For the Zips’ third #MACtion contest, Akron travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan to take on the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday, October 12 at Waldo Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Shawn Kenney (PxP) and Charlie Strong (Analyst) calling the shots.

Television: ESPN+ – Shawn Kenney (PxP) and Charlie Strong (Analyst)
Radio: Akron Sports Network – David Skoczen (pxp), Joe Dunn (analyst) WHLO 640 AM (flagship), WHK 1420 AM/102.5 FM, iHeart Radio, TheVarsityNetwork.com
Video link: www.GoZips.com (subscription may be required)
Live statistics link: www.GoZips.com

Head coach

WESTERN MICHIGAN (2-3, 1-0 MAC)
Lance Taylor (Alabama, 2003)
at WMU (2nd): 6-11
Overall (2nd): Equal

AKRON ZIPS (1-5, 0-2 MAC)
JOE MOORHEAD (Fordham, 1996)
at Akron (3rd): 5-25
Overall (8th): 57-50

HISTORY OF THE SERIES

Akron will face Western Michigan for the 22nd time in program history, with the Broncos holding a 16-5 lead. In the last meeting between the two schools (November 9, 2021), Akron fought until the last play with a chance to win, but fell five points behind in a 45-40 setback at Western Michigan. In the last meeting (November 4, 2020), Western Michigan recorded a 58-13 season-opening win over the Zips at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. The series between the two schools dates back to the 1938 season, when Akron earned a 6-0 home victory over Western Michigan.

EXPLORING WESTERN MICHIGAN

Western Michigan opened MAC play with a 45-42 win over Ball State and is currently 2-3 overall on the season, defeating Bethune-Cookman (59-31) and falling to No. 2 seed Wisconsin (28-14). Ohio State (56-0) and Marshall (27-20). The Broncos average 27.6 points per game with 299.0 yards of total offense per game. The balanced WMU attack averages 181.8 yards on the ground and 181.4 yards through the air. Defensively, opponents are averaging 36.80 points on 345.0 yards per game, allowing 244.8 yards through the air and 183.8 yards on the ground.

QB Hayden Wolff leads the offense, completing 76 of 109 attempts with two INTs for 907 yards (181.4 average) and seven touchdowns. Jaden Nixon does most of the work on the ground, averaging 7.1 yards per carry with six touchdowns for a total of 484 yards (96.8 yards/g). Jean Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam are averaging 56.0 and 45.0 yards per game, respectively, with each having two touchdowns each. Anthony Sambucci leads the receiving corps with 22 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns (57.2 yards/g and 13.0 yards/reception), followed by Blake Bosma (15-157 yards-31.4 yards/g-2 touchdowns ) and Kenneth Womack (13 -111 yds-8.54 yds/g). WMU generated 29 tackles for a loss of 104 yards with 11 sacks (69 yards). Donald Wilis dominated the defense with 43 tackles and 3.5 TFL for 10 yards. Tate Hallock follows with 2.5 tackles for loss (6 yards) with 31 total takedowns. Additionally, Isaiah Green and Cory Walker lead the squad in sacks with 3.0 each. Bilhal Kone and Jacob Wahlberg are the third and fourth best tacklers on the team with 29.0 and 28.0 takedowns, respectively.

LAST TIME

Akron lost to Ohio 30-10 on Saturday afternoon at Peden Stadium. The Zips’ offense was led by redshirt junior Ben Finley’s 196 passing yards (25-38-2), including a 17-yard strike for the redshirt sophomore Jake Newell for a touchdown. Second semester Adrian Norton led the receiving corps with five receptions for 59 yards, while Newell hauled in eight passes for 44 yards and scored the Zips’ only touchdown. Junior Bobby Golden added five catches for 49 yards. Akron’s defense was led by Junior Bryan McCoys 14 tackles as a redshirt junior Justin Anderson And Darrian Lewis everyone had eight. Akron forced three fumbles against the Bobcats on the day, with Sr Paul Lewis IIIRedshirt senior Kabash Richards and redshirt junior Aman Greenwood everyone forces one. Redshirt freshman Marcus Moore, Jr. and redshirt junior Malcom DeWalt IV I recovered two of the three fumbles (one each). Richards and Sr Bennett Adler were able to get to Ohio’s quarterback, with the pair recording a sack each. Adler recorded a loss of nine yards while recording a loss of five yards. Akron’s defense recorded a season-high 85 tackles in the loss.

AKRON 2024 CAPTAIN

The Zips selected Junior LB Bryan McCoy (Chicago, Ill.) as captain for the second straight year. Joining McCoy is senior DL Bennett Adler (Lakewood, Ohio), redshirt junior WR Myles Walker (Monaca, Pa.) and redshirt junior QB Ben Finley (Phoenix, Arizona) as captains for Akron for the 2024 campaign.

WHO WEARS NO. 1

Senior DL Bennett Adler and redshirt junior WR Myles Walker have emerged as leaders in their third year as head coach Joe Moorhead as the Zips begin their season opener on August 31st at Ohio State and the duo were recently rewarded with the No. 1 jerseys for the upcoming season.

Under Moorhead at Akron, head strength and conditioning coach Orie Sahlfeld identifies a player on each side of the ball who has demonstrated leadership abilities both on and off the field over the course of the spring to earn the privilege of wearing the No. 1 jersey in the Akron Blue and Gold for the 2024 season carry.

ABOUT AKRON

• Akron has recorded 70 or more tackles four times this season (85 at Ohio, 75 at South Carolina, 73 vs. Bowling Green, 71 at Rutgers).
• The Zips have set a player record of 10 or more tackles in four games this season.
• Bryan McCoy led the Zips with 12 tackles (Bowling Green 10/6/24)
• Bennett Adler has recorded a sack in three consecutive games.
• After a 2-2 draw against the Falcons, Garrison Smith is now 7 of 8 (87.5%) on field goals this season.
• 5 of 7 of Smith’s FGs came from 40+ yards
• Ben Finley has completed over 65 percent of his passes in consecutive games
• Akron is fifth in the MAC in passing yards (1,165)
• The Zips rank 5th in the MAC in passing TDs (7)
• Akron is 2nd in the MAC for FG percentage (87.5)
• The Zips rank 4th in the MAC for Fumbles Forced (4)
• The Zips rank second in the MAC for fumbles recovered (5).
• Jordan Simmons is 9th in the MAC with 255 total rushing yards and 14th in the MAC with 42.5 yards per game
• Finley ranks fourth in the MAC with seven passing TDs
• Adrian Norton ranks 4th in the MAC in receiving TDs with three
• Norton is fifth in the MAC with 373 total yards
• Norton ranks 2nd in the MAC for yards per catch with 18.7
• Norton ranks 8th in the MAC for yards per game with 18.7
• Bobby Golden is 14th in the MAC with 239 total yards
• Golden ranks 5th in the MAC for yards per catch at 15.9
• Golden ranks 20th in the MAC for yards per game with 39.8
• Avery book is 1st in the MAC for punting yards (1,763), punts inside the 20 (12), punts of 50 or more yards (18) and average punt yards per game (46.4).
• Book is third in the MAC for longest punt (61 yards)
• Smith ranks 4th in the MAC for field goals made (7), field goal percentage (87.5) and 3rd in the MAC for longest field goal (49 yards).
• Akron is 7th in the NCAA for fumbles recovered (5)
• Nathan Kapongo is tied for No. 1 in the NCAA in fumbles recovered (2)
• Book is 11th in the NCAA for punting yards (46.0)
• Norton is 37th in the NCAA for yards per reception (18.65)
• Golden ranks 89th in the NCAA for yards per reception (15.93)
• The Zips recorded a season-high 75 tackles at South Carolina.
• Senior Antavious fish and Junior Bryan McCoy led the defense with 16 combined tackles with eight each at South Carolina.
• Three players (D. Lewis 12, McCoy (9), Paul Lewis III (9) had at least nine tackles against Colgate
• Akron recorded 416 yards of offense while holding Colgate to 243.
• Golden set a career-high for longest reception with a 56-yard catch following a touchdown from Finley.
• Golden’s 56-yard reception was his longest since Alex Adams had a 54-yard and 61-yard reception against Eastern Michigan on November 8, 2022.
• Akron had two 100-yard receivers, while Norton (125) and Golden (119) each rushed for over 100 yards. The pair became the first Zips to both complete a 100-yard game since November 1, 2023, when the Zips defeated Kent State for the Wagon Wheel.
• At Akron, 31 of its 61 tackles came from D.Lewis (12), McCoy (9) and P.Lewis (9).
• Zips recorded their first two sacks of the season as Lama Lavea picked up Akron’s first sack and CJ Nunnally IV had a strip sack to end the game. Nathan Kapongo got the fumble back.
• Akron converted 7 of 14 third downs against Rutgers
• Jordan Simmons recorded the longest TD run from scrimmage (73 yards) since 2015
• Jordan Simmons collected 109 yards rushing, averaging 12.1 yards per carry
• Daymon David INT marked the Zips’ first takeaway and the introduction of the revenue tire in 2024
• Adrain Norton scored the Zips’ first touchdown of 2024 with a 32-yard pass Ben Finley

• McCoy (11) and Fish (10) combined for 21 tackles against Rutgers
•Garrison Smith converted two field goals of 48 and 49 yards, which is the longest distance for Akron since 2015 (Robert Stein, 50 yards (11/14/15)
• Akron converted 4 of 16 third downs while Ohio State was successful on 9 of 14.
• Avery book punted six times for an average of 48.2 yards per punt
• Akron went 2-for-3 on fourth down and converted 66.7 percent of its attempts.

NEXT

Week seven is the bye week for Akron. The Zips return to #MACtion on Saturday, October 26th at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field against Eastern Michigan. Kick-off is still open.