2023 Akron Zips football team American college football season
The 2023 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season . Led by second-year head coach Joe Moorhead , the Zips played home games at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio .[ 1] [ 2] They finished the season 2–10 and 1–7 in conference play [ 3] The Akron Zips football team drew an average home attendance of 7,237 in 2023.[ 4]
Preseason
Preseason polls
Coaches Poll
On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish fifth in the East.[ 5]
East
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Ohio
63 (9)
2
Miami
52 (2)
3
Buffalo
51 (1)
4
Bowling Green
35
5
Akron
26
6
Kent State
19
West
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Toledo
66 (11)
2
Eastern Michigan
55 (1)
3
Northern Illinois
38
4
Central Michigan
37
5
Ball State
27
6
Western Michigan
23
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
Rank
Team
Votes
1
Toledo
7
2
Ohio
4
3
Buffalo
1
Schedule
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 2 2:00 p.m. at Temple * ESPN+ L 21–24 12,456
September 9 6:00 p.m. Morgan State * ESPN+ W 24–21 8,213
September 16 7:00 p.m. at Kentucky * ESPNU L 3–35 59,456
September 23 7:30 p.m. at Indiana * BTN L 27–29 4OT 44,968
September 30 12:00 p.m. Buffalo InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH ESPN+ L 10–13 OT 5,490
October 7 3:30 p.m. Northern Illinois InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH ESPN+ L 14–55 8,216
October 14 3:30 p.m. at Central Michigan ESPN+ L 10–1717,886
October 21 2:00 p.m. at Bowling Green ESPN+ L 14–41 10,068
7:30 p.m. Kent State ESPNU W 31–27 8,113
7:30 p.m. at Miami (OH) ESPNU L 0–19 7,233
7:00 p.m. at Eastern Michigan CBSSN L 27–30 2OT 13,664
12:00 p.m. Ohio InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH CBSSN L 14–25 6,152
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time
[ 6] [ 7]
Game summaries
at Kentucky
Game Three – Akron Zips (1–1) at Kentucky Wildcats (2–0) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Akron
0
0
3 0 3
Kentucky
7
7
7 14 35
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
Date : Saturday, September 16, 2023Game time : 7:30 p.m. EST Game weather : -Game attendance : 59,456Referee : Lee HedrickTV announcers (ESPNU ) : Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
(10:34) UK – Josh Kattus 6-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:26; Kentucky 7-0 )
Second quarter
(0:08) UK – Tayvion Robinson 22-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:31; Kentucky 14-0 )
Third quarter
(3:27) AKR – Noah Perez 36-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 5:33; Kentucky 14-3 )
(1:38) UK – Ray Davis 58-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:14; Kentucky 21-3 )
Fourth quarter
(13:47) UK – Ray Davis 55-yard run (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:08; Kentucky 28-3 )
(3:04) UK – Demie Sumo-Karngbaye 4-yard run (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:03; Kentucky 35-3 )
Statistics
AKR
UK
First downs
16
18
Total yards
66–239
48–450
Rushing yards
25–49
22–135
Passing yards
190
315
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
29–41–0
16–26–1
Time of possession
34:47
25:13
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Akron
Passing
DJ Irons
23/34, 130 yards
Rushing
Lorenzo Lingard
7 carries, 30 yards
Receiving
Jasaiah Gathings
5 receptions, 43 yards
Kentucky
Passing
Devin Leary
16/25, 315 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing
Ray Davis
7 carries, 72 yards, TD
Receiving
Ray Davis
3 receptions, 97 yards, TD
at Bowling Green
Game Eight – Akron Zips (1–6) at Bowling Green Falcons (3–4) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Akron
7
0
0 7 14
Bowling Green
3
10
21 7 41
at Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH
Date : Saturday, October 21, 2023Game time : 2:00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: W 7 mph (11 km/h)Game attendance : 10,068Referee : Jeremy ValentineTV announcers (ESPN+ ) : Michael Reghi , Marcus Ray
Game information
First quarter
(09:58) BGSU – Alan Anaya 36-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:56; Bowling Green 3-0 )
(01:11) AKR – Lorenzo Lingard 13-yard run (Noah Perez kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:40; Akron 7-3 )
Second quarter
(12:18) BGSU – Terion Stewart 3-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, :05; Bowling Green 10-7 )
(00:00) BGSU – Alan Anaya 33-yard field goal (Drive: 2 plays, 0 yards, :10; Bowling Green 13-7 )
Third quarter
(05:02) BGSU – Terion Stewart 16-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:34; Bowling Green 20-7 )
(03:20) BGSU – Terion Stewart 2-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:32; Bowling Green 27-7 )
(00:28) BGSU – Harold Fannin Jr. 8-yard pass from Connor Bazelak (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 3 plays,36 yards, 1:01; Bowling Green 34-7 )
Fourth quarter
(07:58) BGSU – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim 8-yard pass from Camden Orth (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 7 plays,35 yards, 5:04; Bowling Green 41-7 )
(03:02) AKR – Drake Anderson 4-yard run (Noah Perez kick) (Drive: 11 plays,75 yards, 4:56; Bowling Green 41-14 )
Statistics
Akron
Bowling Green
First downs
18
15
Plays–yards
279
297
Rushes–yards
28–45
42–214
Passing yards
234
83
Passing: comp –att –int
22–39–2
8-14-0
Time of possession
29:56
30:04
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Akron
Passing
Jeff Undercuffler
22/39, 234 yards, 2 INTS
Rushing
Lorenzo Lingard
12 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Daniel George
7 receptions, 74 yards
Bowling Green
Passing
Connor Bazelak
6/11, 69 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Terion Stewart
19 carries, 131 yards, 3 TDS
Receiving
Harold Fannin Jr.
2 receptions, 34 yards, 1 TD
vs Kent State
Game Nine – Akron Zips (1–7) vs Kent State Golden Flashes (1–7) – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Kent State
6
14
7 0 27
Akron
7
3
0 21 31
at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH
Date : Wednesday, November 11, 2023Game time : 7:30 p.m. EST Game attendance : 8,113Referee : -TV announcers (ESPNU ) : -
Game information
First quarter
(6:21) KENT – Tommy Ulatowski 5-yard run (Andrew Glass kick failed) (Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 2:14; Kent State 6-0 )
(1:48) AKR - Daniel George 14-yard pass from Jeff Undercuffler Jr. (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:26, Akron 7-6 )
Second quarter
(9:36) KENT – Crishon McCray 36-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:19; Kent State 13-7 )
(6:50) AKR - Owen Wiley 2-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:39; Kent State 13-10 )
(0:38) KENT – Luke Floriea 19-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:04; Kent State 20-7 )
Third quarter
(0:38) KENT – Crishon McCray 27-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:25; Kent State 27-7 )
Fourth quarter
(9:12) AKR - Jasaiah Gathings 22-yard pass from Jeff Undercuffler Jr. (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 16 plays, 87 yards, 6:32, Kent State 27-17 )
(3:32) AKR - Lorenzo Lingard 37-yard run (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:29, Kent State 27-24 )
(0:26) AKR - JJeff Undercuffler Jr. 5-yard run (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 2:43, Akron 31-27 )
Statistics
AKR
KENT
First downs
22
16
Total yards
393
346
Rushing yards
95
117
Passing yards
298
229
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
23–39–0
15–23–0
Time of possession
29:52
30:08
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Akron
Passing
Jeff Undercuffler Jr.
23/39, 298 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Lorenzo Lingard
22 carries, 106 yards, TD
Receiving
Daniel George
9 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Kent State
Passing
Tommy Ulatowski
15/23, 229 yards, 3 TD
Rushing
Jaylen Thomas
14 carries, 36 yards
Receiving
Crishon McCray
6 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD
Postseason
The Zips were named 2023 National Chumpions by The College Football Pillow Fighters for being the worst team in College Football during the 2023-24 season.[ 8]
References
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