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Last game of 2024 for Zips football. QB: Former Georgia Tech transfer Tucker Gleason left the game against Ohio with an injury. Assuming Gleason is healthy, he will be the starter. Otherwise, redshirt sophomore John Alan Richter will start. Gleason has thrown for 2,168 yards, 20 TDs vs 7 INTs, and completes 60% of his passes. When kept clean, Gleason is incredibly efficient - completing 72% of his passes and throwing for 15 TDs vs 3 INTs. Under pressure, Gleason completes 37% of his passes and has thrown for 5 TDs vs 4 INTs. Richter is the less mobile of the two quarterbacks, but perhaps the better passer. He has thrown for 497 yards, 4 TDs vs 0 INTs, and has a 64% completion rate. RB: Surprisingly enough, Toledo has actually run the ball for less yardage than Akron in conference play. The 2024 Toledo squad splits snaps between four backs - true sophomore Connor Walendzak, Georgia transfer Sevaughn Clark, redshirt senior Jacquez Stewart, and redshirt junior Willie Shaw. They have combined for 969 yards and 6 touchdowns. The backs will be utilized in the passing game. WR: Toledo will roll out two of the better MAC receivers in redshirt senior Jerjuan Newton and true junior Junior Vandeross. Newton is the 3rd leading receiver in the MAC with 56 receptions for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns. Vandeross is the 8th leading receiver in the MAC with 62 receptions for 679 yards and 4 touchdowns. TE: Former Western Michigan transfer Anthony Torres takes the majority of snaps at tight end. He may be the best pass blocking TE in the conference. Torres is 4th amongst tight ends in receptions with 21 catches for 280 yards and 7 TDs. OL: Toledo had to fill a few vacant spots from last year’s OL. They have been solid in pass protection, but have struggled to consistently create holes for the backs. LT - Allen Jones (R. Sr.) (Prairie View A&M transfer) LG - Carter Fouty (R. Jr.) C - Jakob James (Sr.) (Ohio State transfer) RG - Ethan Spoth (R. So.) RT - Cole Rhett (R. Fr.) DL: Former Maryland transfer Deshawn Holt and redshirt senior D’Andre Ragin are the defensive ends. Holt has 38 tackles and a sack, while Ragin has 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Redshirt seniors Darius Alexander and Cavon Butler are two of the better pass rushing defensive tackles in the conference. They have combined for 68 tackles and 5 sacks. LB: Redshirt seniors Daniel Bolden and Jackson Barrow are the linebackers. Bolden is 9th in tackles with 82 total and 1.5 sacks. Barrow has 61 total tackles and 2 sacks. DB: True juniors Avery Smith and Nasir Bowers are the cornerbacks. Smith is 2nd in the MAC with 13 PDs. He also has 45 tackles and 2 interceptions. Bowers has 32 tackles and 2 interceptions. Senior Maxen Hook and former Penn State transfer Jaden Dottin are the safeties. Maxen Hook has already exceeded the 100 tackle plateau with 104 total tackles. He’s also collected 2 interceptions. Former wide receiver Jaden Dottin has played in only two games on defense this year. True sophomore Braden Awls is the nickelback. Awls has 65 tackles and 3 interceptions. K: True freshman Dylan Cunanan has yet to miss an extra point on 34 attempts. He is 13 of 16 on field goals with a long of 54 yards. P: True sophomore Emilio Duran is 9th in MAC punting. He averages 41.3 yards with a long of 70 yards. KR: Jacquez Stewart is the most dynamic kick returner in the MAC and has already taken one back 98 yards for a score. Offense: Toledo has rushed the ball more than only one team in conference play….and that is Kent State. The Rockets rely heavily on their passing attack and average a few yards shy of 250 yards per game. That’s good for 4th in the MAC. Defense: Toledo has been slightly better against the run than Akron in conference play. Toledo allows 167 yards rushing per game, whereas Akron allows 171 yards rushing per game. The Rockets fielded an elite secondary in 2023, but have since lost some prime talent and their defensive backs coach. The 2024 secondary is still very good, but Toledo has allowed 195 yards per game through the air. Akron allows 228 per game. Summary: Some will say Toledo has played a more difficult conference slate than Akron. While that may be true, let’s take a look at common opponents and scores. With the exception of NIU, it is the same result and similar point differential in all the games. Buffalo Toledo = Loss 30-15 Akron = Loss 41-30 Ohio Toledo = Loss 24-7 Akron = Loss 30-10 Bowling Green Toledo = Loss 41-26 Akron = Loss 27-20 EMU Toledo = Win 29-28 Akron = Win 25-21 NIU Toledo = Win 13-6 Akron = Loss 29-16 My point to the above is that while Toledo most certainly has more talent than us from top to bottom, they have not played up to their potential. In fact, some of Toledo’s players have publicly questioned their teammates’ effort through the course of the season. We can question plenty of things about the 2024 Akron team, but hustle/effort has always been there. This is an opportunity to change the public perception of where the program is headed. If the Zips can play a clean game, and Toledo treats this as a walk through, we’ll have a chance to go into the offseason with momentum. A season ending win, coupled with a potential 3-1 start in 2025, would slingshot the program to where most of us thought it would be when Moorhead was hired.

Just found one - glad they did it!

What is wrong with you?

Some people are impossible to please. They say football schedules too tough and then complain basketball doesn't schedule tough enough. The reality is we already lost the 2 measuring stick contests we had. At this point OOC only value is to sort out rotations and build chemistry. This is a completely new group of players. It's going to take time before they peak. Also, these schools are as good, if not better, than several of the schools that we'll play in MAC play.

It's game day! Let's go Zips!

Considering we have not won back to back games in 8 years and I have seen some really bad Akron football teams in that time period I am not sure we have any room to talk about bad Kent teams.

Game in Kalamazoo played "in a snow globe" per @NCAA Soccer. Area around goals was shoveled but an inch or so on the field area. I almost forgot the word for what you do with snow. " 😆 Shovel! Last time Z.I.P. saw snow was 1984 in Las Vegas! ❄️

...and we need a viable back up big... That horse has been beaten to death. 4 of the 12 OOC opponents are top 25 mid-majors.

Thought this to be excellent. Just wanted to share.

$35,000 Taking this in a slightly different direction - when Konata Mumpfield ditched the Zips for Pitt, he flat-out gave up the last couple games. His body language and effort screamed that he was headed out the door. By comparison, Norton is balling-out. He's had zero drop in production or effort over the last few games. That gives me a little hope that he might stick around if Joe was here in 2025 (which I believe he will be). If he does leave, I'd have good feelings towards him because he gave us his best on game days despite the dearth of Zips "W's".

Zips were wearing a black sticker with GF on their helmets during the wagon wheel game

That program is on fire. Look at this anonymous account created by a professing Kent player exposing Kenni Burns & tagging all the KSUcks commits

I saw the Kent State Golden Flashes trolled on Facebook as the KSU Electric Chickens 😝. I've never heard this before. I'm sorry that it took until age 57 to hear it.

These are the games that make me nervous Zips pretty much dominating, lots of great shots but nothing in the back of the net.

Princeton has 2 yellows, and one of the guys with a yellow should've had his 2nd. Another opportunity for the Zips. Goalie saved it on the backside of a meg, a foot from the goal line.

Ohio, the preseason MAC favorite, now sits at 1-4. This is a borderline low-major conference now. About on par with the Horizon League. Crazy to think 5 years ago this was a borderline top 10 conference.

That's electric toothed chickens to you sir. 😉

Here we go! Excitement is building. 😉 ESPN+ broadcast looks good.

No for Akron. And no for the SEC. I’m not sure if other conferences have made a final decision. MAC and SEC will still be at the 85 scholarship limit. It’s just a 105 roster cap.

Some players to watch- Nebraska-Omaha: Marquel Sutton- 6'9" junior forward- leads team in scoring (14 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg). JaSean Glover- 6'4" junior guard- second on team in scoring at 11.8 ppg. Lamar: Andrew Holifield- 6'10" junior forward- leads team in scoring (16 ppg) and rebounding (7 rpg). Alexis Marmolius- 6'1" junior guard- second on team in scoring at 15 ppg. Alabama State: D'Ante Bass- 6'6 junior forward- leads team in scoring (16 ppg) and rebounding (8 rpg). TJ Madlock- 6'3" junior guard- second on team in scoring at 15.8 ppg.

First game of the tournament kicks off in snowy Kalamazoo at their stupid field with no lights

If we could get Jim Grobe as advisor, it would complete the trifecta. Seriously, this would be high schoolish beyond belief. I don't even think Akron would do this.

No big names but they appear to be sold squads. There are no Concords, Ohio Wesleyans or Heidelbergs.

I guess the answer is yes! 😂

How about a little helmet sticker honoring Jerry Faust for the last home game? It would be a great way to honor him and a great way to connect him to Akron (for many people nationally that don’t know, or forgot, about his Akron years).

If it was only that easy… That said, there is a tremendous amount of talent in that area and some of our better players hail from there: RB - Simmons WR - Golden OL - Blanchard OL - James OL - T. Williams DE -Nunnally LB - Fish

Quick turn around for the winner of this match. 1pm in Bloomington on Sunday according to ncaa.com

https://open.substack.com/pub/akronzippedup/p/what-we-learned-kent-state?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email 👆Very good substack article from a Zips fan

This guys seems like a decent guy to me....

There is a lot outside of just the players and coaches that has to change before I believe a corner has been turned. The Zips had a really good win last night, but that's short term. If the Zips played as well last night against top tier mac schools, they would be going to a bowl, but Kent has a way of making teams look better than they are.

I say we just end the season right there, go out on a high note. It is basketball season now! And soccer tourney time

They lost to St. Francis who lost to non-scholarship Dayton. They aren't just bad by FBS standards. They would be near the bottom of FCS as well.

Leaders do not make statements that make 80% to 85% of their athleties feel inferior. That is what Guthrie did when he told every non football player that they had to accept the fact that Akron is a "football" school. Georgia is a football school. Georgia swimmers have won many national titles. Georgia tennis players have won many national titles. Georgia tennis players and Georgia Swimmers respect Georgia football players because they are elite star athletes that compete at the highest level. Georgia elite athletes in their top non football sports respect that Georgia is a football school. Akron mens basketball players and Akron men's soccer players compete every year to get into the NCAA tournament. Those athletes do not want to be talked down to and told that "Akron is a football school" when they know that Akron football will win 1 to 3 games every year. Another Great example. - I worked for 6 years in Bloomington when Bobby Knight was coaching Indiana University (IU)men's basketball and Jerry Yeagley was coaching men's soccer at that time. IU was also doing great in swimming and diving at that time. Did IU football bring in more revenue than basketball and soccer? Yes !!!....However, the IU Athletic Director was a man of dignity and he appreciated all student athletes. The IU athletic director would never have told national championship winning athletes that they had to accept the fact that IU was a "football" school. Guthrie's bold statement was offensive and showed poor judgement and a tremendous lack of respect.

We should never forget just how great Steve Zakuani was at Akron. Stevo deserved a College Cup appearance. Damned NCAA bastards!

@72Roo @Hilltopper what you say may be true, but part of an AD's job is not only connecting with Deep pocket and other wealthier donors but also with his employees, the general alumni / fan base and student athletes. He did little of that. Only once when he and I talked near the end of his time at UA did he ever give credit to his staff for any of the good work "he" had done. "Some say he was all about himself. I can see that, but if he was making athletics better I feel some leaders are like that." Leaders are NOT like that. Leaders empower, enable, and give credit to their team whom they entrust to do the job. Leaders inspire their team. Charles is NOT a leader.

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2008/11/akron_mens_soccer_team_prevail.html God, I hope someone can find video.

The new roster limits will have an impact on both the men and women's soccer teams for next year. While we should know by now, things change! The NCAA and the courts may not be finished with us. Plus budgetary issues, particularly at Akron, may affect our ability to be competitive within these rules. With that said, the currently announced roster sizes for 2025 men and women's soccer stands at 28. The women's team has already posted a Spring 2025 roster of 18. They have signed 8 incoming players (think some may enroll for Spring ). If all of those players remain active for next Fall, that means they could add only 2 more players via the portal or elsewhere. The men's team typically has more than 28 on the roster and add some late in the game. They may have to cut current players and/or adapt their recruiting calendar. They both can add additional scholarships as long as the number is equal for each squad- not likely given the budget at Akron. The whole new world continues!