2005 Akron Zips football team

The 2005 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Akron competed as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) The Zips were led by J. D. Brookhart in his second year as head coach. Brookhart would lead Akron to its first MAC title, upsetting Northern Illinois 31-30 in the conference championship game.

2005 Akron Zips football
MAC champion MAC East Division co-champion
MAC Championship Game, W 31–30 vs. NIU
Motor City Bowl, L 31–38 vs. Memphis
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	7–6 (5–3 MAC)
Head coach	J. D. Brookhart (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Jim Pry (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Jim Fleming (2nd season)
Home stadium	Rubber Bowl
Seasons ← 2004 2006 →

2005 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Akron xy$		5	–	3					7	–	6
Miami (OH) x		5	–	3					7	–	4
Bowling Green x		5	–	3					6	–	5
Ohio		3	–	5					4	–	7
Buffalo		1	–	7					1	–	10
Kent State		0	–	8					1	–	10
West Division
Northern Illinois xy		6	–	2					7	–	5
Toledo x		6	–	2					9	–	3
Western Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	4
Central Michigan		5	–	3					6	–	5
Ball State		4	–	4					4	–	7
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					4	–	7
Championship: Akron 31, NIU 30
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 10	Noon	at No. 13 Purdue*	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN360	L 24–49	64,757
September 17	5:00 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee*	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN		W 17–7	12,411
September 24	6:00 p.m.	Northern Illinois	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH		W 48–42 OT	15,612
October 1	6:00 p.m.	Central Michigan	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH		L 17–31	10,093
October 8	1:30 p.m.	at Buffalo	University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY		W 13–7	8,279
October 15	2:00 p.m.	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH		L 23–51	14,312
October 22	6:00 p.m.	Army*	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH		L 0–20	12,203
October 29	4:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH		W 24–14	9,608
November 5	2:00 p.m.	at Ball State	Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN		L 17–23	10,401
November 15	7:30 p.m.	Ohio	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	ESPNU	W 27–3	7,614
November 24	10:00 a.m.	Kent State	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH (Battle for the Wagon Wheel)	ESPNU	W 35–3	8,942
December 1	7:45 p.m.	vs. Northern Illinois*	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN	W 31–30	12,051
December 26	4:00 p.m.	vs. Memphis*	Ford Field Detroit, MI (Motor City Bowl)	ESPN	L 31–38	50,616
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

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