My film watching of Akron consists of rooting for them in the 2d and 3d quarter of their game against Penn State. Otherwise, not much else. From the brief watch it looked like a decent enough defense with a weak to scattershot offense.
This is the second home game with Akron in a 2-for-1 deal. Next year at Infocision Stadium — which I’m kind of looking forward to attending. I think that will be the last 2-for-1 series Pitt has to complete that was leftover from the budgetary constrained Big East era.
Akron is coached by Terry Bowden. The former Auburn coach and son of the legendary Bobby Bowden. Terry Bowden also played at West Virginia so there is extra hateablility.
The Zips were expected to contend this year in the MAC, but the blowout loss to Marshall last week has that kind of projection in doubt. Granted, Marshall was supposed to be good, but the level of the beatdown was surprising.
This is only the third meeting between the two schools. Actually a bit surprising. Akron has yet to score on Pitt. They were shutout 35-0 back in 1998 and 17-0 way back in 1900 (yes, 114 years ago). So the defense should have a goal of keeping that streak alive.
The last time Akron won a non-con road game was in 2008. It was against Army (who also lost to Temple and New Hampshire that year).
So, I’m struggling to come up with reasons to Fear the Roo.
Akron’s main concern — go figure — will be stopping the run. Specifically, James Conner.
The Akron Zips gave up 284 yards rushing to the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday.
It won’t get any easier for the 1-2 Zips on Saturday when they take on the 3-1 Pitt Panthers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.
Running is the Panthers’ bread and butter … their meat and potatoes … and every other cliché you can think of.
There’s a good reason why, too — sophomore back James Conner, who’s already lighting the Panthers’ record book on fire. And considering that some guy named Tony Dorsett played his college ball at Pitt, that’s no small feat.
…
“He’s tied for the lead in the nation in touchdowns,” UA coach Terry Bowden said. “He’s 250 pounds. He can run and they’re going to be a power football team. That’s the biggest storyline there is … an average day for their offense is not a 300-yard passing game, it’s a 300-yard running game.”
Well, yeah.
Akron does have a lot of players with connections to Western PA and one who is connected to Pitt basketball.
He [Jerome Lane] will be at Heinz Field, rooting for Pitt against Akron, where his son, a redshirt freshman, is a backup safety.
“I’m rooting for Pitt, but I hope my son plays great,” he said.
[Jerome] Lane Jr. (6-foot-3 and 212 pounds) chose football as his collegiate path when coaches started calling and he stopped growing.
“I told him, ‘If you ever want to go to the next level, (football) is the best fit for you,’ ” Lane Sr. said.
Lane Sr. said they took an unofficial visit to Pitt and met coach Paul Chryst, but they chose to stay home and go to Akron.
Lane Jr. said he has been impressed by Pitt standouts James Conner and Tyler Boyd and hopes to get a chance to meet them — in a football sense.
“I want a piece of him bad,” Lane Jr. said of Conner. “I love contact. If I get the chance, I’m going to come as hard as I can. I know he’s going to come at me as hard as he can.”
Be careful what you wish for. You are the son of a legend, and no one wants you hurt.
Also on the team is one Chandler Kincade, but he is not likely to see the field. Neither will a certain Tra’von Chapman who is sitting out this year after transferring from Ashland — after being booted from Pitt.
Kind of a weird thread leading up to this game that seems to be more of a prelude to deeper storylines next year.
Well, Jerome Lane Junior… be careful what you wish for.
What exactly is a Zip? Their emblem looks like a donkey. A friend of mine played for Akron in the 80’s, so I guess I’ll have to ask him. Gonna see him tonight & we’re supposed to tailgate with him & some of his former teammates on Saturday. Trying to get a group together to head up to Akron for next years game. Supposed to be a real nice stadium.
link to quakersquareakron.com
It’s an awesomely cool hotel built in the old oat storage silos. The first 4 floors are a hotel and I believe it’s dorms above that.
The original nickname was the ‘Zippers’ named after a rubber shoe popular in the early 1900?s made by the BF Goodrich Company.
With Akron being the rubber capital of the world, it seemed fitting to use a nickname with a local flair.
The name was determined by a campus-wide contest conducted by the college newspaper. Some of the names submitted by the students and alumni included the Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbilies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers.
The winner was Margaret Hamlin who received a prize of $10. (WOW. That’s a lot of money back then.)
When the zipper replaced the button-fly in a common pair of pants, it became apparent that the University should reconsider the nickname.
In 1950, athletic director Kenneth ‘Red’ Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to the ‘Zips’.
In case that leaves you wanting to know more… click below for more on the Zips and Mascot Zippy.
Naaaaahhh
The Zips used to play in the Rubber Bowl which is a classic bowl football stadium that seated about 35k, located right next to where the Soap Box Derby site.
Pitt opens next year at Akeon’s new stadium (about 4 years old) Infocision stadium, a modern looking complex that holds about 40K, right on campus.
I got my MBA there but like Jerome Sr., I’m hoping the team in the blue and gold wins. BTW, when I garduated from there, the FB coach was (ex ND coach) Gerry Faust, and the BB coach was none other than Huggy Bear Huggins, himself.
H2P
The wrestling match between him and Roc might be the most entertaining part of the game. 🙂
I’m assuming they still allow the mascots to feign fighting (wrestling). (might be a big assumption in PC America)
Zippy always reminded me of Hoppy, the Rubbles’s pet.
Although I preferred Dino.
I share your concern about Akron’s passing game, they can move the ball through the air. However, their offense has shown to be one demensional consisting of short passes mainly.
This will be a problem that Coach House will be charged to solve this week in preparation for this game. I would be extremely surprised if our defense was unprepared to deal with this come Saturday.
I envision a series of biltz and/or pressure packages utilizing the safties and or corners to harass their QB and upset the timing of these short route patterns.
Without an effective running attack their passing game could wilt under such pressure. I anticipate at least an interception and a couple sacks from our defense at the minimum.
Until it is proven otherwise, no worry is warranted. This should be a good test for our young defense but I think that they will get a “passing” grade at the end of the day.
I think the Pedo defense is better than ours, but our offense is better. Akron scores some and makes us nervous for most of the first half. I will keep predicting a special teams TD until it happens. 37-19 Pitt.
Thrilled with the 1:30p start. More!
This is a game you absolutely cannot afford to lose and hopefully the kids and the staff realize this. If this team is going to get the 8 or 9 wins we are all hoping for this game is a must win.
Hail to Pitt!!!!
“Todd Graham is a defensive minded coach, I thought…” Then had to bite his tongue…
You can tell he wanted to rip into his slimey ass!!!
I understand your thought processes though, since it is so beneath us to discuss any contest that doesn’t involve a Power 5 opponent, but kind of an elitest attitude, don’t you think?
May I suggest that you review what you write before you post, then reconsider before you punch that submit button, that is if you don’t want to come off as a completely arrogant A-hole. It’s not an attractive look for you.
Let me repeat that. even the Zips of Akron have a somewhat new Campus Stadium.
Who’s their AD ???
They apparently…. are more serious about their football program than we are.
There may be less talk but fans will discuss.
H2PomPoms
Fact is our ACC opponent next week, U of V, beat the Bruins up and down the field in every stat except the final score a few weeks back in LA. H2p
H2P
Though I’m a little too young to remember all this stuff some of it did carry on into the 60’s.
Enjoy !
Comcast out all day yesterday due to ???.
Having said that, you were not there last Saturday for the Iowa debacle. As a former HS wide reciever, albeit a lousy one, my first. And second looks are at Pitt’s pass defense before the snap and during the play. On no less than 8 occasions, 6 in the second half, Pitts and at least 1 safety were unsure of the coverage and had to run ” facemask to facemask” to vet the call. Twice during this chaos, Iowa snapped the ball. One was for a TD where the TE was totally uncovered for an easy Iowa TD.!
The good news is that Akron will not give them the time to re-enact this constant Chinese fire drill….the bad news will come Saturday afternoon.
Should be fun – HTP!
I can hope, right?
Thanks for the Roku info. But, to be clear, isn;t it first necessary to get the ESPN3 on my PC before I get stream it through Roku? I can’t get ESPN3 on my PC because my telecom/DSL provider does not carry it.
H2P
H2P
Last Week against them. Pitt should get close to the same. If they do, Pitt wins easy….if not …get out the scotch..it could be close.
Spy the qb eyes and react accordingly; knock the snot out of the receiver when he crosses in front of the LB so long as it is within 5-6 yards of the line of scrimmage and the pass is not in the air; one or two of those jawbreakers would put the necks of the receivers on a swivel. Is that legal? I never see a team defend that dragging pattern like that so I am thinking it is illegal.
Carpe’ the zips!!
The AD overspent, left the school, and got a promotion of sorts at Penn State.
Cal’s football program defines mediocre, much like ours, but there were able to do this:
Hope we win big tomorrow. From comments posted here we have a subpar passing game and a very subpar pass defense. Hmmmm…
Pohl, the starting Akron quarterback, is a strong passer. Akron was in a no back or one-back spread. Marshall is a team that grew up together and is now seniors. Pohl was not always accurate, not sure if that was him or the Marshall “d.”
Marshall had a Conner-type runner. Akron could not stop him.
Thought they were redshirting Kincade.
H2P today!
I grew up in PITT stadium and very much prefer Heinz. The old Oakland was barren when the stadium was built so it was easy to put something there. Now, If you could tear down the Cathedral of Learning and the Carnegie museum then we’d have a perfect spot for a stadium. Until that happens we’ll never see one in Oakland.
Right now Oakland is the jewel in Pgh’s crown because of the stewardship PITT has had with the re-use of all those beautiful Beaux-Arts bldgs and the great planning of new construction. PITT’s campus is constantly recognized as one of the best and most beautiful in the US and the reason for that is because every square inch is either academic, medical or parkland (which will never be used for any stadium or construction of any sort).
The bottom line is that if PITT wants a new stadium when the Heinz lease runs out years from now – which they absolutely don’t and it is about #103 on the university’s wish list – then they better find land elsewhere to build it ASAP. If PITT owns the land the stadium is built on, wherever that is, then it is part of the school’s campus.
I understand the position you are in. Like the Pitt script artist who was told by Pederson’s Gestapo to stop drawing, Cornhole wants all talk of an on campus stadium stopped.
It detracts from the stellar legacy he believes he is leaving Pitt.
One suburb of Houston is bigger than all of Pittsburgh. The argument “there’s no room” is laughable.
Looks like bb will get off to a rough start with Wright out.
send me an email and I’ll reply with some things for which we would like to get your opinion.
So it’s still pretty lame, but it’s a slight improvement.
PITT stadium like Memorial Stadium at Berkeley, which was also built in the same era and was a concrete bowl, could have and should have been preserved as living history of the great football tradition at PITT. That history is the ONLY thing that makes PITT football slightly relevant.
As we see at university and university across America, nobody in their right mind tears down their campus football stadium. NOBODY….nobody but else that is.
And NOBODY comes back of all the great stars who played at PITT stadium to be bothered with this AD, the man who will forever be known as….
the fool that tore down PITT Stadium.
Same. Old. Pitt.
Jesusfuckingchrist.
Always respect your opponent, play hard for 60 minutes and attempt to dominate the game like you guys did in our home opener. This game can serve as a true confidence builder after letting last week’s game to slip through your fingers.
Hail to Pitt!