Zips Sweep Weekly MAC Football Accolades

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MAC FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK RELEASE

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The University of Akron football team swept the weekly Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week honors as redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio), redshirt sophomore WR Gavin Blunt (Aurora, Ohio) and junior RB Teon Dollard (Lake City, Fla.) 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 sophomore RB Michiah Burton (Columbus, Ohio) 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.

Akron concludes its 2020 campaign traveling to Buffalo, N.Y. for a 2:30 p.m. tilt against No. 24 Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 12. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network as well as the Akron Radio Network 640 WHLO AM with Dave Skoczen and Joe Dunn calling the action.

The University of Akron Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Bubba Arslanian

Gavin Blunt

Michiah Burton

Teon Dollard

Kyle Romenick

Corey Thomas, Jr.

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