Akron vs Tampa Acme Zip Game

[72 Roo]

I am so glad this game has been brought up in another thread. This 40-0 victory is one of the greatest Akron Football game ever played, if not the greatest, in my opinion. Some context is necessary here so pull up a coronavirus cocktail and read on.

 

Akron played the University of Tampa in the 1969 Acme-Zip game which was the opener for both teams. Tampa was an excellent DII program and was accustomed to playing in the playoffs. Tampa openly talked about going D1. They floated the idea of getting Ohio State on their schedule to demonstrate their seriousness. Backers would guarantee OSU $250,000, a big amount in those days, to visit Tampa for a game in 70,000 seat Tampa Stadium. After all, Tampa beat Mississippi Sate and Tulane in 1968. They thought they were ready. To make room for OSU Tampa said it would drop Akron in a heartbeat. OSU just laughed it off. BTW, Tampa beat Akron 28-12 in 1968. Akron fullback John Vargo told me it was the hardest he has ever been hit in his life.

 

We were coached by Gordon Larsen, the best coach I think we have ever had. Gordon was pissed and put everything into getting his team prepared. The crowd for the game was near 40,000. I had made the soccer team. As was Acme-Zip custom the soccer team played a game before the football game. We soccer players were given wooden, fold-up chairs on the field which were put all around the field to accommodate as many fans as possible. There must have been 1,000 of them temporarily set up. Ours were one row away from the field. 

 

From the very beginning the Zips played with a ferocious passion. The hitting was incredible. The foreign soccer players I sat with were stunned at the collisions they saw only a few feet away. Akron took it to Tampa from the opening kickoff and never stopped. They reflected their coach's indignation and were ready to make a statement. Tampa blinked first and then damn near quit. Akron didn't care. We played with determination until the final whistle. Make no mistake, though, Tampa was a talented team. They had All-Americans Jack Del Gaizo at QB and Leon McQuay at RB. Later Freddy Solomon and Jon Matusak, two NFL All-Pros would play for them, but they were not on this team.

 

Tampa went on to win its next 8 straight games, but for this game their coach, Fran Curci, could only say that the team "was bleeding' and he hoped he could get them back some time soon. Tampa did go on to move up to D1 in 1971. Unfortunately the board of trustees at the school voted to drop football in 1974 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were awarded an NFL franchise. The BOT thought they could not draw any crowds to support D1 football with an NFL team in town.

 

I love Akron football. To this day I find it hard to recall a better game nor one in which I am more proud of the team and coach. They proved something that night. It was a joy to be there.

 

Hope you enjoyed this first person story. Go Zips!

 

 

[Zipmeister]

I could have sworn Solomon was the QB; oh well another brain cell shot to hell.

They may have hit Vargo hard, but they (and everyone else) NEVER tackled him for a loss.

I witnessed the game sitting just above the first "s" in "classics" in the opening photo of the attachment.

 

[Z.I.P.]

Akron played Tampa again...the opening game following their victory over Kent State in the previous season's Tangerine Bowl -- was that bowl game at Tampa's stadium?  I was just in JHS so I don't remember the year, but I do remember that the Zips defeated Tampa -- with future 49er Pro Bowl WR Freddy Solomon playing quarterback.  I don't remember John Matuszak on the team, but he could have been.

 

Thanks to ol' 72Roo for his reminiscence!  Coach Gordon Larsen was a very close friend of my dad and uncles.  Larsen, Ara Parsegian and my dad and Uncle Tom played together either at South High School and or with the semi-pro Akron Awnings team.  There are a lot of stories we could share over mai tais some time... ???‍♂️

[Zipmeister]

Gordon would have been mildly perturbed that you have turned him into a Norwegian.

[Hilltopper]

16 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

Gordon would have been mildly perturbed that you have turned him into a Norwegian.

Because everybody knows the worst thing you can do is mistake a Swede for a Norwegian. And vice-versa. 

[Zipmeister]

“The Battle of Copenhagen”

Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one Norwegian.
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
in the battle of Copenhagen.

Way, way back in history,
back when the world was new,
norwegian searched all over,
to find some snoose to chew.

They fished for Lutefisk and Torsk,
it helped to make them strong,
and you and me, we know a Norsk,
cannot do nothing wrong.

But swedes and danes were envious
of Viking trips and raids.
The Viking shields and helmet horns,
made all those folks afraid.

Throughout the world the Vikings sailed,
to Ireland and to France.
The even found America,
one afternoon by chance.

My grandpa says, and he should know,
the swedes made up the minds.
To beat the Norsky Vikings,
and kick a few behinds.

But history, so grandpa says,
show that the Norskies won.
They clobbered all the swedes and danes,
and made it lots of fun.

Ten thousand swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one norwegian.

The dust from the weeds,
made snoose for the swedes,
and they called it Copenhagen,

E. C. Stangland