The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov

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Akron Zips 2015-2016 Media Guide

Table of Contents
- Meet the Team [Depth Chart]
- Schedule
- Look at our rivalries
- Look at the MAC

Schedule Part 1

The Akron Zips have an exciting 2015-2016 campaign ahead of themselves as they gear towards the next season. Featuring the new expanding nine game conference schedule, the Zips are primed for their upcoming season, yet what do experts say about their season and what do the coaching staff feel about their opponents?

@ #7 Ohio State Buckeyes
Akron +27.5
Kozlov's Take: Ohio State didn't quite like how we played them last year. We plan to play them with the same intensity this year and try to pull out the victory. This is the toughest team on our schedule, they were right in the mix for the national championship, it's our time to show what we stand for and pull out a good victory.


vs Connecticut Huskies
Akron +10
Kozlov's Take: Connecticut will be an interesting match up for us but I feel like we compete really well with them. I don't predict it to be as much of a blowout as pundits are claiming it to be, this is a winnable game, we have to go out there and take this one. I'd like to see how our speed matches up with them.


vs Marshall Thundering Herd
Akron +13
Kozlov's Take: A lot of projections are over hyping this squad, I feel this one is a statement victory for us. Marshall is without their top player Rakeem Cato, who graduated and is out playing for the Carolina Panthers. We need to pick this one up. They are in a new conference and they want to make their own statement, it's time for us to make ours.


Western Michigan Broncos
Akron -3.5
Kozlov's Take:Western Michigan comes to Akron in the first MAC game of the season. The Broncos are returning a decent squad and sit right around the middle of the pack in the MAC, they could be a bit of the force out in the West, but that's largely due to Northern being gone. As a rule of thumb, I'd like to take the first game of the MAC schedule annually, and this is as good as any for us to win.


@ Indiana Hoosiers
Akron +7
Kozlov's Take: The Hoosiers dropped down from B1G, they have a roster built for the B1G and while they obviously weren't in good shape in terms of standings. They are some of our biggest competition this season. We have to stop their running back, he was an All-B1G second teamer, he is a serious talent and we need to stop him if we are going to win.

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Akron Zips 2015-2016 Media Guide

Table of Contents
- Meet the Team [Depth Chart]
- Schedule
- Look at our rivalries
- Look at the MAC

Schedule Part 2


Eastern Michigan Eagles
Akron -5.5
Coach Kozlov's Take: Eastern Michigan put up a good fight last year but fell short of a bowl, I expect them to come out fighting for that bowl birth as are we. This game will be close, they are a good team and excel offensively. We will have to have our defense step up and make their stops to key the victory. Their passing attack will determine who wins, Dustin Creel is a good talent, him and Jones make up a pretty good combo, the question is if their quarterback [Reginald Ball Jr.] can get the ball to them. A scrambling quarterback on a team without a halfback is a fish out of water.

The Zips get two weeks off before they get their next matchup against the Toledo Rockets.


Toledo Rockets
Akron Zips +3
Coach Kozlov's Take This isn't the team from a year ago, the loss stung, but that team was a lot less talented than this one, we're better too and I do expect us to take this one. The game will be decided on if we can shut down Alonzo Russell, he is a huge talent for them and their quarterback isn't a slouch either. This team will live and die by that tandem, outside of them, they have a solid defense and a weak offense surrounding their two stars.


@ Miami [OH] Redhawks
Akron Zips -7
Coach Kozlov's Take The Redhawks managed to make a run in the MAC last season but even after posting a terrific MAC record they weren't bowl eligible. This team doesn't seem to have improved which raises more questions as to how this team can perform to the 5-7 record they had finished wiht a year ago. The Redhawks will likely drop an extra game or two, and without much talent on either end, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise. The main player to watch is Spencer Treadwell. Andrew Johnson is a solid corner and we will have trouble tossing against him, it will be interesting to see how he does against our wide outs.


Ohio Bobcats
Akron +7
Coach Kozlov's Take The Bobcats are probably one of the best teams in the MAC this season with quite a few good talents scattered throughout the top of their ranks. Their ground game will be phenomenal with Daz'mond Patterson in the back, their passing game will be kind of average but their ground game will definitely keep things interesting and when teams focus on the run, it opens up the pass. I could see this being a very big matchup in terms of MAC positioning.


Buffalo Bulls
Akron -10
Coach Kozlov's Take Major case of good quarterback but no one to throw to in Buffalo. Joe Licata is pretty underrated as they came in terms of talent, but he will be held back the Bulls lack of offensive fire power. Buffalo has an odd assortment of talent, and their offensive is stronger on the run. Their defense is poor however and we shouldn't have any trouble taking this one. Our offense will be too good.


Kent State Golden Flash
Akron Zips -3
Coach Kozlov's Take Smart to pick us over our rivals and as we conclude our Ohio heavy part of the schedule, we will give it our all to continue our streak against Kent State, the big thing will be spreading out the defense and elmiinating their strength at the defensive tackles. Connor Reardon is a pretty good quarterback too, but our defense can isolate him and take care of him if we just play smart football.


Bowling Green State Falcons
Akron Zips +10
Coach Kozlov's Take This offense is terrifying. I won't sugar coat it, their defense is on par to above average in the MAC, but this offensive unit is tremendous. Greene in the backfield, Johnson tossing up passes and all of their wideouts being at the level they are.. it won't be easy. This will be our biggest test of the season and it will likely determine if we are playing in Detroit come post season time. We need to bring our A game, our defense needs to step up and our offense cannot be slowed down by their defense if we are to take this one. We can win this game, it just won't be an easy one.

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Akron Zips 2015-2016 Media Guide

Table of Contents
- Meet the Team [Depth Chart]
- Schedule
- Look at our rivalries
- Look at the MAC

Look at our rivalries

Major



Blue and Gold Wagon Wheel
Historic Head to Head: 32-24-2 (Akron)
Last Result: AKR 23-20

This historic rivalry traces it's birth to the 1920's when the college programs located just ten miles apart started playing eachother, the first ever game a 32-0 rout by the Akron Zips started out the series on a positive note for the program. Despite their close distance, the difficulty of scheduling when the teams played in different conferences proved to be quite difficult. The game was played off and on from the 20's through the 90's, with the Wagon Wheel trophy first being introduced for the game in 1946. The Zips claimed the first 11 historic matchups before allowing Kent State to take the next 11, over the span of about thirty years. Following up with a tie between the schools, this series has been a tale of one sided affairs as one school has gone on to dominate the series historically for extended periods of time.

In the modern era, the series has been significantly more back and fourth. Aided by the struggling of both programs which has kept both schools relatively close to eachother in terms of talent. The game last year was just another close game in a series defined by close games and back and forth affairs.

Minor Rivalries

Ohio State Buckeyes
All Time Record: 1-8-0 Ohio State
Last Result: OSU 21-45

This rivalry proves to be more of a minor rivalry and a game that the Zips build up for themselves. The schools agreed to an annual game for this season and next season. Last year, tempers flared as the Zips fought until the final minute and added on a late touchdown against the Buckeyes second stringers that drew boos from the stadium and nearly cleared the benches in Columbus.

Ohio State claims this season series and it's highly unlikely that it will change any time soon as the Buckeyes are simply better funded, in a better position and have history behind them. In fact, you'd have to go back to the 1890's to see the last time Akron has a victory against their program. That's a fact that the Zips would love to change but as it stands, this rivalry is a simple ember until the Zips can prove to compete with the Buckeyes.

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Akron Zips 2015-2016 Media Guide

Table of Contents
- Meet the Team [Depth Chart]
- Schedule
- Look at our rivalries
- Look at the MAC



What to watch for in the MAC

The Mid-American Conference is without it's reigning champions and winners of the past few conference titles with the exclusion of a single year in the Northern Illinois Huskies. The Huskies football program has absolutely dominated this conference the past few years and they've moved onto greener pastures. Following them was Massachusetts who sought a better geographical fit in the American Conference.

The Massachusetts loss doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the Northern Illinois loss. The gain of Indiana is a consolation prize to add a solid contender at the top of the conference by eliminating a B1G bottom feeder so that they could add the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This gives some excitement for the upcoming season as there is a new program and the conference fluctuated somewhat.

MAC Contenders have a few marquee matchups this season outside of the conference, it does appear that Bowling Green and Indiana are poised to collide in Detroit for the conference championship. Without a match up during the season, that would be the only way the two teams meet this season.

Looking at Bowling Green's schedule, they take on #25 Georgia Tech and #4 Wisconsin, both in enemy territory. Those two games are big for the Bowling Green Falcons who appear to boast one of the better offenses in all of the NCAA and would love to prove that feat by taking on elite talent. Even one upset would put a lot of eyes on the MAC and set this conference up towards success.

Indiana took the lighter approach by scheduling unranked major conference squads, taking on Boston College at home early in the season and traveling to Missouri towards the end of the season for their marquee matchups. Indiana is a more 'all-around' squad than Bowling Green, but Bowling Green features significantly higher offensive upside.

In terms of players to watch for, look no further than Travis Greene. Greene is the star halfback for the Bowling Green State Falcons and this kid is among the best in all of college football. His ground attack will be a part of their squad that the Falcons will live and die by, and don't be surprised to see them rely on him heavily this season. He is a NFL Talent and will be expected to perform as one.

Joining him is quarterback, Matt Johnson. Johnson who sat last year for unexplained reasons, returns this year to lead the Falcons offense and he is a late round NFL talent as well. Johnson and Greene form one of the more dangerous combinations in the NCAA and his plethora of receivers will only further help this Bowling Green offense, their biggest question marks lie solely on the defense.

On Ball State, their star player is Jordan Williams, Williams is a fast receiver with good hands and ability to go up and come down the ball. He has a pretty good quarterback tossing him the ball as well and since he is far and away the best wide out on the Cardinals, expect a lot of passes to go his way this season.

Halfback Tevin Coleman comes on looking to contest Travis Greene as the best halfback in the MAC, Coleman benefits from running behind tackles, Pat Eckert and Jason Spriggs, both are your prototypical tackles that possess B1G level talent. Coleman might have the advantage over Greene for that reason, his offensive line is significantly better. Unlike Bowling Green however, the passing game for the Hoosiers isn't close to par with their ground attack and could spell some defeats for them.

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NCAA Season Preview

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@ #7

W2W4: Expect a blowout for the Ohio State Buckeyes in this contest, the Zips bring a sparky young squad to Columbus and while their coach talks a good game, the team isn't quite ready to back him up just yet. Ezekiel Elliot is the stud in the backfield, expect him to carve out this defense early and often as the Buckeyes look to set the tone against an opponent they felt disrespected them last season.

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Braxton Miller nearly perfect in return to gridiron

The field was loud, the crowd ecstatic, the game was electric. The Akron Zips were set to face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in a game that has more hype for the reported disdain between the programs after last season's fiasco. The atmosphere was almost that of a small rivalry game for the Buckeyes who packed the stadium to see their squad for the first time of the 2015 season, and for those that came, they were treated.

The Buckeyes defense was on point, Phil Steele had this defensive unit as the best in the B1G and made a strong argument for them to being the best in the country. They did absolutely nothing to be an anti-thesis to that statement by holding the Akron Zips to 10 points, all of which were scored in the first half. They also held the Akron Zips to under fifty yards rushing in this one, on top of the four turnovers and making Kyle Pohl see his completion percentage plummet to the wrong side of 50%.

On the other side, Braxton Miller was electric in his return. He made questionable plays in the first half but his team was still out front due to an opportunistic defense, it was truly in the second half when the team oddly opted to pass more as they held the lead in order to watch their lead grow. Braxton proved to be dominant, throwing only three incompletions the entire game.

"I'd argue that this performance constitutes him some consideration for the Heisman. He embodied the trophy in his performance today, he single handedly dismantled our defense." Spoke Tyler Kozlov who had high praise for the Buckeyes quarterback, little else Kozlov said was positive.

It likely had to do with the Buckeyes running up the score in the fourth quarter by passing when the game was already well out of reach to get an extra set of scores that irked the coach, but this year he stayed quiet. His team got beat badly, and there wasn't much to say. The Ohio State Buckeyes proved for the second consecutive year that they are the better team. Not to anyone's surprise of course.

This one didn't always seem to be the rout that the Buckeyes expected it to be, the Ohio State offense struggled early against an oddly stout Akron defense that likely tired itself out in the first half which opened up the second half for them to be systematically dismantled. The Zips actually were a turnover away from a tied game going into the half.

The teams first possessions were punts, with the Buckeyes getting on the board after a pair of Braxton Miller scrambles took them down the field at a blistering rate, with Miller tucking it and running the nine yards for the score to open up the game at 7-3. The Zips managed to drive the ball downfield largely due to a long completion from Kyle Pohl to Jeff Parker of 44 yards. They wouldn't be able to do much in the redzone as the ground game struggled all day.

Early in the second after a quick three and out, the Zips were back on offense and Kyle Pohl was bull rushed by three Buckeyes, defensive end Joey Bosa scooped up the loose ball on the sack and brought it back eight yards for the touchdown. The next Ohio State drive would stall in the Zips red zone and Ohio State would settle with the field goal making it a 3-16 game due to a missed field goal.


The offense for the Zips clicked on the next drive as Kyle Pohl hooked up with freshman tight end Erik Greene on a pair of receptions that quickly led them upfield, on a third down, Kyle Pohl rolled out to the right side and found Zach D'Orazio open in the flat, throwing the ball off his back foot, the senior reeled it in and turned up field, charging into a sea of red and forcing his way into the end zone, a 10-16 game that would slip into the half looking like this one would be close.

Yet, the Buckeyes would run away with it in the second half.

Ohio State would force two Kyle Pohl interceptions, sack him twice and force him to go just 5-20 in the half as they closed out the game comfortably behind a tremendous showing from the defense and Braxton Miller. Braxton would throw all three of his touchdown passes in the last half, including two long passes of 32 and 62 yards to Dontre Wilson that split this game wide open.

In the end, the Zips proved they were what everyone expected them to be, a middle of the road at best mid major, while the Buckeyes showed that for yet another year under Urban Meyer, this team means business and they won't yield until they hoist another crystal football.

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Week 1 Recap

Football is finally back and what a first week it was. Routs, upsets, and close games got us right back into the swing of things for the College football season. Naturally everyone loves upsets and their was quite a big one this week. UCLA who was coming off a loss in the national championship game makes their losing streak two by getting run out of Virginia by the Cavaliers in a 27-47 score that quickly ends the hangover from last year. The Bruins can't take stock in last years team anymore, it's time for them to get their act together and if they hope to return, they will need to do so by running the table the rest of the way. This loss hurt them bad, and it was shown by their huge drop in the polls that saw them fall fourteen spots.

In an opening week, SEC opener, the Georgia Bulldogs stole one from Ole Miss with Todd Gurley leading the way from the backfield. Ole Miss is going to reel a little from this one as this early season set back knocks them down the polls and already has them down a peg in conference play just a week into the season. It's a tough loss for them early on but their season is definitely still not quite one to be calling lost just yet.

Florida opened up the swamp for the 2015 season by bringing the Idaho Vandals to town and they impressed some by shutting down the Mountain West squad, allowing just a field goal early in the fourth quarter. "Can't get ahead of ourselves, but when our defense plays like this, we are at our best." Spoke head coach Will Muschamp.

The upset alert was on in Nebraska as the Cornhuskers stopped a Florida Atlantic two point conversion after they tossed an interception that was brought back for the score. The Huskers were able to run down the clock and escape with a 21-19 victory over the unranked Owls. This one would've been even more disastrous than the Bruins loss to Virginia. Oddly enough, eking out a victory against Florida Atlantic jumped the Huskers two spots.

Mississippi State opened up conference play in the SEC with a 31-28 victory over the Gamebirds. Steve Spurrier's squad was in position late to steal the victory but an interception would save the game as they would kill the clock to the roar of their home crowd. The Gamebirds fall from the polls with the loss.

Some big signings in the recruiting races as the Tide land Austin Chapman from Aldine, Texas. The Athlete will join the Tide roster which continues to churn in tremendous recruiting classes year in and out. The first name on what promises to be a list of many.

Benjamin Davidson stuns all as he decides to leave his region and head to the Cornhuskers, in a move that many cannot explain, the athlete will join the ranks of the B1G as a Husker. This recruiting class features two 5* tight ends, Alexander Frazer stays home to become a Gator.