2018 Akron Zips football team
The 2018 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by seventh-year head coach Terry Bowden and played their home games at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field in Akron, Ohio as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in MAC play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the East Division.
2018 Akron Zips football | |
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Conference | Mid-American Conference |
East Division | |
2018 record | 4–8 (2–6 MAC) |
Head coach | Terry Bowden (7th season) |
Offensive coordinator | A. J. Milwee (6th season) |
Defensive coordinator | Todd Stroud (1st season as coordinator, 7th overall season) |
Captain |
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Home stadium | InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field (Capacity: 27,881) |
2018 Mid-American Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo x | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami | 6 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ohio | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akron | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling Green | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kent State | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Illinois x$ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Michigan | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Michigan | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ball State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Central Michigan | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Northern Illinois 30, Buffalo 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On December 2, Akron fired head coach Terry Bowden.[2] He finished at Akron with a seven-year record of 35–52. On December 14, the school hired Chattanooga head coach Tom Arth for the head coaching job.[3]
Previous season
The Zips finished the 2017 season 7–7, 6–2 in MAC play to win the East Division. They lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship. They received an invitation to play in the Boca Raton Bowl where they lost to Florida Atlantic.
Preseason
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
Award | Player | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Chuck Bednarik Award[4] | Ulysees Gilbert | LB | SR |
Fred Biletnikoff Award[5] | Kwadarrius Smith | WR | SR |
Jim Thorpe Award[6] | Kyron Brown | CB | SR |
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[7] | Ulysees Gilbert | LB | SR |
Preseason media poll
The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Zips predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division.[8]
East Division | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | 140 (21) |
2 | Buffalo | 112 (1) |
3 | Miami | 95 (2) |
4 | Akron | 74 |
5 | Bowling Green | 58 |
6 | Kent State | 25 |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 8 | 3:30 p.m. | Morgan State* | ESPN+ | W 41–7 | 18,413 | |
September 15 | 7:30 p.m. | at Northwestern* | BTN | W 39–34 | 40,014 | |
September 22 | 11:00 a.m. | at Iowa State* | FSN | L 13–26 | 54,028 | |
October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH)![]() |
| ESPN+ | L 17–41 | 22,437 |
October 13 | Noon | at Buffalo | CBSSN | L 6–24 | 19,506 | |
October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | at Kent State | ESPN+ | W 24–23 OT | 18,774 | |
October 27 | Noon | Central Michigan |
| ESPN3 | W 17–10 | 17,582 |
November 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois |
| CBSSN | L 26–36 | 16,401 |
November 10 | Noon | at Eastern Michigan | ESPN3 | L 7–27 | 12,403 | |
November 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Bowling Green |
| ESPN3 | L 6–21 | 17,742 |
November 23 | Noon | at Ohio | CBSSN | L 28–49 | 12,938 | |
December 1[a] | Noon | at South Carolina* | SECN | L 3–28 | 53,420 | |
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- ^[a] The game between Akron and Nebraska, originally scheduled for September 1, 2018, was canceled due to inclement weather.[9] The Zips agreed to schedule South Carolina, who also canceled a game earlier in the year due to Hurricane Florence.
- Source:[10]
Game summaries
Morgan State
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Zips | 17 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 41 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
2–0 | 2009 | AKR, 41–0 |
at Northwestern
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 0 | 3 | 23 | 13 | 39 |
Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
at Iowa State
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Cyclones | 7 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 26 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
0–1 | 2017 | ISU, 41–14 |
Miami (OH)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RedHawks | 0 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 41 |
Zips | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
9–17–1 | 2017 | MIOH, 24–14 |
at Buffalo
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Bulls | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
11–6 | 2017 | AKR, 21–20 |
at Kent State
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Golden Flashes | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
34–24–2 | 2017 | AKR, 24–14 |
Central Michigan
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chippewas | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Zips | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
9–16–1 | 2015 | CMU, 14–6 |
Northern Illinois
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Huskies | 7 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 36 |
Zips | 7 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 26 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
5–9 | 2013 | NIU, 27–20 |
at Eastern Michigan
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Eagles | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 27 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
19–12 | 2015 | AKR, 47–21 |
Bowling Green
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Zips | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
5–9 | 2013 | AKR, 34–23 |
at Ohio
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
Bobcats | 21 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
13–20–1 | 2017 | AKR, 37–34 |
at South Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zips | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Gamecocks | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
Players drafted into the NFL
Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
6 | 207 | Ulysees Gilbert III | LB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
References
- "2019 Akron Zips Football Media Guide: Records" (PDF). University of Akron. p. 172. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25434221/terry-bowden-fired-head-coach-akron-zips
- Caron, Emily (December 14, 2018). "UT-Chattanooga's Tom Arth Named Akron Football Coach". si.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List - Maxwell Football Club". Maxwell Football Club. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
- "2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- "Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Names 2018 Preseason Watchlist". July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- http://getsomemaction.com/news/2018/7/23/niu-ohio-picked-as-divisional-winners-in-2018-mac-football-media-preseason-poll.aspx
- "Akron–Nebraska Football Game Cancelled". Akron Athletics. September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- 2018 Akron Zips football schedule. FBSchedules.com. Accessed April 7, 2018.