College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Akron season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Akron Zips Schedule Analysis
– Akron Zips Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
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2020 Record: 1-5 overall, 1-5 in MAC
Head Coach: Tom Arth, 3rd year, 1-17
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 123
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 129
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 129
Akron Zips College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– The offense needs a whole lot more pop and it has to find one thing it can do consistently well. It worked in the win over a miserable Bowling Green team, and it put up points against Kent State mostly because the Golden Flashes wanted to get their own O back on the field to have more fun, but other than those two games, the Zips couldn’t hit 14 points in four of the other six.
– There’s experience with nine starters expected back, and there are options now to work with. Step One is to find a quarterback who can just get this thing moving. Akron averaged just 281 yards and 17 points per game with a brutally inefficient passing attack.
Second-year freshman Zach Gibson had a few moments throwing for 784 yards and four scores, but he’s not a runner and he threw five picks. Kato Nelson has been around for forever – but didn’t play last year – and DJ Irons comes in from the JUCO ranks to give it a go.
Losing leading receiver Nate Stewart hurts a bit, but he only caught 17 passes for 217 yards and a score. George Quallis is a good-sized 6-2 junior who can stretch the field a bit, and Tony Grimes is a smallish speedster who caught 12 passes – that was good enough to tie for second. Sophomore Michael Mathison led the way with two scoring grabs.
– The offensive line has to be far, far better. It was way too leaky in pass protection, but it should improve in a big way after starting four freshmen and with all five starters expected to return. All the O needs is a little bit of help for the decent backs.
Teon Dollard came in from the JUCO ranks and was a bright spot with 666 yards and six scores, but second-leading rusher and WR Jeremiah Knight is transferring out. On the way is Anthony Williams from Michigan State to instantly be a part of the rotation.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Akron Zips Schedule Analysis