Akron Kicks Off Home Campaign Hosting Temple

Saturday, September 11

Akron, Ohio

3:30 PM

University of Akron

Temple

September 08 | Football

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GAME NO. 2 - AKRON VS TEMPLE NOTES (9/11)

Akron (0-1) vs. Temple (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 11
InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field
Akron, Ohio • 3:30 p.m.

Series History: Temple leads 14-7
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 welcomes former Mid-American Conference foe Temple to InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field for the Zips' home opener on Saturday, Sept. 11. The 3:30 p.m. tilt will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi and Jerod Cherry calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.

HEAD COACHES
Temple: Rod Carey (Indiana, 1994), overall record: 61-42 (10th Season)/record at Temple: 9-12 (Third Season)
Akron: Tom Arth (John Carroll, 2003), overall record - 50-39 (Ninth Season)/record at Akron - 1-18 (Third Season)

SERIES HISTORY
Temple leads, 14-7
Arth vs. Temple: First Meeting
Last Meeting: Temple def. Akron, 41-3 (Akron, Ohio - Sept. 10, 2011)
Last Meeting in Akron: Temple def. Akron, 41-3 (Akron, Ohio - Sept. 10, 2011)

The game between the Zips and Owls will mark the 22nd encounter between the two schools. Temple leads the all-time series, 14-7, including a 41-3 triumph in the last meeting nearly 10 years to the day on Sept. 10, 2011.

SCOUTING TEMPLE
Temple enters play against Akron following a 61-14 setback at Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 4. A season ago, the Owls posted a 1-6 ledger, including a 1-6 mark in the American Athletic Conference.

Redshirt freshman QB D'Wan Mathis paces the Temple attack throwing for 148 yards on 8-of-25 passing against the Scarlet Knights. Redshirt freshman RB Edward Saydee and freshman QB Justin Lynch rushed for 57 and 39 yards, respectively, with Saydee and Mathis collecting touchdowns on the ground. Redshirt sophomore WR Jose Barbon and senior WR Randle Jones combined to pull in three catches for 86 yards.

Defensively, the trio of redshirt freshmen LB Jordan Magee and S M.J. Griffin and freshman S Alex Odom combined to record 22 tackles, including posting eight, seven and seven stops, respectively. Magee made 2.5 tackles for a loss against Rutgers.

As a team, Temple averages 14.0 points per game, while registering 248 yards per game, including throwing for 148 yards and rushing for 116 yards per tilt.

As a team, Temple is ranked second in the NCAA in red zone offense (1.000), sixth in passing yards per completion (18.50), 13th in tackles for a loss (9.0), 25th in fewest penalty yards (30).

Individually, Mathis is ranked seventh in passing yards per completion (18.50), Magee is 15th in tackles for a loss (2.5), Barbon is rated 36th in yards per catch (24.00), while redshirt freshman WR De'Von Fox is 35th in kickoff returns (19.0) and junior P Adam Barry is 45th in punting (42.3).

LAST GAME
The University of Akron football team opened the 2021 football season with a 60-10 setback to Southeastern Conference powerhouse Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday., Sept. 4.

The Tigers established an early 13-0 advantage with a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, using a six-play 65-yard drive for the initial touchdown and a seven-play 66-yard drive for the second score. By the end of the half, Auburn led 37-0, adding three additional TD's and a field goal as time expired.

Redshirt sophomore QB DJ Irons (Lawrenceville, Ga.) sparked Akron to a pair of second-half scoring drives going a perfect 13-for-13 for 129 yards, including a four-yard touchdown to freshman RB Jonzell Norrils (Toledo, Ohio) in the fourth quarter. Senior QB Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.), who earned the start for the Zips, concluded the contest hitting on 9-of-14 attempts.

Redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian (Aurora, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore LB Jeslord Boateng (Dublin, Ohio) anchored the Zips defense collecting 15 of tackles. Arslanian led Akron with a game-high eight tackles, including four solo stops, while Boateng, junior CB Charles Amankwaa (Hillsborough, N.J.), redshirt junior S Kevin Dever, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio) and redshirt junior CB Jaylen Kelly-Powell (Detroit, Mich.) added seven, four, four and four tackles, respectively. Boateng and sophomore DL Bryce Wilson (Lilburn, Ga.) each collected a tackle for a loss for the Zips in the game.

Akron registered 188 yards of total offense led by 115 all-purpose yards from sophomore WR Michael Mathison (Covington, Ga.), who hauled in a team-high seven passes for 68 yards, including a long of 24 yards. Norrils headlined Akron's rushers with 22 yards, while pulling in a pair of passes for 21 yards, including his first career receiving score in the fourth quarter.

Nelson was 9-of-12 in the opening half for 62 yards, including a 17-yard pass to Norrils in the second quarter. Norrils paced Akron with 29 all-purpose yards in the first half.

Junior WR George Qualls, Jr. (Caruthersville, Mo.) pulled in a pair of passes in the opening half for a team-high 18 yards, while freshman WR Konata Mumpfield (Hoschoton, Ga.) added two receptions for 14 yards.

Auburn QB Bo Nix was 18-of-20 for 252 yards and three touchdowns, while RB Tank Bigsby rushed for 90 first-half yards and a pair of touchdowns. Nix and Bigsby finished the game registering 275 passing yards and 121 yards rushing, respectively.

The Tigers extended their advantage with a pair of five-play scoring drives in the third quarter.

Irons sparked the Zips to their first touchdown of the season driving Akron on an 11-play, 80-yard drive over 6:30 capped by a four-yard pass to Norrils at the 13:28 mark of the fourth quarter. Irons was a perfect 5-for-5 on the drive for 63 yards.

Irons had completions of 24, 22 and 10 yards, respectively, to Mathison, redshirt freshman RB Anthony Williams, Jr. (Chicago, Ill.) and Qualls on the drive. The biggest play on the scoring drive was a 22-yard strike to Williams on a 4th-and-5 play from Auburn's 40-yard line.

On the ensuing drive, Irons drove the Zips 40 yards, including connecting on a seven-yard completion to freshman WR Oran Singleton, Jr. (Clewiston, Fla.) on a 4th-and-3 play from Auburn's 27-yard line.

Redshirt sophomore PK Cory Smigel (North Royalton, Ohio) capped the drive with a 40-yard field goal that split the uprights with 2:48 left in the game. The kick was one yard shy of a career-long 41-yard field goal against Western Michigan on Nov. 4, 2020.

ARSLANIAN LEADS THE DEFENSE
LB Bubba Arslanian led Akron in the 2021 season debut against Auburn, recording a game-high eight tackles. He distributed four solo take downs and four assisted stops. He has led the Zips in tackles over the last seven games overall and in 10 of Akron's last 12 contests dating back to the 2019 campaign. He has recorded 112 solo tackles, including 47 this past season, and 108 career assisted tackles. He is ranked 77th among active career leaders across all divisions in total tackles per game (7.10), 88th in assisted tackles (108) and 92nd in total tackles (220).

He 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 led the NCAA in solo tackles (7.8) and in total tackles (12.3), while ranking 20th among active career leaders in the NCAA in total tackles per contest (7.07), 49th in solo tackles per game (3.60), 54th in assisted tackles (104) and 73rd in total tackles (212).

In MAC play, Arslanian headlined the league in total tackles (74), solo tackles (47) and tackles per game (12.3), while ranking sixth in assisted tackles (27) and eighth in sacks (0.50).

Arslanian turned in a dominant performance to help lift the Zips to a 31-3 victory over Bowling Green on Dec. 5, 2020 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 had 10 or more total tackles in 14 of the last 19 games overall. Arslanian surpassed the 200-tackle plateau for his career against Buffalo on Dec. 12, 2020.

ARSLANIAN NAMED TO REESE'S SENIOR BOWL WATCHLIST
University of Akron redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian was among a decorated group of players named to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist for the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl to be played on Feb. 5, 2022 in Mobile, Ala.

The Reese's Senior Bowl is the nation's most prestigious college all-star game, as it annually serves as the first step of the NFL Draft process, which explains their hashtag, #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE. The Reese's Senior Bowl had 106 total players drafted and 36 selected in the first three rounds this year's NFL Draft. The 106 figure represents 41 percent of the NFL Draft. This year's game will be held February 5, 2022 and broadcast on the NFL Network. Practices will be live on ESPN and NFL Network hosts a daily recap show each evening in primetime.

ARSLANIAN PULLS IN THE PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Bubba Arslanian was among the nominees for the Wuerffel Trophy, College Football's Premier Award for Community Service, when the award announced its watch list of 93 players from college football's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented in February annually in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service in the world.

Additionally, Arslanian was among the nominees Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, the 30th year of this storied recognition. Student-athletes were nominated with stories of exemplary community service, alongside their academic dedication and impact on and off the field.

This year's candidates include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders and community champions. These nominees have volunteered to build homes, mentor underprivileged kids, aid in COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as advocate against domestic violence and racial injustice.

ZIP TIDBITS
• Five Zips made their first starting appearance against Auburn in 2021 season opener as ILB Jeslord Boateng, senior DL Zach Morton (Detroit, Mich.) and freshman S Ronald Jackson, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) started on defense, additionally WR Konata Mumpfield and RB Jonzell Norrils received starts on offense.
• QB DJ Irons was perfect in debut as a Zip, completing 13-of-13 passes for 129 yards with his first passing touchdown coming to Norrils in the fourth quarter.
• RB Jonzell Norrils posted his second-career touchdown and first of 2021 with a four-yard reception in the fourth quarter versus Auburn.
• ILB Jeslord Boateng recorded a team-best five solo tackles in his Akron debut, and finished with seven total stops.
• LB Bubba Arslanian recorded a team-best eight tackles against Auburn.
• QB Kato Nelson is Akron's active career leader in rushing attempts (346), pass attempts (778), pass completions (407), passing yards (5,200) and passing TD's (34) and is responsible for 36 career offensive TD's.
• Eight different Zips pulled in a reception for Akron against Auburn. WR Michael Mathison led the Zips with a career-high seven catches for 68 yards. Adding four, three, two, two and two receptions, respectively, was WR George Qualls, Jr., WR Konata Mumpfield, RB Jonzell Norrils, RB Anthony Williams, Jr., and WR Oran Singleton, Jr.
• In his Akron debut as punter, redshirt sophomore Ethan Slike (Greensburg, Pa.) registered five punts for 250 yards, including a career-long of 60 yards.
• For the second time in its last three games dating back to last season, Akron didn't commit a turnover in the Zips' season opener at Auburn. Akron matched the feat a year ago in a 31-3 triumph past Bowling Green on Dec. 5, 2020.
• For the first time since battling Florida Atlantic on Dec. 19, 2017 at the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, the Zips were involved in a game where neither team commited a turnover. The last Akron regular season contest in which this occurred happened on Sept. 28, 2013 at Bowling Green.
• Akron is rated first in the NCAA In fourth down conversion defense (.000), second in red zone offense (1.000), fourth in completion percentage (.815), eighth in time of possession (35:44), 26th in net punting (44.0), 32nd in fewest penalty yards (35), 35th in fewest penalties (5) and 41st in team passing efficiency (153.13).
• Individually, Ethan Slike is rated sixth in the NCAA in punting (50.0), while Michael Mathison is 23rd in kickoff returns (23.0) and receptions per game (7.0).
• Four of Akron's 2021 opponents played in bowl a year ago: Auburn, Ball State, Buffalo and Ohio State.

UP NEXT
The University of Akron football team will be back at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field Saturday, Sept. 18 against Bryant. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on ESPN3 or via live stats on GoZips.com.