Game Day Information
Date: October 25, 1997
Site: Akron, Ohio
Stadium: Rubber Bowl (35,202)
Kickoff: 4:06 ET
Team Records: UA is 1-6, 1-3 in the MAC; Ohio is 6-1 (4-0 MAC).
Radio: Akron's broadcast will originate on WHLO-AM (640) and WTIG-AM (990).
Ohio's broadcast will originate on the Ohio Sports Radio Network and be
carried by 15 stations in Ohio.
TV: MAC Television Game of the Week; it will be seen live on SportsChannel
Ohio and PASS in Michigan. It will be shown on tape delay on Fox
Sports Pittsburgh at midnight. Highlights will be replayed Oct. 27 as
part of Zips Monday Night Football on WAKC-TV Channel 23 at 8 p.m.
Series: 7-5-1, Ohio
The scenario is similar to one year ago. The Zips are 1-6, coming off a demoralizing shutout loss at one of the Michigans, in this case Eastern.
Last fall, Akron rebounded to win three of its final four games and finish 4-7. The victory which started the run came on Homecoming Day at the Rubber Bowl -- a 10-7 win over heavily favored Miami. This year the 6-1 Ohio Bobcats (4-0 MAC) are the seemingly invincible opponent. Can lightning strike twice? Can this UA team lift itself up by its boot straps and battle the Mid-American Conference East Division leader?
Zip coach Lee Owens is hoping that playing at home will be "a trump card." But he is concerned that, "compared to last season, we're not playing as well defensively" and in that regard the scenario is not quite the same. Ohio has completed 12 passes this season (three for scores), but runs a highly effective triple option attack. Shifty QB Kareem Wilson and FB Steve Hookfin are excellent runners. The Bobcats' defense probably does not get the credit it deserves, being No. 1 in the MAC in scoring and total (yards) defense. The Zips need to muster their best effort of the season.
For the second year in a row, the Akron-Ohio game is a part of the MAC television package. The Zips endured a nightmare in Athens a year ago, falling 44-14, and yielding three fumbles, two interceptions and two blocked punts.
Akron has a 45-26-2 mark in Homecoming games. Ohio rallied from 16-0 to top UA, 29-23, in the 1995 Zip Homecoming contest.
QUOTABLE: "It was our poorest offensive game of the season. We couldn't finish drives. We couldn't convert in critical situations. We couldn't pass and catch. We didn't play hard." -- Lee Owens last Saturday after the Zips' 45-0 loss at Eastern Michigan.
SERIES: Ohio leads 7-5-1. The two schools have played annually since Akron joined the MAC for the 1992 season. (Ohio leads 3-2 in those meetings.) The series began in 1912 -- the Zips' oldest rivalry among MAC foes, predating Kent by 11 years.
AKRON'S MAC AWARD NOMINEES FOR OCTOBER 18: Junior tailback Greg Lomax (Monongahela, Pa.) is the Zips' Offensive Player of the Week. Lomax had another 150-yard all-purpose running yards game, collecting 81 rushing yards (10 carries) and 83 kickoff return yards for a total of 164.
Junior punter Mike Hayes (Elyria) is the Zips' Defensive Player of the Week. Hayes lofted seven punts for a 44.9-yard average.
MEDICAL UPDATE: At Eastern Michigan, three Zips sustained injuries. Junior SS George Germany (Pittsburgh, Pa.) sprained his left knee, but has been cleared for Tuesday practice. Sophomore TB Mike Lagasse (Hudson) left after the first quarter with a concussion and also has been cleared for practice. Both are expected to play against Ohio. Junior LB Eric Small (Akron) hurt his right shoulder and may have suffered a slight separation. He is questionable as of Monday.
Two Zips sustained knee injuries at Marshall. Junior DT Jamey Bennett (McDonald, Pa.) sprained his MCL and will be out 2-4 weeks. Sophomore QB Greg Gromek (Chesterland) tore the ACL in his left knee and is lost for the rest of the season. He will likely undergo surgery next week.
Junior DL Jeremy Maxa (Finleyville, Pa.) suffered an elbow injury the week of the Marshall game and did not make the trip to Eastern Michigan.
Redshirt freshman guard Chad Smith (Canton) has missed the last five games with a shoulder strain.
Two defensive backs, junior Jon Eaton (ankle) and sophomore Mike Hughes (shoulder), are medical redshirts for 1997.
THE 400 CLUB: In fairness to Akron's defense (12th in the MAC), every opponent, with the exception of Bowling Green, is currently averaging 400-plus yards of offense per game. BG is at 282.6 yards per contest. Ohio is at 399.9 through 7 games.
BOBCAT BOBBLES: Ohio had 10 fumbles (5 lost) in its 1995 game at Akron. The Zips will likely need that kind of help on Saturday.
BROTHER ACT: UA sophomore linebacker Brad King (Dublin/Scioto) is the younger brother of Benny King, Ohio's leading tackler in 1995 with 125 stops (71 solo). Benny completed his eligibility that year. Brad is a reserve OLB for the Zips.
NATIONAL POLL: The Toledo Rockets (6-0) have cracked the AP Top 25, checking in this week at #24. Two other MAC teams are on the verge of being ranked: Miami (48 votes) and Ohio (16).
SMACO LUNCHEON: The Sports Media Association of Cleveland is sponsoring a rivalry luncheon Thursday, Nov. 6, at noon at the Cleveland South Hilton Inn (Rockside Road at I-77, Independence). UA's Lee Owens will be joined by coaches from Kent, John Carroll and Baldwin-Wallace. The Zips entertain the Golden Flashes that Saturday at 3:30. Tickets are priced at $12 each for SMACO members and $15 for guests. Call the UA Sports Information Office at (330) 972-7468 to reserve a seat.
ALOHA: Zip senior fullback Jamie Reader (Monessen, Pa.) has been invited to the Hula Bowl, Jan. 18, 1998, in Honolulu.
IRON MAN: Junior quick tackle Kevin Kuntz (Steubenville/Edison) made his 29th consecutive start against Eastern Michigan. Originally a 210-pound, walk-on tight end, Kuntz (now 275) is among the MAC's top offensive linemen.
THE RECORD PAGE: The Zips' record offensive performance against Central Michigan needed to be recapped.
53 points:
AKRON'S NFL PERFORMERS: Former Zip star Jason Taylor was having a stellar rookie season for the Miami Dolphins until he broke a bone in his arm during practice last week. A third-round draft pick (73rd overall), Taylor had racked up 29 tackles (22 solo), two QB sacks (for -16 yards) and two pass deflections through 7 games. In the preseason, he had four sacks for 35 yards in losses. Miami's record is 5-2, good for a first-place tie in the AFC East with the New England Patriots. 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.
"LUNCH WITH THE COACH": 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 reviews the previous week's game and previews the upcoming contest. Tickets are priced at $7.50. Joe Dunn serves as emcee.
MAC FORMAT: 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.
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE: Head coach Lee Owens knew the Zips' 1997 schedule would be a huge challenge -- the most difficult in school history. But -- how about the 16th toughest in Division. I-A? The Seattle Times rated it 16th (through 5 games) among 112 schools.
RADIO COVERAGE: For the sixth straight year, Akron radio station WHLO 640-AM is 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.
In his ninth season as the "Voice of the Zips" is Steve French. He is 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: Every Monday night throughout the season, 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 Ohio game will be shown October 27 with the final show Nov. 17 following Toledo.
MAC CALL: Zip head coach Lee Owens will be on the MAC coaches' call at least one more time this season -- October 27 at 10 a.m. The number to dial is (913) 661-0896 or (800) 289-0437.
ZIPPY THE KANGAROO: Zippy, Kasey, Moe and Katy. What do they have in common? They are the only four college kangaroo mascots in America. The University of Akron has Zippy, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has Kasey, Virginia Military Institute has Moe, and Austin College in Sherman, Texas, has Katy. UA's Zippy originated in 1954 with the playing of the first Acme-Zip football game.