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I was on the flight home yesterday with our team. Kudos to the Southwest crew ... when we landed in Cleveland, they gave a shout out ... Congratulations to Coach Jared and the Akron Zips Men's Soccer team on their win, remaining undefeated and currently ranked #14 . The passengers applauded. Well-deserved accolades and some free publicity.

Bummed I missed introducing myself but I hope you had a good time. Rain sucked a bit but overall it was a very fun time. Special thank you to @HoopsFan03 and @Captain Kangaroo for teaming up with @GoZips88 and myself. Also a pleasure meeting @Hilltopper. A few scattered comments about the outing... Very fun event. KD and Dustin Ford were driving around together which was cool to see. Ty Pence is a stick - 180 yd par 3 downhill and he stuck it to 15-20 feet. As Clark mentioned, Burton was in a boot but it would've been fun to see him play; his "back to school fun fact" was that he's a scratch golfer. Goodrich gave people a read on #10 green which HoopsFan took advantage of by draining a 40 ft birdie putt. Nikola Cventinovic was there - cool to see him around the program still. One of the groups in the morning had a McNees, although I cannot confirm if it was Steve, a family member, or completely unrelated (unlikely). Adding to Clark's notes, Oriol will also likely be affected by a blanket Supreme Court ruling. This whole thing is a mess. The team is big. That was an obvious observation anytime the players were seen around the course/clubhouse. The assistant pro at Lake Forest - Isaiah I believe is his name - is an Akron grad that went to UA to play baseball the year the program was cut. He ended up staying and getting his degree. Incredibly nice individual. Andrew Goodrich was out and about. He, Dustin, and Wentz all gave speeches at certain points. Wentz made the comment that the program, athletic department, and University have never been more cohesive and in unison than right now. I missed some of the details, but it sounds like the program is in good standing financially, too. The women's team supposedly has the best collection of talent in a long, long time. Gensler and the team were also there, with the team taking tee shots for people on one of the par 3s. Lastly, the Akron community is awesome. I made the comment to my dad that despite Akron not having quite the same opportunities as a school like LSU, we get to root for guys like Dustin Ford instead of Lane Kiffin.

Some tidbits from the golf outing: * Many close to the program believe this is one of the most talented teams we've had. * There may be a big judicial decision soon that impacts Evan's eligibility. * The big man from Western Michigan, Burton, has a sprained ankle and could be out 4-6 weeks. * The kid from North Florida, Oriol, is a real shooter from distance. * The players, just like the teams in the past, really seem so enjoy each other.

QB: CB’s scrambling ability makes such a difference for this offense. Not only that, the majority of his passes were on point, and he looked more comfortable than he did last week, albeit this game was against much lesser competition. My one suggestion to him at this point would be to make the first defender miss and then slide down in the open field. He will not make it through the season taking those kinds of hits. Roggow once again came in and looked really good. Two of his passes in particular were absolute strikes, put right on the money. Regardless of who the opponent is, those throws were impressive. If something were to happen to CB, I feel good about Roggow’s ability to move the offense when needed. In my opinion, Roggow compares favorably to Finley. He may not be quite as physically gifted, but he seems to make better decisions with the ball. RB: Gant and Patrick looked healthy and explosive. The two combined for 148 rushing yards, with 90 of those yards coming after contact. They also added 85 yards through the air. Toss in CB’s rushing, and that’s 219 yards on the ground. If either Gant or Patrick had another top-end gear to hit in the open field, they’d both be playing for P4 schools right now. WR: While the receivers weren’t targeted as much this game, there were no drops. An unusual amount of passes went to the backs and tight ends. Overall, the perimeter blocking was good as well. Outside of the one fumble, this was a solid, workmanlike day for the wideouts. TE: JUCO addition Elijah Alexander played very well. He held up as a blocker and also took advantage of his opportunities in the passing game. We’ll need the tight ends to continue to develop as they are an important part of this offense. OL: For the most part, the offensive line bullied the RM defensive front, and there wasn’t much thrown at them that caused confusion. However, there are a few sticking points. I was very complementary of Hampton at RG last game, and while that holds true again in the run game, he was also the direct cause of two sacks. The first came as Asher Wilson beat him so badly off the snap, he was left standing flat-footed. The second came off a total whiff on a blitz (or maybe twist? I can’t recall for sure). The good news is those sequences can be cleaned up. The other concern I have is when Slayden comes out the game at LT. Gould has looked overwhelmed, and Shor hasn’t played up to his potential since he arrived. I’m not sure what the answer is outside of hoping Gould improves quickly. Either that or leave Slayden in for the entire game. DL: The good news is the defensive line manhandled the RM OL. Dahvon Frazier seemed to be in on everything and easily had his best game as a Zip. Perhaps the light is finally turning on and he’s ready to take the next step. We’re going to need more of that as the season progresses. Abor flashed what he can do on passing downs when matched up one-on-one as he exploded around the edge for the Zips only sack. Hull was a load for RM to handle on the interior, and I also noticed he was often one of the first ones to congratulate the offense and special teams on the sideline as they were coming off the field. Kavals and Waye had their moments again. I think Kavals is going to be really good. It’s too bad we only have Waye for a single season. Williams didn’t play as much this game, as he looked to have a cast on his hand. Now for the bad: Pass Rush. Yes, RM was focused on getting the ball out quickly, but on the times when Akron should have been reaching the quarterback, it happened far too little. This area must improve. LB: Johnson and Curtis were really good. I also noticed Nunoo flying around, though I think he slipped off a few tackles. In any case, this group is coming together nicely. DB: White is really coming along. I would not be surprised if he ends up All-MAC at this rate. Safety play was also solid. I think it was Tairan Davis who had the diving interception wiped off by what looked to be a questionable holding call on another defender. T. Thomas had a terrible day in coverage. He got beat on the long touchdown and also gave up a PI. It’s a safe bet future opponents are going to come after him until he improves his play. ST: Special teams were excellent in every area today. Final Thoughts: The Zips handled a RM squad that really doesn’t have the talent or depth to match up for four quarters. Hopefully, this win is a building block that will help with next weekend’s matchup against a far more difficult opponent. Depth Chart QB: Broughton Roggow Beals RB: Gant Patrick Williams Curry WR: Ma. Williams Davis WR: Burris Hills Myers WR: Mason Louis Hilburn TE: Cravaack Alexander Hook LT: Slayden Gould Shor LG: Smith Falkner Archer C Lyons Mobley RG: Hampton Falkner Fox RT: Jones Gould Mann DE: Abor Waye Watkins DE: Frazier Waye Ridley DT: Hull Williams Ross-Graves Brown-Demery DT: Mixon Kavals E. Davis LB: Johnson Reeves Jones LB: Nunoo Curtis Hocker NB: Aa. Branch Moss CB: White Galloway CB: Thomas Newsome S: Davis Flowers Somerville S: Hunter Jarmon Top Rated Offense (30 snap minimum): QB - Broughton RB - Gant C - Lyons TE - Alexander LT - Slayden Top Rated Defense (30 snap minimum): S - Davis CB - White LB - Johnson DE - Abor DE - Frazier

QB: Roggow easily played the best game of his career. The redshirt sophomore looked comfortable and confident, making a number of really nice plays. For the most part, Roggow made the right decisions with where to deliver the ball and when to give on the RPOs. Most importantly, he protected the football, and I can’t remember a single pass having a chance of being intercepted. RB: I loved the staff’s determination to stick with the run game. Gant and Patrick combined for 28 rushing attempts compared to Roggow’s 24 passing attempts. Gant made several big-time runs and collected over half of his yards after initial contact. The best runs came off of what we used to call “Y Wham,” where the TE pulled and hit up in the A/B gap, in essence acting like a fullback. Patrick didn’t have as many opportunities, but that’s ok, as Gant was having a strong day. I did see Patrick come off the field complaining about a foot issue, and he did not see any action after that. WR/TE: PFF credited the receivers with only one drop, but I saw multiple drops. Not every pass was dead on the money, but there were several catchable balls that were not caught. Blocking on the perimeter was decent from what I could see, including the very first play on offense where Williams set a key block on a defensive back. Alexander also set a great block on M. Williams touchdown catch. OL: Outside of a handful of plays, Roggow usually had plenty of time to throw the ball. My only gripe - and this isn’t just tied to the OL - is we didn’t score off of either turnover. There were false start penalties on the first plays of both drives that immediately backed us up and eventually led to giving the ball back to EMU. DL: The defense created the most pressures it has all year and also saw much more rotation than we’ve recently seen. Kavals was nearly unblockable in the fourth quarter, and that, combined with his other performances, has probably earned himself a nice payday heading into next year. Enjoy watching him while we have him. LB: Johnson was seemingly every where again and may not have missed a tackle. He was credited with 16 total tackles. Credit to Jones for initially missing a tackle, then getting back up and hustling to create a fumble. Nunoo also made a couple of nice plays. DB: The defensive backs weren’t perfect by any stretch, but they played well enough to give the team a chance. A few of the pass interference calls were questionable at best. I’ve been critical of the DBs this year, though a bright spot may have been found. Flowers was excellent when lined up in the box as either a nickleback or, in essence, a third linebacker. He hasn’t been great playing in coverage as a safety this season, but he was extremely active and effective in the role he played against EMU. The staff needs to explore using him in that capacity more often. Flowers also recovered the forced fumble. Davis had an interception at deep safety and would have likely had another had it not been batted away by a cornerback. ST: The punt block was a major gaffe, as no one even touched the player that blocked the punt. Kickoff return was also underwhelming. Schramm hit a 40-yard field goal but couldn’t quite hit the game winner from 47. It had the distance but turned just as it reached the upright. Final Thoughts: Zips played well enough to win and, honestly, should have. I was able to attend the game, and everyone I was with couldn’t stop talking about how fun the last six minutes were. The stadium had a buzz about it and demonstrated what Akron games could be with a consistently competitive product. It’s disappointing we couldn’t come away with a win. QB: Roggow HB: Gant Patrick M. Williams WR: Williams Myers WR: Burris Hills WR: Mason Louis TE: Alexander Cravaack LT: Slayden LG: Smith C Lyons RG: Hampton RT: Jones DE: Durham Waye DE: Frazier Waye DT: Hull Williams Brown-Demery DT: Mixon Kavals Ross-Graves LB: Johnson Jones LB: Nunoo Curtis Hocker CB: Thomas Hobson CB: Newsome Hobson Galloway NB: Branch Moss S: Davis Branch S: Flowers Branch Somerville Top Rated Offense: TE - Alexander QB - Roggow RB - Gant WR - Burris WR - Williams Top Rated Defense: DE - Durham S - Flowers CB - Hobson DT - Williams LB - Johnson

Top Drawer soccer poll Zips were #7 last week. this week, #2............. https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/men

In honor of The University of Akron’s most famous, and favorite Offensive Coordinator, we’re inviting you to “Party With Marty!” in the grass area behind the south goal post on Saturday September 26th! “I Partied With Marty!” tee shirts will be handed out to the first 1000 participants courtesy of Sully’s Tool and Party Rental. In addition, $2.00 Bud Lights will be available in a commemorative “I Partied With Marty” souvenir cup! Hey Zips fans…let’s “Fill the Hill!” Show up in the beginning of the 2nd quarter to get your cups, tee shirts, and party hearty with Marty! Let's show Las Vegas how to really party!! BEAT UNLV!

Ladies won 1-0 last night at Toledo. Brings them to 2-1-1 in conference 💪💪 They're still undefeated at home w/ a record of 3-0-1.

He'll fit perfectly with Doug Gottlieb 🤡🤡

The best one-liner of the day is when Ford said "I'll be a lot better coach next year if those two guys are eligible."

Marty had a blast. He was completely blown away by the press, the fans, the team, and the coaching staff. He found a few minutes between being interviewed by dozens of outfits once his headset was taken away and his post game press conference to come up and sit with Charlie and I. It was a great experience and it couldn't have happened to a better guy. He was the best man at my wedding, so I know him pretty well. However, if anyone can tell us why the Arby's was written upside down on his hat, you will win a prize!

I attended my first Akron football game in about 10 years. Went with about 10 people who also hadn't been to a game in quite some time and they convinced me to get a ticket even though I planned to just tailgate. Honestly, if Akron played like this and were just Browns bad instead of losing by 20+ I wouldn't be opposed to going to games more often. It was actually entertaining despite losing and most of the people I was with expressed interest in returning.

John was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame ❤️

I don't see why we can't compete at the MAC level. I don't see a lack of talent or lack of available talent. There will always be players transferring down to schools like Akron. The problem on the field is lack of execution, not lack of talent. And in addition, there seems to be a pretty serious coaching problem, both developmentally and in-game. I am convinced that if we found a hungry young coach who wanted to prove himself in FBS, the Zips could be successful. In terms of NIL and other resources, It's not as if many other programs are not in the same boat.

This game will tell a lot about the remaining MAC season and bowl eligibility. I'd call it a must-win.

It is safe to say that your national ranking should not improve when you tie a team with an 0-6-1 record. that being said, number 23 Washington should be much higher in next week’s rankings. Washington, the defending national champion, demolished Ohio State tonight 4-0. The details are even worse than the score. Ohio State did not have a shot on goal. Washington led 17-4 in shots 8-0 in SOG 13-2 in corner kicks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdPaQZtiKPu/?stkn=dmRsdDJlazF4bXZ3 Very cool way to close the chapter on this. I was at the game with my family. Other than the three thousand media commercials i thought it was a good atmosphere. Marty was a celebrity and it seemed like the entire Akron fan base bought into it. A view Marty chants broke out now and then and he was even walking throughout the stands and interacting with the fans. Im old and a softy now but I am so glad that Marty won this now because after all of this I am sure it meant more to this man than some celebrity that would have came in got the attention and left never to think of the Zips again.

SLU 1-2 AKR FT For the third consecutive match (not counting the WVU no-contest), Zips come from behind to equalize and then go on to score the winner in the waning minutes of the match. GK Brett Kaminski heroically saved an on-target PK with 0:40 remaining. Zips display great resiliency, but surely there is no long future to this pattern. Much better to score first in a sport where scoring is so rare. On the other hand, Akron are not flustered by being down a goal. Coach Embick and Co. should be applauded for utilizing Zips' deep bench over these previous three matches. Over Embick's now long tenure, Akron have averaged about 14 players per match. Without mining the actual data, my guess is around 16 or 17 per match this season. Last night in Saint Louis, Zips employed 19. This is a welcome change, if not one late in coming.

QB: Noah Kim is playing well in what is presumably his final season. The former Michigan State and Coastal Carolina transfer started his collegiate career in 2020. Kim has thrown for 1,187 yards and 8 touchdowns against 3 interceptions while completing nearly 63% of his passes. Kim is excellent when his isn’t pressured, completing almost 69% of his passes, compared to just 38% when pressured. RB: EMU will utilize three different backs depending on the situation, with sophomore Amareon Blue and seniors Joey Mattord and Braydon Bennett all seeing significant playing time. Blue has been the main man as of late, rushing for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns on 60 attempts. WR: Senior Benson Prosper and sophomore Harold Mack have become the focal points following the injury to All-MAC receiver Nick Devereaux. The duo has combined for 47 receptions for 525 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Devereaux returns, he’ll make the passing game even more dangerous. TE: All-MAC selection Joshua Long and senior Tanner Lemaster handle most of the snaps at tight end. Unlike most tight ends, Long is a legitimate threat in the passing game, as he already has 22 receptions on the year. OL: The offensive line has been pretty good in pass protection, giving up only 8 sacks on 205 attempts. However, they have been inconsistent when it comes to run blocking. LT - Tyler Brumfield (6’6 305) (Sr.) LG - Guzzy Kayed (6’3 316) (Jr.) - Transfer from St. Francis C - Nicholas Gallegos (6’3 294) (Gr.) RG - Dennis Strey (6’7 312) (Gr.) RT - Elijha Payne (6’6 315) (Sr.) - Transfer from Delaware State DL: Sophomore Quincey Byas and seniors Carter Evans and Ronn Hardin are the main edge threats. The trio has combined for 4.5 sacks. Seniors Peyton Christian, Makhi Gilbert, Joseph Oluwayemi handle the majority of snaps on the interior. LB: Junior Elgin McDuffey and senior Zach Mowchan are the starters at linebacker. Mowchan leads the team with 50 total tackles, while McDuffey has amassed 23 total tackles. DB: Junior Caleb Dobbs starts at one corner with JUCO transfer Rayquan Adkins on the opposite side. All-MAC defensive back Bryce Llewellyn is the starting nickleback. Seniors Juan Salas and Davion Williams fill out the safety spots. ST: Junior Rudy Kessinger has made 5 of 8 field goals and 16 of 17 extra points. Junior Daniel Hull is averaging 43 yards a punt with a long of 60 yards. Keys on Offense: Stay on the field and ride Gant and Patrick as much as possible. Limiting EMU’s opportunities will be important. Their offense can be inconsistent, but they did enough to put away a seemingly improved UMASS squad, and no Zip fan wants to see our secondary on the field against a pass heavy offense any longer than necessary. Keys on Defense: Find a way to get off the field. The “bend but don’t break” philosophy has been completely broken the past two games and needs to be corrected. Things can’t get worse from here, so the only two ways to go are to either improve or continue to make the same mistakes. Final Thoughts: Nothing about this matchup screams win for this Akron squad. However, I’m sticking with my preseason prediction of an Akron win. EMU is on their second consecutive road game and coming off a high of beating a UMASS squad that seemed to be pretty good. This is a prime let down spot for EMU, and the Zips are due for a rebound game.

Kenpom has released their 2027 preseason rankings. I'm not really a person to put too much stock into them, but I'm ready for the season to start. https://kenpom.com/ Below rounds out how they place the MAC top 5. I read somewhere else, can't remember where, Kenpom has the MAC ranked 12th overall for conference strength. Akron - 109 Kent - 121 Miami - 123 Toledo - 136 Ohio - 143

Nice show put on by UA yesterday. The lots were full, lots of beers drank, and good times were had in Lots 9, 10, and in the grass lots along Spicer. Any UA alum that attended had to leave feeling like they'd want to return for Homecoming 2027. Ruggow played well yet again. For a Redshirt Sophomore with Zero experience, or expectations, coming into the season he's been a revelation. I can't imagine many G5 programs with a better 3rd stringer on their roster. OL blocked well enough to win the game. RB had a good push to run behind, and Ruggow usually had time to scan the field. They aren't perfect...especially with the untimely, borderline crippling penalties, but for hastily assembled patchwork crew they have done a nice job. WR's still drop too many balls. Marcel was great. TE position is a strength. Good hands when called upon, and excellent edge blocking. RB was fine. The mix of 70% Gant and 30% Patrick is effective. Surprised to see Marquisse get a chance in non garbage time, and he delivered a TD!? The defense is what it is. The lack of a pass rush hurt yesterday, as it has on most Saturdays. But they played well enough for the Zips to win the game. The LB's are more than serviceable. Again, I expected that crew to be much worse than they are in 2026. DB's are bad. But yesterday...could you really complain? After watching UNLV WR's run free 20 yards behind them two weeks ago, they were much more effective vs EMU. It was maddening to watch them in all follow the WR's and forget about the QB in successive goal line situations. Special teams hurt. Missed game winning field goal and a blocked punt hurt in a 2-point loss. It was fun to see the Zips defensive players urging-on the crowd to make some noise in key defensive situations. Usually there's no use doing so in the cavernous InfoCision. Last night, there was. If Schramm's kick had sailed through the uprights it would have been huge. The fans were cheering, the players were bouncing up and down, ready to storm the field...and instead I picked up my folding stadium seat and walked back to my truck on the losing end once again. The Zips team represented UA nicely on a big stage (by Zips standards) Saturday. Hope they keep fighting. I heard Miami lost their QB (who was awesome against Cincinnati a few weeks ago), so that'll help our cause next week. And a revenge win against Kent in 2 weeks can set the table for an interesting November. If Broughton is healthy next week, do you start him? He looked pretty spry on the sideline yesterday.

The season is near and there's a lot of excitement around the program. There's a lot of questions, too, as we officially enter the Dustin Ford era. 1. Will Evan Mahaffey and/or Kamrin Oriol be eligible? It doesn't look good for Evan IMO. Unless the NCAA allows a blanket waiver for players from his class (unlikely) or the Ohio Supreme Court reverses course (also unlikely), he will probably run out of options to play. Oriol seems like a more optimistic case, although that could change quickly based on continued legal action from the NCAA. 2. How does the program transition fron Groce to Ford? Groce was here nine seasons and clearly had a ton of success, especially the last few years. Ford has been here the whole time, too, and was regarded as one of the top assistants around. He loses a lot in Johnson, Scott, Lyles, Hardman Eric Mahaffey (and maybe Evan Mahaffey), but brought in some good talent in the portal. With so much roster transition everywhere in the MAC, coaching may be the ultimately separater. 3. What does the rotation look like? It's impossible to predict until we know if Mahaffey and/or Oriol can play. Staveskie and Pence will play big roles. Burton and Barre will patrol the paint. Beyond that, there's a lot that we'll have to wait and see shake out once the team gets going.

This ended up costing Syracuse the game. It's a risky strategy to play such a high line because the proper through ball/run can get behind so easily. Impressive finish by Remi with a defender on his back and taking the shot from outside the box. What a game. A chip shot, an absolute rocket, a saved PK, a sub-5-minute game winning goal, and a save off the line on a dangerous failed clear with 2 minutes to go. It had everything.

I think what we need is for them both to commit to LSU, then re-file in Louisiana, get granted eligibility by a judge there, and then re-commit to Akron.

The MAC outside of 3-4 teams have all looked very bad. Even then none of those 3-4 teams are remotely in discussion to get the G6 bid. Given there aren't really anymore OOC games to measure ourselves against external competition, MAC play is mainly just about determining who is the tallest midget.

This is a real measuring stick game for the Zips as it is the first game this season against a similarly situated MAC opponent. The Zips should be at a point where these games are at a minimum competitive.

Nemer signed 3 year extension, which was published by the ABJ. I found the attached article, which provides the details and isn't hidden behind a paywall. https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article317444289.html

Nice to see the Beacon do an article before the game. The zips need a big crowd on Friday night https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2026/09/24/akron-mens-soccer-georgetown-nationally-ranked-ncaa-teams-robert-morris/91899785007/ "We have done a really good job of getting some key wins.," Embick said. "Obviously, in [the Big East] conference, we didn't start well with only one point [with a 0-0 draw against Butler on Friday, Sept. 18]. Now you gotta face Georgetown. I think Friday night is a huge game for us. We gotta get something out of that. We gotta get momentum in the Big East. Non-conference, we have been excellent. We gotta bring that to conference play. "... We gotta show them [Georgetown] what Akron's about. Give them a nice rude welcoming to town. We can't make it easy on them. That's the [AK-]Rowdies. That's the fans. That's the community. We gotta make this a fortress on Friday."

QB: Auburn transfer Jackson Arnold is a dual threat with the ball in his hands. He’s thrown for 601 yards and two touchdowns, and has run for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns. Arnold has yet to throw an interception, but he has fumbled three times. Interestingly, when Arnold does throw the ball, he has actual been better when being blitzed than when he has not. He’s completed almost 67% of his passes against the blitz compared to 56% when not blitzed. That said, Arnold has been known to hang on to the ball too long and take the sack instead. RB: Senior Jai’Den Thomas is the leading rusher with 224 yards and one touchdown. 166 of those yards have come after contact. He also has 7 receptions for 52 yards. WR: Oregon State transfer Taz Reddicks leads the team in receiving yardage with 120 yards on 8 receptions. Sophomore Kayden McGee is next with 103 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. UNLV spreads the ball around a good bit despite who is listed as a starters. TE: Arizona transfer Keyan Burnett is the main option at tight end with 7 receptions for 75 yards, though the Rebels will rotate several players at the position. OL: The offensive line has allowed 11 sacks, with 10 of those coming to Memphis and North Texas. LT - Alekai Afoa - 6’4 295 (Jr.) (JUCO) LG - Colton Thomasson - 6’8 325 (R.Jr.) (Baylor) C - Griffin Scroggs - 6’3 330 (R. Sr.) (App State) RG - Amare Taase - 6’4 330 (R. So.) RT - Jackson Brown - 6’6 310 (R. Jr.) (Pittsburgh) DL: Redshirt freshman Kal-El Togafau starts at one edge with sophomore Andre Porter on the opposite side. The duo has combined for 10 total tackles and 2 sacks. Junior Lucas Conti is an interior starter that will also be slid outside. Redshirt freshman Eliah Logo typically lines up at nose tackle. LB: Holy Cross transfer Cam Santee and former Arizona transfer Kamuela Ka’Aihue start at linebacker, and have combined for 35 total tackles. DB: Seniors Denver Harris and Quandarious Keyes start at cornerback. Former UCONN transfer Mumu Bin-Wahad starts at nickleback, with senior Jake Pope and sophomore Tre Fulton at the safeties. Opposing offenses have targeted Keyes twice as much as any other player in the secondary. ST: Junior Ramon Villela has gone 2 for 3 on field goals and 6 for 6 on extra points. Kennesaw State transfer Matt Choules averages 43 yards per punt, with a long of 64 yards and 7 punts downed inside the twenty. Keys on Offense: Get the ball out quickly, don’t cause unnecessary setbacks, and attempt to establish the run game. The Rebel defense has talent, but has steadily become worse at tackling as the season has progressed - according to PFF. Keys on Defense: UNLV wants to run the ball and will utilize their quarterback, running backs, and wide outs in their ground game. If the Rebels get ahead, it may be hard to recover. Akron has to stay focused on their keys as UNLV will use some type of shift or motion on almost every play pre-snap. Final Thoughts: I wouldn’t go as far to say the Zips are the better team, but it is certainly a winnable game. Despite the Rebels playing poorly at times, they still have a talented roster. The Zips will need to play well to give themselves an opportunity to beat a team that looked primed to be one of the best in the G6, during the off-season.

Zips got three recruits today: Kobe Lewis - Fairfield, OH Jason Thomas - Sunrise, FL Wilzard Sterling - Lake Worth, FL Haven't looked into them but all seem like pretty good gets

My issue with the play was this...prior to the INT, the previous 5 plays were: - 15 yd pass - 18 yd run - 5 yd run - 11 yd run - Incomplete pass They were moving the ball with ease. It was 2nd and 10 at the UNLV 24 yd line. It was not the time to have Jordan Gant attempt a pass for the first time in his collegiate career.

I'm not sure what the point of a press conference is if you're not gonna ask about a QB injury.

i love the gold jerseys

I don’t have much to say about this one. The score line should have been better, but we hurt ourselves. I’m hoping we are relatively healthy for next week. QB: Without CBs legs, our run game basically went out the window. Roggow made some nice throws, but the offense shifted to a more traditional setup with Roggow running the show. RB: There weren’t that many opportunities and even less running room. Gant also fumbled once. WR/TE: The drops were drive killers. Can’t have those and expect to beat/compete with many teams. OL: The line couldn’t get consistent push in the run game and allowed pressure 31% of the time according to PFF. DL: I’m not sure what Abor’s status is, but he was a menace lined up both inside and out. Having Durham on the opposite side made a difference. Frazier and Kavals continue to progress. LB: Johnson and Nunoo were really good and easily had their best games as Zips. DB: Our nicklebacks and safties struggled, as did most cornerbacks not named White. I’m guessing White will miss at least several weeks from here. Galloway did seem to have some good snaps today, so we’ll see if he gets more action next week. ST: Patrick’s blunder came at a tough time and basically sealed any chance of making this a competitive contest. Castle had a solid day punting the ball with a long of 52 and three downed inside the 20. QB: Broughton Roggow Beals RB: Gant Patrick Williams WR: Mason Louis Hilburn WR: Hills Burris WR: Williams Myers TE: Alexander Cravaack Hook LT: Slayden Shor LG: Smith Falkner C Lyons Mobley RG: Hampton Archer RT: Jones Shor DE: Abor Kavals Watkins DT: Mixon Kavals Davis Ross-Graves DT: Hull Williams Brown-Demery DE: Frazier Kavals Watkins LB: Johnson Hocker LB: Nunoo Curtis NB: Branch Moss CB: Galloway White CB: Thomas Newsome S: Flowers Hunter Somerville S: Davis Hunter Top Rated Offense (15 snap minimum): QB - Broughton C - Lyons RT - Jones RB - Gant RB - Patrick Top Rated Defense (15 snap minimum): DE - Abor LB - Johnson DE - Durham DE - Frazier LB - Nunno

This is amazing, but is anyone gonna tell Marty? He has no idea! 🙂

I blame Marty Whims for this.

While there were 167 TV breaks, not one of them went by with nothing going on. Either there was a game/contest, some other activity, the band playing, etc. The PA kept working to get the crowd involved and such. It was a proper gameday operation, IMO

I stumbled upon Keith Kennedy's thoughts on the production level. For those who don't know, he was the in-stadium host back in the early days of the new stadium.

The Zips made good use of their bench tonight. On the offensive side, I want to salute FaFa (Farrell Ngongang) and Noa Testa. FaFa hustle and great pass resulted in a fine goal by Noa Testa. Noa Testa was very active and quick and he created a lot of offense for the Zips. However, my unsung hero for the night is freshman Cole Perez. He came in at center back and really stabilized the back line. Great clutch performance by a freshman. Freshman Austin Thum also came in and played some very good minutes in place of Matt Dreas. The coaching staff deserves credit for recognizing that some key veterans were not having effective nights.....and the coaching staff wisely brought in Cole, FaFa, Noa, Braxton , Leo , Austin and others. This win would not have been possible without great contributions from freshmen and sophomores.

QB: Junior Jake Lindsey has thrown for 543 yards with a 69% completion rate and no interceptions. Surprisingly, he’s only thrown for a single touchdown over a two-game span. Lindsey isn’t much of a threat to run and rarely has to when playing behind Minnesota’s massive offensive line. RB: Senior Darius Taylor hasn’t had a ton of opportunities thus far, but he’s still a bigger back that can do some damage. Taylor has 71 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns to go along with 36 receiving yards. WR: Former Miami of Ohio transfer Javon Tracy leads the team in receptions and yards, collecting 12 catches for 149 yards. He is also the punt returner and has taken two back for touchdowns. Cincinnati transfer Noah Jennings is second on the team with 10 receptions for 145 yards. TE: The Gophers don’t target their tight ends much in the passing game but senior Pierce Walsh does have four receptions. OL: The offensive line rarely allows pressure on the quarterback and has given up only two sacks this season, both against Mississippi State. LT - Nathan Roy (6’5 305) LG - Greg Johnson (6’6 325) C - Ashton Beers (6’6 320) RG - Tony Nelson (6’6 325) RT - Daniel Shipp (6’5 295) DL: The Gopher pass rush has been about as anemic as the Zips’, however, that doesn’t mean Minnesota is lacking in talent. Senior Anthony Smith plays both inside and out. Former Cal transfer TJ Bush has one of the defense’s two sacks. Against MSU, junior Jaylon Hicks started on the interior, as did senior Karter Menz on the edge. LB: Seniors Maverick Baranowski and Matt Kingsbury start at linebacker. The duo have combined for 22 total tackles. DB: Michigan State transfer Aydan West and former Iowa transfer John Nestor start at the cornerback positions. Seniors Kerry Brown and Aidan Gousby, along with sophomore Zack Harden, are the starters at safety and nickel. ST: Tom Weston is the main punter and averages 38.3 yards per punt with a long of 45. Minnesota has used two different kickers on field goals, and they have gone 3 for 3. Beckham Sunderland has put 11 of his 13 kickoffs in the endzone. Keys on Offense: Find a way to keep drives moving and take care of the football. MSU’s mobile quarterback really hurt the Minnesota defense, and it would not be a surprise if CB came out of this game as Akron’s leading rusher. I’m not sure if the Zips OL will be able to consistently get push on the Gophers defensive front, so CB’s legs may have to make up for that. Keys on Defense: Force turnovers and keep the ball in front. Stopping Minnesota’s run game should be the main priority as I’m not sure the Zips defense will be able to get much pressure on Lindsey. In essence, force the Gophers into long, multi-play drives in the hopes they goof up. Final Thoughts: I don’t like this matchup, and there aren’t many areas where the Zips will have the advantage. As a comparison, Minnesota is bigger and more physical than Wake Forest. Akron will need to play at a very high level and have some help from Minnesota to pull out a win.

I'm invested in the team this year. I'm an optimist always trying to find the bright side. I was excited when they got Reese and wanted to see the gunslinger with the experience, but I knew the potential that CB had. After two games of seeing CB at the helm, I'm impressed. This kid has stepped in and to me has shown that he has poise and is extremely accurate, he has gotten lucky a couple times with some missed interceptions but I'll take it, and his elusiveness his a huge asset. I wish sometimes he would learn to throw the ball away but he is playing his game and it is exciting. When CB gets comfortable I know he can drop dimes 30-40 yards he just hasn't shown it yet and the way he has been using Elijah it's only a matter of time til the deep balls start opening up. Roggow coming off the bench looks like he is the man when he walks out there. It is like he is coming on the field like he is the starter from the very first second he steps on the field. That confidence is amazing and he looks good. I think we are going to be in a good spot come conference time with these two. I KNOW we are going to be big underdogs the next two weeks but I am hoping the stars line up and maybe, just maybe we can pull off at least one upset and shock the world. I think that would be amazing. There are some exciting young players on this team that are fun to watch when they are on the field. I thought twice we were gonna score on special teams this week. Patrick looks like he is always a step or two from taking it to the house. Now I'm always waiting for Dante to lay someone out from the linebacker spot or waiting for Abor to get that highlight blindside sack to cause the fumble. Wake Forest was rough but it was the FIRST game for A LOT of very young players and like someone pointed out earlier they did not quit, ever and they got a lot of experience. As long as they continue to improve the next two weeks conference play should be fun and competitive. Minnesota and UNLV have not looked like that super teams that I thought they were going to be, albeit they have not been playing MAC teams, but like I said I am hoping we can at least one upset...

That is good for 4th in the country. Mensah (Mia) 91.1% 41 of 45 Stockton (UGA) 87.5% 28 of 32 Watson (Umass) 87.5 28 of 32 CB 83% 44 of 53

Just watched the NBC national news and they usually have a feel good story at the end of the broadcast and it was about our offensive coordinator for the day Marty. Amazing publicity for the program. Really well done. Here is the link https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news-netcast/video/nbc-nightly-news-full-episode-sept-13-269797445768

What a save! What a win!

They did a great job with in game entertainment. Helped fill the gaps during media timeouts.

Minnesota and UNLV both getting spanked today.

Looked like there were two Arby’s logos on the shirt?

Beto Ydrach called up for CONCACAF Nations League duty with Puerto Rico 🇵🇷.