2024 Akron Zips football team

2024 Akron Zips football
2024 Akron Zips football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	3–8 (2–5 MAC)
Head coach	Joe Moorhead (3rd season);
Offensive coordinator	None
Offensive scheme	Up-tempo spread
Defensive coordinator	Tim Tibesar (3rd season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–2–5
Home stadium	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

2024 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Miami (OH)	6	–	1	7	–	4
Ohio	6	–	1	8	–	3
Bowling Green	5	–	1	6	–	4
Buffalo	5	–	2	7	–	4
Toledo	4	–	3	7	–	4
Western Michigan	4	–	3	5	–	6
Northern Illinois	3	–	4	6	–	5
Ball State	2	–	4	3	–	7
Eastern Michigan	2	–	5	5	–	6
Central Michigan	2	–	5	4	–	7
Akron	2	–	5	3	–	8
Kent State	0	–	7	0	–	11
Championship: December 7, 2024
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant As of November 21, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024 Akron Zips football team will represent the University of Akron in the Mid-American Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Zips are led by Joe Moorhead in his third year as the head coach. The Zips will play home games at InfoCision Stadium, located in Akron, Ohio.^[1]

Preseason

Preseason polls

Coaches Poll

On July 19 the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish eleventh in the conference. They received zero votes to win the MAC Championship.^[2]^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
MAC Coaches poll
1	Miami	119 (9)
2	Toledo	109 (3)
T3	Bowling Green	92
T3	Northern Illinois	92
5	Ohio	81
6	Eastern Michigan	64
7	Western Michigan	60
8	Central Michigan	59
9	Ball State	42
10	Buffalo	37
11	Akron	24
12	Kent State	13

Predicted finish	Team	Votes
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
1	Miami	10
2	Toledo	2

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	3:30 p.m.	at No. 2 Ohio State*	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	CBS	L 6–52	102,011
September 7	12:00 p.m.	at Rutgers*	SHI Stadium Piscataway, NJ	BTN	L 17–49	41,021
September 14	6:00 p.m.	Colgate*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN+	W 31–20	8,932
September 21	7:30 p.m.	at South Carolina*	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	ESPNU	L 7–50	78,704
September 28	3:30 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPN+	L 10–30	21,265
October 5	3:30 p.m.	Bowling Green	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN+	L 20–27	9,337
October 12	3:30 p.m.	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPN+	L 24–34	19,507
October 26	3:30 p.m.	Eastern Michigan	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN+	W 25–21	4,277
November 2	12:00 p.m.	Buffalo	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	L 30–41	4,610
November 13	7:00 p.m.	at Northern Illinois	Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	CBSSN	L 16–29	6,795
November 19	7:00 p.m.	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH (Wagon Wheel)	CBSSN	W 38–17	6,768
November 26	7:00 p.m.	Toledo	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN2/ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[4]

Game summaries

at No. 2 Ohio State

Akron Zips (0–0) at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	3	0	3	0	6
No. 2 Buckeyes	7	10	21	14	52

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

Date: August 31
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 102,011
Referee: Tim O'Dey
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter

(8:44) AKR – Garrison Smith 48-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 5:18; Akron 3–0)
(2:44) OSU – Jeremiah Smith 16-yard pass from Will Howard (Jayden Fielding kick) (Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:00; Ohio State 7–3)

Second quarter

(11:23) OSU – Jayden Fielding 40-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 0:40; Ohio State 10–3)
(4:30) OSU – Jeremiah Smith 9-yard pass from Will Howard (Jayden Fielding kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:30; Ohio State 17–3)

Third quarter

(7:53) OSU – Quinshon Judkins 2-yard run (Jayden Fielding kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 0:52; Ohio State 24–3)
(7:35) OSU – Lathan Ransom 27-yard fumble return (Jayden Fielding kick) (Ohio State 31–3)
(3:57) AKR – Garrison Smith 49-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:38; Ohio State 31–6)
(0:01) OSU – James Peoples 4-yard run (Jayden Fielding kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:56; Ohio State 38–6)

Fourth quarter

(10:16) OSU – Carnell Tate 34-yard pass from Will Howard (Jayden Fielding kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 1:53; Ohio State 45–6)
(2:25) OSU – Gabe Powers 29-yard interception return (Jayden Fielding kick) (Ohio State 52–6)

Statistics	AKR	OSU
First downs	11	24
Plays–yards	64–177	64–404
Rushes–yards	35–47	33–170
Passing yards	130	234
Passing: comp–att–int	18–29–2	18–31–0
Time of possession	34:03	25:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing	Tahj Bullock	9/13, 68 yards
	Rushing	Tahj Bullock	14 carries, 42 yards
	Receiving	Jake Newell	2 receptions, 41 yards
Ohio State	Passing	Will Howard	17/28, 228 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	TreVeyon Henderson	8 carries, 65 yards
	Receiving	Jeremiah Smith	6 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD

at Rutgers

Akron Zips (0–1) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	3	7	7	17
Scarlet Knights	7	14	14	14	49

at SHI Stadium • Piscataway, New Jersey

Date: September 7
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SW 7mph
Game attendance: 41,021
Referee: Bryan Banks
TV announcers (BTN): Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Taryn Hatcher (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter

(0:47) RU – Kyle Monangai 3-yard run, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 2:48; Rutgers 7–0)

Second quarter

(6:06) AKR – Garrison Smith 41-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:03; Rutgers 7–3)
(1:54) RU – KJ Duff 6-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:12; Rutgers 14–3)
(0:09) RU – Kyle Monangai 1-yard run, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:10; Rutgers 21–3)

Third quarter

(11:45) AKR – Adrian Norton 32-yard pass from Ben Finley, Garrison Smith kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:15; Rutgers 21–10)
(4:56) RU – Kyle Monangai 2-yard run, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:49; Rutgers 28–10)
(3:14) RU – Chris Long 58-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:46; Rutgers 35–10)

Fourth quarter

(13:25) RU – Kenny Fletcher 9-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:45; Rutgers 42–10)
(11:24) RU – Antwan Raymond 1-yard run, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:06; Rutgers 49–10)
(10:11) AKR – Jordon Simmons 73-yard run, Garrison Smith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 0:42; Rutgers 49–17)

Statistics	AKR	RUTG
First downs	15	26
Plays–yards	59–307	67–515
Rushes–yards	25–156	44–285
Passing yards	151	230
Passing: comp–att–int	17–34–1	14–23–1
Time of possession	27:30	32:30

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing	Ben Finley	14/31, 138 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jordon Simmons	9 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Adrian Norton	3 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD
Rutgers	Passing	Athan Kaliakmanis	14/23, 230 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kyle Monangai	27 carries, 208 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Chris Long	4 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD

Colgate (FCS)

Colgate Raiders (FCS) (0–2) at Akron Zips (0–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders (FCS)	0	0	0	0	0
Zips	0	0	0	0	0

at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH

Date: September 14, 2024
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	COLG	AKR
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colgate	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at South Carolina

Akron Zips (1–2) at South Carolina Gamecocks (2–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	0	0	0	0
Gamecocks	0	0	0	0	0

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC

Date: September 21, 2024
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Steve Addazio (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	AKR	SCAR
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
South Carolina	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Ohio

Akron Zips (1–3) at Ohio Bobcats (2–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	3	7	0	0	10
Bobcats	0	14	2	14	30

at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH

Date: September 28, 2024
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 21,265
Referee: Andrew Speciale
TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (analyst)^[5]
Pregame line: Ohio -12.5; O/U 46.5

Game information

First quarter

(6:42) ARK – Garrison Smith 30-yard field goal, Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:38; AKR 3–0

Second quarter

(6:32) OHIO – Mason Williams 0-yard run (Gianni Spetic kick), Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:02; OHIO 7–3
(1:20) OHIO – Jake Newell 18-yard pass from Ben Finley (Garrison Smith kick), Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 0:40; AKR 10–7
(0:17) OHIO – Coleman Owen 17-yard pass from Parker Navarro (Gianni Spetic kick), Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:03; OHIO 14–10

Third quarter

(5:24) OHIO – 'Marcel Walker-Burgess 0-yard Safety OHIO 16–10

Fourth quarter

(11:51) OHIO – Coleman Owen 75-yard pass from Parker Navarro (Gianni Spetic kick), Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:42; OHIO 23–10
(0:59) OHIO – Parker Navarro 0-yard run (Gianni Spetic kick), Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 5:30; OHIO 30–10

Statistics	AKR	OHIO
First downs	14	21
Plays–yards	58–178	69–440
Rushes–yards	20–-18	51–236
Passing yards	196	204
Passing: comp–att–int	25–38–2	12–18–0
Time of possession	25:33	34:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing	Ben Finley	25/38, 196 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Charles Kellorn	4 carries, 12 yards
	Receiving	Adrian Norton	5 receptions, 59 yards
Ohio	Passing	Parker Navarro	12/18, 204 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Parker Navarro	13 carries, 113 yards, TD
	Receiving	Coleman Owen	6 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TD

Bowling Green

Bowling Green Falcons (1–3) at Akron Zips (1–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	10	0	10	27
Zips	10	0	0	10	20

at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH

Date: October 5, 2024
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 9,337
Referee: Jeremy Valentine
TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(7:03) BGSU – Jaison Patterson 2-yard run, Jackson Kleather kick (Drive: 5 plays, 96 yards, 2:42; BGSU 7–0)
(4:31) AKR – Garrison Smith 47-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:32; BGSU 7–3)
(0:00) AKR – Liam Reardon recovered fumbled punt in end zone, Garrison Smith kick (AKR 10–7)

Second quarter

(1:55) BGSU – Jackson Kleather 45-yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 64 yards, 8:12; Tied 10–10)
(0:22) BGSU – Jaison Patterson 9-yard run, Jackson Kleather kick (Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 1:11; BGSU 17–10)

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

(14:56) BGSU – Jackson Kleather 31-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 7:39; BGSU 20–10)
(13:13) AKR – Tahj Bullock 5-yard run, Garrison Smith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:43; BGSU 20–17)
(7:13) AKR – Garrison Smith 38-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:20; Tied 20–20)
(2:39) BGSU – Harold Fannin Jr. 31-yard run, Jackson Kleather kick (Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:27; BGSU 27–20)

Statistics	BGSU	AKR
First downs	20	15
Plays–yards	66–386	54–321
Rushes–yards	36–118	22–115
Passing yards	268	206
Passing: comp–att–int	24–30–0	21–32–0
Time of possession	34:58	25:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Bowling Green	Passing	Connor Bazelak	24/30, 268 yards
	Rushing	Jaison Patterson	18 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Harold Fannin Jr.	9 receptions, 135 yards
Akron	Passing	Ben Finley	21/32, 206 yards
	Rushing	Jordan Simmons	9 carries, 73 yards
	Receiving	Adrian Norton	3 receptions, 78 yards

at Western Michigan

Akron Zips (1–5) at Western Michigan Broncos (2–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	0	0	0	0
Broncos	0	0	0	0	0

at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI

Date: October 12, 2024
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Charlie Strong (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	AKR	WMU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Western Michigan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Eastern Michigan

Eastern Michigan Eagles (5–2) at Akron Zips (1–6) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	0	0	0
Zips	0	0	0	0	0

at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH

Date: October 26, 2024
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	EMU	AKR
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Michigan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Buffalo

Buffalo Bulls (4–4) at Akron Zips (2–6) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	0	0	0	0	0
Zips	0	0	0	0	0

at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH

Date: November 2, 2024
Game time: 12:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (CBSSN): John Sadak (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UB	AKR
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Buffalo	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Northern Illinois

Akron Zips (2–7) at Northern Illinois Huskies (5–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	6	10	0	0	16
Huskies	17	6	0	6	29

at Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL

Date: November 13, 2024
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play) and Brock Vereen (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	AKR	NIU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Northern Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Kent State (Wagon Wheel)

Akron Zips (2–8) at Kent State Golden Flashes (0–10) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	10	13	15	0	38
Golden Flashes	7	3	0	7	17

at Dix Stadium • Kent, OH

Date: November 19, 2024
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 6,768
TV: CBSSN

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	AKR	KENT
First downs	28	9
Plays–yards	75-529	48-281
Rushes–yards	45-279	28-52
Passing yards	30-250	20-229
Passing: comp–att–int	14-30-0	12-20-1
Time of possession	36:32	23:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing	Ben Finley	14/29, 250 YDS, 1TD
	Rushing	Jordan Simmons	11 CAR, 113YDS
	Receiving	Adrian Norton	5 REC, 107 YDS
Kent State	Passing	T. Ulatowski	12/20, 229 YDS, 2TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	K. Thomas	13 CAR, 52 YDS
	Receiving	L. Floriea	3 REC, 103 YDS, 1 TD

Toledo

Toledo Rockets (0–0) at Akron Zips (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	0	0	0	0
Zips	0	0	0	0	0

at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH

Date: November 26, 2024
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	TOL	AKR
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Toledo	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Akron	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

^ "2024 Football Coaching Staff". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ "2024 Akron Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ "College Football TV Schedule: Week 5, 2024". 506sports.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.

[1] "2024 Football Coaching Staff". University of Akron Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[2] "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[3] "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[4] "2024 Akron Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[5] "College Football TV Schedule: Week 5, 2024". 506sports.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.

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v t e Akron Zips football
Venues	League Park (c. 1910) Buchtel Field (c. 1915–1939) Rubber Bowl (1940–2008) InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field (2009–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Kent State (Wagon Wheel) Youngstown State (Steel Tire, 1940–1995)
Culture & lore	Zippy "Akron Blue and Gold" Zips Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897–1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904–1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024