Tag: Akron Zips

Joe Moorhead adding another Penn State transfer at Akron

Former Penn State wide receiver is reuniting with a former coach in the MAC out of the transfer portal

For the second time this week, former Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Moorhead[/autotag] has successfully added a former Nittnay Lion to his roster at Akron. Moorhead, now the head coach at Akron, is working the transfer portal to tap into some Penn State connections. The latest to make his way from Happy Valley to Akron is wide receiver [autotag]Daniel George[/autotag].

George announced his commitment to the Zips with a message posted on his Twitter account on Thursday with the message “Different location, Same conversation.” The message referred to George’s connection to the former Penn State coordinator. Moorhead was a key part of the coaching staff when George initially joined the Penn State program, even though it would not be long before Moorhead left to become the head coach at Mississippi State (and then the offensive coordinator at Orgeon before taking the Akron job).

George, a former four-star recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2018, did spend four seasons with Penn State but will have two years of eligibility at his disposal, should he choose to use them both. George has a redshirt season and the extra year of eligibility granted to every student-athlete impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. George caught 18 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown during his time at Penn State, largely in a backup receiver role.

George’s commitment to Akron comes in the same week Akron received a commitment from former Penn State offensive lineman Anthony Whigan.

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Joe Moorhead adds Penn State transfer lineman to his Akron roster

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead adding a Nittany Lions transfer lineman

Former Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Moorhead[/autotag] is busy trying to find a way to turn Akron football around in the MAC. With the Zips needing a lot of bodies in key positions on the roster to add depth, Moorhead is bringing in a transfer from Penn State to add to the offensive line. [autotag]Anthony Whigan[/autotag], who entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier in the year, has committed to joining the Akron football program for the 2022 season.

Whigan confirmed his commitment decision out of the transfer decision with a post on his Twitter account this week. Whigan was seen wearing his new Akron uniform and said he is “100% committed.”

Whigan was one of the many players to make their way to Penn State as a transfer from Lackawanna Community College. Following two seasons with the junior college program, Whigan transferred to Penn State in 2018 and appeared in two games as a junior. He appeared in all nine games for the Nittnay Lions in 2020, all on special teams.

After not appearing on the updated roster provided by Penn State earlier in January, it was apparent Whigan would be moving on to a new program through the transfer portal.

Whigan will have three seasons of eligibility remaining with the Zips. He will have just the one final season of eligibility with Akron.

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Akron vs UCLA NCAA Tournament First Round odds, tips and betting trends

The No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins (26-7) are heavily favored (-13.5) to beat the No. 13 seed Akron Zips (24-9) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Moda Center. The matchup tips off at 9:50 PM. Here are some insights about this East …

The No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins (26-7) are heavily favored (-13.5) to beat the No. 13 seed Akron Zips (24-9) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Moda Center. The matchup tips off at 9:50 PM. Here are some insights about this East Regional Region contest for those filling out their brackets.

Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

UCLA has an 18-14-1 record against the spread so far this season compared to Akron, who is 17-14-0 ATS. The Bruins have hit the over in 17 games, while Zips games have gone over 14 times. The two teams average 145.3 points per game, 16.8 more points than this matchup’s total. UCLA has a 7-3-0 record against the spread while going 7-3 overall over the past 10 games. Akron has gone 7-3-0 against the spread and 8-2 overall in its last 10 contests.

Ahead of this matchup, here’s everything you need to prepare for Thursday’s college basketball action.

Akron at UCLA odds, spread and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list.

  • Spread: UCLA -13.5
  • Total: 128.5
  • Moneyline: UCLA -1379, Akron +800

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Akron at UCLA odds, spread, & more

Prediction

UCLA 74, Akron 61

Moneyline

  • The Bruins have won 25 of the 29 games they were favored on the moneyline this season (86.2%).
  • UCLA has won all seven games it has played as a moneyline favorite with odds of -1379 or shorter.
  • The implied moneyline probability in this matchup gives the Bruins a 93.2% chance to win.
  • The Zips have entered the game as underdogs 11 times this season and won eight, or 72.7%, of those games.
  • Akron has not won as an underdog of +800 or more on the moneyline this season in two such games.
  • The implied probability of a win by the Zips based on the moneyline is 11.1%.

Against the spread

  • The 74.1 points per game the Bruins record are 11.3 more points than the Zips give up (62.8).
  • UCLA has a 16-12-1 record against the spread and a 22-6 record overall when scoring more than 62.8 points.
  • Akron has an 11-13 record against the spread and an 18-8 record overall when allowing fewer than 74.1 points.
  • The Zips’ 71.2 points per game are 8.4 more points than the 62.8 the Bruins give up to opponents.
  • When it scores more than 62.8 points, Akron is 14-7 against the spread and 18-5 overall.
  • UCLA’s record is 15-7-1 against the spread and 21-2 overall when it gives up fewer than 71.2 points.
  • The Bruins have totaled 372 more points than their opponents this season (11.3 per game on average), and the Zips have scored 276 more points than their opponents (8.4 per game).

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Over/Under

  • The Bruins have an average implied point total of 75.3 this season, which is 4.3 points higher than their implied total in Thursday’s game (71).
  • This season, UCLA has scored more than 71 points in 23 games.
  • The 71.7-point average implied total on the season for the Zips is 13.7 more points than the team’s 58-point implied total in this matchup.
  • This season, Akron has put up more than 58 points in 25 games.

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4 Kent State players suspended for MAC Championship after posting anti-Akron rap

One of the wildest stories from Championship Weekend in the college hoops world.

The No. 2-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes may be the nominal favorite against the four-seeded Akron Zips in Saturday’s Mid-American Conference Championship, but they’ll have to play for a spot in March Madness while shorthanded.

Four Golden Flashes players have been suspended for the contest in the aftermath of a video posted to Snapchat after a win over Ohio in the semifinals on Friday night. In the video, the players are seen singing a rap song that featured anti-Akron lyrics, including the phrase “[expletive] Akron.”

Among the players suspended is starting guard Malique Jacobs, who will sit out the first half alongside reserves Cli’Ron Hornbeak and Julius Rollins. Forward D.J. Johnson, meanwhile, has been suspended indefinitely for the incident.

Here’s what MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement.

I’m disappointed this occurred. This does not represent the values of Kent State or the Mid-American Conference. However, I commend the leadership of Kent State for being proactive in addressing this matter and collaborating with my office to bring this situation to resolution.

There is certainly a rich rivalry history between the two schools, whose campuses are situated just 10 miles apart from one another. There’s also a lot on the line with the league’s auto-bid up for grabs on Saturday night.

The Zips are coming off a win over top-seeded Toledo in the semifinals and are searching for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013, while the limited Flashes will look to return to the big dance for the first time since 2017.

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Former Penn State QB could be joining Joe Moorhead at Akron

A former Penn State quarterback could be continuing his coaching career with Joe Moorhead at Akron

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is busy putting together his coaching staff for the Akron Zips, and a former Penn State player could be among those joining the staff. According to Yahoo’s Pete Thamel, via Twitter, Billy Fessler could join Moorhead’s coaching staff as a quarterbacks coach.

Fessler is currently a graduate assistant at Ohio State. Fessler is an offensive assistant for the Buckeyes and has plenty of experience with Moorhead already. Fessler was on the Penn State roster during Moorhead’s time at Penn State as an offensive coordinator.

When Moorhead left Penn State to become the head coach at Mississippi State, Fessler joined him as a graduate assistant in 2019. Fessler was a graduate assistant at Slippery Rock prior to that, working with the Division 2 powerhouse program in western Pennsylvania.

Fessler played quarterback at Penn State from 2014 through 2018, entirely as a backup reserve option. Fessler also played on special teams as the team’s primary holder for field goals and extra points.

Moorhead accepted the position of head coach at Akron after Oregon fell short in the Pac-12 championship game last week. Moorhead had been Oregon’s offensive coordinator after being removed as head coach by Mississippi State. Moorhead left Oregon before Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal left the program for an opportunity to return to Miami as the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. Miami removed Manny Diaz as head coach to pave the way for Cristobal.

At Penn State, the Nittany Lions could be about to lose its second co-defensive coordinator. Anthony Poindexter, who had been believed to be the top in-house option to carry on the role of defensive coordinator, has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate to be the next head coach at Virginia. Brent Pry, Penn State’s defensive coordinator, accepted an offer to become the head coach at Virginia Tech.

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Ducks’ OC Joe Moorhead hired as head coach of Akron Zips

Joe Moorhead is returning to the Akron Zips, this time as the head coach. Moorhead was an assistant at Akron from 2004-2008.

Even before the report of its potential came out on Sunday night, Oregon Duck fans knew that offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead was likely going to move on from Eugene this offseason.

Now, Moorhead has reportedly been hired as the new head coach of the Akron Zips, returning to a school where he coached as an assistant from 2004-2008.

The initial report surfaced on Sunday night, coming from Yahoo’s Pete Thamel. It was announced on Sunday morning that Moorhead was hired, though, following Oregon’s 38-10 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 title game.

 

It will be tough for Oregon to replace Moorhead going forward, who is thought of as one of the top offensive minds in college football. The Ducks averaged 33.2 points per game this regular season and ranked No. 3 nationally in 3rd down conversion rate.

Despite the loss of Moorhead, this is nothing new for Cristobal, who is now tasked with finding another new coordinator. Three of Cristobal’s four offensive and defensive coordinator hires have now gone on to become head coaches at new schools, with DC Tim DeRuyter being the lone one still standing, now completing his first season with the team.

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Former Penn State OC Joe Moorhead about to Zip his way to the MAC

Joe Moorhead will reportedly be introduced as the new head coach of the Akron Zips.

Conference championship weekend in college football got underway Friday night with the Conference USA and Pac-12 championship games. And with conference championship weekend upon us, a few assistant coaches and coordinators could be coaching their final games with their respective programs before heading to new opportunities. One of those coaches is Oregon offensive coordinator, and former Penn State offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead.

Moorhead may have coached his final game calling the offense for the Oregon Ducks on Friday night, a disappointing 38-10 loss to Utah just a few weeks after Oregon’s offense had no answers for the same Utah defense. As previously reported, Moorhead was being projected as the leading candidate to become the new head coach of the Akron Zips. And on Saturday morning, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo, a formal announcement from Akropn on the hiring of Moorhead as head coach could come as early as today.

This would be Moorhead’s second head coaching job at the FBS level, as he is now a couple of years removed from his short run as head coach at Mississippi State. Moorhead was also a head coach at Fordham before James Franklin hired him to be Penn State’s offensive coordinator in 2016.

Moorhead has previous experience with the Akron program. The Pittsburgh native was a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for Akron in 2004 and added the role of passing game coordinator the following season. Moorhead served as Akron’s offensive coordinator from 2006 through 2008 before joining Randy Edsall at UConn in 2009.

Moorhead will be replacing Tom Arth, who lasted just three seasons as the head coach at Akron. Arth came to Akron from Chattanooga and went just 3-24 in his three seasons as the head coach (Akron fired Arth before the end of the 2021 season).

As Moorhead becomes the head coach at Akron, we will have to pay close attention to what coaches he has on his radar to add to his coaching staff. It could potentially include some assistants with previous or current Penn State ties. Moorhead did take a couple of assistants with him to Mississippi State a few years ago, but time will tell if anyone leaves Penn State for a chance to move up in position with the Akron staff.

In the meantime, Penn State is still looking to fill the vacancy at defensive coordinator after Brent Pry left the program to become a head coach at Virginia Tech.

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Former Penn State OC Joe Moorhead in mix for head coaching vacancy

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead expected to be named Akron head coach

The coaching carousel is already spinning wildly over the couple of days, as expected this time of the year. USC made the biggest splash in the coaching pool this offseason by luring Lincoln Riley away from SEC-bound Oklahoma, and the Florida Gators made a sensible hire with Billy Napier from Louisiana. The coaching carousel will continue to spin in the coming days and perhaps weeks, and former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead could be returning to a head coaching vacancy very soon.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Moorhead has emerged as a leading candidate to take on the head coaching job at Akron. According to the report from Thamel, a contract could be announced as soon as Monday.

Moorhead has the head coaching experience that would be beneficial for a program like Akron, and Moorhead has ties to the program already. Moorhead was a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for the Zips in 2004 and he added the role of passing game coordinator to his name in 2005. Moorhead was upgraded to offensive coordinator at Akron in 2006 and held that title for three seasons before moving to UConn for the same role in 2009.

Moorhead went on to become the head coach at Fordham in 2012 after three years at UConn. And after four successful seasons as head coach of the Rams, Moorhead came to Penn State to revitalize the offense of the Nittany Lions for head coach James Franklin.

Moorhead left Penn State for an opportunity to be a head coach at Mississippi State, where he replaced Dan Mullen after Mullen left to coach at Florida (Mullen was removed as head coach this season). Moorhead lasted just two seasons with the Mississippi State program, and he returned to the role of offensive coordinator with the Oregon Ducks in 2020.

Moorhead and Oregon are preparing this week for the Pac-12 Championship Game, a revenge opportunity against a Utah team that humbled them in recent weeks.

Moorhead’s successor at Penn State in the role of offensive coordinator, Ricky Rahne, is coming off his first season as head coach at Old Dominion and is hoping his team gets a chance to play in a bowl game.

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WATCH: Ohio State basketball escapes with a win at the buzzer over Akron

Watch Zed Key snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a buzzer-beater over Akron. #GoBucks

Well, the season opener for Ohio State may not have gone the way Buckeye fans were expecting, but it was nonetheless a win and an exciting finish.

After leading by eight at the half, Ohio State let Akron claw its way back into the game. The Zips, who are expected to be in the upper tier of the MAC this year, took the lead with just six seconds left on a rare four-point play. Akron’s Ali Ali hit a three, drew the foul on E.J. Liddell, and finished the and one, to give the Zips a one-point lead.

After getting the ball to half court and calling another time-out to set up a play with a little over three seconds on the clock, freshman Malaki Branham found Zed Key for the lay-in as time was expiring. Check out the exciting finish below.

What a finish! Clearly, Ohio State has some work to do, but credit Chris Holtmann and his Buckeye squad for fighting to the end and finding a way to get the victory.

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No. 17 Ohio State avoids home upset against Akron with buzzer beater

Nearly November madness!!!

The 2021-22 men’s college basketball season is less than a day old and we’ve already had an absolute banger of an ending.

The No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes tipped off their season against the unranked Akron Zips on Tuesday in a game that should have been a breeze for one of the best teams in the country. Instead, however, the game was a close affair, with Ohio State leading Akron by three in the final 10 seconds of the game. With the Zips hopes down to one final shot, Ali Ali threw up a beautiful three-point attempt that landed to tie the game.

Not only that, there was a foul on the play too, which meant Akron took the lead 66-65 on a four-point swing in the dying seconds of the game and was poised for the upset.

Not so fast, however, as Ohio State was able to retake the lead 67-66 at the buzzer on an incredible tip in after threading through the Akron defense.

What a wild turn of events! And what heartbreak for Akron to have victory nearly assured but were unable to stop Ohio State’s offense on one last attack.

Here’s how Ohio State radio called Zed Key’s game-winning layup that helped the Buckeyes avoid disaster in November.

This is March… I mean, November!

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