2023 Akron Zips football team

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]

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

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]