The University of Akron Athletics
Saturday, October 22
Kent, Ohio
12:00 PM
University of Akron
at
Kent State
Wagon Wheel On the Line as Akron Battles Kent State
October 20 | Football
Akron (1-6, 0-3 MAC) at Kent State (2-5, 1-2 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 22
Dix Stadium
Kent, Ohio • 12 p.m.
Series History: Akron leads 35-27-2
Live Stats:Â www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television:Â www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Radio:Â 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)
Â
WHAT'S AHEAD
It is rivalry week for the University of Akron football team as the coveted Wagon Wheel is on the line with the Zips traveling to Dix Stadium to face Kent State in the latest installment of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge this year on Saturday, Oct. 22. The showdown with the Golden Flashes is set for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Doug Sherman and Forrest Conoly calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.
HEAD COACHES
Kent State: Sean Lewis (Wisconsin, 2007), overall record: 21-29 (Fifth Season)/record at Kent State: 21-29 (Fifth Season)
Akron: Joe Moorhead (Fordham, 1996), overall record - 53-31 (Seventh Season)/record at Akron - 1-6 (First Season)
SERIES HISTORY
Akron is meeting Kent State for the 65th time in program history with the Zips owning a 35-27-2 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Golden Flashes registered a 38-0 triumph past Akron on Nov. 20, 2021 at InfoCision Stadium. Akron and Kent State last met in Kent on Nov. 17, 2020 as the Golden Flashes posted a 69-35 victory.
The series between the two schools dates back to the 1923 campaign when Akron earned a 32-0 home victory over Kent State. The Zips and Golden Flashes have met every season since 1992.
CRYSTAL CLINIC ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER WAGON WHEEL CHALLENGE
Akron tackles Kent State as part of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge during its game on Saturday, Oct. 22. The 14-sport rivalry series between Akron and Kent State is based on a time-honored competition for an historic wooden wagon wheel trophy awarded originally in 1945 to the winner of the annual Akron-Kent State football game. Akron has won four of the last seven Wagon Wheel football games. The Golden Flashes lead the current series this year, 1.5-0.5, through three events.
Since the 2011-12 academic year, the rivalry was broadened to include 14 NCAA varsity sports, with victories in each sport adding one point to the challenge standings. To learn more about the rivalry and follow the results and standings, visit:
 www.WagonWheelChallenge.com
SCOUTING KENT STATE
Kent State enters action this week against Akron at 2-5 on the campaign, including 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 52-31 setback at Toledo on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Redshirt junior QB Collin Schlee directs the Golden Flashes' attack passing for 1,548 yards, including throwing for eight touchdowns. Junior RB Marquez Cooper has rushed for 708 yards, while running for eight touchdowns. The duo of redshirt junior WR Dante Cephas and redshirt sophomore WR Devontez Walker have pulled down a combined 80 passes for 687 and 544 yards, respectively, and five touchdowns apiece.
Defensively, the trio of senior S Nico Bolden, senior LB Marvin Pierre and redshirt sophomore S Jojo Evans have combined to record 63, 51 and 43 tackles, including posting 37, 28 and 28 solo stops, respectively. Kent State has tallied 10 sacks and 35 tackles for a loss.
As a team, the Golden Flashes average 27.7 points per game, while their opponents net 32.9 points per outing. Kent State has thrown for 225.9 yards and rushed for 205.0 yards per tilt.
As a team, the Golden Flashes rank 15th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.24), 19th in blocked punts (1), 23rd in first down offense (165) and third down conversions (.485), 25th in rushing offense (205.0), 35th in blocked kicks (1) and 43rd in kickoff return defense (18.48) and kickoff returns (21.96).
Individually, Schlee is ranked 11th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.47), 30th in yards per pass attempt (8.65) and 46th in total offense (269.6). Additionally, Cooper is rated 12th in the NCAA in rushing yards (708), 15th in rushing touchdowns (8), 16th in all purpose yards (139.29), 17th in rushing yards per game (101.1), 22nd in total touchdowns (8) and 37th in kickoff returns (21.8), while Walker is 28th in receiving touchdowns (5), 31st in receiving yards (544) and 48th in receiving yards per tilt (77.7) and Cephas is 10th in receiving yards (687), 13th in receiving yards per outing (98.1) and 23rd in receptions per game (6.3).
IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 20, 2021 - AKRON, OHIO)
The University of Akron football team came up short in its bid to recapture the Wagon Wheel as rival Kent State registered a 38-0 triumph past the Zips in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge on Nov. 20, 2021 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.
QB Zach Gibson led Akron completing 14-of-21 of his passes for 111 yards.
WR Konata Mumpfield and Michale Mathison led the Zips' receivers with a combined 76 yards. Sophomore RB Jonzell Norrils (Toledo, Ohio) paced Akron's ground attack with 50 yards and finished the game with 61 all-purpose yards, which included an 11-yard reception.
Sophomore LB Andrew Behm (Appleton, Wis.) led the Zips' defensive efforts with a game-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops. Sophomore CB Ronald Jackson, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) added nine tackles and five solos.
ZIP TIDBITS
• A trio of Zips recorded career-high marks for tackles against Central Michigan.
• CB Jaden Woods registered a career-high 10 tackles, including three solo stops against the Chippewas. It marked his first collegiate solo tackles as part of his initial double-digit tackle performance.
• DL Zach Morton recorded a career-best 2.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble versus Central Michigan.
• RB Clyde Price III ran for a touchdown against the Chippewas marking his third consecutive game finding the endzone for a score.
• LB Bubba Arslanian has posted a pair of 15-tackle performances in three career games against Kent State. In 2020, he tallied nine solo stops and six assists with a fumble recovery, while in 2019, he garnered six solo tackles and nine assists with a pass break-up.
• LB Bubba Arslanian surpassed the 300-tackle plateau for his decorated career at Akron with a 12-tackle effort against Bowling Green on Oct. 1 and enters play against Kent State with 332 career tackles. Additionally, his 16 tackles against Liberty stand as the 10th-best single-game effort in Division I this season.
• The Zips have posted an interception in four of Akron's seven games this season.
• WR Shocky Jacques-Louis has registered three 100-yard receiving games this season pulling in eight catches for 122 yards against Saint Francis (Sept. 1), nine receptions for 103 yards at Tennessee (Sept. 17) and 11 catches for 152 yards at Ohio (Oct. 8). He enters play against Kent State rated 23rd in the NCAA in receiving yards (579), 36th in receiving yards per game (82.7) and 32nd in receptions per outing (6.0).
• Akron is rated 26th in the NCAA in red zone offense (.905), 35th in blocked kicks (1), 37th in kickoff returns (22.33), 40th in passing offense (272.6), 44th in first down offense (152), 46th in kickoff return defense (18.64) and punt returns (9.62) and 47th in completion percentage (.646)
• Individually, QB DJ Irons is rated 25th in passing yards (1,816), 37th in total offense (286.1) and 43rd in passing yards per game (259.4), while WR Shocky Jacques-Louis is ranked 18th in combined kick returns (305), 26th in kickoff returns (23.5) and 28th in all purpose yards (126.29). LB Bubba Arslanian is rated fifth total tackles (11.0) and 32nd in solo tackles (5.1).
• LB Bubba Arslanian has sparked Akron's defensive efforts over the course of his decorated career having recorded 163 solo tackles, including 35 this season, and 169 career assisted tackles. He is ranked 17th among active career leaders across all divisions in total tackles (332), 21st in assisted tackles (169), 40th in solo tackles (163) and 62nd in total tackles per game (8.10). Additionally, he is rated seventh in Division I in total tackles (332), ninth in total tackles per contest (8.10) and in assisted tackles (169) and 19th in solo tackles (163) and solo tackles per tilt (3.98). Arslanian has had 10 or more total tackles in 21 of the last 29 games he has played in overall. Arslanian surpassed the 300-tackle plateau for his career against Bowling Green on Oct. 1, 2022.
• Junior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. (Delran, N.J.), is rated 28th among active career D1 leaders in touchdown passes (59), 36th in passes per game (27.82), 37th in total plays (6,111) and in total touchdowns responsible for (60), 44th in passing yards (6,495), 47th in passing yards per game (191.0), 52nd in total offense (6,111) and 58th in completion percentage (.549).
• Senior P Noah Gettman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) is ranked fifth among active career leaders in punting yards (9,658) and 12th in punts per game (5.15).
• Arslanian has paced the Zips in tackles over 19 of Akron's last 22 contests he has appeared in dating back to the 2019 campaign.
UP NEXT
Akron welcomes Miami to InfoCision Stadium for a noon kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Saturday, Oct. 22
Dix Stadium
Kent, Ohio • 12 p.m.
Series History: Akron leads 35-27-2
Live Stats:Â www.GoZips.com
Live Stream: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Television:Â www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required) and ESPN App
Radio:Â 640 WHLO AM (Dave Skoczen - pxp and Joe Dunn - color)
Â
WHAT'S AHEAD
It is rivalry week for the University of Akron football team as the coveted Wagon Wheel is on the line with the Zips traveling to Dix Stadium to face Kent State in the latest installment of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge this year on Saturday, Oct. 22. The showdown with the Golden Flashes is set for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Doug Sherman and Forrest Conoly calling the action with a link on GoZips.com.
HEAD COACHES
Kent State: Sean Lewis (Wisconsin, 2007), overall record: 21-29 (Fifth Season)/record at Kent State: 21-29 (Fifth Season)
Akron: Joe Moorhead (Fordham, 1996), overall record - 53-31 (Seventh Season)/record at Akron - 1-6 (First Season)
SERIES HISTORY
Akron is meeting Kent State for the 65th time in program history with the Zips owning a 35-27-2 series advantage. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Golden Flashes registered a 38-0 triumph past Akron on Nov. 20, 2021 at InfoCision Stadium. Akron and Kent State last met in Kent on Nov. 17, 2020 as the Golden Flashes posted a 69-35 victory.
The series between the two schools dates back to the 1923 campaign when Akron earned a 32-0 home victory over Kent State. The Zips and Golden Flashes have met every season since 1992.
CRYSTAL CLINIC ORTHOPAEDIC CENTER WAGON WHEEL CHALLENGE
Akron tackles Kent State as part of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge during its game on Saturday, Oct. 22. The 14-sport rivalry series between Akron and Kent State is based on a time-honored competition for an historic wooden wagon wheel trophy awarded originally in 1945 to the winner of the annual Akron-Kent State football game. Akron has won four of the last seven Wagon Wheel football games. The Golden Flashes lead the current series this year, 1.5-0.5, through three events.
Since the 2011-12 academic year, the rivalry was broadened to include 14 NCAA varsity sports, with victories in each sport adding one point to the challenge standings. To learn more about the rivalry and follow the results and standings, visit:
 www.WagonWheelChallenge.com
SCOUTING KENT STATE
Kent State enters action this week against Akron at 2-5 on the campaign, including 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference, following a 52-31 setback at Toledo on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Redshirt junior QB Collin Schlee directs the Golden Flashes' attack passing for 1,548 yards, including throwing for eight touchdowns. Junior RB Marquez Cooper has rushed for 708 yards, while running for eight touchdowns. The duo of redshirt junior WR Dante Cephas and redshirt sophomore WR Devontez Walker have pulled down a combined 80 passes for 687 and 544 yards, respectively, and five touchdowns apiece.
Defensively, the trio of senior S Nico Bolden, senior LB Marvin Pierre and redshirt sophomore S Jojo Evans have combined to record 63, 51 and 43 tackles, including posting 37, 28 and 28 solo stops, respectively. Kent State has tallied 10 sacks and 35 tackles for a loss.
As a team, the Golden Flashes average 27.7 points per game, while their opponents net 32.9 points per outing. Kent State has thrown for 225.9 yards and rushed for 205.0 yards per tilt.
As a team, the Golden Flashes rank 15th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.24), 19th in blocked punts (1), 23rd in first down offense (165) and third down conversions (.485), 25th in rushing offense (205.0), 35th in blocked kicks (1) and 43rd in kickoff return defense (18.48) and kickoff returns (21.96).
Individually, Schlee is ranked 11th in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.47), 30th in yards per pass attempt (8.65) and 46th in total offense (269.6). Additionally, Cooper is rated 12th in the NCAA in rushing yards (708), 15th in rushing touchdowns (8), 16th in all purpose yards (139.29), 17th in rushing yards per game (101.1), 22nd in total touchdowns (8) and 37th in kickoff returns (21.8), while Walker is 28th in receiving touchdowns (5), 31st in receiving yards (544) and 48th in receiving yards per tilt (77.7) and Cephas is 10th in receiving yards (687), 13th in receiving yards per outing (98.1) and 23rd in receptions per game (6.3).
IN OUR LAST MEETING (NOV. 20, 2021 - AKRON, OHIO)
The University of Akron football team came up short in its bid to recapture the Wagon Wheel as rival Kent State registered a 38-0 triumph past the Zips in the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge on Nov. 20, 2021 at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field.
QB Zach Gibson led Akron completing 14-of-21 of his passes for 111 yards.
WR Konata Mumpfield and Michale Mathison led the Zips' receivers with a combined 76 yards. Sophomore RB Jonzell Norrils (Toledo, Ohio) paced Akron's ground attack with 50 yards and finished the game with 61 all-purpose yards, which included an 11-yard reception.
Sophomore LB Andrew Behm (Appleton, Wis.) led the Zips' defensive efforts with a game-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops. Sophomore CB Ronald Jackson, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) added nine tackles and five solos.
ZIP TIDBITS
• A trio of Zips recorded career-high marks for tackles against Central Michigan.
• CB Jaden Woods registered a career-high 10 tackles, including three solo stops against the Chippewas. It marked his first collegiate solo tackles as part of his initial double-digit tackle performance.
• DL Zach Morton recorded a career-best 2.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble versus Central Michigan.
• RB Clyde Price III ran for a touchdown against the Chippewas marking his third consecutive game finding the endzone for a score.
• LB Bubba Arslanian has posted a pair of 15-tackle performances in three career games against Kent State. In 2020, he tallied nine solo stops and six assists with a fumble recovery, while in 2019, he garnered six solo tackles and nine assists with a pass break-up.
• LB Bubba Arslanian surpassed the 300-tackle plateau for his decorated career at Akron with a 12-tackle effort against Bowling Green on Oct. 1 and enters play against Kent State with 332 career tackles. Additionally, his 16 tackles against Liberty stand as the 10th-best single-game effort in Division I this season.
• The Zips have posted an interception in four of Akron's seven games this season.
• WR Shocky Jacques-Louis has registered three 100-yard receiving games this season pulling in eight catches for 122 yards against Saint Francis (Sept. 1), nine receptions for 103 yards at Tennessee (Sept. 17) and 11 catches for 152 yards at Ohio (Oct. 8). He enters play against Kent State rated 23rd in the NCAA in receiving yards (579), 36th in receiving yards per game (82.7) and 32nd in receptions per outing (6.0).
• Akron is rated 26th in the NCAA in red zone offense (.905), 35th in blocked kicks (1), 37th in kickoff returns (22.33), 40th in passing offense (272.6), 44th in first down offense (152), 46th in kickoff return defense (18.64) and punt returns (9.62) and 47th in completion percentage (.646)
• Individually, QB DJ Irons is rated 25th in passing yards (1,816), 37th in total offense (286.1) and 43rd in passing yards per game (259.4), while WR Shocky Jacques-Louis is ranked 18th in combined kick returns (305), 26th in kickoff returns (23.5) and 28th in all purpose yards (126.29). LB Bubba Arslanian is rated fifth total tackles (11.0) and 32nd in solo tackles (5.1).
• LB Bubba Arslanian has sparked Akron's defensive efforts over the course of his decorated career having recorded 163 solo tackles, including 35 this season, and 169 career assisted tackles. He is ranked 17th among active career leaders across all divisions in total tackles (332), 21st in assisted tackles (169), 40th in solo tackles (163) and 62nd in total tackles per game (8.10). Additionally, he is rated seventh in Division I in total tackles (332), ninth in total tackles per contest (8.10) and in assisted tackles (169) and 19th in solo tackles (163) and solo tackles per tilt (3.98). Arslanian has had 10 or more total tackles in 21 of the last 29 games he has played in overall. Arslanian surpassed the 300-tackle plateau for his career against Bowling Green on Oct. 1, 2022.
• Junior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. (Delran, N.J.), is rated 28th among active career D1 leaders in touchdown passes (59), 36th in passes per game (27.82), 37th in total plays (6,111) and in total touchdowns responsible for (60), 44th in passing yards (6,495), 47th in passing yards per game (191.0), 52nd in total offense (6,111) and 58th in completion percentage (.549).
• Senior P Noah Gettman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) is ranked fifth among active career leaders in punting yards (9,658) and 12th in punts per game (5.15).
• Arslanian has paced the Zips in tackles over 19 of Akron's last 22 contests he has appeared in dating back to the 2019 campaign.
UP NEXT
Akron welcomes Miami to InfoCision Stadium for a noon kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Players Mentioned
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ILB
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P
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DL
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RB
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RB
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QB
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DB
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