2023 First Glance Preview: Week Four vs Akron
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Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)
Week Four: Akron Zips
Date & Time: Saturday, September 23, 2023, Time: TBA
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
TV: TBA
Zips at a Glance
Head Coach: Joe Moorhead
Entering his 2nd year as Akron’s Head Coach
Overall Record: 2-10
Last Season: 2-10 (1-7) 6th in MAC East
Zips Returning Leaders
Passing: DJ Irons (253-379 (66.8%), 2605 yards, 10 TD, 7 INTs)
Rushing: Clyde Price III (99 carries, 309 yards, 7 TD, 3.1 Avg)
Receiving: Alex Adams (63 rec, 855 yards, 9 TD, 13.6 avg)
Tackles: Nate Thompson (72 tackles, 1 PD)
Zips Preseason Predictions
Athlon: 5th in MAC East
Lindy’s: 5th in the MAC East
Phil Steele: 6th in the MAC East
SP+: 129th Nationally
Impact Newcomers for the Zips
The two biggest pieces from the transfer portal Akron reeled in were both running backs, Lorenzo Lingard from Florida and Drake Anderson from Arizona. These were much needed pieces – Cam Wiley, the Zips leading rusher in 2022, has graduated, and it’s not like they were necessarily strong in the rushing attack last season; they finished last in rushing yards per game in the MAC last season (89.6 per game).
Biggest Questions Facing the 2023 Zips
1. Is year two improvement coming for Joe Moorhead’s Zips?
2. Will a little defensive improvement flip the script on 2022’s one-score defeats?
3. Can the offense limit turnovers?
Program Preview
After playing for a MAC championship in 2017, Akron began a 9-47 stretch that saw three head coaches and a mere five wins in the last six seasons against FBS programs. But now, former Mississippi State head coach and Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead enters his second season with the Zips and MAC football is known for flipping on its head in the blink of an eye. The 2022 team was a bit unlucky – six of their losses came by single digits (five were one score games) and they battled turnovers all season (Akron lost 13 of their 22 fumbles, their opponents lost just three of their 10) – but Moorhead seems to have the program going in the right direction. The Zips will look to build on the roster they have returning, along with a few impact transfers, and make some noise in the MAC. They have not won the MAC since 2005 and have not had a winning season since 2015.
Offensive Preview
There are certainly flaws with the Zips offensive attack, but they appear to be strong in two key areas: quarterback and #1 wide receiver. DJ Irons returns this season to play quarterback after throwing for 2609 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions last season on a 67% completion rate. He is also a threat in the ground game, rushing for 314 yards and 4 scores last year. Irons, heading into his senior season now, was 3rd Team All-MAC last year. He could certainly benefit from improved line play; the Zips offensive line was last in the MAC in tackles for loss allowed and only two teams in the nation allowed more sacks per game last year (56 total sacks allowed). But even if he is pressured, Irons needs to cut down on the turnovers; he threw seven interceptions last year, and his backup Jeff Undercuffler would be happy to take his spot if the turnover woes continue (Undercuffler threw for 312 yards and 3 TDs against Northern Illinois last year in Irons absence). Akron has lost its last 28 games, dating back to 2018, in which they have lost the turnover margin.
Though Irons lost his top wideout Shocky Jacques-Louis, the Zips return former LSU transfer Alex Adams, a First-Team All-MAC selection last year who finished sixth in the MAC in touchdown receptions, receiving yards, and catches. Adams is arguably the best player on the team, and along with tight end TJ Banks, big play threats will be there.
Defensive Preview
The Zips received tough news in June when last year’s top tackler, Bubba Arslanian, opted to leave the team to pursue professional opportunities. Arslanian amassed a whopping 129 tackles last season, 57 more than anyone else on the team and top ten in the country, so his presence will certainly be missed. But Nate Thompson in the secondary returns, the team’s second leading tackler, along with seven of Akron’s top 10 tacklers from last year, so all is not lost.
Akron finished 2022 last in scoring defense in the MAC (33.5 points per game allowed), but remove 3 outliers (52 on the road at Michigan State, 63 on the road at Tennessee, and 55 on the road at Ohio), and it’s a much better 25.7 points per game allowed. If the Zips are able to get a little more disruptive up front (pass rush only produced 19 sacks last year) with Terray Jones from Tennessee State and 305-pound Kyle Thomas, they should have the secondary pieces to hold up on the back end. Interception leader Tyson Durant returns, along with the safety combination of Darrian Lewis and KJ Martin, both who have potential to make an All-MAC team at the season’s conclusion. If they’re able to improve just a bit from last season, the defense could turn some of last year’s one score losses in the other direction.
Special Teams Preview
After splitting duty with Cory Smigel last year, the place kicker role should move over full-time to sophomore Noah Perez this season. Perez went 11-of-11 in extra points last season and 6-of-9 for field goals (all three misses came from 40+ yards). He hit both his attempts from 40+ in the Akron spring game on April 29th.
Freshman Owen Wiley also joins the special teams unit, where he went 1-for-1 with a 29-yard field goal in Akron’s spring game.
Blake Hester returned 20 kicks for 464 yards last year with a long of 50 yards and returns this season as the primary candidate for kickoff return duties. Bobby Golden returned 3 punts for 26 yards last year and is the lead statistical guy still on the roster for punt returning duties.
Joseph Castle is likely to be the punter this season; he contributed two 42-yard punts, one inside the 5-yard line and one inside the 15-yard line, in their spring game.