Game Day Information
Date: September 13, 1997
Site: Oxford, Ohio
Stadium: Yager (30,012)
Kickoff: 2:00 ET
Team Records: UA is 0-1; Miami is 1-1.
Radio: WHLO 640-AM, WTIG 990-AM
TV: No live TV. Highlights replayed Sept. 15 as part of Zips'
Monday Night Football. (WAKC-TV Channel 23, 8 p.m.)
Series: 4-3-1, Miami
It didn't take long for the Mid-American Conference East Division race to become wide open.
How about in Week 2?
Fresh off an impressive 27-10 victory over the defending MAC champion Ball State Cardinals, Miami traveled to Bowling Green last Saturday and fell, 28-21. The BGSU Falcons, picked by some "experts" to finish last in the division, sent a message to the rest of the league. They are back! Meanwhile, Miami, the preseason favorite to win the overall conference championship, now has its back against the wall. With Marshall and Ohio playing good football, and Akron expected to be stronger, the RedHawks' margin for error is slim. Two MAC losses would be difficult to overcome.
Even with the resurgence of Bowling Green, the Zips still are the "sleeper" team in the division. These two upstarts square off next week in the 44th annual Acme-Zip Game at Akron's Rubber Bowl.
"I believe we've put all the hoopla of playing Nebraska behind us and now are focused on our MAC opener," says Zip head coach Lee Owens. "The week in between was critical. "Many of our veteran players remember our last trip to Miami (in 1995). We've come a long way since then, and hopefully we'll be able to challenge MU this time around." The Zips shocked Miami, 10-7, last Oct. 19 in Akron. The win turned UA's season around and played a major factor in Ball State's winning the league championship. Zip assistant coach Bobby Johnson was a three-year Miami letterman, graduating in 1995.
SERIES: Miami leads the all-time series 4-3-1 and by a 3-2 margin since Akron joined the MAC for the 1992 season. The Zips defeated the RedHawks in their 1993 and '96 Homecoming games. UA's last two trips to MU produced a combined score of 115-14 in favor of the home team. Akron's last win in Oxford came in 1939, by a 14-0 count.
SCHOLARSHIPS EARNED: Two walk-on members of the Zip football team have earned scholarships. Freshman WR Lavel Bailey (Cleveland/Kennedy) and sophomore DT Jermaine Williams (Akron/Central Hower), were granted scholarships following the Nebraska trip. Bailey, listed No. 2 at split end on the depth chart, had a spectacular 69-yard TD grab in Lincoln. Williams made the trip, dressed, but did not play.
Five other Zips, including OT Kevin Kuntz, TB Mike Lagasse, FS Andre McCray, LB Eric Small and WR Carl Whitt, are former walk-ons who have earned scholarships.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH: A recent NCAA survey of Division I-A football schedules reveals Akron having the 44th (out of 112) toughest schedule in the nation. The Michigan Wolverines grade out No. 1 with their 1997 opponents having a .659 winning percentage in '96. Akron is ranked first among MAC schools, with games against preseason Top 10 opponents Nebraska and LSU.
JOHNSON DECLARED ACADEMICALLY INELIGIBLE: Zip junior strong safety Nate Johnson (Steubenville) will sit out the 1997 season to concentrate on his studies. UA's fourth leading tackler (73 total, 46 solo) a year ago as an outside linebacker, Johnson needed to improve his overall GPA with two summer school classes, but did not reach the required minimum to play.
MEDICAL UPDATE: Sophomore linebacker Bill Burke (Lancaster) suffered a sprained left ankle at Nebraska and is expected to play. Junior defensive back Jon Eaton (Wheelersburg) severely sprained his left ankle playing in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament before camp began. A two-year starter and a member of the GTE District IV Academic Team, he ranked fifth on the team in tackles last fall (65 total) and played a key role in UA's secondary being among the nation's top 25 units against the pass. Eaton is considering a medical redshirt for 1997.
A persistent shoulder injury continues to keep junior TE Shane Ladner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) sidelined. Sophomore DB Mike Hughes (New Middleton/Cardinal Mooney) missed the Nebraska game while "rehabing" a shoulder injury.
44TH ACME-ZIP GAME: The 44th annual Acme-Zip game is slated for September 20 at 7 p.m. at the Rubber Bowl when the Zips entertain Bowling Green. The Falcons surprised preseason favorite Miami, 28-21, on September 6.
AKRON'S NFL PERFORMERS: In two games, former Zip star Jason Taylor has shined for the Miami Dolphins. A third round draft pick (73rd overall) and a starter in all five preseason games, Taylor has racked up 14 tackles and one QB sack. In the preseason, he had four sacks for 35 yards in losses. Miami is off to a 2-0 start. A first-team All-MAC DE last fall, Taylor had 18 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks.
Victor Green, a Zip letterman from 1990-92, led the NFL in tackles last year as a DB for the New York Jets.
SECONDARY DEPTH TESTED: With the loss of Nate Johnson, and the pending medical redshirt of Jon Eaton, the Zips are fortunate to be deep in the secondary. The starting unit will include Jerome Cargile (Cleveland/Chanel) and George Germany (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) at the corners, Julius Lancaster (Canton/McKinley) at strong safety, and 1996 All-MAC selection Andre McCray (Akron/Buchtel) at free safety. All four players are battle tested; however, the same can not be said for the Zips' second-string defensive backfield which includes four players who have never played a down of college football. True freshmen Rich Reliford (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Kevin Vaughn (Akron/Ellet), along with redshirt freshman Shauntel Lodge (Canton/McKinley) and sophomore Richard Jones (Columbus/Beechcroft) will be seeing their first action in Lincoln.
Last fall, Akron's secondary ranked 25th among Division I-A school in pass efficiency defense and second in the MAC in passing yards allowed.
BOYD TABBED: UA senior football star Nate Boyd is Street & Smith's 1997 Mid-American Conference preseason Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-MAC selection, according to The Sporting News.
The Zips' rambunctious middle linebacker got off to an impressive start with 11 tackles (4 solo), including one tackle for loss, at Nebraska. Joining Boyd on the TSN All-MAC team is junior free safety Andre McCray. The Akron Buchtel product racked up 109 tackles last fall and earned second-team All-MAC accolades from the league's coaches. Akron returns nine defensive starters from a unit which ranked third in the MAC and 26th nationally in total defense (317.4 yards per game average yield).
McCray also gained preseason All-MAC honors from the Football News, Athlon and Bob Griese's College Football Preview. The Sporting News also listed Boyd among the nation's top Division I-A players "In The Shadows." The former East Liverpool High School standout logged a team-high 140 stops a year ago to rank third among MAC tacklers and was twice selected league Defensive Player of the Week. He was UA's Vern Smith Award nominee (MAC Player of the Year).
AKRON'S MAC AWARD NOMINEES FOR AUG. 30: Junior DB Jerome Cargile was nominated as Defensive Player of the Week. Cargile racked up 15 tackles (one tackle for loss), including 4 touchdown-saving tackles. Junior punter Mike Hayes was nominated as Scholar Athlete of the Week. Hayes had a 50.1-yard average on eight kicks. He carries a 3.44 GPA as a sports medicine major.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Zips play just four home games in 1997, after adding the Nebraska road trip and losing the Youngstown State home game. Senior DE Corey Christian (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) says four home games isn't so bad. He had only two his senior year at Pittsburgh Penn Hills High School, waiting for a new stadium to be completed. The Princeton Tigers thisyear play all 10 games on the road while their new stadium is being constructed. Akron home dates are Sept. 20 vs. Bowling Green (7 p.m., Acme-Zip game), Oct. 4 vs. Central Michigan (7 p.m.), Oct. 25 vs. Ohio (3:30 p.m., Homecoming) and Nov. 8 vs. Kent (3:30 p.m., 40th Wagon Wheel Game).
"LUNCH WITH THE COACH" ON MONDAYS: UA's popular "Lunch With The Coach" program takes place every Monday at noon at the Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill Street. Zip head coach Lee Owens previews the upcoming game. Tickets are priced at $7.50. Joe Dunn serves as emcee.
MAC'S NEW ERA: The Zips are in the East Division of the new Mid-American Conference format. Marshall and Northern Illinois have rejoined the league, bringing to 12 the number of schools in the 51-year-old all-sports conference. At the MAC Media Day on July 23 in Pontiac, Mich., the Zips were picked to finish in fifth place in the East, ahead of rival Kent. Akron won three of its final four games last fall to finish 4-7 and 3-5 in the MAC (tied for sixth).
The MAC will stage a Championship Game, pitting East and West champs, Dec. 5 in Huntington, W. Va. The winner will advance to face an at-large team in the first Ford Motor City Bowl, Dec. 26, at the Pontiac Silverdome.
NONCON: UA's Oct. 18 date at Eastern Michigan is a non-conference game. The Zips play five games within the East Division (BGSU, Kent, Marshall, Miami, and Ohio) and three cross-over games (Ball St., C. Michigan and Toledo). The EMU game will not count in the league standings.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TRIP TO LSU: The University of Akron Alumni Association is sponsoring a trip to Louisiana State. The price is $679 per person and includes air fare, three nights lodging and game tickets. Cost for children is $415. For further information, contact the Alumni Association at (330) 972-7270.
RADIO COVERAGE: For the sixth straight year, Akron radio station WHLO 640-AM will be the flagship station for University of Akron football. Massillon station WTIG 990-AM has reached agreement for a third season to form the Zips' Football Radio Network. WHLO's 5,000-watt daytime signal covers 66 of Ohio's 80 counties in addition to western Pennsylvania and into West Virginia.
Returning for his ninth season as the "Voice of the Zips" will be Steve French. He will be joined in the broadcast booth by Clint Scroggs, who last year served as UA's sideline reporter. The UA network is on the air 15 minutes before kickoff with the pre-game show, featuring Zip head coach Lee Owens.
AKRON ZIPS' MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: For 12 consecutive Monday nights, beginning Sept. 1, Zip football fans will be able to see UA game highlights on WAKC-TV Channel 23 at 8 o clock. The one-hour show, hosted by Joe Dunn, will feature head coach Lee Owens evaluating game highlights from the previous Saturday. Coach Owens also will preview the Zips' upcoming opponent. The Nebraska game will be replayed twice: Sept. 1 and 8. The Miami game will be shown Sept. 15 with the final show Nov. 17 following Toledo.
YOU CAN GET THERE: The UA Football Parents Group is sponsoring bus transportation to and from four upcoming Zip football games: Oct. 11 at Marshall, Oct. 18 at Eastern Michigan, Nov. 1 at Ball State and Nov. 15 at Toledo. Round trip fares range from $15 to $28. Contact Monica Gromek at (440) 729-4140 for further information.
SEASON TIX / MEDIA GUIDES: Zip season tickets are priced at $36 (4 home games) and $18 for senior citizens and UA faculty and staff. For details contact the Zip Athletic Ticket Office at 1-888-99-AKRON or (330) 972-6920 ... 1997 Akron Football Media Guides are for sale at JAR Arena. Books are priced at $10 apiece. Checks should be made payable to University of Akron Athletics and mailed to the attention of the Sports Information Office, 76 JAR Arena, Akron, Ohio 44325-5201.