Above: Can Senior Jimond Ivey lead the Zips back to the promised land? After 13 seasons at The University of Akron and 12 straight 20+ win seasons, Keith Dambrot left the Zips to become head coach at Duquesne University.   Akron Athletic Director Larry Williams moved quickly to replace Dambrot with a familiar name to MAC basketball fans, John Groce.   Groce had spent five seasons as head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini, finishing all but one of them with a winning record.   However, that wasn’t enough for Illinois as they decided to move on from Groce following the 2016-17 season.   Groce is, of course, best known for his major success at Ohio University, some of which came against the team he currently leads.   Groce went 85-56 there in four seasons, leading the Bobcats to two MAC Tournament Championships and two NCAA Tournament runs, once of which they advanced to the Sweet 16.   Groce’s first season in Akron brought mixed results.   The Zips had lost Isaiah Johnson

It's homecoming time in Northeast Ohio as the RedHawks of Miami (1-4) travel to the Rubber Capital of the World to take on our Akron Zips (2-1). Miami is coming off a heartbreaking collapse at home to Western Michigan, while the Zips enjoyed their bye week. The all-time series is 17-9-1 in favor of Miami, while Akron has taken 4 out of the last 5, owning a 4-2 record in the Bowden Era. How will this Saturday's matchup look? Let's take a look. Miami Quick Hits Miami is coming off a disheartening loss at home to Western Michigan. The 'Hawks led 27-14 at half before the Broncos would explode in the 2nd half to take the contest 40-39. Miami's defense gave up 562 yards of total offense and got dominated in time of possession. Senior QB Gus Ragland has had a good start to the season, throwing for 1,017 yards and 8 touchdowns on a 58.4% completion percentage. Miami's passing offense ranks 83rd in the nation. The rushing game for the 'Hawks has been

Where do I even start? Deep in the heart of Evanston, our Akron Zips rallied from an 18-point deficit on the road to pull off their first win against a Power 5 team since 2014 and their first win against a Big Ten team since 1894. If that's a lot to take in, I understand, and I'm here to take you through it quarter by quarter. 1st Quarter Northwestern was first on the board after capitalizing on a disastrous special team play which gave the Wildcats possession at the Zips 7 yard line. Jeremy Larkin took it in himself, 7-0 Cats.  The rest of the first quarter was a defensive battle as both sides had drives of 9 plays or less, all ending in punts or turnover on downs. At the end of the 1st, it was 7-0 Northwestern 2nd Quarter After an Akron punt, Northwestern had a 7 play, 73 yard drive which ended with a Jeremy Larkin 5 yard run from the Wildcat Formation. 14-0. Nick Gasser put the Zips on the board with 39 seconds to go in the half to cut the score to 14-3. A persona

Tonight, our Akron Warriors Bold march into Evanston, Illinois to do battle with the Wildcats of Northwestern. The Zips, coming off of a dominant win over Morgan State, are looking for their first Power 5 win since Pittsburgh in 2014. Northwestern is searching for answers after losing to Duke at home last week. Will Akron "Zip" on through and #FlyTheFlag or will Northwestern get back on track as the go into Big Ten play? Let's take a look at both squads. Akron Quick Hits Kato Nelson had a good game last week, throwing for 232 yards and 3 TD's. A key to an Akron win is a solid air attack. Northwestern's secondary looks shaky so far this season, as they gave up 204 yards and 3 scores in the air to  Duke last week, so if Kato can get hot early, watch out. The running game last week for the Zips was outstanding. Van Edwards broke the century mark and added 2 TDs, and Kato went for 42 as well. I don't expect the Zips to be as effective going up agai

Business as usual. The Zips ran rough-shot on Morgan State, picking up their first win of the 2018 campaign, 41-7. The scoring was opened up on a Nick Gasser field goal following a 6 yard punt by Morgan State. A 6 yard punt. The following Bears drive was cut short by an Alvin Davis interception, Van Edwards capitalized by running it 21 yards into the end zone to make it 10-0 midway through the 1st. The momentum never swung back in Morgan State's favor, as the Zips tacked on 17 more before halftime. The 2nd half produced more of the same, as Akron went up 41-0 before Morgan State finally got on the board with 11 seconds left to give us the final tally of 41-7. Offensive Players of the Game Kato Nelson - The redshirt sophomore went 16-26 for 232 yards and 3 TD's including a beautiful 35 yard dime to Kwadarrius Smith. Kato also showcased his talent on the ground, gaining 42 yards on 9 carries. Van Edwards Jr. - The familiar presence in the Zips backfield provided a

The wait for the 2018 Akron Zips football season is nearly over. After a 7-7 finish, a MAC East title, and their 2nd bowl appearance in 3 years, our Zips look to “finish the climb” and build open a solid season. The first hurdle comes in the form of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Led by former (National Champion) UCF Head Coach Scott Frost, the Huskers are looking to make a statement after a very disappointing 4-8 2017 campaign, which included a loss to fellow MAC member, NIU. Quick Hits: Nebraska Scott Frost returns to his alma mater with a coaching record of only 19-7. Frost was also the OC/QB/WR coach at Oregon from 2009-2015 and was the LB coach at Nothern Iowa from 2007-2008. True Freshman Adrian Martinez will be the Huskers’ starting QB Saturday. Martinez is the only scholarship QB on Nebraska’s roster. Nebraska hasn’t started a true freshman at QB since 2009. Quick Hits: Akron Sophomore QB Kato Nelson gets the week 1 nod. Nelson came on for the suspended Tommy Woodso