL Ja'Quize Cross (Buckhorn, Ala.) added seven and five tackles, respectively.

Redshirt sophomore WR Gavin Blunt (Aurora, Ohio) highlighted the Zips' special team efforts on day recovering a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown as well as a fumble recovery in the opening quarter.

The Zips struck the first blow in the game as Blunt dove onto a Bowling Green fumble by Jake Rogers at the visitor 11-yard line off the Akron punt at the 12:51 mark of the opening quarter.

Four plays later, the Zips assumed a lead they didn't relinquish on a 36-yard field goal from redshirt sophomore K Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) at the 10:20 mark.

The Falcons answered with a 16-play, 61-yard drive of their own to knot the score at three as Nate Needham kicked a 23-yard field goal with 2:12 left in the first quarter.

The Zips took the lead for good with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Gibson to Qualls, Jr. with 11:54 left before halftime. The scoring play capped a 10-play, 75-yard effort from Akron. Qualls caught passes of 10 and 12 yards on the drive, while Mathison pulled in a 19-yard pass from Gibson.

After the two sides exchanged drives, a heady play on special teams by Arslanian downed the Zips' punt at the Bowling Green two-yard line.

Akron forced the Falcons into a punt where sophomore RB Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio) blocked the Mason Lawler attempt in the endzone and Blunt recovered the ball for the touchdown to extend the Zips' lead to 17-3 with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter.

Each team posted 132 yards of offense in the opening half as Dollard paced the Zips on the ground with 58 yards, while Gibson passed for 57 yards.

Arslanian led Akron with six first-half tackles.

The Zips opened the second half with their first interception of the season as CB A.J. Watts picked off Labronz Davis' pass at the Akron 17-yard line returning the ball 44 yards to the Falcons' 39-yard line at the 12:53 mark.

Four plays later, Dollard went on nine-yard rush into the endzone with 10:45 left in the quarter to extend Akron's lead to 24-3. A 29-yard completion from Gibson to Brank highlighted the efforts on the drive.

A key sack by Arslanian with 12:37 left in the game on a 4th-and-7 play for Bowling Green on Akron's 32-yard line, gave the Zips the ball on the 43-yard line.

On 2nd-and-10, Dollard rushed for 10 yards to the midfield stripe before breaking off a 50-yard run to the back of the endzone to push the Akron margin to 31-3 with 11:34 remaining in the game. The run represented Dollard's second rush of 50 over more yards this season.

The two teams exchanged a pair of drives before the Zips exited the field with a 31-3 triumph.

ZIPS SWEEP WEEKLY MAC FOOTBALL ACCOLADES
The University of Akron football team swept the weekly Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week honors as LB Bubba Arslanian, WR Gavin Blunt and RB Teon Dollard garnered accolades, the league announced on Monday, Dec. 7.

Arslanian was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week, while Blunt and Dollard earned Special Teams and Offensive Player of the Week honors, respectively.

Arslanian turned in a dominant performance to help lift the Zips to a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday, Dec. 5, with a 16-tackle performance. His 16 total tackles represented a season-high mark, while equaling a career-high total with 11 solo stops, to go along with five assists.

On a second-quarter punt, Arslanian knocked the kick back off the goal line to see the ball downed at the two-yard line. He then tackled Bowling Green RB Andrew Clair for a one-yard loss on first down that nearly resulted in a safety. Three plays later, Akron blocked the punt and recovered the ball for a touchdown.

Arslanian also played a key role on special teams, forcing a fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by redshirt freshman CB Corey Thomas, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

He recorded a pair of tackles for a loss on the afternoon, including a key fourth-quarter sack on a 4th-and-7 play from the Akron 32-yard line that resulted in an 11-yard loss.

Blunt turned in a huge day for the Zips recovering a Bowling Green fumble at the 11-yard line off a punt by redshirt freshman P Kyle Romenick (Fort Mill, S.C.) on what would have been the Falcons opening drive of the game.

Later in the game, Blunt recovered a blocked punt by RB Michiah Burton in the second quarter and fell on the ball in the endzone for a touchdown that gave Akron a 17-3 lead.

Dollard rushed for a game-high 185 yards on 26 carries against Bowling Green. He found the endzone twice, including a 50-yard TD scamper in the fourth quarter, as well as a nine-yard score in the third quarter. He has now rushed for a 150 or more yards three times this season and has a pair of touchdown runs of 50 or more yards.

Dollard rushed for 58 yards in the opening half before going for 127 in the second half. On the campaign, he owns six touchdowns and 641 yards rushing.

DOLLARD OFF TO STRONG START RUSHING THE BALL
RB Teon Dollard has started to his Akron career rushing the ball with a bang running for a team-best 641 yards on 105 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 eighth in the NCAA in rushing (128.2), 26th in all-purpose yards (134.0), 27th in rushing yards per carry (6.10) and 43rd in rushing yards (641).

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.

ARSLANIAN LEADS THE DEFENSE
LB Bubba Arslanian has turned in a dominant season as one of the premier linebackers in both the Mid-American Conference as well as the NCAA in 2020, leading the defensive efforts for the Zips. He is rated fifth in the NCAA in solo tackles (7.4) and in total tackles (12.2) and 73rd in fumbles recovered (1), while ranking 23rd among active career leaders in the NCAA in total tackles per contest (6.86), 56th in assisted tackles (101), 71st in solo tackles per game (3.38) and 78th in total tackles (199).

In MAC play, Arslanian headlines the league in total tackles (61), solo tackles (37) and tackles per game (12.2), while ranking fourth in assisted tackles (24) and seventh in sacks (0.60).

Arslanian turned in a dominant performance to help lift the Zips to a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green on Saturday, Dec. 5, with a 16-tackle effort. His 16 total tackles represented a season-high mark, while equaling a career-high total with 11 solo stops, to go along with five assists. His performance was recognized by @PFF_College, who rated Arslanian as grading out as the fourth-best linebacker in college football in Week 14.

Arslanian has had 10 or more total tackles in 13 of the last 17 games overall. He has led the Zips in tackles all five games this season and six straight overall and in eight of Akron's last 10 contests dating back to the 2019 campaign.

Arslanian enters the game at Buffalo one tackle shy of 200 for his Akron career. He has recorded 99 solo tackles, including 37 this season, and 101 career assisted tackles. He is ranked 23rd among active career leaders across all divisions in total tackles per game (6.86), 61st in assisted tackles (101), 76th in solo tackles per contest (3.38) and 84th in total tackles (199).

ZIP TIDBITS
• RB Teon Dollard is ranked eighth in the NCAA in rushing (128.2), 26th in all-purpose yards (134.0), 27th in rushing yards per carry (6.10) and 43rd in rushing yards (641), while RB Jeremiah Knight is 81st in all-purpose yards (105.0) and PK Cory Smigel is 31st in field goal percentage (.800).
• RB Jeremiah Knight is ranked 10th among active career leaders in the NCAA in punt return touchdowns (1), 13th in kickoff returns per game (1.9), 16th in kickoff returns, 19th in kickoff return yards, 21st in kickoff return yards per contest (36.3), 22nd in combined kick returns (1,144) and 55th in punt return yards per tilt (6.0) and in punt return yards.
• Jeremiah Knight's eight kickoff returns at Kent State equaled a school-record mark set by Matt Carter at Marshall on Oct. 27, 2001, and by Jeff Blakely versus Central Michigan on Oct. 15, 1994.
• Jeremiah Knight is rated 25th in the NCAA in combined kick returns (371).
• TE Tristian Brank equaled a career-high two catches for a career-best 32 yards against Bowling Green on Dec. 5, including a 29-yard reception.
• Twelve different Zips have pulled in a reception for Akron this season led by 12, 12, 11, 10 and 10 catches, respectively, from George Qualls, Jr., Nate Stewart, freshman WR Tony Grimes, Jr. (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Michael Mathison and Teon Dollard.
• DB A.J. Watts established career-high marks for tackles (12) and solo stops (9) against Kent State (Nov. 17).
• The Zips are rated second in the NCAA in fewest penalties per game (28.20), fourth in fewest penalties (4.00), fifth in fewest penalty yards (141), seventh in fewest penalties (20), 12th in blocked punts (1), 17th in red-zone defense (.750), 20th in red-zone offense (.917), 21st in fourth-down percentage defense (.400), 26th in first-down defense (103), 30th in blocked kicks (1) and 41st in time of possession (31.02).
• 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 Buffalo with 1,032 career receiving yards.
• Akron is 11-for-12 in the red zone this season, including eight touchdowns.

UP NEXT
Akron is slated for open its 2021 campaign at Auburn on Sept. 4, 2021.