Wikipedia

2009 Akron Zips football team

The 2009 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Akron competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. The team was coached by J. D. Brookhart and played their homes game at InfoCision Stadium.

2009 Akron Zips football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionEast
Record3–9 (2–6 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorShane Montgomery (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJim Fleming (6th season)
Home stadiumInfoCision Stadium–Summa Field (Capacity: 27,881)
Seasons
← 2008
2010 →
2009 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Ohio xy   7 – 1     9 – 5  
Temple x   7 – 1     9 – 4  
Bowling Green   6 – 2     7 – 6  
Kent State   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Buffalo   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Akron   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Miami (OH)   1 – 7     1 – 11  
West Division
No. 23 Central Michigan x$   8 – 0     12 – 2  
Northern Illinois   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Western Michigan   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Toledo   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Ball State   2 – 6     2 – 10  
Eastern Michigan   0 – 8     0 – 12  
Championship: Central Michigan 20, Ohio 10
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

Before the season

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Much of the anticipation leading up to the season involved the grand opening of the new on-campus Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium. The university set up webcams, allowing fans to watch the progress of the stadium being built.[1] Fans watched online as the final stages of the stadium were pieced together, including a 40-foot by 25-foot video scoreboard and ribbon boards along the east stands.

The first Spring Training Scrimmage took place on March 12, after only five practices.[2] With the offensive side down two key running backs (DeVoe Torrence and Alex Allen), the defense was able to win this session, along with the second scrimmage on March 28.[3] In the annual Blue-Gold game, the defense came out victorious again, winning the game with a score of 28–24.[4] Key plays in this game included a blocked field goal by Norman Shuford and an interception by Kevin Davis.

Alex Allen was one of the 106 nominees for Allstate's AFCA Good Works Team. According to the Press Release, this list "honors college football players who make outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement."[5]

Recruiting

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College recruiting information (2009)
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Bill Alexander
CB 		Columbus, GA Carver HS 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 4.49 Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Broderick Alexander
RB 		Covington, GA Eastside HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 215 lb (98 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
David Anderson
LB 		Cincinnati, OH Purcell Marian HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Deonte Ball
CB 		Yuma, AZ Arizona Western JC 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 4.40 Dec 14, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jake Brandt
OT 		Bexley, OH Bexley HS 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (100 kg) 4.9 Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 74
Josh Couch
P 		Carlisle, OH Carlisle HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 220 lb (100 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Jake Delmonico
Beaver Falls, PA Blackhawk HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 4.42 Dec 10, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Jerrod Dillars
WR 		Adrian, MI Adrian HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) – Jan 19, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Blake Fraley
MLB 		Hilliard, OH Hillard Darby HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) – Oct 31, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Dee Frieson
WR 		Orange Park, FL Fleming Island HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) – Jun 16, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Randy Greenwood
CB 		Mentor, OH Lake Catholic HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 4.54 Aug 14, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 67
Chris Henderson
DT 		New Berlin, NY Milford Academy 6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m) 313 lb (142 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Abdallah Homayed
SLB 		Dearborn, MI Fordson HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (100 kg) 5.09 Jan 22, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Jeremy LaFrance
WR 		Fullerton, CA Fullerton JC 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 4.50 Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Anthony Meriwether
WR 		Middleburg Heights, OH Midpark HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) – Dec 14, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Patrick Nicely
QB 		Willoughby, OH South HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 4.70 Jan 21, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 71
Joe Petrides
OG 		Baltimore, MD Archbishop Curley HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (110 kg) – Nov 17, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Nolan Procter
WR 		Beverly Hills, MI Wylie E. Groves HS 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 170 lb (77 kg) – Jul 23, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 74
Jon Root
TE 		Erie, PA Cathedral Preparatory School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) – Feb 1, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Adam Steiner
C 		Canton, OH GlenOak HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 215 lb (98 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Phil Tonga
DT 		Wilmington, CA Los Angeles Harbor JC 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 280 lb (130 kg) – Feb 4, 2009 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Joe Vidovic
OT 		Willoughby, OH South HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 250 lb (110 kg) – Dec 7, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Diamond Weaver
CB 		Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa JC 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.35 Dec 12, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A
Grant Williams
TE 		Louisville, KY Ballard HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) – Nov 19, 2008 
Star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 116   Rivals: 69
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Akron Commit List for 2009". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  • "Scout.com: Football Recruiting". Scout.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  • "Akron Football Recruiting 2009". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  • "2009 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 20, 2009.

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 5Noonat No. 9 Penn State*
BTNL 7–31104,968[6]
September 122:00 p.m.Morgan State*
  • InfoCision Stadium
  • Akron, Ohio
W 41–027,881[7]
September 193:30 p.m.Indiana*
  • InfoCision Stadium
  • Akron, Ohio
ESPNUL 21–3818,340[8]
September 264:00 p.m.at Central Michigan
Fox Sports OhioL 21–4820,032[9]
October 106:00 p.m.Ohio 
  • InfoCision Stadium
  • Akron, Ohio
L 7–1916,381[10]
October 173:30 p.m.at Buffalo
Fox Sports OhioL 17–2113,750[11]
October 243:30 p.m.at Syracuse*
L 14–2836,991[12]
October 31Noonat Northern Illinois
ESPN GamePlanL 10–2710,148[13]
November 73:30 p.m.Kent State
Fox Sports OhioW 28–2020,802[14]
November 138:30 p.m.Temple
  • InfoCision Stadium
  • Akron, Ohio
ESPNUL 17–5610,927[15]
November 205:30 p.m.at Bowling Green
ESPNUL 20–369,163[16]
November 272:00 p.m.Eastern Michigan
  • InfoCision Stadium
  • Akron, Ohio
ESPNU/ESPN360W 28–219,962[17]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[18]

Roster

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The Zips lost relatively few starters from the 2008 football season.[19] However, the starters that they did lose include lettermen Dennis Kennedy and Chris Kemme, the latter of which signed for the Detroit Lions after the 2009 NFL draft.[20] On the defensive side, Akron lost all three linebackers to graduation, and Strong Safety/Kickoff Returner Bryan Williams signed a free agency deal with the Cleveland Browns.[21]

As of 2009-08-17[22]

Wide receivers

  • 1 Deryn Bowser – Senior
  • 6 Curtis Brown – Sophomore
  • 7 Dashan Miller – Senior
  • 9 Gary Pride II – Sophomore
  • 12 Jeremy Bruce – Senior
  • 19 Nolan Procter – Freshman
  • 21 Andre Jones – Senior
  • 29 Randy Greenwood – Freshman
  • 80 Nadir Brown –   Freshman
  • 81 Anthony Meriwether – Freshman
  • 82 Jeremy Lafrance – Junior
  • 83 Dee Frieson – Freshman
  • 83 Shawn Roberts – Sophomore
  • 86 Troy Eison – Junior
  • 87 Richard Sandilands – Junior
  • 88 Jerrod Dillars – Freshman

Offensive line

  • 51 Elliott Bates – Senior
  • 53 Dan Ronsman – Sophomore
  • 63 Joe Pachuta – Freshman
  • 64 Mitch Straight –   Freshman
  • 65 Adam Bice –   Freshman
  • 66 Sean McCarthy –   Freshman
  • 68 Andrew Colosimo –   Freshman
  • 69 Casey Estrada – Senior
  • 70 Paul Simkovich – Sophomore
  • 71 Mike Ward – Junior
  • 72 Zac Kasparek – Sophomore
  • 73 Jake Anderson – sophomore
  • 75 Corey Woods – Junior
  • 76 Joe Petrides – Freshman
  • 77 Joe Vidovic – Freshman
  • 78 Zack Anderson – Senior
  • 79 Jason Sekinger – Junior

Tight ends

  • 84 Rhyne Ladrach –   Freshman
  • 85 Kyle Weber – Junior
  • 86 Jake Brandt – Freshman
  • 94 Grant Williams – Freshman
  • 95 Jon Root – Freshman
  • 98 Nick Legger – Senior
  

Quarterbacks

  • 2 Jared Wackerly –   Freshman
  • 5 Matt Rodgers – Sophomore
  • 11 Chris Jacquemain – Senior
  • 13 Jordan Miller –   Freshman
  • 16 Patrick Nicely – Freshman
  • 19 Kevin Montgomery-   Freshman

Running backs

  • 3 Dale Martin – Sophomore
  • 4 DeVoe Torrence –   Freshman
  • 10 Alex Allen – Senior
  • 13 Samuel Bullock- " Junior"
  • 14 Thomas Miller –
  Freshman
  • 15 Nate Burney – Junior
  • 17 Norman Shuford –   Freshman
  • 22 Broderick Alexander – Freshman
  • 25 Nathan Cope – Sophomore
  • 32 Joe Tuzze – Senior
  • 42 LeVon Morefield – Junior

Defensive line

  • 13 Shane Shead – Sophomore
  • 44 Abdullah Homayed – Freshman
  • 45 Joe Rash – Sophomore
  • 52 Marquinn Davis – Sophomore
  • 44 Antoine Jones –   Junior
  • 56 Almondo Sewell – Junior
  • 60 Dan Marcoux – Sophomore
  • 67 Deni Odofin – Junior
  • 90 Phil Tonga – Junior
  • 91 Nick Bridenbaugh – Sophomore
  • 92 Ryan Bain – Senior
  • 93 Chris Henderson – Freshman
  • 96 Hasan Hazime – Sophomore
  • 97 James Harvey – Sophomore
  • 99 Cowles Stewart – Sophomore
  

Linebackers

  • 5 Troy Gilmer –   Freshman
  • 8 Shawn Lemon – Junior
  • 18 Will Fleming – Freshman
  • 20 Mike Thomas – Junior
  • 23 Sean Fobbs – Junior
  • 24 Aaron Williams – Sophomore
  • 28 Amin Kabir – Senior
  • 29 Da-Von Moore – Sophomore
  • 30 David Anderson – Freshman
  • 34 Brian Wagner –   Freshman
  • 42 Larry Dawson –   Freshman
  • 47 Al-Teric Balaam – Senior
  • 49 Matt Little – Sophomore
  • 50 Mike Polinski – Junior
  • 54 Blake Fraley – Freshman
  • 57 Nate Schuler –   Freshman
  • 58 Marcus Lemon – Senior
  • 82 Viktor Rajek – Junior

Defensive backs

  • 1 Diamond Weaver – Junior
  • 2 Jalil Carter – Junior
  • 6 Manley Waller – Sophomore
  • 9 Doug Richardson – Junior
  • 11 Miguel Graham – Senior
  • 15 Marvase Byrd –   Freshman
  • 16 Jordan House – Freshman
  • 25 Jake Delmonico – Freshman
  • 26 Kevin Davis –   Junior
  • 27 Wayne Cobham – Senior
  • 31 Emmanuel Lartey – Freshman
  • 33 Josh Richmond –   Freshman
  • 35 Bryant McMillon – Senior
  • 36 Jared Province –   Freshman
  • 45 Bill Alexander – Freshman
  • 48 Tyler Campbell – Junior

Punters

  • 8 Zack Campbell – Sophomore
  • 38 John Stec – Senior
  • 40 Josh Couch – Freshman

Kickers

  • 37 Branko Rogovic – Junior
  • 45 Igor Iveljic – Junior

Long Snapper

  • 43 Adam Steiner – Freshman
† Starter at position     * Injured; will not play in 2009.
See also: American football positions

Coaching staff

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The Zips made hired three new coaches for the 2009 football season. Shane Montgomery was the head coach of the Miami Redhawks for the past four seasons, and moved over to serve as Akron's offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.[23] During his time at Miami, he led the team to a first-place tie in the MAC East Division in both 2005 and 2007. Walt Harris is best known for being the head coach of Pitt from 1997 to 2004 and Stanford in 2005 and 2006. A week later, Akron announced the hiring of new Linebackers coach Vince Okruch.[24]

Name Position Year at school
J.D. Brookhart Head coach 6th
Walt Harris Asst. head coach
Pass game coordinator
Quarterbacks coach 		1st
Jim Fleming Defensive coordinator
Safeties coach 		6th
Shane Montgomery Offensive coordinator
Tight ends coach 		1st
Brian Callahan Run Game coordinator
Offensive line coach 		6th
Dana Chambers Defensive line coach 4th
Reno Ferri[25] Recruiting coordinator
Running backs coach 		6th
Emmanuel McDaniel Cornerbacks coach 3rd
Mauro Monz Wide receivers coach 4th
Vince Okruch Linebackers coach 1st

Game summaries

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Penn State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 0 0 7 0 7
#8 Nittany Lions 14 17 0 0 31

Ninth-ranked Penn State built a 31–0 halftime lead, holding Akron to 28 total yards and minus-17 yards rushing in the first half. Akron was able to get on the board in the second half on a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Jacquemain following a Penn State turnover. The Zips finished with 186 total yards, only 28 of which were from rushing. Penn State amassed 515 total yards including 379 from passing, mostly from quarterback Daryll Clark, who also threw 3 touchdowns. Following the win, the Nittany Lions rose to #5 in the polls and improved to 4–0 all-time against the Zips.[26]

Morgan State

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A parachuter descends with American flag in tow onto the surface of Summa Field as part of the opening day festivities.
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 0 0 0 0
Zips 7 17 10 7 41

The Zips opened Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium against the Morgan State Bears, a Football Championship Subdivision team. This was the Zips' first meeting with the Bears, as well as the Bears' season opener.[27] The Bears were led by Carlton Jackson, who had previously played for the Zips in the 2007 season. He battled for the starting quarterback position with Chris Jacquemain in that year, who prevailed and led the Zips in this game.[28]

Logistically, the game went on without any major problems and the new stadium was well received by fans. The biggest problem according to fans was finding their appropriate parking lot.[29] During the game, Akron amassed 436 total offensive yards, which included 186 passing yards. This was the most passing yards allowed by Morgan State since a 2008 game against Towson.[30] Despite the 250 yards rushing, no running back individually rushed for 100 yards, because six different backs were used.[28]

Indiana

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1 2 3 4 Total
Hoosiers 10 7 7 14 38
Zips 7 7 0 7 21

The game marked the second meeting between the two teams, the first being in the 2007 season at Indiana's Memorial Stadium where the Hoosiers won 41–24.[27] Indiana faced Akron in their third game of the season and first road game after defeating Eastern Kentucky and Western Michigan at home. This was also the first time a team from the Big Ten Conference had played in Akron.[31] In the days leading up to the game, however, the Zips met with some adversity when it was announced September 18 that starting quarterback Chris Jacquemain would be indefinitely suspended for a violation of team rules. No reason was given in that suspension nor was a timetable provided for his return.[32]

Behind Ben Chappell's two touchdown passes and Ray Fisher's opening kickoff return, the Hoosiers were able to again defeat the Zips by a final score of 38–21.[33] For Akron, new starting quarterback Matt Rodgers, who had just two days of practice as the starting quarterback, completed six of his eight passes in the first half, but threw four interceptions in the second half. Two of the interceptions would lead to touchdowns for Indiana.[34] The Zips were able to score touchdowns on a blocked punt early in the game as well as a Rodgers rushing touchdown.

Central Michigan

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 0 7 7 7 21
Chippewas 13 21 7 7 48

Akron began the MAC schedule with an away game against Central Michigan, their first meeting since a 35–32 Central Michigan victory at the Rubber Bowl in 2007.[27] The Zips faced more discouraging news in the week leading up to the game. First, it was announced on September 23 that Jacquemain had been dismissed from the team.[35] The next day, the university announced that sophomore Cowles Stewart had been suspended from the team after he was charged with felonious assault[36] and running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Reno Ferri was put on paid administrative leave as the university began to investigate violations of NCAA Compliance rules.[37]

Central Michigan Quarterback Dan LeFevour had a career day against the Zips, scoring six touchdowns in becoming the seventh MAC quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards in his career.[38] Matt Rogers achieved a pass efficiency of 120 with no interceptions. He completed 12 of his 19 passes for a total of 127 yards.[39] Running Back Joe Tuzze also ran in for a score, which was the first in his collegiate career. The Zips fell to 8–14 all-time against the Chippewas with the loss.[27]

Ohio

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1 2 3 4 Total
Bobcats 3 0 7 9 19
Zips 0 0 7 0 7

After an off-week during the season, the Zips awaited their next MAC Opponent, Ohio University. Overall, the series between these two schools are tied, 12–12–1, with the last game a 49–42 loss in Athens.[27] However, this series is heavily favored year after year towards the home team. The last game that was lost at the Rubber Bowl was in 1997 when the Zips lost in a four-point decision. Prior to the game, previously suspended running backs coach Reno Ferri had resigned from his position, effective November 1.[40] This resignation comes amidst an internal investigation by the university regarding recruiting violations.

 
Akron Zips line up against the Ohio Bobcats in a football game at InfoCision Stadium.

The woes only got worse once the game started for Akron. During the second quarter, starting quarterback Matt Rodgers suffered an ACL injury and was removed for the rest of the game, possibly the rest of the season.[41] To replace him, the Zips had to turn to their third quarterback, Patrick Nicely, who was originally planned to have a redshirt year. The lone touchdown for the Zips came in the third quarter when running back Joe Tuzze ran for a 3-yard score. Other than that, the game belonged to Ohio. The Bobcats' scoring came from two field goals and two touchdowns (one two-point conversion attempt failed).

Buffalo

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 0 7 0 10 17
Bulls 0 7 7 7 21

Akron began a three-game road series with a trip to UB Stadium to face the Buffalo Bulls. Akron leads the overall series 8–2, but Buffalo has won each of the past two meetings, including a 40–43 quadruple-overtime decision in the 2008 season.[42] That was the last game in the historic Rubber Bowl, as the university was working hard on the new stadium. The Zips, 1–4 on the season, had been in this same position in 2005, when they won the most conference games in the school's history as well as the MAC Championship.[43]

Akron began the scoring in the second quarter when Mike Ward recovered a Patrick Nicely fumble in the endzone.[44] However, Buffalo quickly came back with 8:47 left in the first half and tied the game on a Maynard pass to make the game 7–7. Buffalo scored again only four minutes later with another pass to Roosevelt, and the game went to halftime with the score 14–7. After the break, Zips running back Alex Allen tied the game once again with a 1-yard touchdown run, and kicker Branko Rogovic gave Akron its final lead of 17–14 with 9:57 remaining in the game. However, Buffalo was able to make the last score as Mario Henry made a 1-yard touchdown run with 6 minutes remaining in the game. Akron was never able to recover.

This game was high in injuries as the Zips lost two significant players as a result of this game. Leading receiver and senior Deryn Bowser left the game in the first half with a broken fibula. Along with Bowser, Sophomore linebacker Aaron Williams suffered a broken arm in the 21–17 loss.[45] Both players will not return this season.[46] The Bulls also lost players due to injuries, with tailbacks Ike Nduka and Brandom Thermilus both going down with sprained ankle injuries. Junior tight end Kyle Brey also left with a shoulder injury.[47]

Syracuse

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 7 0 7 0 14
Orange 0 14 7 7 28

In the middle of the season, the Zips took a break from Mid-American Conference opponents and traveled to Syracuse, New York, to take on the Syracuse Orange. The series between these two teams only began last season, as Akron traveled to the Carrier Dome and came out with a victory, 42–28.[48] This victory was seen as an upset by many journalists, although the Orange finished the season 3–9 and finished last in the Big East Conference.[49] Syracuse was poised for revenge against Akron.

Freshman quarterback Nicely got the first touchdown of his collegiate career when he connected with Andre Jones in the first quarter. After moving to the wide receiver position due to Bowser's injury, Andre Jones became the only player in the nation to start at four different positions, three on offense and one on defense.[50] Early in the second quarter, Syracuse got its first score from running back Delone Carter on a 7-yard run with 12:20 remaining in the half. The Orange was able to score again with 4:14 remaining when Carter scored another touchdown. With the score 14–7 in Syracuse's favor, Akron's kicker Branko Rogovic missed a 29-yard field goal to send the game into halftime. The second-half kickoff was returned by Dashan Miller for 98 yards to tie the game, but Syracuse scored two more touchdowns, one by Marcus Sales and another by Carter, to win the game.[51]

Northern Illinois

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 0 0 10 0 10
Huskies 3 3 0 21 27

With hopes of playing in a bowl game all but lost, the Zips traveled to Northern Illinois University to take on the MAC West Huskies. The Zips have faced the Huskies a total of nine times, including the 2005 MAC Championship Game on Ford Field. Northern Illinois leads the overall series 5–4, although Akron has won the last two meetings.[52] The previous match up between these two teams was in the Championship Game. Northern Illinois was ahead 30–24 with only 17 seconds remaining in the game when Luke Getsy connected with Domenik Hixon for a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Zips a 31–30 victory.[53] Akron won both meetings in 2005 with a combined score of 79–62.

Along with the Zips, the Huskies have been having quarterback problems as well. In an earlier game against the Toledo Rockets, starting quarterback Chandler Harnish was sent off of the field with a knee injury. This forced the team to start their backup, DeMarcus Grady, for the Miami and Akron games.[54] In the first half of the game, the only scoring was provided by Northern Illinois kicker Mike Salerno when he scored field goals in the first and second quarter. In the third quarter, however, the momentum shifted when Akron was able to make two scores to take the lead. Branko Rogovic provided the first points by kicking a 34-yard field goal in their first possession after kickoff, and then scored a touchdown on an 80-yard pass from halfback Alex Allen to Andre Jones to make the score 10–6.[55]

Northern Illinois would prove to bounce back in the fourth quarter however, and put three touchdowns on the board to win the game. The first came only 1 minute and 25 seconds into the quarter, as running back Chad Spann rushed 28 yards for a touchdown. Spann would score again with eight minutes remaining to put the Huskies ahead 20–10, and the game ended on a Nathan Palmer touchdown with only 46 seconds remaining.[56]

Kent State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Flashes 3 10 0 7 20
Zips 7 7 7 7 28

Every year, The University of Akron and Kent State University face off in a rivalry game for the Wagon Wheel. While Akron has won 29 of the 51 matches against Kent State, the Golden Flashes held the lead since the Wheel was introduced in 1946.[57] This year's game is unique in the series, in which both teams' quarterbacks are pure freshmen who just came out of high school not even six months ago. Kent State quarterback Spencer Keith took over the job as the original starter, Giorgio Morgan suffered an ankle injury in an earlier game.[58]

Kent State was able to score on their first drive, moving 60 yards down the field to set up a field goal by Freddy Cortez. However, Akron immediately responded with a drive on their own, but ended up scoring a touchdown to take the lead 7–3 in the first quarter.[59] The lead was extended in the second quarter by a 59-yard reception by Jeremy LaFrance, to set Akron's score at 14. The Golden Flashes were able to come back at this point, scoring ten unanswered points which were finished by a field goal in the ending seconds of the first half. In the third quarter, it had appeared that Jeremy Bruce had fumbled the ball, which was recovered by a Kent State defender and returned for a touchdown. After the review however, it was determined that Bruce's elbow had hit the ground before the ball coming loose, therefore the player was down.[60] That play proved to be crucial to the Flashes, as they ended up losing the game by potentially one touchdown, with a final score of 28–20.

Temple

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1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 14 21 7 14 56
Zips 17 0 0 0 17

Bowling Green

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1 2 3 4 Total
Zips 3 7 3 7 20
Falcons 7 2 14 13 36

Eastern Michigan

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1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 7 7 0 7 21
Zips 14 7 7 0 28

Statistics

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Team

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Akron Opponents
Scoring 231 345
  Points per Game 19.2 28.8
First Downs 199 237
  Rushing 88 106
  Passing 92 111
  Penalty 19 20
Total Offense 3611 4412
  Avg per Play 4.9 5.3
  Avg per Game 300.9 367.7
Fumbles-Lost 16–11 20–6
Penalties-Yards 70–610 67–600
  Avg per Game 50.8 50.0
Akron Opponents
Punts-Yards 60–2202 52–1847
  Avg per Punt 36.7 35.5
Time of Possession/Game 27:13 32:47
3rd Down Conversions 48/150 (32%) 85/173 (49%)
4th Down Conversions 3/14 (21%) 6/15 (40%)
Touchdowns Scored 30 46
Field Goals-Attempts 7–17 (41%) 8–17 (47%)
PAT-Attempts 30–30 (100%) 43–45 (96%)
Attendance 104,293 195,052
  Games/Avg per Game 6/17,382 6/32,509

Scores by quarter

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Akron 62 59 65 45 231
Opponents 74 109 56 106 345

Offense

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Rushing

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Name GP-GS Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G
Joe Tuzze 9–4 55 251 7 244 4.4 2 17 27.1
Broderick Alexander 5–3 59 217 19 198 3.4 0 22 39.6
Alex Allen 12–2 59 216 28 188 3.2 5 22 15.7
Dale Martin 8–0 25 167 0 167 6.7 0 22 20.9
Matt Rodgers 5–3 40 226 70 156 3.9 3 28 31.2
DeVoe Torrence 7–3 30 160 14 146 4.9 0 31 20.9
Dashan Miller 12–10 8 110 2 108 13.5 1 29 9
Norman Shuford 8–2 28 69 12 57 2 0 10 7.1
Nate Burney 5–0 14 52 5 47 3.4 0 13 9.4
Patrick Nicely 8–7 42 149 103 46 1.1 0 29 5.8
Andre Jones 12–9 6 34 0 34 5.7 1 18 2.8
Jeremy Bruce 12–5 8 38 5 33 4.1 0 9 2.8
Chris Jacquemain 2–2 10 27 11 16 1.6 0 8 8
LeVon Morefield 5–0 2 8 0 8 4 0 7 1.6
Jared Wackerly 3–0 1 2 0 2 2 0 2 0.7
Mike Ward 12–12 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Team 6–0 6 0 29 −29 −4.8 0 0 −4.8
Total 393 1726 305 1421 3.62 13 31 118.4

Passing

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Name GP-GS Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G
Patrick Nicely 8–7 108.61 120–222–6 54.1 1349 6 59 168.6
Matt Rodgers 5–3 93.22 39–69–6 56.5 405 1 49 81.0
Chris Jacquemain 2–2 145.64 26–44–1 59.1 320 4 40 160.0
Jared Wackerly 3–0 140.48 4–5–0 80.0 36 0 16 12.0
Alex Allen 12–2 1102.00 1–1–0 100.0 80 1 80 6.7
Andre Jones 12–9 0.00 0–1–0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0
Total 113.32 190–342–13 55.6 2190 12 80 182.5

Receiving

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Name GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
Jeremy LaFrance 12–12 43 520 12.1 2 59 43.3
Andre Jones 12–9 33 553 16.8 4 80 46.1
Jeremy Bruce 12–5 29 219 7.6 1 20 18.2
Deryn Bowser 6–6 21 307 14.6 5 49 51.2
Dashan Miller 12–10 16 257 16.1 0 27 21.4
Dale Martin 8–0 8 37 4.6 0 12 4.6
Alex Allen 12–2 6 40 6.7 0 13 3.3
Anthony Meriwether 12–1 5 67 13.4 0 36 5.6
Nadir Brown 9–1 5 64 12.8 0 34 7.1
Nate Burney 5–0 5 40 8 0 12 8
Joe Tuzze 9–4 5 29 5.8 0 11 3.2
DeVoe Torrence 7–3 5 8 1.6 0 4 1.1
Kyle Weber 12–4 4 26 6.5 0 13 2.2
Norman Shuford 8–2 2 17 8.5 0 15 2.1
Broderick Alexander 5–3 2 3 1.5 0 2 0.6
Curtis Brown 5–0 1 3 3 0 3 0.6
Total 190 2190 11.5 12 80 182.5

Defense

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Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds BrUp QBH No.-Yds Avg TD Long Rcv-Yds FF
Brian Wagner 12 72 60 132 7.0–18 1.0–4 3 2 2–33 16.5 1 32 2–0 2 —
Mike Thomas 12 39 32 71 2.5–6 — 6 — 2–0 0 0 0 1–0 — —
Jalil Carter 12 35 23 58 3.0–14 0.5–3 3 — 1–11 11 0 11 — 1 1
Almondo Sewell 12 29 24 53 5.5–11 — — — — — — — — — 1
Miguel Graham 12 38 14 52 1.5–3 — 12 — 3–62 20.7 1 62 1–0 — —
Hasan Hazime 12 29 20 49 8.0–24 3.0–15 2 1 — — — — — 1 1
Wayne Cobham 11 25 24 49 1.5–7 — 1 — 2–24 12 0 24 — — —
Manley Waller 11 34 13 47 1.5–2 — 6 — 3–50 16.7 0 37 — 1 —
Sean Fobbs 12 20 21 41 6.0–22 1.0–10 — 1 — — — — 1–0 — —
Aaron Williams 6 18 16 34 4.0–9 — 1 — — — — — — — —
Tyler Campbell 11 21 10 31 0.5–0 — 1 — — — — — — 1 —
Will Fleming 11 12 14 26 1.0–1 — — — — — — — — — —
Shawn Lemon 11 14 10 24 6.5–25 3.0–15 — — — — — — — 1 —
James Harvey 11 10 13 23 4.0–8 — — — — — — — — — —
Andre Jones 12 10 11 21 — — — — — — — — — — —
Marcus Lemon 11 10 9 19 — — — — — — — — — 2 —
Amin Kabir 10 12 6 18 — — — 1 — — — — — — —
Deni Odofin 12 5 10 15 6.0–22 1.5–11 — — — — — — — — —
Dan Marcoux 12 8 7 15 1.0–5 1.0–5 1 — — — — — — — —
Kevin Davis 8 5 8 13 1.5–2 — — — — — — — — — —
Marvase Byrd 12 9 4 13 — — 1 — — — — — — — —
Josh Richmond 12 6 3 9 1.0–1 — — — — — — — — — —
Matt Little 10 6 3 9 2.0–4 — 1 — — — — — — — —
Antoine Jones 11 1 5 6 — — — — — — — — — — —
Doug Richardson 10 1 5 6 — — — — — — — — — — —
Troy Gilmer 7 2 4 6 — — — — — — — — — — —
Jared Province 4 4 1 5 1.0–2 — — — — — — — — 1 —
Joe Tuzze 9 — 4 4 — — — — — — — — — — —
Diamond Weaver 2 1 1 2 — — — — — — — — — — —
Joe Rash 3 1 1 2 — — — — — — — — — — —
Matt Rodgers 5 2 — 2 — — — — — — — — — — —
Jeremy Lafrance 12 2 — 2 — — — — — — — — — — —
DeVoe Torrence 7 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Patrick Nicely 8 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Branko Rogovic 12 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Mike Ward 12 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Al-Teric Balaam 1 — 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Adam Bice 10 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Corey Woods 12 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Jake Anderson 12 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Adam Steiner 12 — — — — — — — — — — — 1–0 — —
Team 6 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1
Total 12 488 377 865 65–186 11–63 38 5 13–180 13.8 2 62 6–0 10 4

Special teams

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Name Punting Kickoffs
No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd No. Yds Avg TB OB
John Stec 32 1168 36.5 49 3 10 4 0 — — — — —
Zack Campbell 27 1034 38.3 76 2 2 3 0 1 47 47 0 0
T.J. Marchese — — — — — — — — 1 38 38 0 0
Branko Rogovic — — — — — — — — 46 2658 57.8 3 2
Team 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 — — — — —
Total 60 2202 36.7 76 5 12 7 1 66 2743 57.1 3 2
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Yds Avg TD Long No. Yds Avg TD Long
Jeremy Bruce 9 24 2.7 0 13 — — — — —
Jeremy Lafrance 4 22 5.5 0 11 3 86 28.7 0 38
Andre Jones 4 18 4.5 0 7 3 59 19.7 0 27
Diamond Weaver 1 20 20 0 20 — — — — —
Jalil Carter 1 38 38 0 0 13 246 18.9 0 42
Aaron Williams 0 0 0 1 0 — — — — —
Dashan Miller — — — — — 31 798 25.7 1 98
Broderick Alexander — — — — — 1 6 6 0 6
Joe Tuzze — — — — — 1 4 4 0 4
Doug Richardson — — — — — 1 −2 −2 0 0
Tyler Campbell — — — — — 1 6 6 0 6
Jared Province — — — — — 1 8 8 0 8
Total 19 122 6.4 1 20 55 1211 22.0 1 98


References

edit
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  2. ^ "First Spring Football Scrimmage Goes to Defense" (Press release). Akron Media Relations. March 12, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Zips Football Has Second Spring Scrimmage" (Press release). Akron Media Relations. March 28, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Defense Rallies to Beat Offense in Spring Game" (Press release). Akron Media Relations. April 4, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Allstate and American Football Coaches Association to Honor Student-Athletes Who Make Off-the-Field Contributions" (Press release). Yahoo! Finance. June 22, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Akron vs Penn State". GoPSUSports.com. September 5, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
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  36. ^ Strouse, Allison (September 24, 2009). "UA football player charged with assault". The Buchtelite. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
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admin 1
Association 1
INTERN 2
Note 7