1997 Akron Zips football team

1997 Akron Zips football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	2–9 (2–7 MAC)
Head coach	Lee Owens (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Paul Winters (3rd season)
Home stadium	Rubber Bowl

1997 Mid-American Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Marshall x$		7	–	1					10	–	3
Miami (OH)		6	–	2					8	–	3
Ohio		6	–	2					8	–	3
Bowling Green		3	–	5					3	–	8
Kent State		3	–	5					3	–	8
Akron		2	–	7					2	–	9
West Division
Toledo x		7	–	1					9	–	3
Western Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	3
Ball State		4	–	4					5	–	6
Eastern Michigan		4	–	5					4	–	7
Central Michigan		1	–	7					2	–	9
Northern Illinois		0	–	8					0	–	11
Championship: Marshall 34, Toledo 14
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

The 1997 Akron Zips football team represented Akron University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season as members of the Mid-American Conference. They were led by third–year head coach Lee Owens. The Zips played their home games at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio. They finished the season with a record of 2–9, 2–7 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	at No. 6 Nebraska*	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	L 14–59	75,124
September 13	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	L 20–49
September 20	Bowling Green	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 28–31
September 27	at No. 13 LSU*	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	L 0–56	79,772
October 4	Central Michigan	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 53–14
October 11	at Marshall	Marshall University Stadium Huntington, WV	L 17–52
October 18	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	L 0–45
October 25	Ohio	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 17–21
November 1	at Ball State	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN	L 14–31
November 8	Kent State	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel)	W 45–35
November 15	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 10–42
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game