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2009 Akron Zips Football Preview

Akron's Offense:

The Zips will be piloted by senior QB Chris Jacquemain who completed 57.9 percent of his passes last year 2,748 yards and 20 TDs. On the down side, he also threw 14 interceptions and had three games where he threw three or more picks. Jacquemain did lead Akron to two signature road wins - Syracuse and Army. The running game will miss 1,000-yard rusher Dennis Kennedy. Senior Alex Allen is a proven player but look for DeVoe Torrence, who originally signed with Ohio State out of school, to become a real factor. He is a special player who should be able to dominate MAC defenses over the coming years. All-MAC players Andre Jones and Deryn Bowser highlight a very strong receiving corps. Bowser led the Zips last season with 64 receptions for 785 yards and four touchdowns. Four of the Zip’s top five receivers return. The offensive line loses All-MAC Chris Kemme but two solid seniors return in center Elliott Bates and guard Zach Anderson. Overall Akron returns nine starters.

Akron's Defense:

Akron played a 3-3-5 defense with the line led by junior Almando Sewell who had 14 tackles for loss a season ago. The linebackers are led by junior Mike Thomas whose 85 tackles in 2008 is the best among the Zips returning defenders. The secondary will be led by CB Miguel Graham who had 70 tackles and three interceptions in 2008 while safeties Jalil Carter and Wayne Cobram provide stability. Overall there are five starters returning from a defense that ranked 95 th nationally in scoring and 90 th in total defense.

Intangibles for the 2009 Zips :

The Zips will have both of their kicking specialists back in 2009. PK Igor Iveljic was just 18 of 28 on FGs but did have the winning kick in the OT to beat rival Kent State. John Stec averaged 37.1 yards per punt last season - really needs to step up this fall. The Zips begin their season on September 5 th at Penn State before the opening their new state-of-the-art Infocision Stadium on September 12 th against Morgan State. This will mark Akron’s first home game on campus since 1940. Hosting Indiana on September 19 is the game the campus will be really excited for since this is the first time Akron has ever hosted a Big Ten team.

Akron's 2009 Outlook:

This is a big year for the program that has been floundering just below .500 the past few seasons. With a beautiful new stadium and a ton of offensive fire power, there is pressure on the coaching staff to win now and build the fan base to unprecedented heights. That’s why Coach JD Brookhart added Walt Harris and Shane Montgomery to the coaching staff. If the defense shows improvement and UA can win a few of those heartbreaking games they’ve lost last season, an eight-win season and a MAC Title Game is not out of the question.

The Big Game for the Zips:

Oct 10th hosting Ohio. The Zips are 7-3 versus the Bobcats over the last decade and this will be Akron’s first “Homecoming” on campus since 1939.

Team Article by Evan Meyer of Sports Vault - Especially for VanDelaySports.com
Predictions, Stats, Key Game & Outlook by Nick Gerogosian of VanDelaySports.com

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