 Akron QB Chris Jacquemain
Last Saturday in Syracuse the Akron Zips did just that when they defeated the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome, 42-28. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Zips, and a stretch where they had lost six of seven, both dating back to last season.
The Zips (1-1) return home to open their 66th and final season at The Rubber Bowl Saturday afternoon with their Mid-American Conference opener against West Division power Ball State (2-0).
The win over Syracuse was the second against a BCS opponent in the four-year tenure of head coach J.D. Brookhart at Akron. In 2006 the Zips defeated North Carolina State, 20-17.
“I thought offensively we played a very good football game (against Syracuse) and thought we played physical defensively…We still have a long way to go…It was a decent improvement from week one into week two, but obviously the win was helpful” Brookhart said.
Zips' quarterback Chris Jacquemain, a junior from Mentor, Ohio, had a solid game against Syracuse going 20-for-26 through the air for 260 yards with three touchdowns and just one interception. For his play, he was named MAC Eastern Division Offensive Player of the Week.
“Chris is much improved. I think he is playing very smart, calculating football. He is extremely accurate throwing with people in his face and executing and operating the offense like a very good quarterback does” Brookhart remarked.
Through his first two games this season, Jacquemain has thrown for 487 yards (third best in the MAC), has completed 67.7 percent of his passes (42-for-62), with five touchdowns and just one interception. Jacquemain also ranks fourth in the MAC in passing efficiency with a 151.7 rating and in total offense at 238.0 yards per game.
“I don’t think it hurt that he was number one on the depth chart since the spring and he had earned it. Chris has taken his game to a level you would hope a third-year guy would be at,” Brookhart said
“It’s finally starting to pay off," Jacquemain acknowledged. "All the hard work in the off-season along with my dedication and commitment..it’s starting to show and pay off for me. But it is a long season and I have to remain focused on my goals along with the offensive and team goals”
The Zips will be facing a Cardinals squad that is 2-0 for the first time since 1995 and with a win over the Zips on Saturday will go 3-0 for the first time since 1988 when they started the season at 5-0.
Ball State registered its first winning season last year since 1996, and earned a berth in the International Bowl against Rutgers in Toronto. They come to Akron with home wins over FCS opponent Northeastern 48-14, and last Friday defeated Navy before a national television audience, 35-23.
The Cards are led offensively by quarterback Nate Davis. The junior from Bellaire, Ohio has connected on a sizzling 81 percent of his passes in the first two games (42-for-52) for 616 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Davis leads the MAC in passing yards per game (308), total offense (318), and passing efficiency at 217.0 which is fourth best nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Last season Davis passed for a school record 3,667 yards and 30 touchdowns which included a 422 yard passing day in the Cardinals near upset at Nebraska 41-40.
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| Ball State WR Dante Love |
The Cardinals also sport the MAC's top wide receiver, Dante Love. The senior from Cincinnati had nine receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the win last Friday over the Midshipmen. He also had six rushes for 37 yards and a score along with five kickoff returns for a total of 134 yards. Like Jacquemain in the East, Love was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week.
Love is coming off of a 2007 campaign that saw him tally 100 receptions, second best in the MAC, for 1,398 yards and ten touchdowns.
Picking up where he left off in the first two games of 2008, Love tops the MAC with 18 receptions and averaging 168 yards receiving per game. Love is also number one in all-purpose yards with 529.
“They have you in so many ways. I like their back (MiQuale Lewis who is third in the MAC with 209 rushing yards). He is a very good football player, and they a senior laden offensive line so we have to play smart, physical football” Brookhart added.
It has been a while since the two teams have faced each other, last meeting in 2005 with the Cardinals picking up a 23-17 win in Muncie. The last time the two met at the Rubber Bowl, was in 1998 with the Zips emerging victorious 52-14.
NOTES: The win over Syracuse was the first for Akron against the current teams of the Big East since 1989 (Cincinnati 31-0)…Saturday’s game is the 19th game in the series with Ball State holding a 10-7-1 advantage although Akron has won three of the last four in the series…Akron is 8-8 in MAC openers…Ball State is 3-2 in MAC openers under Brady Hoke…Nate Davis needs 14 yards to surpass Mike Neu as the all-time career yardage leader at Ball State (6,258 – Neu had 6,271)..Davis is the younger brother of Jose Davis who was a quarterback at Kent State from 1997-99 and played in the Arena Football League this season with the Cleveland Gladiators |
