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Stadium Hoopla Gone.. Zips focus on Indiana

Last Saturday, Akron (1-1) christened their new home with a 41-0 shutout victory over Morgan State. This Saturday will be a bit of a tougher test as the Indiana Hoosiers (2-0) come to town.

It is the first time a Big Ten school will play the Zips in the Rubber City.

Last week Akron’s offense gained 436 yards against Morgan State compared to just 186 the previous week at Penn State. They had no drives resulting in negative yardage and were 11-for-17 on third down conversions while going 6-for-8 in the red zone.

Defensively, Akron allowed just 127 yards of total offense and had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. But then again, that was Morgan State, a very bad I-AA team and this week the focus will be on a solid Big Ten team who has a long tradition of beating MAC teams. Their only previous meeting was in 2007, a 41-21 victory for IU.

In that game, Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns while passing for three others.

Indiana opened their 2009 season with home wins over Eastern Kentucky (19-13) and Western Michigan (23-19). It is the sixth consecutive season that the Hoosiers have opened the season at 2-0. Running back Demetrius McCray, a fifth year senior, rushed for a career best 134 yards including a 59-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. The game against Akron is their first road tilt of 2009.

Defensively, Indiana is led by a pair of fine defensive ends both are seniors. Middleton, who forced the game-saving fumble against the Broncos, led the entire Football Bowl Subdivision with 16 sacks in 2007. On the other side is Kirlew who has 41 tackles for losses and 18 sacks in his career with the Crimson and Cream.

NOTES: The game will be nationally televised (ESPNU)…This is Akron’s second game this season against the Big Ten (losing at Penn State 31-7 on September 2 nd)… Akron is 1-19 lifetime against the Big Ten (lone victory came in 1894 when then Buchtel College and coached by John W. Heisman defeated Ohio State 12-6…Brian Wagner-AKR was named MAC Eastern Division defensive player of the week for his nine tackle, two forced fumbles, and 32-yard interception return for a touchdown against Morgan State…Chris Jacquemain-AKR has at least one touchdown pass in 14 of his last 15 games…his three-touchdown performance against Morgan State marked 11 th time in his career with multi-touchdown games…and moved into fourth place on the Zips all-time total yards list with 4,709…Deryn Bowser-AKR tied a career best at home with eight catches…Manley Waller-AKR interception was the second of his career…Indiana is 33-6-1 lifetime against the MAC…Indiana is celebrating its 125 th year of intercollegiate football…Demitruis McCray-IU 137 yards rushing against Western Michigan was the most by a Hoosier running back since Marcus Thigpen 140 yards against Purdue…Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson is an Akron native and spent four seasons with the Zips (1995-96 as a graduate assistant and 1997-98 as defensive line coach) under then head coach Lee Owens…Three former high school players return to the area with IU to face the Zips (Chris Banks-Alliance, Pat McShane- Stow, and Eric Thomas-Cleveland Glenville)…Indiana and Akron will also meet on the soccer field the night before as the two national powers square off at Lee Jackson Field on the UA campus...Former Indiana University and current NCAA President Myles Brand died this week after a long battle with cancer he was 69.