2017 Akron Zips football team

The 2017 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Terry Bowden and played their home games at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field in Akron, Ohio, as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips finished the season 7–7, 6–2 in MAC play to win the East Division. They lost to Toledo in the MAC Championship. They received an invitation to play in the Boca Raton Bowl where they lost to Florida Atlantic.

2017 Akron Zips football
MAC East Division champion
MAC Championship, L 28–45 vs. Toledo
Boca Raton Bowl, L 3–50 vs. Florida Atlantic
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	7–7 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach	Terry Bowden (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	A. J. Milwee (5th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Chuck Amato (6th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field
Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Akron xy		6	–	2					7	–	7
Ohio		5	–	3					9	–	4
Miami (OH)		4	–	4					5	–	7
Buffalo		4	–	4					6	–	6
Bowling Green		2	–	6					2	–	10
Kent State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Toledo xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Central Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	5
Northern Illinois		6	–	2					8	–	5
Western Michigan		4	–	4					6	–	6
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					5	–	7
Ball State		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: Toledo 45, Akron 28
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Notable players: Ulysees Gilbert III, Kyron Brown, Jamal Davis, Kwadarrius Smith.

Preseason

In a preseason poll Aof league media, Akron was picked to finish fourth in the East Division.^[1]

Coaching staff

Name	Title	Years at Akron	Alma mater
Terry Bowden	Head coach	6	West Virginia
Chuck Amato	Assoc. head coach and def. coord.	6	NC State
Todd Stroud	Asst. head coach and DL coach	6	Florida State
A. J. Milwee	Off. coord. and QB coach	6	North Alabama
Jeff Bowden	ST coord. and WR coach	6	Florida State
Trent Boykin	TE and h-backs coach	6	Youngstown State
Brett Ekkens	OL coach	2	Mount Union
Eric Hickson	RB coach	3	Kansas State
Otis Mounds	CB coach	4	Auburn
Mike Woodford	Safeties coach	6	Arizona
Mark Ouimet	Assistant director of football operations	6	Siena Heights
Matt Gildersleeve	S&C coach	4	Mount Union
Hunter Bowden	GA, offense	2	North Alabama
Mike Schuff	GA, offense	1	Mount Union
Dylan Evans	GA, defense	1	Akron
Nick Verna	GA, defense	2	Akron

Source:^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	Noon	at No. 6 Penn State*	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 0–52	101,684
September 9	6:30 p.m.	Arkansas–Pine Bluff*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	W 52–3	17,464
September 16	Noon	Iowa State*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	L 14–41	22,811
September 23	6:00 p.m.	at Troy*	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN3	L 17–22	27,324
September 30	6:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN3	W 34–23	15,111
October 7	3:30 p.m.	Ball State	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	W 31–3	20,199
October 15	1:00 p.m.	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	CBSSN	W 14–13	16,568
October 21	Noon	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	WTOL/ESPN3	L 21–48	20,414
October 28	11:30 a.m.	Buffalo	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	W 21–20	17,427
November 7	7:30 p.m.	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPN2	L 14–24	12,813
November 14	7:00 p.m.	Ohio	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN2	W 37–34	17,832
November 21	7:00 p.m.	Kent State	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel)	ESPNU	W 24–14	21,683
December 2	Noon	vs. Toledo	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN	L 28–45	16,225
December 19	7:00 p.m.	at Florida Atlantic	FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Florida (Boca Raton Bowl)	ESPN	L 3–50	25,912
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[3]

Game summaries

At No. 6 Penn State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	0	0	0	0
No. 6 Nittany Lions	14	21	10	7	52

See also: 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Arkansas–Pine Bluff

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Lions	0	3	0	0	3
Zips	14	17	14	7	52

See also: 2017 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team

Iowa State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cyclones	14	6	14	7	41
Zips	0	14	0	0	14

See also: 2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team

At Troy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	3	0	7	7	17
Trojans	7	9	0	6	22

See also: 2017 Troy Trojans football team

At Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	13	7	7	7	34
Falcons	6	7	10	0	23

See also: 2017 Bowling Green Falcons football team

Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	0	0	3
Zips	7	10	0	14	31

See also: 2017 Ball State Cardinals football team

At Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	7	0	0	14
Broncos	0	3	0	10	13

See also: 2017 Western Michigan Broncos football team

At Toledo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	7	0	14	21
Rockets	21	3	14	10	48

See also: 2017 Toledo Rockets football team

Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	6	0	7	20
Zips	7	7	0	7	21

See also: 2017 Buffalo Bulls football team

At Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	0	0	7	14
RedHawks	7	3	14	0	24

See also: 2017 Miami RedHawks football team

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	14	10	3	7	34
Zips	10	20	0	7	37

See also: 2017 Ohio Bobcats football team

Kent State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	7	7	0	14
Zips	10	14	0	0	24

See also: 2017 Kent State Golden Flashes football team and Wagon Wheel (trophy)

2017 MAC Championship Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	0	7	21	28
Rockets	7	21	10	7	45

See also: 2017 Toledo Rockets football team

2017 Boca Raton Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	3	0	0	3
Owls	7	14	15	14	50

See also: 2017 Florida Atlantic Owls football team