2019 Akron Zips
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2019 AKRON ZIPS FOOTBALLGAME NOTES Game 1 | at Illinois 119th Season | 63 All-Americans | 129 All-Conference Honorees | 17 NFL Draft Picks | 95 Zips in the Pros | MAC Champions (2005) 2019 AKRON SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time | TV .......Result 2019 SEASON OPENER 8.31 at Illinois Noon | BTN 9.7 UAB Noon | CBS-SN AKRON [0-0] at ILLINOIS [0-0] 9.14 *at Central Michigan 3 PM | ESPN+ 9.21 TROY TBA Saturday, August 31 9.28 at UMass 3:30 PM | FloFB 10.12 *KENT STATE [Homecoming] 3:30 PM Memorial Stadium [60,670] | Urbana-Champaign, IL 10.19 *BUFFALO TBA 10.26 *at Northern Illinois 3:30 PM Noon ET | 11 AM CT | Big Ten Network 11.2 *at Bowling Green TBA 11.12 *EASTERN MICHIGAN 7:30/8 | ESPN2/U Television: Big Ten Network 11.20 *at Miami (Ohio) 7:30 PM | ESPN2/U 11. 26 *OHIO 7 PM | ESPNU/+ Lisa Byington (pbp), J. Leman (analyst) 12.7 MAC Championship Noon | ESPN2 Radio: Akron Sports Network Home games in CAPS Steve French (pbp), David Skoczen (analyst), Joe Dunn (sideline) *Mid-American Conference game WARF 1350 AM (flagship), WHKW 1220 AM/96.9 FM; WHKZ 1440 AM; iHeart Radio, TuneIn.com/Akron Zips QUICK FACTS Location: ..........................................Akron, Ohio 44325 HEAD COACHES Population: .........................200,000 (5th largest in Ohio) Lovie Smith (Tulsa ‘80) Tom Arth (John Carroll ’03) Founded: ................................ 1870 as Buchtel College Enrollment: ........................................................20,554 Overall Record: 9-27 (4th season) Overall Record: 49-21 (7th season) Nickname: ...............................................................Zips Record at Illinois: same Record at Akron: 0-0 (First season) Colors: ..................................... Blue (282) & Gold (871) Conference: ..................... Mid-American (East Division) ALL-TIME SERIES President: ............................................ Dr. Gary L. Miller Illinois leads series, 1-0 Arth vs. Illinois: First Meeting Director of Athletics: ................................Larry Williams Faculty Athletics Representative: .Dr. Matthew Juravich Last Meeting: Illinois 38, Akron 7 Sept. 21, 1996 Athletics Dept. Phone: ..........................(330) 972-7080 Ticket Office: ........................1-888-99-AKRON (-25766) AKRON FOOTBALL HAS: First Year of Football: .............................................1891 • Been selected to finish fifth in the MAC East in 2019 by the media and the coaches All-Time Record: ....522-547-36 [entering 119th season] • Claimed four consecutive victories in Wagon Wheel games [and five in the last six years] All-Time MAC Record: ....................87-130 (27 yrs.) MAC Titles: ........................................................1 (2005) • Appeared in a bowl twice in three seasons, a program first [2015, 2017] MAC East Division Titles:..............3 (2000, 2005, 2017) NCAA D-I Bowl Games: 3 (2005 Motor City, 2015 Potato, A WIN WOULD GIVE AKRON: 2017 Boca Raton) • Its first victory of the 2019 season Stadium: ...................... InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field • Its first victory under head coach Tom Arth Capacity: .......... 30,000 [official sellout is 27,881] Playing Surface: ......................................ProGrass • Its first win over Illinois in series play Record at InfoCision Stadium: .......25-34 (10 yrs.) • Its first road win of the season Press Box Phone ..........................(330) 972-2913 • Its second (road) win over a Big Ten team in program history • Its first victory over a Power 5 team this season and second in back-to-back seasons ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS Cathy Bongiovi (Football Contact) Assistant Athletics Director for Communications THIS WEEK Office Phone: ..............................(330) 972-6108 Cell Phone: .................................(234) 788-1497 The Tom Arth Era begins this week as Akron opens the 2019 football season at Illinois on Saturday, Aug. Email: [email protected] 31, at 11 a.m CT (Noon ET) at Memorial Stadium. Brian Dennison (Secondary Football Contact) The Big Ten Network will televise the contest with Lisa Byington (play-by-play) and J. Leman (analyst) Assistant Director for Communications calling the game. ....................(330) 972-6292 | [email protected] 1 2019 AKRON FOOTBALL GAME NOTES ZIPS GAME 1 | AT ILLINOIS AKRON MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES August 26 to Sept. 1 NCAA STATISTICAL COMPARISON MONDAY Illinois [0-0] 2018 FINAL STATS AKRON [0-0] MAC Teleconference Rank (average) ........................................................Category ...................................................... Rank (average) Tom Arth 9:30 a.m. 62 (408.7) ...........................................................Total Offense ...................................................... 126 (294.4) 12 (243.0) ........................................................Rushing Offense ..................................................... 125 (95.3) Coach & Player Interviews after practice Noon 114 (165.7) ...................................................... Passing Offense .................................................... 95 (199.2) AKRON FOOTBALL 122 (106.08) ...................................................Passing Efficiency ............................................... 117 (110.31) TUESDAY 92 (26.0) .......................................................... Scoring Offense ..................................................... 124 (18.9) Player Interviews after practice Noon 127 (508.3) ........................................................ Total Defense ....................................................... 61 (388.1) 121 (245.3) ..................................................... Rushing Defense .................................................... 99 (197.0) Arth Weekly Media Conference 12:15 p.m. 115 (153.28) ...............................................Pass Efficiency Defense ............................................. 37 (119.21) 123 (39.4) ........................................................Scoring Defense ...................................................... 67 (27.2) Arth Weekly Radio Show 7 p.m. 90 (-0.33) .........................................................Turnover Margin .................................................... 103 (-0.42) 48 (0.861) .......................................................Red Zone Offense ........................................................ 2 (.952) WEDNESDAY 90 (0.860) .......................................................Red Zone Defense .................................................. 44 (0.811) Coach & Player Interviews after practice Noon 109 (35.42) ........................................................ Net Punting ........................................................ 92 (36.51) 124 (3.33) ...........................................................Punt Returns .......................................................... 66 (8.82) THURSDAY 121 (16.80) .......................................................Kickoff Returns .................................................... 128 (14.35) No media opportunities 97 (1.75) ...................................................................Sacks ................................................................ 90 (1.83) 88 (5.4) .............................................................Tackles For Loss ......................................................... 38 (6.8) FRIDAY No media opportunities The Zips’ radio broadcast will air on the Akron Sports Network [SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF) in Akron SATURDAY (flagship), 1420 WHK in Cleveland, 1440 WHKZ in Warren/Youngstown] withSteve French calling the GAME DAY Akron at Illinois, Noon ET | BTN action, David Skoczen providing analysis, and Joe Dunn with sideline report. The pregame show Postgame media interviews starts one hour prior to kickoff. A free audio stream is available at SportsRadio1350.com, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn.com/Akron Zips. SUNDAY No media opportunities Under the guidance of first-year head coach Tom Arth, Akron returns 57 letterwinners, including 10 INTERVIEW REQUESTS starters, to its pro style offense and multiple defensive schemes. All interview requests for Akron players and coaches should be directed to Cathy Bongiovi (cathyb@uakron. Akron returns redshirt senior RB Deltron Sands (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) who rushed for 128 yards on 39 edu) in Athletics Communications. Players are available carries in 2018. Under center, redshirt junior Kato Nelson (Hollywood, Fla.) went 178-of-342 for 2,329 on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday and postgame only. yards and 15 touchdowns last fall. Junior WR Andre Williams (Orlando, Fla.) was the top receiver with 649 yards and six touchdowns on 46 receptions. Defensively, senior LB John Lako (Monroe, Mich.) was Media planning to attend post-practice interviews the top Zip with 126 tackles, 10.0 TFL, three break-ups, a fumble recovery, and a hurry. should notify Athletics Communications by 5 p.m. the day before. The Fighting Illini, under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Lovie Smith, return 46 letterwinners, WEEKLY MEDIA CONFERENCE including 18 starters, to their multiple offensive and 4-3 defensive schemes. Tom Arth’s weekly media conference is held each week in the Team Room of Stile Athletics Field House (second floor). Illinois returns senior RB Reggie Corbin, the 2018 team leader, who rusher for 1,085 yards and nine touchdowns on 128 carries. The Fighting Illini will be breaking in a new quarterback as graduate trans- 2019 MEDIA GUIDE fer Brandon Peters is expected to get the starting nod. In two seasons