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We’re approximately 8 weeks away from kick-off. I’ll do as many of these as I can, but keep in mind injuries—and yet another round of the portal—could change some of this information before the season starts. 2024 Rewind: Wyoming finished 3-9 overall in Jay Sawvel’s first year as head coach. Their wins came against Air Force, New Mexico, and Washington State. The Cowboys dropped four games by four points or less, so the season could’ve looked a lot different if a few more of those close ones had broken their way. Recruiting under Sawvel: 2024: On3 - 6th in MWC 247 - 6th in MWC 2025: On3 - 4th in MWC 247 - 5th in MWC Cowboys on Offense: Wyoming utilized two quarterbacks last season and neither was particularly stellar. The Cowboys often had to rely on their run game, but would prefer to have a more productive aerial attack to complement it. Sophomore Kaden Anderson returns and will start after throwing for 955 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions while completing 58% of his passes in 2024. Anderson took over for Quinn Ewers at Texas high school powerhouse Southlake Carroll and was also recruited by Bowling Green. Leading rusher Sam Scott is back after collecting 435 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2024, but he’s not expected to start. North Texas grad transfer Damashja Harris is in line to take over. Harris has excellent size and speed at 6’4”, 224 pounds, but hasn’t produced at a high level as a running back just yet. He’s mostly made his name as a kick returner. If the Cowboys can unlock Harris’ potential in the backfield, they could be dangerous on the ground. Despite not being overly impressive through the air, Wyoming returns most of its production at wide receiver and tight end. Receivers Jaylen Sargent and Chris Durr, along with tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, combined for 84 receptions, 1,253 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 2024. Offensive line is where the Cowboys should be able to hang their hat in 2025. Caden Barnett and Jake Walsh are as good as almost any linemen in the MWC. Rex Johnsen and Wes King are two more returning starters. Sophomore Nathan Geiger is the only new face and will be expected to fill in at tackle after seeing action on offense in just one game last season. Cowboys on Defense and Special Teams: The defensive line went into 2024 with high expectations and didn’t come close to meeting them—whether it was stopping the run or getting after the quarterback. Defensive end Tyce Westland is the team’s best returning pass rusher after tallying 3 sacks and 41 total tackles last season. On the interior, Jayden Williams was a backup and will now slide into a starting role after posting 28 total tackles in 2024. Wyoming finds itself in a similar position to Akron, relying heavily on players with little to no experience at the G5 level. Wyoming is known for having strong linebacker play in the MWC. However, this season will feature a redshirt freshman and two former lower level players manning the middle of the defense. Redshirt freshman Gary Rutherford had offers from Indiana and Washington State coming out of high school before settling on Wyoming. Brayden Johnson and Ethan Stuhlsatz transferred in from Oklahoma Baptist and Lindenwood, respectively. The Cowboys will roll out almost an entirely new secondary in 2025. Illinois State transfer Desman Hearns is expected to take over at nickelback, while the cornerback group will be about as green as it gets. Redshirt freshmen Markie Grant and Tyrese Boss are competing with true freshman Tyson Deen for the starting spots. Part-time starter Andrew Johnson will step into a full-time role at one of the safety positions. His running mate is expected to be sophomore Jones Thomas, who saw action in just one game on defense last year. Wyoming will feature new specialists with redshirt sophomore Erik Sandvik handling placekicking and JUCO Bart Edmiston taking over at punter. Position Advantage: When looking at who has the advantage at the individual positions, this game is about as even as it gets. On offense, Akron should have the better quarterback and skill players, while Wyoming holds a clear edge along the offensive line. Defensively, Wyoming actually returns some production—albeit limited—on the defensive line, whereas Akron has next to none. The two teams have similar linebacker play styles, and Wyoming’s almost complete lack of experience in the secondary gives Akron the advantage at defensive back. Special teams feature all new starters for both squads. QB = Akron RB = Even WR = Akron TE = Even OL = Wyoming DL = Wyoming LB = Even DB = Akron ST = Even Way too early Prediction: While Wyoming is thankfully not Ohio State or any other power conference team, this matchup could still be viewed as a lose/lose scenario for the Zips. Win the game and college football nation yawns and acts like it’s no big deal beating a previously 3-9 MWC squad. Lose the game and the tiresome rhetoric about “same ole Akron” comes right back into play. Regardless, this is a winnable game—and one that Akron could desperately use as a confidence builder. Probably the best MAC comparison to Wyoming from our 2024 schedule would be Western Michigan. As Zips fans may remember, that was a game we had in the bag and managed to completely blunder away. Even though the first game of the season can get sloppy, I expect the Zips offense to be able to move the ball effectively against a fairly inexperienced Wyoming defense. Of course, moving the ball has rarely been an issue under Moorhead—it’s been finishing drives and scoring points where the problems have occurred. Akron’s defense will need to find a way to put pressure on Wyoming’s sophomore quarterback and limit the Cowboy offense from hitting on big plays, which a few of their guys definitely have the ability to create. If Wyoming gets ahead and is allowed to lean on their run game, it could be a long day for the Zips’ new-look defense. I could easily see this game going in either direction, and despite both teams having several rebuilt positions, I’m sticking with the home team and saying 24-21 Zips.

2024 Rewind: The Blazers took a step back in Trent Dilfer’s second season. After winning four games in year one, UAB only managed three wins in year two. Those three wins came convincingly over Alcorn State, Tulsa, and Rice—two of which have new head coaches in 2025. All of UAB’s losses came in convincing fashion, with the exception of a two-point loss to Charlotte. Coincidentally, Charlotte also has a new head coach this season. Recruiting under Dilfer: 2023: On3 - 9th in AAC 247 - 10th in AAC 2024: On3 - 11th in AAC 247 - 9th in AAC 2025: On3 - 13th in AAC 247 - 11th in AAC Blazers on Offense: Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna is back for his second season in Dilfer’s offense. The redshirt senior threw for 2,209 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 62% of his passes in 2024. Kitna is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the AAC, with most publications including him in their preseason All-AAC selections. UTEP transfer Jevon Jackson is expected to start at running back. Jackson was an FCS All-American before transferring to UTEP, where he rushed for 754 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’ll split snaps with returning senior Isaiah Jacobs. Redshirt sophomore Corri Milliner is UAB’s most productive returning receiver. Milliner posted 24 receptions for 416 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. Former consensus 4-star Kaleb Brown transferred in from Iowa (originally committed to Ohio State) and will attempt to live up to his potential, while the tight end position will be littered with new faces and minimal experience. Quarterback Jalen Kitna will be playing behind a less experienced offensive line that gave up 33 sacks last season. However, two of the returning starters are dependable—center Brady Wilson and former South Carolina tackle JonDarius Morgan. New starting guards Calib Perez and Barry Walker combined to play just 86 snaps as backups. Former Wagner offensive tackle Brandon Sneh is expected to start after spending the spring at Kansas State before transferring a second time to UAB. Blazers on Defense: The Blazers’ pass rush in 2024 was on par with Akron’s, to give a general idea of their effectiveness. UAB’s run defense was horrendous, and they struggled to stop most teams from scoring. Supposedly, the bulk of their NIL funds went toward upgrading the defensive line, and they’ve added five transfers. Three of the four projected starters will be newcomers—Old Dominion transfer Amorie Morrison, Boston College transfer Nigel Tate, and Sam Houston transfer Denver Warren (who originally committed to Bowling Green out of high school). A returner that is expected to start is former backup James Smyre, who collected 9 total tackles and 2 sacks last season. UAB lost nearly all of its production at linebacker and have turned to the portal for replacements. Eli Ennis will be one starter and he was an FCS All-American at Nicholls. The other starting linebacker will be Idaho State transfer Calvin Pitcher. The Blazers’ secondary didn’t allow many yards per game, but that was partially because most opponents were able to run the ball at will. Regardless, UAB brought in five portal defensive backs this cycle and returns just one starter—safety Sirad Bryant. Bryant collected 59 total tackles and one interception. Not overly impressive numbers, but PFF graded him well in pass coverage. Backup safety AJ Brown will move into a starting role, and backup cornerback Donald Lee will also step into a starting spot. Pittsburgh transfer Tamarion Crumpley is expected to start opposite Lee, while Maryland transfer Perry Fisher is slated to start at the “star” position. Kicker Jonah DeLange and punter Patrick Foley are back. The duo had a strong year and so did the rest of UAB’s special teams. They should be solid again. Position Advantage: The positions turned out to be closer than I expected upon a deeper dive. I think Akron holds a distinct advantage at wide receiver and tight end, and a small advantage at defensive back. The rest of the rosters are either up for debate or have so many question marks at this point that it’s hard to call. QB - Even RB - Even WR - Akron TE - Akron OL - Even DL - Even LB - Even DB - Akron ST - UAB Way too Early Prediction: There’s a strong possibility this will be Dilfer’s last season at UAB. It’s hard to fathom this Blazers squad pulling out more than 3–4 wins again. Akron should be able to move the ball fairly proficiently against an almost completely rebuilt UAB defense. This would be a good time for Moorhead to become stubborn and run the football. We usually don’t run enough—to my liking at least—until later in the season. I don’t expect the UAB offensive line to be any better than it was last year. If we can’t get a decent amount of pressure on the quarterback in this game, I’ll be worried about what the rest of the season has in store. Kitna is going to get his stats no matter what, but we can’t make it easy on him. I imagine both fanbases have this one circled on their calendars as wins. This is a game we absolutely must win to show progress going into year four of this regime. I think the Zips get it done 24-21, and we finally get an out-of-conference road win in the Moorhead era.

Freeman had a huge game vs Cleveland today in the summer league. 19 pts and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes.

Assuming this means Akron soccer will be watchable again without burning $30 a month.

2024 Rewind: Duquesne went 8-3 last season, co-winning the NEC (FCS) championship. Their only losses came against Toledo, Boston College, and their season finale to Central Connecticut State. They’re led by Jerry Schmitt, who’s been at the helm since 2005. Recruiting under Schmitt: N/A for FCS schools. Dukes on Offense: The Dukes will break in a new quarterback following the graduation of Darius Perrantes, with several different players currently in the mix for the starting job. In the backfield, Taj Butts and Shawn Solomon are expected to split carries after the spring departure of All-NEC running back JaMario Clements to Wake Forest. The duo combined for 531 yards and two touchdowns last season. Joey Isabella returns as the clear top target in the passing game after an All-NEC campaign that saw him haul in 41 receptions for 741 yards and 11 scores. Beyond Isabella, though, there’s not much proven production at wide receiver. Tight end Daniel Tarabrella is penciled in as the starter, but he’s primarily used as an extra blocker. Up front, the offensive line should be a strength. All five starters are back, including All-NEC selections Brian Beidatsch, Michael Fallah, and Cameron McLaurin. Dukes on Defense: Almost all of Duquesne’s defensive line production returns, highlighted by All-NEC performers A.J. Ackerman at defensive tackle and Jack Dunkley at defensive end. The pair combined for 45 total tackles and 10 sacks in 2024 and should anchor a strong front. Linebacker is where the biggest changes come. Former Kent State transfer Luke Miller saw part-time action last season and is expected to step into a full-time role. The other spot is still up for grabs between Murray State transfer Tyson Meiguez and Maine transfer Jabari Odoemenem. The secondary should again be a strength. All-NEC defensive backs Antonio Epps and DJ Cerisier return, with Epps holding down one safety spot and Cerisier locking up one of the corners. TJ Jones is back at the other safety spot, while part-time starter Jaelen Carson is expected to fill in at the corner opposite Cerisier. 2024 backup Malachi Lowery should slide into the nickel role. The Dukes will roll out a new starting kicker and punter this season. Position Advantage: Akron holds a talent and experience advantage across the board—except at the lines of scrimmage, defensive back, and special teams. That said, by the time Week 4 rolls around, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Zips prove to be better in all of those areas as well. QB - Akron RB - Akron WR - Akron TE - Akron OL - Duquesne DL - Duquesne LB - Akron DB - Even ST - Even Way too Early Prediction: It’ll be a nice reprieve to see a matchup against an FCS school at this point in the season instead of a power conference opponent. That said, Duquesne has consistently won games at the FCS level and could present more of a challenge than expected. Offensively, the Dukes likely won’t be as potent as they were in 2024. Replacing a highly productive starting quarterback, an All-NEC running back, and multiple receivers is no small task. The silver lining for them is the return of their entire offensive line—arguably one of the better units in the FCS—which should provide some stability while the skill positions get sorted out. Defensively, while Duquesne may not match Akron's overall talent level, they bring back a ton of experience. That continuity makes them a tougher out than most expect from an FCS squad. Going through Duquesne’s roster was actually refreshing—a reminder that not every program has been gutted by the portal. They’ve stuck with a more traditional model, building through prep prospects and only sprinkling in a few transfers. Still, I don’t think the Dukes have enough in the tank to knock off Akron unless the Zips completely lay an egg. I expect a competitive first half before Akron’s depth and talent start to take over. Give me the Zips, 31–20.

QB: Finley Johnson (TP) - Finley is the starter barring injury. He hit his stride over the final four games of the season, throwing for 1,027 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just 1 interception during that stretch. If he can pick up where he left off, he’ll be All-MAC in 2025. Bullock left via the portal, with Syracuse transfer Michael Johnson stepping in as his replacement. True freshman Cibastian Broughton is dynamic and should find his way onto the field somewhere during his first year. RB: Gant (TP) Patrick - Tennessee State transfer Jordan Gant will split reps with redshirt freshman Sean Patrick. Both backs showed flashes in their limited spring game action. Colgate transfer Chris Gee and ULM transfer Taven Curry are built similarly—bigger backs by our standards—who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. They’re solid change-of-pace options. I think this year’s group has four guys who can legitimately contribute. WR: Mason Walker Adams Hills (TP) Polk Davis - I’m already a Kyan Mason fan and think he’s in line for a huge season. The redshirt freshman was explosive during the spring game and easily looked like our best receiver. It’ll be good to see Adams back on the field, even if he’s not quite the all-conference player he was a few seasons ago. Polk should build on the development we saw late last year. We might’ve lost our biggest playmaker in Norton, but I actually think this year’s group has more quality depth. TE: Newell Cravaack - I strongly believe we’ll have the best tight end duo in the MAC this year. Since they’ll be splitting snaps much of the time, it’s possible neither gets all-conference recognition, but both have the ability to produce at a high level. Redshirt freshman Khalil Witherspoon is one to watch in the coming seasons. He still needs to add some mass to be more effective as an in-line blocker, but he has all kinds of length and could develop into a weapon in the passing game. LT: D. Johnson (TP) Shor LG: K. Davis Archer (TP) C Morris Fox RG: A. Jones (TP) Lyons RT: J. Moore (TP) Motley-Simmons (TP) - The OL will play a major role in determining how potent this year’s offense is. We’ve got plenty of size, length, and athleticism up front—probably the most we’ve had as a unit during Moorhead’s tenure. That’s the good news. The bad news is we’re seriously lacking guys with experience at the G5 level. It might take some time to find the right combination before this group really clicks. This isn’t one of those positions you want to enter a season still figuring out. The talent is there—but how long will it take to gel? DE: Durham (TP) Cheatom DT: Hull Laventure (JUCO) DT: Murphy Madden DE: Dall J. Frazier - From what I saw in the spring game, only Durham, Hull, and Dall look like they have spots locked down. Every other position on the depth chart feels wide open. With a new position coach and so many players moving on, this was the group I had the most concern about during the offseason. I like the film on some of the incoming transfers and JUCOs, but we won’t really know what we have until the season kicks off. Will we luck out and find another Nunnally-type on the DL, or will they end up more like the rest of our JUCO DL signees under Moorhead—rotational guys and backups? Our pass rush was anemic at times in 2024, and I’m not yet convinced it’ll be drastically better in 2025. I’d love to be proven wrong. LB: Summers Benenge LB: Cooper Spriggs - The linebacking corps should be solid in 2025, even with the losses of McCoy and Fish. When given the opportunity, Summers showed he’s a tackling machine—just like he was in JUCO—and Cooper returns from injury. We definitely missed Cooper last year; he brings a pass-rushing element the other LBs don’t. Spriggs and Benenge should be ready for bigger roles after seeing snaps in 2024. Redshirt freshman Jason Hocker and true freshman Markus Boswell both passed the eye test in the spring game, despite not being allowed to tackle anyone. CB: Reed DeWalt CB: Jarmon Kamara (TP) - From a length and athleticism standpoint, this should be the best cornerback group we’ve had. Reed started the WMU game and never gave the job back. DeWalt is an athletic specimen but needs to find more consistency. Jarmon and Kamara both looked good in the spring game, and redshirt sophomore Catrell White should be ready to contribute as well. If the front seven can generate a decent pass rush, this unit will produce in 2025. NB: Greenwood A. Branch (TP) S: David Flowers (TP) S: Anderson Hunter - I’m including nickelback with safety since there’s plenty of crossover in Tibesar’s scheme. The Lewis’ have moved on, leaving a production void in the secondary. Greenwood was a backup and will likely grab a starting spot. I expect Kent State transfer Alex Branch to push for playing time in the backfield as well. If David is healthy, he’ll probably reclaim a starting safety spot—he was lost for the season during the Rutgers game in 2024 and missed the 2025 spring game. Anderson held down the other safety spot and did a solid job. Penn State transfer Mahki Flowers, a former 4-star, could make some noise too. On paper, we seem to have enough depth this year, and with a new safeties coach in the mix, we’ll see how this group comes together. K: Wiley Samaha (TP) P: Castle B. Johnson (TP) LS: Dennis (TP) Miner (TP) - We lost all of our starting specialists after the season ended. That said, if the spring game is any indication, Wiley and Castle look ready to take over placekicking and punting duties, respectively. Michigan transfer Adam Samaha and NAIA transfer Brayden Johnson will be in the mix too.

Our guys are putting in work. Major physique changes for some of the guys, Bowen especially. Should help on defense and maintain his shot deeper into the game.

Since there seems to be some common sense now re: transgenderism and womens sports, and especially since Penn just agreed to revoke their trans-swimmer's records and send letters of apology to the women affected, I am hoping that either Coach Peresie himself or the new administration would decide to revise the Ocasek record board to reflect the real record holders for the 500 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle and 1650 freestyle events. Maybe some of the "movers and shakers" on ZipsNation could quietly suggest to Coach Peresie or Dr. Goodrich that this be done. It doesn't need a lot of fanfare, just a correction. I hope common sense prevails at U of A too.

Redshirt Freshman Tommy O’Rourke # 24 with a Screamer in USL 2, LongIsland Rough Riders game last night.Up for goal of the week. Fellow Akron ZIP Tyler Mork shared the pitch together as the Longisland Rough Riders Clinched Playoff birth. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLqKmPFRtKR/?igsh=MTQ2NWs5enNmZzlsbw==

2024 Rewind: Toledo was a bit of an enigma in 2024. The Rockets arguably had the most talent of any team in the MAC and a favorable schedule that could have positioned them for a College Football Playoff push. Instead, they stumbled to a 8-5 finish with puzzling losses to WKU, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Akron. They did manage to finish on a high note with a wild six-overtime bowl win over a depleted Pittsburgh squad. Jason Candle returns for his 10th season and remains one of the most respected coaches in the MAC. Toledo continues to sit near the top of the conference when it comes to institutional support and resources dedicated to football. Recruiting under Candle: *IN MAC* 2016: On3 - 3rd 247 - 2nd 2017: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2018: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2019: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2020: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2021: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2022: On3 - 6th 247 - 6th 2023: On3 - 5th 247 - 5th 2024: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st 2025: On3 - 1st 247 - 1st Rockets on Offense: Tucker Gleason is expected to be the starter again after putting up 2,793 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while completing 60.5% of his passes last season. While those numbers are solid, Gleason's inconsistency at times was a source of frustration for the fanbase—and, as is often the case, there was a vocal segment calling for backup John Alan Richter to get more reps. Richter may be the more polished passer, but Gleason brings added mobility to the position, which gives the offense a different dimension. Running back play wasn’t up to par in 2024, due in large part to injuries and the departure of Peny Boone via the transfer portal. Unlike in 2023—when the Rockets could wear teams down with a bruising ground game led by Boone and the dual-threat ability of DeQuan Finn—Toledo lacked that same punch last fall. To address the issue, the Rockets dipped into the portal and added Kentucky transfer Chip Trayanum and NC A&T transfer Kenji Christian. Both backs bring more explosiveness than what was mostly available a year ago and should help reestablish a more dynamic rushing attack. All-MAC First Team selection Jerjuan Newton is off to the NFL, and while his production will be missed, the Rockets appear to have enough firepower to fill the void collectively. Junior Vandeross, another All-MAC First Teamer, returns as the go-to option, and Toledo added a proven playmaker in NIU transfer Trayvon Rudolph. The receiving corps also gets a boost at tight end with the addition of Jacob Peterson, who posted nearly 500 receiving yards at Holy Cross last season. An offensive line that was strong in pass protection, but often struggled to open holes in the run game returns three of its starters. Pittsburgh transfer Terence Moore is expected to step in at one of the vacant interior OL spots, while part-time starter Stephen Gales will look to lock down a starting role at tackle. Rockets on Defense: The defensive line lost all four starters, leaving the door wide open for new faces to step in and claim significant snaps. On the interior, there’s a bit more stability with the return of Martex Poynter and Essam Carter—two backups from last season who saw meaningful action and combined for 46 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. On the edges, former backup Malachi Davis is expected to take on a larger role, while UMASS transfer Louce Julian should slot in opposite him as a projected starter. Linebacker took a major hit, with the Rockets losing almost all of their production from last season. Backups Damon Ollison and Chris D’Appolonia are expected to step into starting roles after combining for just 20 total tackles in 2024. There’s plenty of potential - and uncertainty - at the position, and how quickly they adjust to increased responsibilities could go a long way in determining the defense’s overall effectiveness. Toledo’s secondary went from elite in 2023 to very good in 2024 after losing some standout defensive backs and their secondary coach, who left for Illinois. Even so, the Rockets still have plenty of talent on the backend and should be strong again this season with almost all of their starters returning. When it comes to recruiting defensive backs, Toledo has been second to none in the MAC, and that pipeline continues to pay dividends. Zips fans are familiar with returning kicker Dylan Cunanan, who was excellent during much of the season. Starting punter Emilio Duran is also back, giving Toledo stability in the kicking game heading into 2025. Position Advantage: Both quarterbacks are pre-season All-MAC selections. Neither team has many running backs that have proven much at the G5 level and linebacker is still to be determined. Akron holds the advantage at tight end, whereas Toledo holds position advantages every where else. QB - Even RB - Even WR - Toledo TE - Akron OL - Toledo DL - Toledo LB - Even DB - Toledo ST - Toledo Way too Early Prediction: Toledo’s ground game ought to be much improved, and if that proves true, the Rockets will look a lot more like the 2023 squad than the inconsistent version we saw in 2024. Defensively, Toledo lost plenty of production and key contributors, but there’s still enough talent on the roster to remain one of the better units in the MAC. There’s always a vocal group of Toledo fans who view every loss as the Rockets simply underperforming—rarely giving much credit to the opponent. In the case of last year’s Akron/Toledo matchup, that group would mostly be right. Akron played well enough to win, but absolutely needed some help from Toledo to pull it out. It’ll be tough for Akron to catch the Rockets off guard again, especially with the game coming earlier in the season, at Toledo, and last year’s result still lingering. I say Rockets get their revenge, 31-17.

Vermont's schedule is now listed on their site and it confirms Akron travels to Vermont on September 13th (6 pm on ESPN+): https://uvmathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule

OU in the Sun Belt Conference sounds almost as bad as Cal and Stanford in the Atlantic Coast Conference!

The rare game where the Zips are the better coached team. Definitely a shot to win here.

2024 Rewind: Nebraska finished 7–6 after starting the season 5–1. Their wins came against UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Boston College in the bowl game. Four of Nebraska’s losses came by seven points or less. Matt Rhule is now in his third season guiding the Huskers, and at his previous stops—Temple and Baylor—year three was when his teams made the leap into the upper tier of their respective conferences. The same could easily be true this season, as Nebraska appears to have a manageable schedule. Recruiting under Rhule: 2023: On3 - 5th in Big Ten 247 - 5th in Big Ten 2024: On3 - 7th in Big Ten 247 - 6th in Big Ten 2025: On3 - 6th in Big Ten 247 - 6th in Big Ten Huskers on Offense: Dylan Raiola is a name known across the college football landscape thanks to last year’s NIL hoopla. The true sophomore completed 67% of his passes for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2024. He’s the undisputed starter for Nebraska. Emmett Johnson returns at running back after racking up 607 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground. He also added value in the passing game with 39 receptions for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite losing two starting wide receivers and an NFL-drafted tight end, Nebraska should be substantially improved in the passing game with the additions of Kentucky’s Dane Key and Cal’s Nyziah Hunter. Those two bring the kind of playmaking ability the Cornhusker offense lacked last year. Nebraska should be improved along the offensive line with the additions of Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler and Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett. Mainstays Justin Evans, Henry Lutovsky, and Gunnar Gottula also return, giving the Cornhuskers plenty of experience up front. Huskers on Defense: Nebraska lost their defensive coordinator and most of their production along the defensive line. Matt Rhule has said he’d like to keep the 3-3-5 in place, so it remains to be seen what the Cornhuskers ultimately settle on. Sophomore Vincent Shavers and senior Javin Wright step into starting roles at linebacker after the duo combined for 59 total tackles as backups in 2024. In the secondary, Malcolm Hartzog returns at nickel after collecting 45 total tackles and 4 interceptions. Ceyair Wright is back at one cornerback spot after recording 39 total tackles and 2 interceptions, while Idaho transfer Andrew Marshall is expected to fill the opposite corner. DeShon Singleton reprises his role at one safety following up a solid season that included 71 total tackles. The other safety spot will be filled by former backup Marques Buford. Nebraska struggled on special teams last year. Sophomore John Hohl is back at kicker after connecting on 67% of his field goal attempts, and freshman Archie Wilson will likely handle punting duties. Position Advantage: Nebraska holds the edge in almost every category. The Zips’ proven production at tight end gives Akron the advantage there, and with Nebraska being one of the poorest performing special teams units in 2024, I’m giving Akron the edge in that phase as well. QB - Nebraska RB - Nebraska WR - Nebraska TE - Akron OL - Nebraska DL - Nebraska LB - Nebraska DB - Nebraska ST - Akron Way too Early Prediction: Even though I expect Nebraska’s defense to be a bit worse than it was last year, they’re still going to be a formidable opponent for us. I also expect the Cornhusker offense to be substantially better than it was in 2024. I don’t have much to say about this game—it’s the one payday on our schedule. Once again, we’re catching a Power Five opponent on its way up. My best hope is we get out injury free and hang close for a while. Final score prediction: 42–10 Cornhuskers.

Another for Stefan. 😊

I like the Zips I'm this game. Wyoming was bad last year. I'm assuming Akron will be better than last year. Road game across the country for Wyoming is also a handicap for them. My way too early prediction, given no injuries during training camp for either team, Akron 33, Wyoming 28.

Thanks ADZip. I too would want those records expunged.

osted 2 hours ago Did Akron have a trans swimmer? No- trans swimmer Lia Thomas swam in a meet at Akron and set a number of pool records- it is those recrods that Zippy-claws wants vacated. Happy Fourth all of zipsnation!

That's really cool. Only great advancements in technology could fill the seats in Infocision.

1:04 is Akron. Highly recommend watching VaTech, too. I really wish this game was on PC.

Not gonna lie, that warms my heart a little..

My dad and I were talking about this earlier today. The Sun Belt's footprint actually isn't bad for OU with Marshall, App State, JMU, ODU, etc. With the MAC adding UMass, the MAC's footprint is no longer as friendly to OU, and I'd imagine the MAC is looking to expand around UMass a bit more as well. The next TV deal will probably see the Sun Belt jump the MAC in value, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ohio is indeed exploring the Sun Belt. Wasn't the same said about NIU to the MW initially?

OU's reasoning is sound. Weeknight games are killing the MAC. I hope the other schools reach out to see if there is room for the rest of the league. Maybe this is the start of a meaningful run towards sanity.

We’re in the wrong business. We should be driving team busses to away games.

https://x.com/TheMSCPodcast/status/1943078884183818703?t=70iC9uGdjWgk3X6gtu6xCA&s=19 https://x.com/Shane_DNRSports/status/1943038481942327426?s=19

No, but I know their opponent fairly well

Yes!

I was just logging on to celebrate the exodus from FloSports.

Nice write-up, I enjoy these. Wyoming by about as much as they want probably, but I enjoy the write-ups.

We may need him to step up the goal scoring this fall, so it's nice to see him hot coming into the season!

Excellent management by the University. They made all the right, necessary cuts and increased performance. That's called success. Getting back to the basics is a good thing.

https://www.uakron.edu/im/news/ua-back-at-no-1-in-the-world-for-polymer-science-and-plastics-engineering?fbclid=IwY2xjawLVUfhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHn4eFGoyD-_UG0Bge_yw-klCP_izA1dxyDI93RZhCDI1-52D-qCCoVIUAO9Z_aem__sUOaIuaY1bKvnga8Os9fw Can our new football rivalry with UMass be for anything other than the Polymer Pigskin trophy? (Athletic depts: feel free to run with that)

The more Zips goal scorers the better! 🚀

Texas State to the PAC12. The MAC/Sun Belt Challenge needs to become simply a new conference.

Football generally is what drives realignment. In that case the dead weight you speak of shedding would likely be Kent and sadly Akron.