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Cibastian Broughton wore #11. He played a bit early-on, but the bulk of the QB time was allotted to Johnson and Finley. Expect to see Broughton on the field somewhere in 2025. If not QB, then WR...returns...he's too athletic to redshirt. Mike Johnson Jr. had a nondescript day. He played a lot. But didn't show much. He's a big kid. But looked either rusty, or unpolished. We'll see how he improves, and how Joe decides to utilize him, as the weeks progress. As Ben Finley goes in 2025, so do the Zips. He exhibited his typical deft touch on deep balls over the middle, hitting Alex Adams and Myles Walker for long TD's. He also tossed a couple of picks. Based on what I saw yesterday, Owen Wiley seems to have a leg up on the competition with Matt Schramm for the kicker position. Wiley was perfect on the day. Schramm would have been too, but missed from 43 yards out. Matt Schramm hits a 32 yarder. Justin Anderson, a Washington State transfer, pulled in an INT on an overthrown ball by Mike Johnson. Too bad it happened a stride or two out of by camera's view. 🤬 Isreal Polk has a quiet day. Here, he pulled one in from Mike Johnson. Marcel Williams, a Marshall transfer, couldn't get credit for this nice catch, as his foot landed on the sideline. Williams did have a legit 30 yard TD catch from Finley earlier in the day. First time I'd ever seen Johnny Brookhart on the playing field? No sign of Brayden Ruggow today. Not sure if he was injured? Cam Macon (Walsh transfer) took the next handoff into the endzone. It was his only carry of the game. The bulk of today's running game was handled by Jordan Gant, the Tennessee State transfer. Gant looks like a strong, serviceable back. #13 Sean Patrick also saw a fair amount of action. The scrimmage ended with Myles Walker snaring a 15 yard TD courtesy of a Ben Finley toss. #99 Owen Wiley puts pressure on Cibastian Broughton. Just kidding...that's something the Beacon Journal would do. 😁 THIS #99 is Jaiden Brown-Demery, a 6' 4", 310 pound true freshman from West Mifflin Pa. Big kid. Played with the 2nd unit. #4 Justin Anderson snagged an errant Finley pass and made a nifty return. A few photos above, he also picked Johnson. #21 Catrell White (DB) also had a nice day in the secondary. He had a couple break ups in addition to a Finley pick. General observations - Good energy today. For an 8 am start, all the guys were whooping it up and having a good time. After the scrimmage Joe gathered the team as midfield, and immediately stressed the importance of the guys getting their schoolwork done. One odd occurrence - #34 Braydon Johnson is a Grad transfer punter from Indiana State. He absolutely skyed a 42-ish yard punt, which hit the turf and jumped another 20 yards down field. I have to assume the 2025 punter job is Castle's, but he does appear to have some strong-legged competition. Wyoming is 2 1/2 weeks away!

Wow, was not expecting that. This kid had offers from a number of big time programs at one point. Not sure if all offers were for QB or a different position, but major recruiting win for this staff.

I got hired in the IT department at Akron and since then the men’s soccer team is 2-0. I bought season tickets for football soccer and basketball. Hope I can keep the streak live tomorrow 🙏. Gotta love week 1 optimism

Mitch Budler had a little hiccup at the start of the game but he was All American level for the last 87 minutes. Very happy that he is the Zips GK.... Wishing a speedy health recovery for Daragh Reilly.... That being said, Matthew Paiva had an outstanding first game ever for the zips. Ashton Kamdem and Matt Dreas are leaders for this team in the run of play. Good veteran presence on the Field Great Hustle play by Farrell....that resulted in the Morck goal. Farrell Ngongang was my man of the match. Always good to start the season 1-0.

MACtion!

Asking around, here is the general consensus of the Zips status as we roll into Game #1 - The Zips will be "alright" this year. The offense should be in the top 1/3 of the MAC. This should be the best Zips OL in Joe's tenure. There are 7 or 8 guys playing really well right now. Last season there might have been 3 or 4. Finley is a top 3 MAC QB. His accuracy has improved. He's bulked up a bit. He's a team captain. Gant and Gee are dinged up. Redshirt Freshman Sean Patrick is a quick kid with good running instincts and will see a lot of PT on Thursday. The WR group is thought to be better and deeper than last year, even with the loss of Norton. Mason may turn out to be the best of the bunch. Marcel Williams (Marshall) has fit in very well. Alex Adams, Polk, Walker, Monteiro (Pitt) and Grear (Fresno State) will all see appreciable PT. If fully healthy, Grear could be a big addition. Ruggow has also been dinged up. He'll be the 2nd or 3rd QB depending upon the situation. Johnson has good legs and size, and a little better arm than the now-departed Bullock. He'll probably be slotted for a similar role as Tahj this season. Cibastion Broughton could show up anywhere, at any time. Ronald Hull stands out as the most capable DL. There are a slew of other big bodies that really haven't distinguished themselves. They'll rotate until there's some separation. LB is a similar situation. We have a lot of bodies, but no one is really standing out. PT is there for the taking to whomever shows well. Markus Boswell could turn out to be a surprise impact player as the season progresses. The secondary is the strength of the defense. White, Reed (Kentucky), Anderson (Washington State), Branch (Sr. and former Kent team captain) all had excellent camps. Not sure who will be the kicker on Thursday. It's a positional battle that remains up for grabs. The Zips were able to get their training table returned, but at the expense of some recruiting tools. Our budget is what it is... Wyoming has won 5 of their last 6 games against MAC opponents for a reason. They've played in a slightly better conference and had slightly better players. Deeper budgets, bigger staff, etc. On paper they should beat the Zips. Are they a little jet lagged from the long trip from Laramie? Are they overconfident in facing a Zips team that's been a regular in the Bottom 10 for seemingly forever? Or, can Finley light it up...the Zips secondary generate a few turnovers...and the Zips start the season 1-0? Gimme a 41-40 Zips victory. Finley gets the Gatorade bath. Can we get a Wallenda to tightrope from high above the Infocision faithful at halftime?

What a great day at First Energy Stadium! First trip back North in a while, and we timed it so we could see the women/men double-header. Not sure why the two matches couldn't have been scheduled closer so more people might have come early to watch the women, but at least gave us time to hit our Fave Swenson's - and WOW! Who knew? There's a Swensons now by the funeral home on Exchange!! Anyway, a pretty sizeable crowd for the women's game, and we got to meet some of the players at the autograph session afterwards. A nice bunch of women, and so many are YOUNG! lots of freshmen and sophs. As for the match itself, pretty good action! Adison Hall, a freshman scored first on a very solid goal. The second goal was a PK, and it was warranted, by another freshman Fineen Creegan, and she didn't mess around. Emma King's goal was a slow roller past a charging GK out of position, but it was still a heads up play by King. The defense was a little porous, but the women didn't quit or hang their heads when the opponent scored. Nice tempo, nice pace, some spacing needs to be addressed, and a little worried about the GK position, but a win is a win and Coach Kuhns was into it the entire match. I'm sure she knows she's being judged, but I found her approach and management refreshing. I'll leave the men's game analysis to the others to discuss.

Very sorry to learn of Stu Parry's passing. Tribute to Stu Parry It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of Stu Parry — a man who meant so much to all of us. Stu wasn't just a great coach; he was a deeply kind and generous soul, a loving father and grandfather, and a true role model whose impact reached far beyond the soccer field. His unwavering dedication helped bring varsity soccer to the University of Akron, and his vision laid the foundation for one of the most storied programs in college soccer. The legacy he built continues to grow through the efforts of former players and coaches who carry his spirit forward. Even at 92, Stu remained a vibrant part of our community. He was always eager to meet for breakfast, send an email, or make a call - just to talk Akron soccer. He loved hearing about the incredible young men in our program and was genuinely excited about what each new season could bring. Through the highs and lows, Stu was a constant source of encouragement and support. His love for the game and for this program never wavered. He was a Zip in every sense of the word. To honor Stu's memory, our team will wear a patch on our home jerseys that simply says "Stu." It's a small gesture to recognize a man whose influence was anything but small. We now carry the torch - for Stu and for Akron Soccer - and we will continue to share our passion and pride for one of the premier college soccer programs in the country. . Sincerely, Jared Embick Head Men's Soccer Coach University of Akron

The Beacon Journal has done an outstanding job of honoring the incomparable Stu Parry. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2025/08/22/akron-zips-soccer-caleb-porter-stu-parry-mls-new-england-revolution-portland-timbers-columbus-crew/85745054007/ "Stu Parry is the godfather of the Akron men's soccer program," Caleb Porter told the Akron Beacon Journal on Aug. 19 regarding Parry, who died Aug. 15 at the age of 92. "He is the founder. I had a great relationship with him. I had a close relationship with him. He was one of the first people that called me when I got the job [at the age of 31] and we were having lunch maybe two days later. "He was a mentor to me," Porter said. "I really made a point every season to have him talk to the team because I wanted the current players to understand the founder and who he was. It is very important when you have a tradition of excellence that the current players understand they are a part of something a lot bigger than themselves. I felt it was important that they understood the man that started the program because Akron soccer didn't just fall out of the sky and become a national contender. He is the one that started it and paved the way.

My first year as a Zip was 1962. We played Baldwin-Wallace with 36,000 Acme Zip fans in attendance. Since our marching band needed to form their A single file, I think it was Alliquipa(?) HS band that was brought in to perform. When we came out to warm up, we had to wait for the soccer match to end. They were not playing B-W. I don't think B-W even had a soccer team then. I think soccer played Michigan State (College cup semi-finalist in '62). I looked back , but I couldn't find season results that old. I do remember soccer playing at the highest level with all of the rest of us playing at the college division. A great tradition was started that has been carried on!

So he's used to the pay scale.

Bring in a couple food trucks and make an event out of it. Bring in some pop-up restaurant people. Get rid of the stale popcorn vendors.

He is worth every penny. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2025/07/28/akron-zips-mens-basketball-coach-john-groce-contract-extension-details/83115798007/

What a picture.

https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/akron.sidearmsports.com/stats/msoc/2025/pdf/20250824084656-akr-nku-msoc-8-24-25.pdf PDF box score....shows tonight's attendance at 1,487 Shots in the 2nd half were 8-0 for Akron. Caleb Borneo and Jack Sullivan and Remi Agunbiade , to me, were the bright spots in tonight's game. Borneo always seemed to be around the ball in the 2nd half.

"What did he do to encourage attendance?" is another valid question.

Sloppy start to the first game / road game of the season but nice turn around since Stefan scored the PK. looking forward to NKU at home Sunday. GO ZIPS!!!

short update on Emil https://www.stlcitysc.com/news/match-report-st-louis-city2-defeats-north-texas-sc-3-1-to-earn-fifteenth-win-of-the-season Emil Jääskeläinen tallied his team-leading seventh assist of the season and has now recorded assists in back-to-back matches Five players have scored six or more goals for CITY2 this season: Miguel Perez, Emil Jääskeläinen, Matteo Kidd, Brendan McSorley, and Mykhi Joyner Interim head coach John Hackworth now holds an 11-match unbeaten streak since taking over CITY2 on June 4

https://www.summitcountyshof.org/1974 Stu Parry Coach 1974 The man generally regarded as bringing the sport of soccer to Akron U, Parry went on to compile a record of 118 victories and only 43 losses and 4 ties. His teams defeated some of the best in the country, winning nine Ohio College Soccer Association titles and four times entered the NCAA Playoffs. He learned the sport at Western Reserve Academy where he captained the soccer team. Later he gained further honors by being named President of the National Soccer Coaches Association. When he came to Akron U there were only six recognized college teams playing soccer in Ohio. Twice he was chosen Ohio Coach of the Year, in 1966 and '68 and eight of his players made All-America a total of 13 times!

A great man has passed. Everyone who is reading this has been touched by Stu Parry, whether directly or indirectly.

What an absolutely sensational debut for Malik Henry so very happy for the young man what a great pass

If Connor is moving on to play somewhere else, we owe him big time for opening this roster spot. John: "Son, you know I love you right?" Connor: "Yes dad. I love you, too." John: "Awesome. Now get the hell out of here. I have a 6'8" Serbian sniper - basically the next Nikola Jokic - ready to commit and need the roster spot." (how that conversation went - probably)

The article states: "Reed comes to ODU after spending the 2024 season at Akron coaching the corners. Reed helped the Zips to their best season in seven years." That's really polishing the old turd.

Nice season preview here: https://akronzippedup.substack.com/p/akron-zips-football-2025-season-preview

As far as I can tell the practices and scrimmages are closed to the public. Gotta protect our top secret winning formula, you know 🙄

JASON SHOKALOOK !!! Well done, former Zip !!! https://www.instagram.com/p/DMoGKKMhhvo/

If this year’s team can’t at least get to six wins with a schedule that features two three-win G5 teams from last season, an FCS opponent, and five MAC programs breaking in new head coaches, then some changes need to be made.

The precedent was set today that the actions of previous regimes should not penalize the current roster. Whatever moral high horse you want to stand on is your choice, but I don't view accepting an inconsistent and undeserving punishment for the current staff & roster as morally just - especially from the morally bankrupt NCAA. The amount of times they've screwed over the University... F em. Auburn and NMSU weren't penalized for failing APRs in the same time frame as Akron, and the APR doesn't even work with the current model and landscape for college athletics. Akron has had YOY improvements under JoeMo that haven't been enough to pull us out of the hole Arth dug, so they've clearly been working towards correcting the problem. I also don't think Akron loses this case if they choose to fight it, especially if they were able to get the NCAA killer Dave Yost's assistance in the fight. A win vs the NCAA would be great publicity. Show me 7 automatic losses on this schedule. It's the most winnable schedule we've had in a long long time, and 6-6 should be the minimum threshold for success this year. Akron is known for having a losing football program - the PR can't get worse. Might as well try to get rid of the cloud hanging over the season. Joe Mo and player(s) have liked tweets today mentioning their BS punishment and suggesting that Akron should fight it. Coaching and playing with this looming over the program can't be fun or easy. Having a spine and standing up to the NCAA could give the program a jolt.

They are really transforming Buchtel Commons. Lots of work to do but it’s going to be a much needed facelift

obviosly we werent available, since were playing in the Jack Jones classic in Las Vegas that day. Its actually quite a day of hoops. 4 games. UC San diego, Tulane, Arizona St, UNLV, Santa Clara, Tennessee St, Murray State and Akron.

This article has no rankings...but top drawer soccer (TDS) ...did a Big East preview https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/article/?categoryId=21&articleId=54910&articleTitle=mens-a10-big-east-ivy-league-preview Big East Akron joining has done wonders for the strength of the Big East, adding another storied team to a conference full of legacy programs. The Zips and Georgetown will likely fight for supremacy, while Providence looks to continue its rise as an elite program. St. John’s and Connecticut, two programs desperate to reach the highs of the late 90s and early 2000s, are among the others to look out for this season. Top Players to Watch: Mitch Budler, Akron(m) (Goalkeeper of the Year) Top Freshmen to Watch: Braxton Hayes, Akron(m) (No. 116 Ranked TDS Class of 2025)

Starting DL was- Dall Hull Laventure Durham

It seems odd that they lost their tallest player (Okonkwo) and got bigger, but it works out that way.

They lost the MAC POY and improved, at least on paper.

Don't count your chicken's just yet. Still a bunch of paperwork to be approved.

Ognjen Stankovic, 6'8" wing. Represented Serbia in 16u, 17u and 20u FIBA games. Has played 50 games on the Adriatic League over the last 2 seasons I haven't been this excited since Taylor Currie.

What in the world?

This is really a shady thing for this coach and ODU to do. If an employee doesn't want to be around, don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.

Its what happens when you have the lowest budget in FBS.

Not a great look getting our coaches poached by a G5 program that has had 1 winning season in their 10+ years being FBS.

Happy as a 🐷 in 💩 🤣🤣

Beto was the highest rated riverhound in the game...despite being clobbered by a Rhode Island vicious elbow during the game. https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2025/08/03/takeaways-and-player-grades-riverhounds-forwards-awaken-with-quality-goals-to-turn-proper-heavyweight-bout-with-rhode-island-fc-into-decisive-win/ Jacquesson was on the end of an exquisite diagonal ball from Beto Ydrach. “It was a very good ball from Beto (Ydrach),” Jacquesson said. In a moment that was emblematic of physical nature of the match, Rhode Island’s JJ Williams was sent off in the 68th minute for delivering a vicious elbow, which floored Hounds’ defender Beto Ydrach right on the sideline by the bench. 16Beto Ydrach DF – 8.5 — brilliant assist but equally strong defensively throughout the night, especially in getting into good positions to thwart or limit RIFC’s counters

First recruit for 2027. Plays club at Cleveland Force and played with several current Zips at Akron City FC this summer. https://www.instagram.com/p/DM2md5TsUY9/?igsh=MXgyYnJvazg3cHVmZA==

Congratulations to SHOOKY !!! MLS Next Pro player of the week https://www.chicagofirefc.com/two/news/chicago-fire-fc-ii-named-mls-next-pro-team-of-matchweek-20

His massive offer sheet also included Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska and Penn State, among many others. In his junior season, Beals finished with 4,135 passing yards and 50 touchdowns, while adding seven scores on the ground.