Week 3 Preview: Akron @ Northwestern

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 against a Northwestern D-Line, but if the running game can contribute and free up Kato to move around in the backfield, it could be a good day for the Zips offense.

• The defense played a phenomenal game last week, forcing 3 turnovers and holding Morgan State under 100 yards of offense through the first three quarters. The defense needs to make the right plays at the right times tonight. Northwestern struggled mightily last week and only put up 7 against Duke. If Akron pulls off the upset, it'll be because of defense.

Northwestern Quick Hits

• The passing game has been a concern for the Northwestern. Through 2 games, QB Clayton Thorson has only thrown for 370 yards and 1 INT. In their win over Purdue, who lost to Eastern Michigan last week, Thorson went 16-26 for 172 yards. The air attack just hasn't been there so far. Let's see if the 'Cats can get it going, or if it will be more of the same.

• The running game has been a brightspot for Northwestern so far. Sophomore RB Jeremy Larkin has been a workhorse, cracking the 100 yard mark in both games and finding paydirt 3 times so far. The battle for the game will come down to the battle in the trenches when it comes to the Northwestern offense. If the Wildcats come out running, it could be a long day for Zips fans. On the other side, if Akron can isolate the running game and shut it down, we could be Flying The Flag in Evanston tonight.

How to Watch

The game is televised on BTN at 7:30 PM EST, you can catch the radio call on 1350 AM, or through iHeartRadio and TuneIn.

If you have any predictions or thoughts on the Zips' battle with Northwestern, be sure to tweet at us @Zips_United. I will see you all after the game. Until then, always throw the Z, and GO ZIPS.