2023 Akron Zips football team

2023 Akron Zips football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	2–10 (1–7 MAC)
Head coach	Joe Moorhead (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Billy Fessler (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple up-tempo
Defensive coordinator	Tim Tibesar (2nd season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–2–5
Home stadium	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field
Seasons ←  2022 2024  →

2023 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Miami (OH) xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Ohio		6	–	2					10	–	3
Bowling Green		5	–	3					7	–	6
Buffalo		3	–	5					3	–	9
Akron		1	–	7					2	–	10
Kent State		0	–	8					1	–	11
West Division
Toledo xy		8	–	0					11	–	3
Northern Illinois		5	–	3					7	–	6
Eastern Michigan		4	–	4					6	–	7
Central Michigan		3	–	5					5	–	7
Ball State		3	–	5					4	–	8
Western Michigan		3	–	5					4	–	8
Championship: Miami (OH) 23, Toledo 14
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

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] The Akron Zips football team drew an average home attendance of 7,237 in 2023. ^[4]

Preseason

Preseason polls

Coaches Poll

On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish fifth in the East. ^[5]

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

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	2:00 p.m.	at Temple *	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPN+	L 21–24	12,456
September 9	6:00 p.m.	Morgan State *	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH	ESPN+	W 24–21	8,213
September 16	7:00 p.m.	at Kentucky *	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	ESPNU	L 3–35	59,456
September 23	7:30 p.m.	at Indiana *	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	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	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	ESPN+	L 10–17	17,886
October 21	2:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN+	L 14–41	10,068
November 1	7:30 p.m.	Kent State	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel)	ESPNU	W 31–27	8,113
November 8	7:30 p.m.	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPNU	L 0–19	7,233
November 14	7:00 p.m.	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	CBSSN	L 27–30 2OT	13,664
November 24	12:00 p.m.	Ohio	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field Akron, OH	CBSSN	L 14–25	6,152
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^{[6] [7]}

Game summaries

at Kentucky

See also: 2023 Kentucky Wildcats football team

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, 2023
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: -
• Game attendance: 59,456
• Referee: Lee Hedrick
• TV 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

at Bowling Green

See also: 2023 Bowling Green Falcons football team

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, 2023
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: W 7 mph (11 km/h)
• Game attendance: 10,068
• Referee: Jeremy Valentine
• TV 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

vs Kent State

See also: 2023 Kent State Golden Flashes football team and Wagon Wheel (trophy)

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 1, 2023
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game attendance: 8,113
• Referee: -
• 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	KENT	AKR
First downs	16	22
Total yards	346	393
Rushing yards	117	95
Passing yards	229	298
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	15–23–0	23–39–0
Time of possession	30:08	29:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
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
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

Postseason

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. ^[8]

References

1. "Athletics Facilities - INFOCISION STADIUM-SUMMA FIELD". Akron Athletics.
2. "Joe Moorhead College Coaching Records, Awards and Leaderboards". Sports Reference . Retrieved December 14, 2024.
3. "MAC College Football Standings - 2023". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
4. "2023 FBS Attendance Trends". D1.ticker. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
5. "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked to win conference championship; BGSU tabbed to finish fourth in MAC East". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
6. "2023 Akron Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
7. "Akron Zips Schedule 2023". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
8. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.