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This game is one to be savored. It's no time to bitch: schedule, coach, AD, Info, etc. Forget it for a while. We won a damn game at the end of a brutal season! The team never quit and we can celebrate that. I realize Toledo handed us the game. Talk about role reversal, we have done that too many times to count. We didn't play that clean of a game, but for now, who cares - we won! I don't know if this will turn the program around. That is to be decided in the off-season as we search for talent and next season as we put that talent on the field. For now, we have hope! Thank you Zips. Thank you seniors.

The seniors get to walk off a winner. That’s special.

Moorehead describes preseason schedule as "ridiculous and non-sensical." Not a fan of previous AD, I assume.

Great scene

QB: Finley was on point most of the night and threw some phenomenal passes. However (and as usual) he did have a few passes that could have been picked. Most of his incompletions were either drops, slightly out of reach, or intentionally thrown away. Bullock was effective as a runner and completed two passes. His emergence in conference play had a significant impact on our offense. RB: Simmons was held out, so Kellom carried the load and came out of the game for only 2 snaps. It was the second straight week of concerted effort to run the ball, as we ran 34 times vs 23 pass attempts. Kellom had 21 of those rushes and also scored the go ahead TD on a reception in OT. WR: Did anyone think Norton would play every snap, go without a catch, and we’d win? Toledo was determined to eliminate Norton from the gameplan, which gave other receivers one-on-one opportunities. Granger had two impressive catches, including a sliding grab. Polk also had a few big ones. TE: The tight ends were utilized only once in the passing game, but played a major role as blockers. OL: Similar to most of the season, pass blocking was solid and run blocking could have been better. Blanchard and James were excellent at OT. Thomas filled in at RT, after James went down, and was adequate. Williams, Davis, and Morris played every snap on the interior. DL: The DL struggled all night to put pressure on Toledo’s QB. That said, Nunnally came through in a big way on the final play of OT. We gave up 176 yards on the ground, which is almost right at our average in conference play. Most of the snaps at DT went to Moore, Kapongo, and Brockington. Murphy and Madden each saw at least 18 snaps. Dall and Richards played over 20 snaps a piece backing up Nunnally and Adler. Cheatom also saw some action. LB: Fish, Summers, and McCoy took all the snaps at linebacker. As Fish’s play has fallen off a bit down the stretch, Summers has exploded onto the scene. Summers finished with 19 total tackles. McCoy came off the bench and finished with 17 total tackles. We did have some trouble tracking the TE in coverage during the second half. DB: It was a mixed bag for our DBs. Tackling was excellent - the best it’s been all year. Pass coverage was a challenge for portions of the game, but that can’t all be placed on the DBs. Without much of a pass rush, they had to cover for an extended period of time. That’s hard to do against anyone and especially difficult against some of the receiving options Toledo has. Golden-Nelson, Reed, and White took all the snaps at CB. It was the usual rotation at safety with P. Lewis and Anderson starting, and D. Lewis sliding over from NB to back them up. ST: Special Teams were truly special. It was hard to tell, but I think Adler got a hand on two of Toledo’s missed FGs. Book was a weapon for us again, consistently flipping field position. Jackson put every kickoff in the endzone. Coaching: It wasn’t perfect by any means, but the staff saved their best for last. I loved the commitment to the run game. Even though it was tough sledding at times, it forced Toledo’s defense to push up and gave the passing game room to work. Toledo has the best non-P4 secondary we’ve seen and the run game helped offset some of their aggressiveness. The defense was clearly designed to not let anything over our heads and to force Toledo to string together long drives. We gave up a ton of yardage (465) and allowed Toledo to eventually shoot themselves in the foot. What a way to end the season. Toledo probably has more talented depth than us at just about every position, yet this team gave it all they had and pulled out a victory. We needed Toledo to help us by goofing up a few times, but our effort gave us a chance to be in position to win. We are at the corner and can potentially turn it….finally. This program really isn’t far off. This season, we had enough talent to compete with our MAC peers and did not get blown out in a non-P4 contests. Our biggest loss was by 20 to Ohio and we actually had them on the ropes for a portion of that game. Another strong recruiting class, coupled with development of returning players, will put this program in a position it has not been in for a long time. QB: Finley Bullock RB: Kellom M. Williams WR: Golden Rush WR: Granger Polk WR: Norton TE: Newell Cravaack LT: Blanchard Shor LG: Morris C T. Williams RG: K. Davis RT: James D. Thomas DE: Nunnally Cheatom DE: Adler Dall Richards DT: Moore Brockington DT: Kapongo Murphy Madden LB: Fish McCoy LB: Summers McCoy NB: D. Lewis Greenwood CB: Reed White CB: Golden-Nelson White S: P. Lewis D. Lewis S: J. Anderson D. Lewis Best Players on Offense: QB - Finley WR - Granger RB - Kellom LT - Blanchard RT - James Best Players on Defense: LB - McCoy DE -Nunnally S - P. Lewis CB - Golden-Nelson CB - White

We ended the season winning 3 of the last 5 games. Hopefully, that momentum can carry into next season.

If you were told at the start of the year we’d beat Colgate, Kent, Toledo and EMU. Had a lead in every game. And Finley showed he could be the guy for 2025 then we’d be thrilled. What a way to cap off what looked to be another 2-10 dud in October

First win against Toledo since 2013

And with that, Akron beats the 3.5 Vegas season win total. Ensue Toledo fanbase meltdown after defeat to “lowly” Akron.

* beside player indicates new addition. QB (4) Finley (R. Sr.) Johnson Jr. (R. Sr.) * Roggow (R. Fr.) Broughton (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Bullock (R. Sr.) - Portal RB (5) Curry (R. Jr.) * Gant (R. Jr.) * Gee (Jr.) * Williams (R. So.) Patrick (R. Fr.) Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Simmons (R. Sr.) - Portal Kellom (R. Jr.) - Portal WR (11) Adams (R. Sr) Grear (R. Sr.) * Walker (R. Sr.) Davis (R. So.) Hills (R. So.) * Louis (R. So.) Polk (R. So.) Mason (R. Fr.) Monteiro (R. Fr.) * M. Williams (R. Fr.) * Sivon (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Rush (R. Sr.) - Portal Campbell (R. Sr.) - Portal (?) Golden (Sr.) - Portal Granger (Sr.) - Portal (?) Norton (Jr.) - Portal Wilson (R. Jr.) - Portal TE (4) Newell (R. Jr.) Whisner (R. Jr.) Cravaack (R. So.) Witherspoon (R. Fr.) OL (15) Lyons (R. Sr.) Shor (R. Sr.) Motley-Simmons (R. Sr.) Johnson (R. Sr.) * Moore (R. Sr.) * Archer (R. Jr.) * Davis (R. Jr.) Fox (R. Jr.) George (R. Jr.) G. Jones (Jr.) * King (Jr.) * Mann (R. So.) Morris (R. So.) Gould (Fr.) * McManus (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Blanchard Thomas Fields Burrell (Sr.) - Portal Seymore (R. Sr.) - Portal Williams (R. Jr.) - Portal James (R. So.) - Portal Mitchell (R. Fr.) - Portal DE (9) C. Brown (R.Jr.) * Durham (R. Jr.) * Cheatom (R. So.) Dall (R. So.) Duncan (So.) * D. Frazier (R. Fr.) J. Frazier (R. Fr.) Kavals (Fr.) * Watkins (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Adler Richards Nunnally (R. Sr.) - Portal Graham (R. Fr.) - Portal (?) DT (8) Madden (R. Sr.) Laventure (R. Jr.) * Murphy (R. Jr.) Musika (Jr.) * Vega (Jr.) * Hull (So.) Davis (R. Fr.) Brown-Demery (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Kapongo Lavea Brockington (R. Sr.) - Portal (?) Proffitt (R. Sr.) - Portal Moore (Jr.) - Portal LB (8) Cooper (R. Sr.) Summers (R. Sr.) (?) Murphy (R.Jr.) * Spriggs (R. So.) Benenge (So.) Hocker (R. Fr.) Boswell (Fr.) * James (Fr.) * Reeves (Fr.) * Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Fish (Sr.) - Portal McCoy (Sr.) - Portal CB (8) DeWalt (R. Sr.) Proby (R. Sr.) Jarmon (R. Jr.) Kamara (R. Jr.) * Reed (R. Jr.) White (R. So.) A. Branch (So.) * Johnson (R. Fr.) Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Golden- Nelson (R. Sr.) - Portal Hunter (R. Sr.) - Portal NB (3) Branch (R. Sr.) * Greenwood (R. Sr.) T. Thomas (R. Jr.) Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: D. Lewis (R. Sr.) - Portal S (8) Anderson (R. Sr.) David (R. Sr.) D. Johnson (R. Sr.) Stepney (R. Sr.) * Flowers (R. Jr.) * Somerville (R. So.) * Hunter (R. Fr.) T. Davis (Fr.) Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: P. Lewis Roach (R. Sr.) - Portal Owens (R. So.) ST (3) I believe the starting K, P, and LS receive scholarships. Dennis (R. Sr.) * (LS) Samaha (R. Jr.) * (P) Schramm (R. Fr.) * (K) (Wiley, Rhoades, and Castle could also start) Likely Leaving/Out of Eligibility: Jackson (KO) Book (P) Smith (R. Sr.) (K) - Portal Reardon (R. Sr.) (LS) - Portal

Against *checks notes* Wyoming, Nebraska, UAB and Duquesne? Wait....that's actually a mangeable OOC schedule...

Hell yes! Never doubted you, JoMo! (Nobody go back a few pages in this thread to check me on that)

This kid is one of the top defenders in MLS. He’s big, skilled, fast, and smart on the ball. He is also one of the top rated sprinters in the country. This is a huge addition for the Zips!

https://csnbbs.com/thread-1002201.html Overall, I think they took the L pretty well 😅

I was at the 2013 game when Bowden's 4-7 Zips showed up and beat Toledo to become 5-7 for the first time in YEARS. You could feel the program was on the upswing, and the next year the Zips went 5-7 again, but with that progressively better win over Pittsburgh and 2015 went 8-5 with the Potato Bowl win at the end of the year. Feels like there is potential to go in a better direction. But let's also pump some realistic expectations. College football has irrevocably changed. We shouldn't, as a fanbase, be chasing a No. 25 overall ranking or major win over a major program. Grind out an existence in the MAC. Be competitive. And find a way to a MAC Championship every couple of years. That's what success at Akron would look like.

The offense turned a corner half way through the season when we started dedicating some run plays to stay on schedule. The offensive line started to gel and Finley got comfortable. Keep calling some dedicated running plays early on possessions next year to setup the pass. The defense was pretty solid all year including tonight. At the end we were gassed as our offense left the defense on the field too much. The special teams were so much better this year. Good kicker. Great punter. And replacing the punt returner the last few games was a key. Finally, we see some positive things.

And like you always say, @GP1, it's the MAC, you can count on teams to beat themselves. Toledo beat themselves tonight every bit as much as we beat them, but I will take it.

What a win and way to cap off the 2024 season.

ZIPS WIN! ZIPS WIN!

No, Zips D is dead tired. They played well tonight. The coach has to help them out and give the offense more and better opportunities so the D stays off the field.

Those replays were the definition of "not clear and obvious." Whatever was called on the field either way was going to stand.

JoMo snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again.

Clock was stopped on an incomplete pass.

Cleveland State is currently down 48-51 to NJIT with 3 minutes to go in the game - at home. Update: CSU wins a thriller, 56-53. Congrats to Kent State in beating what looks to be an absolute powerhouse in the Vikings.

That’s Grangers potential right there!!

I wonder if their "all gas no brakes" vision for this year's squad didn't include Baker like they originally thought. Could be more of a system fit issue vs skill potential.

This is the second player for 2025 that I have seen. Will be interesting to watch future recruiting classes with new 28 player NCAA roster limits and how UA handles the funding. https://www.instagram.com/p/C98Ti18pnO6/?igsh=MTlnMmh0MXphb3prdg==

I'll always remember Terry Bowden saying you go from losing big to losing small to winning small and then winning big. I think this season we went from losing small to winning small. Hopefully we reached a turning point for this program and can use this momentum moving forward.

Ok, and swap out Ohio State, Rutgers, and South Carolina for, say UTEP, Marshall and Southern Miss, we'd be in contention for a bowl. Progress is progress. At the beginning of the year, I said Joe has to go at least 4-8, 2-6 MAC. Well, we got 4-8 out of a rather brutal schedule for Akron (BG, Toledo, OU and NIU).

He had 23 offers including Akron, Army, Buffalo, Maryland, James Madison, Liberty, Temple, and UNLV. I'd be high on getting this kid. He's clearly not afraid to learn from his mistakes.

He was going to PCCC. How good could he be. JUCO here I come. Another gem here- https://athlonsports.com/college/kent-state-golden-flashes/kent-state-roasted-winless-season-buffalo

I might be a broken record, haven't caught up with what everyone else is saying. What a win for Joe. For all the crap I've given him, he rightfully shut me up last night. That was hands down his best win at Akron, and outside of a couple poor drives, he coached a great game. Think about what this means for the seniors, after all the heartbreaking close losses they've gone through to be able to get a send off like that at home against a 7-4 Toledo team (who was projected MAC title contenders). Also, for the young kids. This gives them a lot of hope in the off-season. 4-8, with a BRUTAL non-conf schedule. Three conference wins, including beating your archival by 20, and sticking it to a solid Toledo team. I was at the game last night, much like some of you all. You could tell this team wanted that game BAD. Toledo's bench was all huddled on the heated benches, not really caring about what was going on on the field. Akron's sideline was jumping and moving. Seeing the team celebrate on the field for 10+ minutes in the freezing cold, knowing what that means for the seniors is awesome. Go Zips

This was one of the best football wins ever. However it happened...this was thrilling and an important win for the school and the program. You could see all year they were turning it around. I hope the players celebrate hard.

I don’t think the MAC has factored in UMASS into anyone schedules. They might have reshuffle the mac games and cancel/push back a OOC game. It happened a bunch last year when the PAC collapsed

Five minutes ago

Not only was it an all out blitz, everyone played press coverage and did not let Toledo receivers off the line of scrimmage. What a dumb call by the Toledo coach to call a pass play on 3rd and one when their quarterback has been gaining 2 yards on contact on almost every run. We will take it.

That is the stuff of legends right there Hell of a win

That was a big win. Great job Zips.

WHAT A STOP! I was wrong - Akron figured out how to win a game when things looked bleak. Good on them, this can be a big step to 2025.

Omg he missed it!

HE MISSED IT AGAIN OMG

Get off the field on either 4th down and it’s basically game over. Instead, we have another nail biter on our hands.

That was a hell of a start! The fans are going crazy. Both of them.

TOUCHDOWN ZIPS!

TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Cutting 10 of 19 of the professors in our most well renown program seems like a huge mistake. Hope someone talks some sense into these people.

UA Athletics has been using the same Pantone color swatches since the original redesign in 2002. Different applications and lighting tend to give different effects. The blue on the turf is the same as the blue in the JAR. It just looks brighter because of the sunlight. Can't outline the A logo in gold in either application. Gold on a green field and gold on a tan basketball court just doesn't look right. There's not enough contrast. The white outline makes the most sense.

Such a simple logo. So many things wrong.