American college football season
The 2023 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season . Led by second-year head coach Joe Moorhead , the Zips played home games at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio .[ 1] [ 2] They finished the season 2–10 and 1–7 in conference play [ 3]
On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish fifth in the East.[ 4]
East Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place) 1 Ohio 63 (9) 2 Miami 52 (2) 3 Buffalo 51 (1) 4 Bowling Green 35 5 Akron 26 6 Kent State 19
West Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place) 1 Toledo 66 (11) 2 Eastern Michigan 55 (1) 3 Northern Illinois 38 4 Central Michigan 37 5 Ball State 27 6 Western Michigan 23
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) Rank Team Votes 1 Toledo 7 2 Ohio 4 3 Buffalo 1
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 2 2:00 p.m. at Temple * ESPN+ L 21–24 12,456 September 9 6:00 p.m. Morgan State * ESPN+ W 24–21 8,213 September 16 7:00 p.m. at Kentucky * ESPNU L 3–35 59,456 September 23 7:30 p.m. at Indiana * BTN L 27–29 4OT 44,968 September 30 12:00 p.m. Buffalo InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH ESPN+ L 10–13 OT 5,490 October 7 3:30 p.m. Northern Illinois InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH ESPN+ L 14–55 8,216 October 14 3:30 p.m. at Central Michigan ESPN+ L 10–1717,886 October 21 2:00 p.m. at Bowling Green ESPN+ L 14–41 10,068 7:30 p.m. Kent State ESPNU W 31–27 8,113 7:30 p.m. at Miami (OH) ESPNU L 0–19 7,233 7:00 p.m. at Eastern Michigan CBSSN L 27–30 2OT 13,664 12:00 p.m. Ohio InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH CBSSN L 14–25 6,152 *Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time
[ 5] [ 6]
Game Three – Akron Zips (1–1) at Kentucky Wildcats (2–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Akron 0 0 3 0 3 Kentucky 7 7 7 14 35
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
Date : Saturday, September 16, 2023Game time : 7:30 p.m. EST Game weather : -Game attendance : 59,456Referee : Lee HedrickTV announcers (ESPNU ) : Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (analyst)
Game information First quarter (10:34) UK – Josh Kattus 6-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:26; Kentucky 7-0 ) Second quarter (0:08) UK – Tayvion Robinson 22-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:31; Kentucky 14-0 ) Third quarter (3:27) AKR – Noah Perez 36-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 5:33; Kentucky 14-3 ) (1:38) UK – Ray Davis 58-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:14; Kentucky 21-3 ) Fourth quarter (13:47) UK – Ray Davis 55-yard run (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:08; Kentucky 28-3 ) (3:04) UK – Demie Sumo-Karngbaye 4-yard run (Alex Raynor kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:03; Kentucky 35-3 )
Statistics AKR UK First downs 16 18 Total yards 66–239 48–450 Rushing yards 25–49 22–135 Passing yards 190 315 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 29–41–0 16–26–1 Time of possession 34:47 25:13
Team Category Player Statistics Akron Passing DJ Irons 23/34, 130 yards Rushing Lorenzo Lingard 7 carries, 30 yards Receiving Jasaiah Gathings 5 receptions, 43 yards Kentucky Passing Devin Leary 16/25, 315 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Ray Davis 7 carries, 72 yards, TD Receiving Ray Davis 3 receptions, 97 yards, TD
Game Eight – Akron Zips (1–6) at Bowling Green Falcons (3–4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Akron 7 0 0 7 14 Bowling Green 3 10 21 7 41
at Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH
Date : Saturday, October 21, 2023Game time : 2:00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: W 7 mph (11 km/h)Game attendance : 10,068Referee : Jeremy ValentineTV announcers (ESPN+ ) : Michael Reghi , Marcus Ray
Game information First quarter (09:58) BGSU – Alan Anaya 36-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:56; Bowling Green 3-0 ) (01:11) AKR – Lorenzo Lingard 13-yard run (Noah Perez kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:40; Akron 7-3 ) Second quarter (12:18) BGSU – Terion Stewart 3-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, :05; Bowling Green 10-7 ) (00:00) BGSU – Alan Anaya 33-yard field goal (Drive: 2 plays, 0 yards, :10; Bowling Green 13-7 ) Third quarter (05:02) BGSU – Terion Stewart 16-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:34; Bowling Green 20-7 ) (03:20) BGSU – Terion Stewart 2-yard run (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:32; Bowling Green 27-7 ) (00:28) BGSU – Harold Fannin Jr. 8-yard pass from Connor Bazelak (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 3 plays,36 yards, 1:01; Bowling Green 34-7 ) Fourth quarter (07:58) BGSU – Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim 8-yard pass from Camden Orth (Alan Anaya kick) (Drive: 7 plays,35 yards, 5:04; Bowling Green 41-7 ) (03:02) AKR – Drake Anderson 4-yard run (Noah Perez kick) (Drive: 11 plays,75 yards, 4:56; Bowling Green 41-14 )
Statistics Akron Bowling Green First downs 18 15 Plays–yards 279 297 Rushes–yards 28–45 42–214 Passing yards 234 83 Passing: comp –att –int 22–39–2 8-14-0 Time of possession 29:56 30:04
Team Category Player Statistics Akron Passing Jeff Undercuffler 22/39, 234 yards, 2 INTS Rushing Lorenzo Lingard 12 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD Receiving Daniel George 7 receptions, 74 yards Bowling Green Passing Connor Bazelak 6/11, 69 yards, 1 TD Rushing Terion Stewart 19 carries, 131 yards, 3 TDS Receiving Harold Fannin Jr. 2 receptions, 34 yards, 1 TD
Game Nine – Akron Zips (1–7) vs Kent State Golden Flashes (1–7) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Kent State 6 14 7 0 27 Akron 7 3 0 21 31
at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH
Date : Wednesday, November 11, 2023Game time : 7:30 p.m. EST Game attendance : 8,113Referee : -TV announcers (ESPNU ) : -
Game information First quarter (6:21) KENT – Tommy Ulatowski 5-yard run (Andrew Glass kick failed) (Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 2:14; Kent State 6-0 ) (1:48) AKR - Daniel George 14-yard pass from Jeff Undercuffler Jr. (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:26, Akron 7-6 ) Second quarter (9:36) KENT – Crishon McCray 36-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:19; Kent State 13-7 ) (6:50) AKR - Owen Wiley 2-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:39; Kent State 13-10 ) (0:38) KENT – Luke Floriea 19-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:04; Kent State 20-7 ) Third quarter (0:38) KENT – Crishon McCray 27-yard pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Andrew Glass kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 1:25; Kent State 27-7 ) Fourth quarter (9:12) AKR - Jasaiah Gathings 22-yard pass from Jeff Undercuffler Jr. (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 16 plays, 87 yards, 6:32, Kent State 27-17 ) (3:32) AKR - Lorenzo Lingard 37-yard run (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:29, Kent State 27-24 ) (0:26) AKR - JJeff Undercuffler Jr. 5-yard run (Owen Wiley kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 2:43, Akron 31-27 )
Statistics AKR KENT First downs 22 16 Total yards 393 346 Rushing yards 95 117 Passing yards 298 229 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–39–0 15–23–0 Time of possession 29:52 30:08
Team Category Player Statistics Akron Passing Jeff Undercuffler Jr. 23/39, 298 yards, 2 TD Rushing Lorenzo Lingard 22 carries, 106 yards, TD Receiving Daniel George 9 receptions, 104 yards, TD Kent State Passing Tommy Ulatowski 15/23, 229 yards, 3 TD Rushing Jaylen Thomas 14 carries, 36 yards Receiving Crishon McCray 6 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD
The Zips were named 2023 National Chumpions by The College Football Pillow Fighters for being the worst team in College Football during the 2023-24 season.[ 7]
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