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Wonderful piece from the Players' Tribune by former Zip Darlington Nagbe- https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/darlington-nagbe-mls-soccer-crew

Brilliant article! Darlington writes with a passion that is genuine and relatable. The more you learn about Darlington, the more you realize he is one incredible human being. It is a blessing that he once decided to play for the Zips.

I just want to see us end the game with positive rushing yards

Bump for weekly update. Players that would likely be All-MAC if season ended today: WR - Norton TE - Newell LB - McCoy S - D. Lewis P - Book

Well deserved !!!!

Amen. I'm not at all a soccer guy but that kid makes you proud to be a Zip.

BG Preview QB: Connor Bazelak is the man at QB this season after splitting reps last year. He is currently 2nd in the MAC in passing yards with 975 and is completing 65% of his passes. He has thrown 4 TDs vs 4 INTs. RB: Terion Stewart and Jaison Patterson are one of the better running back duos in the MAC when healthy. Stewart has totaled 270 yards and 4 rushing TDs in three games. Patterson has run for 151 yards and 1 TD. Neither back has been used much in a receiving capacity thus far. WR: Auburn transfer Malcolm Johnson has been the main wide receiver threat in 2024. He has collected 16 receptions for 159 yards and a TD. Running back Jamal Johnson also plays some receiver and gives the offense another playmaker. He has 13 catches for 107 yards. TE: Harold Fannin is not only the best TE in the MAC, he may also be the best receiving TE in the country. Fannin has amassed 37 receptions for 541 yards and 3 TDs. Senior Levi Gazarek is mostly utilized as an in-line blocker. OL: This group has only given up 3 sacks on the year. RT Alex Wollschaeger is having an All-MAC type season. LT - Billie Roberts (Sr.) LG - Nate Pabst (Jr.) C - Alex Padgett (Jr.) RG - Tunde Fatukasi (Sr.) RT - Alex Wollschaeger (Sr.) DL: BG usually runs a 3 man front (will bring down LB as 4th) on defense and has two All-MAC candidates along the DL. Anthony Hawkins has 23 tackles and 3 sacks, while Ali Saad has 16 tackles and 2 sacks. Beside them is usually Dontrez Brown (9 tackles and 0.5 sack). LB: At the linebacker spots are two All-MAC candidates in Jordan Shipp and Charles Rosser. Shipp has amassed 27 tackles and 3 sacks. Rosser has collected 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The third LB is Brock Horne who has 22 tackles and 0.5 sack. DB: Jordan Oladokun and Texas Southern transfer Ja’Corey Benjamin are the starting CBs. Oladokun has 13 tackles and 2 PDs, while Benjamin has 6 tackles, 3 PDs, and 1 INT. Opposing offenses have targeted Oladokun more in the passing game. Darius Lorfils, Northern Illinois transfer CJ Brown, and Avi McGary are the safeties. Lorfils has 11 tackles and 1 PD. Brown has 24 tackles and 1 PD. McGary has 9 tackles. Lorfils has had some tackling issues this season. K: Jackson Kleather is 13 of 14 on extra points and 4 of 6 on field goals. P: John Henderson is averaging 43.6 yards per punt with 8 punts downed inside the 20 yard line. KR: Tennessee Tech transfer Justin Pegues is averaging 29.2 yards per return and also has a 100 yard return this season. Breakdown: Offense - BG does an excellent job of keeping opponents off kilter with their balanced attack. Fannin is certainly the focus of the passing game, yet the ground game gets almost just as many opportunities. Defense - BG’s secondary is susceptible to giving up chunk plays against RPOs. The safeties, in-particular, can struggle at times. BG can also become overly aggressive and give up explosive plays. That’s about where the weaknesses end as they are an excellent pass rushing defense and generally tackle well. Summary: If BG is going to contend for the MAC, this is the year to do it. They will lose a load of veteran talent after this season. That said, they have shown a tendency to play to the level of their opponent over the past few weeks.

I have looked at this roster over and over and can't even venture a guess as to the starting 5. Guessing on the bigs is easier as there aren't many of them, but the depth of our guards is such that I can even guess as to who will be out here. I guess that's a good problem to have.

Another well deserved honor for Mitch https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/mens-team-of-the-week:-september-30_aid53857 Top Drawer Soccer Men’s Team of the Week: September 23-29 GK Mitch Budler, Akron - The redshirt junior was unbeatable this week with eight saves and two shutouts across matches with Saint Francis and Georgetown.

You fire Jim Dennison for Gerry Faust (after 8 win season and going to 1aa playoffs) You fire JD Brookhart for Rob Ianello (while opening a brand new stadium.....iCoach, really?) You fire Terry Bowden for Tom Arth (Bowdens are CFB royalty.....Arth was 9-13 at UTChat) What do you expect!!!??? These have got to be three of the dumbest moves in the history of CFB and have SUNK Zips football!! Especially crazy moves from a school that cannot afford buyouts!!

sadly, Dar Nag was born in Liberia. I do agree that he would be light years better than our candidates in the past 10 years

It might start getting real for the MAC if 1) NIU and/or Toledo take their football to the MWC and 2) if the PAC12 reels in some AAC members causing the AAC to go looking for replacements.

I might drive up to campus Saturday. I might buy a pregame Oktoberfest brat (sounds like a nice event to benefit the students, alumni, fans, community, and my stomach). And depending on how the Zips offense is performing in the first half, I might even buy a ticket and go inside.

Hoping for the Big East Championship at the Germantown Soccer Plex. 👍

Chuckles.....😆 are there athletic department employees old enough to make a reference to a clown from an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show?

Congratulations to Emil. He is the best #9 that Akron has had in the past 10 to 15 years. Great scorer, very unselfish passer.

I think Finley deserves another game or two. Here’s the reason: This was his first mid major conference game. I agree he has to improve, but give him a minute to understand the difference between not being a P5 player vs. a G5 team. He’ll find a groove is my bet!

Gary Miller was a minor league president. He hired a minor league guy as his athletic director. Charles Guthrie is in way over his head.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Didn't realize the Ohio/Kent matchup went back to 1897.

Not baseless character assassination but mindful observation of his interactions with self and others. Never mind a number of his peers refer to him as Chuckles (clown). But, please continue to live in your fantasy world.

It's a big factor in many ways. Physical and mental toll, but also this is a program with a losing culture. These guys haven't won in forever - what better way to change that culture by scheduling 3 non-winnable games out of the chute? It's like trying to turn the titanic with a fishing line

I know a few other MAC ADs. They are amazed by his nonchalance regarding the nuts and bolts of running a successful department. He wants no input from anybody.

Whatever you say Ms. Guthrie! Stick up for your MAN!

I'll speculate it is the same reason he didn't pursue any of the other opportunities he had for a bigger payday as a P5 coordinator - He wanted to watch is kids play football, something he couldn't do if he were a P5 coordinator anywhere but Pitt. He wanted to be close to his parents in the Pittsburgh area, who are getting up there in years He wanted to be a HC again He had good memories of Akron from the Brookhart era, and believed in Akron's potential. Unfortunately the wild spending of the Proenza era, and accompanying campus growth and improvements have disappeared. And Mike Thomas is no longer the supportive AD. We now have budget cuts and an Arby's A. I like Joe, and I'm rooting hard for him. But 2-wins per year for three seasons ain't gonna cut it.

Unless you or someone you know has $1 million+ sitting around somewhere unused to fund a contract buyout, the HC is not going anywhere unless he decides to resign and forego the remainder of his contract. The rest of your post is a bunch BS.

Whoooooooooops. I think I had a few too many yesterday... 🤣

Wrong thread. Wrong forum 😂

Sounds like it’s going to be UTEP (already announced) and current FCS member Tarleton State heading to MWC.

If we get the BG that stayed within a score of Penn State and Texas A&M, BG wins by 40 If we get the BG that lost to Old Dominion, BG wins by 20