 They say in any sport, it takes time for a new head coach to sort thing out, to find the right combination of players. The Akron Zips and first year head coach Rob Ianello are going through that right now.
Akron is 0-4 after it’s 35-20 loss last Saturday at Indiana. It is the ninth time in the school’s 110-year football history the Zips have started winless in four games and the fourth time since moving into the Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) in 1987.
It is not all doom and gloom for the Akron Blue and Gold, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They amassed 335 total yards last Saturday night against the Hoosiers - their second highest total of the young season. The running game (averaging 126.5 yards per game for the season) picked up 160 of those yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
“We were able to do some things in the run game” Ianello said.
Senior running back Alex Allen had 80 yards in 13 carries. The native of Youngstown, Ohio, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility this past winter by the NCAA due to his knee injury last season, has rushed the ball for 238 yards and scored all three of the Zips rushing touchdowns so far this season.
Fellow senior Nate Burney leads UA in rushing with 241 yards after gaining 62 last Saturday night. Also from Youngstown, Burney is a transfer student from Division II Ashland University, who saw very little playing time last season.
The biggest key to the success of the running game is the offensive line play. LT Corey Woods, LG Mitch Straight, C Mike Ward, RG Zac Kasparek, RT Jake Anderson, and key reserve Patrick McCloskey have jelled as a unit. Ward and Woods have started all 40 games since they came on campus.
“I felt they (the line) played physical, moved their feet and stayed off the ground,” Ianello said. In addition, the line allowed just two sacks against IU after allowing 11 in the first three games, giving sophomore quarterback Patrick Nicely time to throw.
One statistic that should not be overlooked is that the Akron offense has turned the ball over just two times (both coming in the 38-37 overtime loss at home to Gardner-Webb back on September 11th). The Zips own one of the best turnover marks in all of the FBS and have a turnover margin of +2, tied for third in the MAC.
The defense also showed some life last week as it held a potent Indiana running game to just 84 yards - their lowest total of the young season. The previous week against Kentucky, running back Derrick Locke rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the 47-10 loss in Lexington
“I am happy with how we have played against the run. What we need to do improve on is getting pressure on the quarterback,” Ianello said.
Hoosiers quarterback Ben Chappell completed 23-of-33 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns last Saturday night. UA has allowed 278.75 passing yards per game - one of the highest totals in the FBS, and has just five sacks in the first four games.
The Zips do have things to build on as they open Mid-American Conference play this Saturday when the Northern Illinois Huskies come to InfoCision Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. “I feel we learned a lot about ourselves from the non-conference schedule. We know Northern Illinois is formidable opponent” Ianello said. “They were picked to win the Western Division, and they are a physical football team.”
NIU comes into this game with a 2-2 mark after picking up a 34-23 win last Saturday night at Minnesota. It is the second time in as many years the Huskies have defeated a Big Ten Conference opponent.
“We definitely played our best game of the season (last Saturday night) on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game” NIU head coach Jerry Kill said. “We are getting better each week, and that is what is encouraging for me, that we keep improving.”
Senior running back Chad Spann had 223 yards rushing against the Golden Gophers including a 61-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. Overall, the Huskies ran for 297 yards on just 28 carries.
“Chad is a stronger back that he was a year ago.” Kill said. “He seems to be breaking a lot more tackles than he did a year ago.” Spann, a native of Indianapolis Indiana, leads the MAC in rushing with 458 yards (among the top 20 in all of the FBS) and has four touchdowns.
This is the first time the schools have met in Akron since 2005, when the Zips picked up a 48-42 win in overtime at the Rubber Bowl. Last season the Huskies earned a 27-10 win on a windy, chilly day in DeKalb as they scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 10-6 Akron lead. NIU rushed for 275 yards in that game, with Spann and quarterback DeMarcus Grady each rushing for over 100 yards.
The Zips are improving, it, albeit maybe in baby steps at this stage, but those are key steps in building a successful program. They will need to take an even bigger step Saturday to defeat a solid NIU squad.
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