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[djp73]

ANOTHER SECOND CHANCE
THE TJ PORTER STORY


5-5-04

I arrived at the airport at around 1pm. Coach Brookhart was there to pick me up.
“Welcome to Akron” he said.
“Thanks, glad to be here” I replied.
I had known Coach Brookhart since before I could remember. He had always been a good friend of the family. He had just taken the job at the University of Akron. He wanted me to be his final scholarship player. I was honored to be playing for someone I admired as much as him.
“Do you want to go see the field first?” He asked.
“I’d love to.” I replied.
We drove to the Rubber Bowl. It was a beautiful stadium. I couldn’t wait to play there. After we walked around the field for a while and talked he took me to the apartment where Nick and I would be living. Nick was headed down in a few days with my truck and all of our stuff. I didn’t have time to pack much before I left. Tomorrow I would meet some of my teammates and sign up for classes.

5-6-04

Coach picked me up at 10 am and we took care of my classes at the registrar’s office. Then it was off to practice.
“I have to stop at the apartment before we head for the field.” I told him.
“Ok, what do you need to get?” He asked.
“My football gear” I told him smiling.
“How did you get your gear down here already?”
“I had it shipped air overnight”
“You’re crazy. You want to run a little in practice?”
“That’s the plan.”
I grabbed my gear and we headed for practice. Coach sent the offense one way and the defense the other.
“Where do you want me coach?” I asked.
“You stay with me, you’re gonna be all over the place this year.” He had a big smile on his face when he said it.
I worked with the receivers and backs on offense and with the defensive backs and linebackers on defense. I had played just about every position on the field in high school. A lot of players wanted to focus on one position and play there all the time, I loved moving around. After practice I went to coach’s house for dinner with his family, people that felt like family to me.
“Hey TJ,” He said. “You can stop calling me Coach now”
“I think it’s better that way, at least when football is involved” I replied.
We all ate and talked for quite a while, it was like old times. After we were done eating and talking he took me back to the apartment. I went right to sleep, mostly because there was nothing else to do. I thought about the days practice and looked forward to tomorrow’s.

5-7-04

I woke up early and picked up some breakfast. After I ate I jogged to the field, it was about two hours before practice so I walked around the field for a little while. I ran a little bit. Some of the other players showed up and we threw a ball around for a while. Eventually everyone showed up. We had a great practice. Coach came up to me afterwards.
“Hey TJ great practice today” he said.
“Thanks a lot coach” I responded.
“Hey, I have your playbook all set, I’ll give it to you when we head out.”
“OK coach, thanks.”
After I changed up I went to coach’s office and he gave me the play book, we looked over it for a while. He told me he would like me to learn as many of the positions as I could. I told him it wasn’t a problem, that’s what I had done in high school. When coach dropped me off I called Nick to make sure everything was all set, he told me it was.

The next two days of practice went very well. I was working at quite a few positions and picking everything up quickly.

5-08-04

Nick arrived early Saturday morning.
“Sweet place” he said.
“Yeah, pretty nice isn’t it” I answered.
Coach and a few of the other players showed up and helped us unpack all our stuff. We realized we needed more stuff to fill this apartment, it was much bigger than the hole we had in Toronto. After we had unpacked we all went out to dinner. Nick and I stayed up late catching up and playing video games.

5-09-04

We had Sunday’s off. We didn’t have anything to do so Nick and I went to breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the apartment. There was a message on the answering machine from one of the players about a pick up game. It was going to be flag, he said to bring Nick too. We got dressed and headed to the practice field for the pickup game. It was a very fun game, Nick and I were on the same team and we won. We had a certain familiarity with each other on the field, always knowing where the other was and knowing what they would do. I thought back to all the years we had played together. Through pee wee and middle school, all the way up through four years of high school. We had played together for ten years. This season would be weird without him on the field with me.

5-12-04

After another great practice Nick and I headed in to a local athletics shop so I could pick up some new gear. I was looking mostly for a new helmet. I had heard a lot about the Revolution. I talked to the guy working there. He was an older man, probably in his 50’s we talked for quite some time. He was a big fan of Akron football.
“My name is Ron, nice to meet you” he said.
“I’m TJ, nice to meet you too” I answered.
“Good luck this season” he told me.
“Thanks.”
We talked about the Revolution helmet and I ended up buying one as he strongly recommended them. I got the G2EG facemask as well. I asked him about visors.
“I have a special one, just for you, I only have one.” He went out back and returned with an orange tinted visor that would match the gold helmets nicely.
“No one else has that” he informed me.
“Very nice” I said, “I’ll take it.”
I purchased the new helmet and accessories. He said I could come see him if I needed anything. It felt good to have another person I knew around here. We had just met but I felt like I’d known him forever. Nick and I grabbed some lunch and headed home.

5-14-04

Friday after practice Coach asked me to see him in his office. I wasn’t sure what he wanted but I was not nervous. I went to his office after I changed up.
“Hey TJ, you had another great practice. Have a seat” he said.
I pulled up a chair and sat down.
“You’re probably wondering why I asked you to come see me. I’ll get right to it, I just lost one of my scholarship players to another school. I have an extra scholarship now.”
“Wow, we lost someone this late” I asked.
“Yeah, but I want to talk about the replacement. I saw your friend Nick playing in the pickup games and I did a little research. If it wasn’t for you he would have a handful of records at your high school. Why isn’t he playing college ball?”
“I guess no one really looked at him too much because of his size, but he is a great player. He has a ton of heart. He played a lot of positions in high school too, a lot of corner and receiver.”
“Well I want him practicing with us next week, I’ll decide Friday if I want to give him the scholarship. That is if he’s interested of course.”
“I know he’ll be interested, and he’ll be a great addition to the team, I’ll go tell him right now and I’ll call you tonight with his answer.”
I left coach’s office and couldn’t get back to the apartment fast enough. When I got there Nick was watching a baseball game.
“Nick, you’re not going to believe this.” I exclaimed.
“What?” He asked.
“Coach talked to me after practice, we lost a scholarship player. He wants you to practice with us next week as a tryout. He said if you do well you get the scholarship!” I was practically yelling at him.
“Dude, don’t mess with me like that.” He said
“I’m not kidding man, if you don’t believe me call Coach.”
“That’s sweet dude, I’ll have to get my gear shipped out.”
“Call your mom now and tell her to overnight it, use my credit card for the shipping if you need to.”
“Thanks a lot man.”
Nick called his mom and got all his high school gear shipped down. After the call we went over the play book for a few hours. I called coach and told him Nick would be there Monday. We then went over the playbook again until about 4 in the morning.

5-15-04

We both slept in after being up so late looking over the playbook. We went over it a little more then went for breakfast. We swung by Ron’s Athletics so Nick could get a few things. We ended up chatting with Ron for a couple hours. Nick got a new mouthpiece and a new pair of cleats. He told Ron he would probably be back for a new helmet but he wasn’t sure yet. We went back to the gym afterwards and lifted for a couple hours. After that we got dinner and headed back to the apartment to watch some baseball.

5-16-04

Nick’s equipment arrived just as planned. We cleaned it all up and inspected his helmet. It was pretty old so we decided he ought to have a new one. I called Ron to see if he was at the shop. He said he wasn’t really open on Sundays he was just there doing some stuff. He told us to come down and he would let us in. We jumped in the truck and went to the shop. When we arrived Ron was setting up a few new displays and stocking the shelves. Nick and I gave him a hand. After the displays were set up and the shelves were stocked Ron asked what we were looking for.
“Nick needs a new helmet, his is old.” I said.
“I didn’t know you played.” He said to Nick.
We explained what had happened and Ron wished him luck.
“What kind of helmet do you like?” Ron asked Nick.
“I’m pretty fond of my Schutt, I just need a new one.” He said.
“The Schutt is a great helmet. I actually have several in stock. Let me grab your size.”
Ron went out back and returned with a brand new Schutt helmet. Nick tried it on and it fit perfectly.
“What do you want for a facemask?” Ron asked Nick.
“I’d like something smallish but with good protection. I like one I can see around well.” Nick explained.
“Ok, I have one in mind. Do you want a visor?”
“Yes, just a clear one though.”
Ron went out back again and returned with a perfect facemask (3-Bar RB 1). We picked out a couple other items then paid and headed back to the apartment. I called coach and asked him when the team was having the helmets painted and he said we would be taking them apart and handing them in at Friday’s practice. Friday would be a chalk talk type day of practice. He also told me that he would give Nick a playbook at practice on Monday. I told Nick. We spent the rest of the day looking over the playbook and talking strategy. I was excited to have Nick on the field with me.

5-17-04

Nick and I arrived at the practice field a couple hours early. We threw a ball around for a little bit then stretched out and did some running. Coach Pry (offensive coordinator) and Coach Fleming (defensive coordinator) both showed up about 45 minutes before practice. We all talked about strategies on both sides of the ball. They asked Nick and I a little about our high school careers.
“Well I look forward to having both of you on the D this season” said Coach Fleming.
“D? Sorry Jim, they’re playing on the offense” replied Coach Pry.
They both chuckled then headed over to talk to Coach Brookhart who had just arrived, they talked for a few minutes.
“Hey Porter, Stockton come over here” yelled Coach Brookhart.
We jogged over.
“Stockton, I want you to show me something out here ok, don’t be nervous just play your game. I’ll help you out with the play calls” he said to Nick.
“Thanks coach. TJ and I have been going over the playbook a lot, I think I know about 75 percent of it at least” Nick answered.
“If you can pick it up that fast you’ll be fine. I want you to run at corner and some at wide out and halfback. TJ make sure you help him out if he needs it.”
“Of course” I responded.
The rest of the team filtered in and we began practice. Coach Brookhart introduced Nick to everyone. After some drills and sprints we did some offense against defense. Nick and I worked on the defensive side of the ball at first. Nick played cornerback and I switched off between safety, linebacker and cornerback. Nick did very well in pass coverage and even had an interception. I had a handful of tackles. We both moved to offense. I played a little halfback and Nick played wide receiver for a while. Coach asked Nick to move to halfback and me to wide receiver. We both did well at each position we were asked to play. I think the coaches were very impressed with Nick’s abilities. We finished up practice and headed home. We played videogames for a while then we went to get dinner. After we ate we worked with the playbook a little more and then hit the hay.

5-19-04

The team had another great practice. Nick and I continued to work at several positions on both sides of the ball. After practice Coach Brookhart posted our season schedule. Here is what it looked like.

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Week Date Opponent
01 Open Date
02 09-04-04 at Penn State
03 09-11-04 vs Middle Tennessee State
04 09-18-04 at Virginia
05 09-23-04 at Kent State Battle for the Wagon Wheel/MAC Game
06 10-02-04 at Northern Illinois MAC Game
07 10-09-04 vs Buffalo MAC Game
08 10-16-04 at UCF MAC Game
09 10-23-04 vs Ball State MAC Game
10 Open Date
11 11-05-04 vs Marshall MAC Game
12 11-13-04 at Ohio MAC Game
13 11-20-04 vs Miami of Ohio MAC Game
14 11-27-04 vs Youngstown State Rivalry Game
15 Open Date
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5-21-04

“This is it man, last practice to prove yourself” I told nick.
“I know, I’ll have that scholarship” he replied.
We arrived at the field and got out of my truck. We both practiced very well at a number of positions as we had been all along. We practiced for about an hour and then we all started to strip our helmets down. We went over plays and calls with the coaching staff as we were working on them. Once all the helmets were done we wrapped up the practice. After practice Coach called Nick and I to his office.
“Nick, we’re very impressed with your versatility and your overall skills. You also have a great knowledge of the game, just like TJ. The scholarship is yours if you’d like it” Coach Brookhart told Nick.
“It would be an honor to accept the scholarship Coach” Nick replied.
We all talked about the upcoming season and other football related things for an hour or so and then we headed for the apartment. We cleaned up and went to get some food. We went over the playbook for a couple hours then we crashed for the night.

5-22-04

We really didn’t have any plans for the weekend. The team pickup game was today instead of Saturday. Nick and I both played. It was a great game. The freshmen and sophomores played against the juniors and seniors. We ended up losing but it was a very close game. Afterwards Nick and I headed back to the apartment and went over the playbook a little more.

5-23-04

We decided to take it easy Sunday and rest up for Mondays practice. We played video games and worked with the playbook. I washed my truck and then we went to eat. After dinner we watched baseball and went to bed.

8-27-04

Time had flown by. I couldn’t believe our first game was only eight days away. Nick and I had been assigned positions. I would be listed as a Strong Safety and Nick would be on the roster as a cornerback. Coach told us he knew what positions we could play. He told us both that we would be seeing time at several positions throughout the season. He also told us we would both be starting at whatever positions would help the team the most. That was all we cared about, helping the team. We had both been helping the team since pee wee football. We wrapped up practice and headed back to the apartment. On the way we stopped and picked up a newspaper with the team preview in it. This should be interesting I thought. When we got back I flipped it open and looked over their break down of the roster.

~Akron Zips Football~
-2004-2005 Roster Breakdown-

*Offense*
Quarterbacks
05 Charlie Frye 6-4/224 SR(RS) MAC 2nd
12 Jabari Arthur 6-4/212 FR(RS)
13 John Ferguson 6-5/226 FR(RS)

Frye is a great player and could very well go to the NFL. An injury to him could be disastrous.
B-

Halfbacks
40 Jerell Ringer 5-10/205 JR(RS)
37 Jason Nedd 5-10/195 SO(RS)
29 Frank Berchie 5-8/200 FR(RS)

Ringer is a solid back who will get the bulk of the carries. Nedd will see spot duty. C+

Fullbacks
32 Dan Basch 6-1/238 SR(RS) MAC 1st
04 Sekai Greer 5-10/219 SR
39 Mark Tetzel 6-0/240 SR

Basch is one of the best players on the team. He is a solid blocker with decent hands. B-

Wide Receivers
19 Morris Ellington 5-11/187 SR(RS)
23 Domenik Hixon 6-2/190 JR
81 Jason Montgomery 5-11/167 JR(RS)
15 Jamie Goodwin 5-10/170 JR(RS)
47 Jeff Garrison 6-2/185 SO(RS)
84 Deonte Morris 6-3/195 FR(RS)

Decent receivers that go up to four deep. Not much height in the group of starters.
C+

Tight Ends
41 Dennis Basch 6-3/249 SO
83 Matt Pichardo 6-4/225 FR(RS)
84 Kris Kasparek 6-6/255 FR(RS)

A young group that is average. Basch will see the majority of the snaps.
C-

Tackles
71 Mike Grzeskowiak 6-6/315 SR(RS)
76 Justin hein 6-5/335 JR(RS)
72 Tim Crouch 6-3/301 SO(RS)
75 Mike Donaldson 6-5/320 SO(RS)

A decent group with good size.
C

Guards
69 Aaron Conley 6-3/294 SR(RS) MAC 1st
62 Mike Piccirillo 6-2/315 SR(RS)
63 Andy Wills 6-3/305 SO(RS)
68 Mike Schepp 6-4/292 FR(RS)
73 Scott Kaplan 6-4/314 FR(RS)

Another good group. Average depth and size.
C+

Centers
61 Jim Borrieci (CAPT) 6-3/295 SR(RS) MAC 2nd
64 Jim Holley 6-3/300 FR(RS)

Borrieci is one of the best in the MAC.
B-

*Defense*
Defensive Ends
06 Dwayne LeFall (CAPT) 6-3/260 SR(RS)
44 Chase Blackburn 6-3/245 SR MAC 2nd
92 Doug Sutton 6-3/220 SR(RS)
91 Mike Berry 6-3/250 SO(RS)
53 Chuck Lewis 6-2/220 JR(RS)
96 Mark Groza 6-3/225 SO(RS)

Good group. The first four listed should all see time.
C+

Defensive Tackles
57 Joe Radich 6-2/260 SR(RS)
95 Bobby Gardner 6-4/265 SR(RS)
99 Jermaine Reid 6-4/270 SO(RS)
48 Brian White 6-2/275 JR
77 Antonio Shippy 6-1/332 SO(RS)
93 Sam Walker 6-2/255 FR(RS)

Another average position, but they do have depth. Five could play.
C-

Outside Linebackers
56 Diontre Earl 5-10/245 JR(RS) MAC 2nd
18 John Fuller 6-2/207 SR(RS)
52 Bryan Howe 6-0/230 FR(RS)
17 John Mackey 5-10/187 FR

Earl is solid. Fuller is decent. The other two probably will not factor.
C

Middle Linebackers
35 Jay Rohr 5-11/215 JR
45 Cam Yeow 6-1/230 SR
08 Jared Smith 6-2/230 SR

Average at best.
C-

Cornerbacks
43 Nick Stockton 5-9/180 FR
25 Steve Agyeman 6-0/195 SR
20 Dionte Henry 5-11/189 SO
03 William Nelson 5-10/187 JR
26 Yamari Dixon 5-8/187 FR(RS)
29 Reggie Corner 5-9/170 FR

Good group. Youth may cause errors.
C+

Free Safeties
27 Dion Elie 6-0/193 JR(RS)
07 Ernest Clark 6-0/192 SO

Good pair. May rotate.
C

Strong Safeties
34 TJ Porter 6-0/220 FR
10 Chevin Pace 5-10/190 FR(RS)
24 Jino Vital 5-10/211 SR

Another good group. Also may rotate
B

*Specialties*
Kicker
36 Jason Swiger 5-8/181 SO

Good power, good accuracy.
C+

Punter
14 Billy Sullivan 5-11/179 JR(RS)

Again, good power and accuracy.
B-
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Overall Team Grade: C+
Preseason 119: 81st

MAC East Prediction
Miami(OH)
Marshall
Akron
UCF
Kent State
Ohio
Buffalo
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I finished reading it and gave it to Nick.
“Looks like they’ll be surprised” he said.
“That’s what I’m thinking” I replied.

8-31-04

Coach Brookhart addressed the team.
“At the end of today’s practice I will post a list of players that will be red shirted this season. Remember, being red shirted does not mean you don’t have to know the playbook. Injuries or other circumstances may mean you play. Also remember red shirts help us immensely in practice. If you’re red shirted it doesn’t mean I don’t like you. It doesn’t mean you aren’t a good player. Usually it means there is someone older or better than you at your position and we want to keep you another year. If you have any questions about why you were red shirted please see me and only me. At the conclusion of tomorrow’s practice I will post a list of starters for the game Saturday. If you are not on the list as a starter it does not mean you wont play. I plan to use a number of you this year so be ready”

We had another great practice and we were as ready for the first game as we could be. After practice I checked out the short list of red shirts.

Redshirts
FB M. Tetzel
LB J. Mackey
DB R. Corner

I spoke with the three of them and they said they were OK with being red shirted. I couldn’t imagine what that would feel like. I was glad it wasn’t me.

9-1-04

After practice Coach Brookhart posted his list of starters.

QB Frye
HB Ringer
FB Basch
WR Hixon, Ellington, Montgomery
TE Basch
LT Crouch
LG Conley
C Borrieci
RG Piccirillo
RT Grzeskowiak

LE Blackburn
RE LeFall
DT Radich, Gardner
LOLB Earl
MLB Rohr, Yeow
ROLB Fuller
CB Stockton, Agyeman, Henry, Nelson
FS Elie
SS Porter

K Swiger
P Sullivan
KR Stockton, Porter, Ellington
PR Stockton, Ellington
KOS Swiger

No real surprises there I thought to myself. I couldn’t wait to get back on the field. I was stoked that Nick would be back there with me.

After practice we headed back to the apartment. I picked up a paper that had an interview with Coach Brookhart in it. When we got back Nick and I looked at the interview.

Q: Coach Brookhart, what are your goals this year?
A: We need to beat Kent State for the Wagon Wheel, We need to be a high-prestige team, and we need a bowl bid, anything lees I will consider a failure. My coaches and players all know that.

Q: What type of offense will you run?
A: A balanced attack, leaning slightly towards the run. We will be aggressive when needed.

Q: What about the other side of the ball?
A: We’ll be in a 4-3 most of the time. We’ll lean towards stopping the run, but we need to stop the pass as well. We won’t be overly aggressive, balance is the key.

We Read a little more and then hit the hay.
“Three days” I told Nick.
“I’m ready” he said.
“I know” I replied as I shut my door.

[djp73]

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LT T. Crouch will sit out the first quarter Saturday for skipping classes.
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September 3rd 2004 Akron #81 (0-0) at Penn State #46 (0-0) 12:30pm
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We got off the bus and headed to our locker room. This place is going to be wild I thought. We all suited up and gathered around. Borrieci and LeFall said some things to fire us up and we headed out on the field.

1st Quarter
We won the toss and elected to kick off. Penn State brought the kick out to the 28 and we took the field. LeFall huddled us up. I was nervous, I knew I would be. LeFall called the play and we broke the huddle. I took my spot and looked over Penn State’s formation. We were in cover two so I had the deep half. They came out with two backs and two wide receivers. LeFall shifted the D Line towards strength. Penn State tried a sweep to their left and LeFall swallowed up the back two yards behind scrimmage. They completed a pass over the middle to make it third and five. Another completion made it first and ten at their 43. We got back in the huddle. LeFall called the play. 4-3 Storm Red. I was blitzing. I crept up and fired through the gap. I was inches away from their QB when he fired out to his left. I was on the ground and I didn’t see the play. The crowd went wild and I knew the result of the play. They kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0 early. As I headed toward the sideline Nick reminded me we were returning kicks. We took our spots. We waited for the kick. It was high and deep and headed my way. I fielded it in the endzone and decided it would be best to down it. I headed to the sideline and watched as the offense took the field. The stadium got louder and louder. I was hoping the noise wouldn’t affect the offense too much. Frye called the play and they went to the line. Ringer ran hard for a gain of six. Ringer ran again for a loss of two. Third and six. They went to an I formation. Frye found Ringer out of the backfield but he was hit immediately for no gain. We punted and Penn State would start at their 45 yard line. LeFall called the play. 3-4 cover 3. A simple play. I was covering the shallow third. They hit the TE on the left all the way down to our 33. LeFall was trying to fire us up in the huddle. 4-3 cover 2. They dropped back to pass again. The coverage held and their QB threw it away. On second down they ran a direct snap to the HB. LeFall took him down after a gain of three yards. Third and seven on our 30. Gardner hit the QB as he threw and the ball was tipped and then fell incomplete. Penn State sent out their field goal unit. The kick barely cleared the upright and we were down by ten. Nick and I went back and awaited the kick off. It went Nick’s way this time but he let it bounce out of the back of the endzone and the offense took the field again. Ringer took it on a dive for four yards. Frye threw incomplete. On third and six Frye threw incomplete again. I could tell he was nervous. We punted and Penn State took over on their 44. We took the field again. Their fullback ran for three yards. They tried to go deep down the sideline but Agyeman was there to break up the play. On third and seven they passed again. Agyeman lost his man and he made the catch. I pushed him out of bounds on our 31. The nervousness and the butterflies were gone now. LeFall tried to rally us. We can’t let them score here I thought to myself. We broke the huddle. They ran a draw play and Blackburn made the tackle for a loss of one. They went to the air and tried for the endzone but I was there to break it up. On third and 11 from our 32 they went to the endzone again and the receiver came down with it. They kicked the point after and that ended the first quarter.

2nd Quarter

Nick and I found ourselves back to receive another kick off. It went towards Nick but bounced out of bounds. The offense took over on the 35. Ringer carried for only a yard. On second down Frye hit Montgomery for a gain of 14 out to mid field. First down. Basch carried for a gain of four. Frye hit the other Basch all the way down to their 27. Ringer bounced one outside and got all the way down to their seven before he was dragged down. Basch carried again down to the two yard line. Frye gave to Basch again but he lost a yard. On third and goal from the three yard line Ringer got stuffed and lost the football. We recovered and the field goal unit went out. Swiger made the kick from the left hash to cut the lead to 14 points. We kicked off again and they started off at their 22. We had finally been given a rest by our offense and we were ready to rock. They ran a QB draw for five yards. We got good pressure on the QB and he threw incomplete. On third and five Blackburn stopped the runningback after a gain of only one yard. Penn State would finally have to punt. Nick went back to field the kick. He brought it out to our 40 and Frye led out the troops. Ringer carried for a gain of seven. Ringer carried again and got to their 42 before he was dragged down. First down. Come on guys, keep it going I thought to myself. Frye hit Hixon on the left down to the Penn State 20 for another first down. The O was starting to click. Basch bashed and banged all the way down to the nine and we called a time out with 41 second left in the half. We were receiving after halftime so a score right here was huge. Coach talked to the Offensive Line during the time out. Ringer head up the middle and bounced it outside, he was hit right at the goalline and the officials didn’t signal. The refs were still digging through the pile. Then they signaled it. TOUCHDOWN!! We hit the point after to make it 10-17. There were 37 seconds left. We kicked off and I made a big hit at their 15. The returner was slow getting up and he hobbled off the field. They took over on their 15 with 35 seconds until half time. Coach sent in the Dime package defense in anticipation of them passing. They fooled us with a run on first down. They completed a pass but the quarter ended.

Halftime
Coach Brookhart told us what was going well and what needed work. We split and Coach Fleming talked with us. He told us that we were doing great against the run and that the coverage was good, but we needed to pressure the Quarterback more. We headed back out for the second half.

3rd Quarter
Nick and I were back to receive the kick again. This time it came to me and I caught it at the three. I headed straight up field and juked one guy. I was tackled at the 26. Frye led out the troops again with a chance to make this a tie game. Ringer got stuffed on first down for no gain. Frye threw incomplete. Come on guys, I thought. Frye was pressured and had to get rid of the ball fast. It fell incomplete and we had to punt again. They took over on our 49. We would really have to dig in on D with such a short field. The QB kept it for a gain of nine. Their back got about 10 yards but then he fumbled and Elie fell on the ball. Our offense took over on our 27 yard line. Frye hit Hixon on a comeback route but he got lit up hard and couldn’t hang on to it. Frye lobbed one to Montgomery and he couldn’t get it. You gotta catch the ball for him guys.
“Stockton,” Yelled Coach Brookhart, “Get in there at receiver. Nick ran out to play the slot in the Shotgun formation. On third and ten Frye dropped back to pass Nick was open on a fly route but Frye over threw him by a mile. We had to punt again. They took over on their 40. We knew we couldn’t let them score. Their QB threw towards Nick and he made a great jumping swat at the ball to break it up. Their QB had all the time in the world in the pocket and found the TE for another first down at our 45. LeFall called the play. It was a two linebacker blitz. I hoped they would get to the QB in time, a sack might rattle him. They ran on the play for four yards. Another run and a gain of two. Third and four. The pass was tipped and they decided to go for it on fourth and four at our 39. This could make or break us I thought. They came out in a standard I formation and we were in our 4-3 base. They tried a screen to the back but Agyeman sniffed it out and made the tackle for a loss. The offense took over on our 42 with another chance to even it up on the scoreboard. Ringer ran for three yards. Basch carried for four yards. On third and three we ran out of shotgun. Ringer got eight and a first down. Basch carried for four. Ringer on the ground for six more yards. Third and inches at their 33. Basch right up the middle to the 27. Frye fired incomplete to the endzone. Ringer ran for a couple. Third and eight as the quarter ended.

4th Quarter
Frye hit Hixon over the middle down to the three yard line. Ringer got down to the one. Basch punched it in. The kick tied things up and it was anybody’s game. We kicked off and they started off at their 20. We needed to dig in here on defense. The ran for two. Second and eight. The adrenaline was pumping like mad. I looked at Nick, I could tell adrenaline was running rampant in him too. We needed to stop them here, now. Agyeman broke up the play action pass. Third and eight. LeFall was fired up in the huddle. “Let’s stop them now!” He exclaimed. They threw over the middle and it landed right in Rohr’s hands. He got dropped at their 24 and the whole defense swarmed him. We sprinted off the field. I slapped Frye high five as he led his troops on to the filed. Fourth quarter, tied game. This is why we play. Ringer ran for four. Ringer again for another yard. Incomplete on third down. The kicking team headed out. Swiger put it through the uprights and we went on top 20-17. Now it was up to us, the defense. We kicked off and they started off at their 28. Coach Fleming let us know it was up to us. LeFall did as well in the huddle. They passed for a first down over the middle. “NO MORE YARDS!!” LeFall yelled in the huddle. Gardener dropped their runningback for a loss of three. Incomplete pass on second down. Third and thirteen, time to shut it down. Their QB was hit as he threw it and Elie was there to break it up. Fourth and 13 at their 36. Nick went back to return the punt. He brought it out to the 34. Time to play clock ball I thought. 2:25 said the game clock. Ringer carried for four. Basch ran for a first down out to the 50 and they called a time out. Ringer carried for four more and they used another time out. Ringer went again for four more. Third and two at their 32. Basch got the first down but not by much. Ringer ran again for another six yards and they used their final time out. Basch rumbled all the way down to their 23. :50 on the clock. Ringer for four more. Basch to the 15. They clock ticked down and the gun sounded. The crowd was silent. We all stormed the field and went crazy. I was stoked. It had been a while since id been involved in such a close game. We headed to the locker room and Brookhart said a few words.
“What we did here today is something no one who isn’t in this room thought we could do. Look around men, this is a heck of a team. This is the beginning of what is going to be an amazing season. OK, game ball. Jay Rohr, one interception, a key one. Three tackles and a deflection. Alright men, bring it in. Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!”

Stats

Frye 5/14 77 yards

Ringer 22/102 TD
Basch 12/63 TD

Hixon 2/44
Basch 1/19
Montgomery 1/14
Ringer 1/0

Rohr 3T, INT, 1DEF
Blackburn 3T, 1TFL
Earl 3T
LeFall 3T, 1TFL
Yeow 2T
Gardner 2T, 1TFL
Porter 2T, 1DEF
Henry 2T, 1DEF
Agyeman 2T, 1TFL, 2DEF
Fuller 2T
Elie 1T, 1FR
Stockton 2DEF
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AKRON 00-10-00-10 20
PSU 17-00-00-00 17
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Press Conference is officially open.
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HB Jerell Ringer has been caught having an improper relationship with an Akron booster. This is a serious violation and Ringer will be suspended for two games.
RG Mike Piccirillo has missed a team meeting and will sit out the first quarter of the next game.
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September 11th 2004 MTSU #108 (0-1) at Akron #71 (1-0) 3:30pm
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During our pre game walk through Coach Brookhart informed Nick and I that we would both be seeing some time at halfback due to the suspension of Ringer. I was looking forward to the opportunity. It seemed as though a good portion of my teammates were looking past MTSU. I knew better. We honored the nation’s fallen heroes with a moment of silence before the game. We took to the field for out home opener. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick to their 28. They ran a counter for six yards on first down. On second down they ran a direct snap to the runningback for about 12 yards. First and ten at their 46. LeFall tried to get us going. I could tell who was looking past this game. LeFall dropped the HB for a loss of one. They tried to sweep right but got nothing. They threw incomplete and had to punt. Nick went back to return. We took over on our nine. Nedd started at HB. Nedd ran for eight and then fumbled. We recovered and picked up a first down. Hold on to that ball man. Basch got dropped for a loss of two. Nedd ran again and fumbled again. Luckily we recovered. “Berchie, get in there for Nedd, and hold on to the ball.” Brookhart instructed. Frye Threw to Basch, the ball was tipped but Basch came down with it. First and ten on their 20. Berchie ran for a yard. Basch ran for a gain of 11 and a first down at the eight. Berchie carried for three yards. Basch punched it in from there. Swiger hit the point after to make it 7-0. We kicked off and the returned it to their 29. We came out to shut them down again. They ran a play action and LeFall almost had the QB before he threw. Agyeman tipped it for an incompletion. They ran option for a first down to the 40. They ran for a gain of 5\five up the middle. Rohr dropped the runningback for a loss of three on a sweep. Agyeman was there again to break up the pass and force a punt. The punt went out of bounds at our 27. Berchie ran for three yards and the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Frye hit Hixon all the way down to their 41. Berchie ran for a gain of three. “Porter, you know all the plays at halfback?” Coach Brookhart asked me. “Yes I do Coach.” I replied. “OK, get in there for Berchie.” He told me. I strapped up my helmet and ran on the field. Berchie came out. Frye called the play. HB Iso Right. A simple hand off and a run to the inside. Frye took the snap and spun and gave me the ball. I saw a big hole open up and I hit it hard. I got to the 26 before I was tackled. The next play was a pass and I was blocking. Frye threw to Basch in the endzone but it was picked off. Basch made the tackle on the one. We were basically foaming at the mouth on defense with them sitting so close to the endzone. Dime Dogs Zone Blitz was the call. They ran for a yard or two, a safety was still very possible. They tried to run an option and the QB was still in the endzone when he had to pitch it. Nick kept the HB from getting outside and Nelson made the tackle three yards deep in the endzone. That made the score 9-0. They set up to boot it. It came right to me and I got out to the 37. Coach Brookhart sent Nick in at HB. Nick ran for seven yards. Frye went deep to Hixon and he made the catch at their 8. Coach Brookhart sent Nedd back in at HB. “Nice run man” I told Nick. “Thanks bud” He replied. Nedd punched it in from the eight. Swiger made it 16-0 with the point after. We kicked off and they brought it out to their 24. They threw incomplete. They got a first down on a pass out to the 36. They ran for a yard. They ran again and I lit the back up after a gain of three. Third and six on the 40. An incomplete pass brought out their punting unit. Nick brought it out to the 39. Nedd carried for three. Basch ran for eight and a first down. Frye hit Basch for 11 and another first down. Frye hit Montgomery for a gain of eight. Nedd ran for two and a first down. That ended the half.

Halftime

Coach Brookhart told us he liked what he saw for the most part but that the defensive line still needed to get more pressure on their QB.

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back for the kick. It came to me and I brought it out to the 26. Nedd ran for six yards. Basch carried for a gain of 12 and a first down at the 44. Nedd ran for three. Basch carried for three more. Frye hit Basch down to their 37. Nedd ran for eight yards. Frye hit Montgomery down to the nine yard line. Nedd carried to the four. Basch finished off the drive. He got a little carried away and picked up a penalty. Swiger made the long kick to make it 23-0. We kicked off and they started off at their 26. Blackburn hit their QB as he threw and it was an easy interception for me. We gave the ball back to the offense at their 44. Nedd ran for four yards. Frye hit Hixon down at their 22. Basch ran for nine yards. Nedd got the first down at the 10. Frye found Montgomery in the endzone for another six points. Swiger made it 30-0. We kicked off and they got it out to the 22. Gardner dropped the runningback for a loss of four. They ran for two yards and the third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They completed a pass down to their 42. LeFall dropped the runningback for a loss of two. They ran a draw for six yards. Third and six at the 46. They tried to run a QB draw but Earl sniffed it out and dropped him for a loss of one. Fourth and seven brought out the punter. Nick brought it out to the 43. Frye hit Basch all the way down at their 29. Nedd broke loose and got down to the nine. Nedd finished the drive off with a TD. Nedd got himself a penalty for celebration but Swiger made it from deep again. We kicked off and Coach sent out the second team defense. They threw incomplete on first down. They ran a sweep for no gain. Another incomplete pass. They sent out the punter. Goodwin went back to return it. He brought it to their 46 and the second team offense went in. Arthur threw incomplete. Nedd ran for five but there was a holding call on the play. Second down and 20 to go. Goodwin couldn’t catch one and it was third down. Another incompletion and we decided to punt. They started at the 18. They lost six on a sweep. They ran for two. Nelson broke up a pass. They punted. Goodwin brought it to their 44. Nedd ran for five. Greer ran for four. Nedd got down to the 23 for a first down and then some. Nedd ran for five more and Coach told them to let the clock run out. We headed to the locker room and Coach Brookhart addressed the team.
“Guys, another great win, we had some people step up today and that’s why we won. Next week won’t be so easy. Enjoy this win for a couple days cause on Monday it’s time to go back to work. Today’s game ball goes to Jason Nedd. 16 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Here ya go Jason, just remember who was blocking for you today. OK men bring it in. Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!”

Stats

Frye 10/11 243 TD INT

Nedd 16/104 2TD
Basch 8/50 2TD
Porter 1/12
Berchie 4/10
Stockton 1/7
Greer 1/4

Basch 4/109
Montgomery 3/39 TD
Hixon 3/95

LeFall 4T, 2TFL
Gardner 3T, 1TFL
Porter 3T, INT
Yeow 3T
Nelson 1T, 1TFL, Safety
Rohr 1T, 1TFL
Agyeman 1T, 2DEF
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MTSU 00-00-00-00 00
Akron 07-09-14-07 37
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Press conference is officially open.
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September 18th 2004 Akron #66 (2-0) at Virginia #10 (2-0) 6pm
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Everyone knew this was the hardest game on our schedule. Not a single “expert” had us within three touchdowns. They only people that thought we had a chance were suiting up to play. We took the field and it was loud, the place was packed. We were pelted with a chorus of boos. We lost the coin toss and they wanted the ball.

1st Quarter

We kicked off and they brought it back to their 26. LeFall dropped the QB for a loss of five on a keeper. Blackburn got the QB for a loss of four more. The crowd wasn’t impressed. On third down and 19 an incompletion ended the drive. Nick went back to return the kick. He brought it down to their 33 where Frye led his troops into battle. Nedd was stopped after a gain of only one. Basch ran for two yards. Frye threw incomplete. Swiger came in to try for the lead. He came up short and Virginia got the ball back. We dropped their runningback after a gain of three. They tried the option but Agyeman was there on the tackle. On third and five Shippy stuffed the QB on a draw and they had to punt again. Nick brought it out to our 34. Frye led the offense out. Nedd got stuffed for a loss of one. Frye threw incomplete. Frye hit Ellington deep all the way down to their 12. Nedd got flattened again for a loss of one. Basch carried for three. Frye had a pass to the endzone tipped and Swiger came on to kick. He hit for 27 yards out and we were on top. We kicked it off and they brought it out to their 29. We came out in a base 4-3. A direct snap to the runningback went for nine yards. They ran a sweep for a first down out to their 43. The first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Their QB scrambled and I hit him hard after a gain of eight. They tried a quick screen but Nick was right there and made the tackle for a loss of two. They pounded it for the first down. They were across the 50 now. The QB ran again for a gain of six. The tried a sweep but Earl made the tackle after a gain of one. The QB took off again and got down to the 27. The runningback ran for six yards and I made the tackle. Their QB threw incomplete. It was third down and four at the 21. They ran an option to my side and the QB tried to get me with a fake pitch. I didn’t fall for it and I hit him hard. He only got two yards and it was fourth down. He was very slow getting up and he headed for the sidelines. They decided to go for it on fourth and two. We lined up in a goal line formation. Their runningback got through our line and I made the tackle after he had gotten the first down. They ran again for a gain of 7. Yeow swallowed up a toss in the backfield to push them back four yards. On third and seven at the 13 they threw a TD pass. We were upset that we had given up the score. We went out to return the kick off. I caught it in the endzone and downed it. Frye led out the troops with 1:21 showing on the clock. Frye was picked off on the first play and we headed back out to play Defense again. We knew we simply could not let them score again before halftime. They tried a sweep and Nick made the tackle after a minimal gain. Virginia called a time out with :59 on the clock. They threw a pass and Elie tipped it. Their receiver managed to come up with it and it was first down on the 11. They went with a no huddle offense and we couldn’t get back onsides quick enough. The next play was a TD pass. The kick put them up by 11 points. I returned the kick off to our 14. Frye threw incomplete. Frye was dropped for a sack on second down. We were close to our own endzone so Coach decided to run out the clock.

Halftime
Coach told us what was working and what wasn’t. He told us we still weren’t getting enough pressure on the QB defensively. He also told Nick and I that we would be seeing some time on the offensive side of the ball.

3rd Quarter

Coach sent me in at HB. The first play was a blast. I ran it for a gain of eight. We went with four receivers and Coach sent Nick in. Frye went over the middle for another incompletion. I ran the ball again and could only get three yards. We would have to punt again. Their offense took over at their 48. Time to play some D I thought to myself. Their first play was an incomplete pass. Blackburn got the QB for a loss of four yards. On third and 14 they went deep but Elie knocked it down. Nick went back to return the punt. We started out on the 30. Coach told me to stay in. Frye hit Hixon for a minimal gain. I got the carry on second down and bounced it outside for eight yards. On third and one I got the call again. I was tackled at the 43 and we had a first down. Frye threw incomplete again. Frye hit Hixon down to their 42. I got the carry again and rumbled down to the 26. Frye threw towards Hixon but he led him a bit too much. Hixon dove and made an incredible catch for a first down at their 7. I carried again and got us down to the two. Basch finished it off from there. Swiger made it 10-14. We lined up to kick off. They took over at their 19. Their QB took off for a long run. We were all starting to get very frustrated. “SOMEONE HIT HIM!!!” LeFall yelled in the huddle. They had the ball first down on our 45. Their QB threw over the middle on the run and Nick picked it off at our 30. He headed the other way fast. He made a few would be tacklers look silly and was finally brought down at their 15. I carried again but I could only get a yard. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

I carried again down to the 10. Frye found Hixon in the endzone and we were on top again. I noticed the crowd had gotten very quiet. Swiger made the extra point and the score was 17-14. They returned the kick to the 25. They threw incomplete on first down. They ran for six yards. On third and four the play action pass was incomplete. The crowd let out a chorus of boos as their punt team took the field. On first down Frye hit Kasparek down to the Virginia 41. Frye was warming up and that was his fourth straight completion. I carried for a gain of five. Frye threw incomplete. On third and five at their 36 we couldn’t complete a pass. Coach sent out the punting team but then sent them back to the sideline. It was too far for a field goal and almost too short for a punt. He decided to go for it. Fry called the play, it was a pass and I was supposed to block and release if needed. We headed to the line and the crowd got very loud. Frye took the snap and dropped back to pass. They weren’t rushing very hard but I stayed in to block. I only saw him for a second before Frye fired the ball in there. Montgomery made the catch and got the ball down to the 26 before he was tackled. First down. Basch rumbled for a gain of five. Frye couldn’t find anyone open so he wisely threw it away. I got the call to try to keep the drive alive. We couldn’t hear anything and we got flagged for a delay. Frye called the play. Another pass. He fired towards Ellington but it was out of bounds. Coach sent out Swiger to try to extend the lead. It was on track but there just wasn’t enough behind it. Virginia took over on their 26. They completed a pass out to the 33. They got big yards on an option and it was first down on our 48. Their QB scrambled again for a gain of seven yards. They ran with the runningback for another first down at our 36. Earl came up with a big sack for a loss of six. They threw a pass that looked complete but a big hit by Fuller led to a drop. Third down and 16 at our 42. Do or Die. Their QB was hit as he threw and the pass only gained them a yard. Virginia called a time out and then came out to go for it. This could make or break it. They came out in a two tight end set with a single running back and two wide receivers to their right. Their QB took the snap in the shotgun and didn’t get much time before he had to get rid of it. He looked deep to a receiver and Earl was there to knock it down. With only :55 left on the game clock the fans started filing out. I carried for a short gain and they used a timeout. Coach sent Berchie in to replace me at HB. Berchie took an inside handoff and bounced it outside. He scampered all the way down to the Virginia 21 before he was finally dragged down. The crowd was absolutely silent. They used their final time out. Berchie carried again for a short gain. Basch carried for eight yards and we let the clock run out. Our entire team stormed the field. Reporters were trying to catch anyone they could. We headed into the locker room and Coach Brookhart addressed the team.
“I don’t know about you all but I feel pretty darn good right now. Absolutely no one picked us to win this game. The closest prediction had us losing by 21. I’m very proud of you all. We’re going places. The game ball goes to Mr. Stockton who had six tackles and a key interception.”
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Stats
(I accidentally hit end game before I looked at the stats)
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Akron 03-00-07-07 17
Virginia 00-14-00-00 14
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Press conference is officially open.
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9-22-04

We didn’t have much time between games and we practiced hard Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After practice we headed out to Ron’s Athletics to give him a hand with a new shipment. After we got it all in we sat around and chatted.
“What exactly is the background of the Wagon Wheel? I saw the trophy and it just looks like a piece of wood.” I asked Ron.
“Well guys, it’s actually a pretty interesting story. According to legend, the wheel fell off the wagon of Akron founder John Buchtel while he was on a trip through Kent in 1870. The wheel was found in 1902 and eventually came into the possession of Kent's dean, Raymond Manchester, who made it a trophy in 1946. The wheel has been exchanged between the schools ever since.” He answered.
“That is pretty interesting. What’s the record like since ’46?” I asked him.
“Well, I actually just looked it up last night. You guys lead 25-19, and there have been two ties.” He replied.
“It’ll be 26-19 after tomorrow.” Nick said.
“I hope you boys bring back the trophy, last year was a shootout. Kent won in the fourth quarter, 41-38. Anyway, it’s getting late I have to get home.”
We headed back to the apartment and hit the hay.


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September 23rd Akron #60 (3-0) at Kent State #100 (1-2) 6pm
BATTLE FOR THE WAGON WHEEL – MAC GAME
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This is the Battle for the Wagon Wheel. It doesn’t mean much to me now but the way the seniors talk about it I know it will. Maybe it will after today, maybe not until my senior year. I just know it will. The stadium was about half full. We took the field for the coin toss. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

Swiger booted the kick out of bounds and they started at their 35. They threw incomplete on first down. The next play was a deep pass and our DB fell down. Just like that we were down by six. They hit the point after to make it 7-0. Nick returned their kick to our 19. Ringer ran for 12 on first down. Ringer carried for four more. Frye threw incomplete. Frye threw incomplete again and we had to punt. They took over on their 38. They went deep and incomplete on first down. They threw short for a gain of three on second down. On third and seven Blackburn got the QB for a loss of one. They sent out the punt team. Nick went back to field the punt. He brought the ball out to our 40. Ringer ran for nine. On second and one Frye hit Ellington for 24 yards down the sideline. On first and ten at their 27 Basch carried for a gain of 12. Ringer carried for nine. Basch got the carry and he took it to the house from six yards out. Swiger made the kick to tie it up. They returned the kick off to their 27 and we took the field on defense. LeFall let us know that we needed to stop them. They came out in an I backfield with the TE and two WRs to their right. No one was open and their QB took off. Before anyone got a hold on him he was at their 45. LeFall was not impressed. On first down they tried to run but Radich stopped it for a loss of one. They attempted to run an option to their right but Shippy broke it up before it developed. On third and 11 LeFall told us we had to dig in and stop them here. The call was a 3-4 Cover 3. LeFall was all over the QB and made him throw a bad pass that fell incomplete. They had to punt. Nick brought the return back 19 yards to our 42. Ringer got dropped for no gain. Ringer carried again for a huge gain of 23. On first and 10 on their 35 Basch carried for six yards. The gun sounded to signal the end of the first quarter.

2nd Quarter

On second and four at the 29 Ringer carried for two yards. Basch carried and couldn’t quite get past the sticks. On fourth and inches from the 25 Coach made the safe call and sent out Swiger. He couldn’t connect on the 42 yard attempt from the left hash and the score stayed tied. We headed back out on defense. On first down their QB took off again and got another first down. On first and 10 from their 36 their QB kept it on an option for a gain of seven. “GUYS! WE HAVE TO STOP THE QB!!” LeFall shouted in the huddle. They ran for a gain of 10 with the HB. On first and ten from our 47 they tried a little trickery with a QB throwback. Fuller wasn’t fooled and he made the tackle just behind the line of scrimmage. They completed a pass all the way down to our two yard line. We knew we had to buckle down. Nick batted down a pass to the endzone. Yeow did the same on second down. They ran it in to take the lead on the next play. The kick made it 7-14. Nick and I went back to return the kick. It went to Nick and he returned it to the 21. Frye led out the troops. He forced a pass on first down and we were right back out on the field to play defense. They had the ball at our 34. The first down pass came my way and I batted it down. They tried an option on second down but Berry stopped the QB after a gain of just one yard. On third and nine they tried a quick screen to a receiver, Fuller wasn’t fooled and he dropped the receiver for a loss of two. That made it fourth and 11 and they sent out the punter. They downed the ball at our six. Ringer ran for a gain of one. Basch rumbled all the way out to the 19 for a first down. Frye went to Hixon but he couldn’t reel it in. Another pass was nearly picked off. On third and ten Frye found Ellington across the middle for a gain of 19 and a first down. Ringer carried for eight yards. Basch carried for eight and a first down in Kent State territory. We called a time out with :33 on the clock. Frye hit Ellington but he was out of bounds. Frye hit Hixon in traffic for a first down at their 14. The clock showed :21. We called another timeout with :19 left. A pass to the endzone was tipped and fell incomplete. Another pass to the endzone was tipped incomplete. It was third down now with the clock reading :09. Frye threw another incompletion to the endzone and Swiger came out to kick. He hit from the right hash 32 yards out to pull us within four points at 10-14. The half ended after the kick return.

Halftime

Coach Brookhart addressed the team.
“We have had a few lapses on defense, we can’t do that anymore, we know what they’re doing and we have to stop them now. Offensively we’re doing ok but we just have to tune it up. Let’s go out there and score right off.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick. It came to me and I brought it back 19 yards to our 28. Frye led out the troops. Ringer carried for a gain of 13. Basch carried for six yards. Ringer carried for 11 more yards. Ringer carried the ball again for another yard. Then it was Basch rumbling for 17 yards. Frye handed off to Ringer again for five more. Basch powered for three more yards. On third down and two from their 16 Frye gave to Basch again, he got down to the ten but the play was called back on a holding penalty. On third and 13 from the 26 we went to the sky. Frye hit Hixon across the middle and he got exactly 13 yards and a first down. Ringer got the call again and the o-line opened a hole big enough for a bus. Ringer took it to the house for six points. Swiger made the score 17-14. We set up to kick off. They returned the kick out to their 26. The well rested defensive unit headed out on the field. A stop here could be the turning point. On first down the QB kept it and ran for a gain of nine. They completed a pass down to our 46. “NO MORE YARDS” shouted LeFall. They ran a sweep and Fuller made the tackle after a gain of just a yard. Another quick pass got them down to our 28. They ran up the middle for two yards. A hit on the QB by Rohr caused an incomplete pass. On third down and eight from our 26 they completed another pass. They got a first down on our seven yard line. Another complete pass put them on our two. Blackburn stuffed the HB after a minimal gain. The gun ended the third quarter.

4th Quarter

They had the ball third and one on our one yard line and we needed to stop them badly. The fooled us on a play action and they had a receiver wide open in the endzone for six points. After the kick it was 21-17. Nick and I went back to return the kick off. It got downed at our ten yard line. Ringer carried the ball for a gain of four yards. Basch broke one and got 16 yards before he was tackled. Ringer carried again and managed 13 yards before he was brought down. Another carry by Ringer netted 14 more yards. Basch carried again for three yards. An incomplete pass on second down brought up third and seven at their 40. Frye found Ellington for a gain of five yards. We were faced with a dilemma. It was fourth and two at their 35 with 3:53 on the clock. Coach Brookhart called a timeout. He talked to Coach Pry. Frye led the offense back out on to the field. Ringer got the carry and picked up about four yards along with a fresh set of downs. The crowd got quieter. Basch carried the ball for six yards. Ringer carried again. He hit the hole and spun off a tackler. He picked up five yards and another first down before he was stopped. We found ourselves in a first and 10 at their 20 with exactly three minutes on the game clock. Basch carried again for another five yards. Ringer bounced one outside and got all the way to the four yard line. Now it was first and goal at the four yard line with the game clock reading 2:22. Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried for a yard. On third and goal at the one yard line Frye handed off to Basch. A huge hole opened up just to the left of Borrieci and Bash found the endzone. Swiger made it 24-21. With 1:47 on the clock we lined up to kick off. They returned the kick out to their 21. They went deep on first down and took the lead back faster than we could even blink. The kick made it 24-28 and we needed another touchdown. With 1:35 left on the clock Nick and I headed out to return the kick. The kick came to me and I caught it at out six yard line. I brought it out to the 28 before I was tackled. Frye led out the troops. Not a single fan had left the game. Ringer carried for four yards. Basch carried for four more. On third down and two at their 36 Basch was given the ball again, he got seven yards and a first down. Ringer carried again and picked up four more yards. We had the ball second down and six from their 47. Coach had the same idea as me. Frye faked the handoff to Ringer and then threw downfield to Hixon, the defense wasn’t fooled and the pass was incomplete. On third and six Ringer got the ball again, a call I didn’t like, and he was dropped for a loss of one yard. This was it. Fourth down and seven yards to go at out own 46 with :20 on the game clock. Do or die. Put up or shut up. Frye lined up in the shotgun with Ringer to his right. Bash was set up at TE on the right, Ellington was wide right. Nick was out left and Hixon was outside him. Frye took the snap and dropped back five steps and planted. He rolled to his left and fired down field. Basch caught the ball just on their side of the 50 but he still needed a couple more yards for a first down. He broke one tackle and then another, when he was finally dragged down he was at their 44. We were still alive, first down and ten at their 44 yard line with :13 on the clock. We called a time out. Frye threw deep down the sideline and Nick made the catch. He was tackled at their five. I looked at the clock :06. Frye tried to hurry everyone back to the line and spike the ball but there just wasn’t enough time. The gun sounded and it was over. We lost. 24-28 was the final score. I knew the Wagon Wheel would mean something to me next year. We headed back to the locker room totally dejected. Coach Brookhart addressed the team.
“Hey guys, get your heads up. That was a heck of a game, we played hard from start to finish. There were a few mistakes we made and if we hadn’t made them we might be holding the wheel right now. I made a few bad calls and maybe those made the difference. Either way it was a heck of a game and you’ve got nothing to feel bad about, everyone of you left it all on the field and that’s what counts. Today’s game ball goes to the whole offensive line for leading the way for 286 team rushing yards. Great job hogs. Bring it in guys. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”

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Stats
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Frye 7/18 142yds INT

Ringer 24/170 TD
Basch 17/116 2TD

Ellington 3/48
Hixon 2/45
Stockton 1/39
Basch 1/10

Fuller 4T 2TFL
Stockton 2T DEF
Porter 2T DEF
Blackburn 2T 1TFL 1S
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Akron 07-03-07-07 24
Kent St 07-07-00-14 28
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Press Conference is Open
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Senior Center Jim Borrieci has been suspended for 2 games for missing exams and then lying about why the exams were missed. Freshman Jim Holley will start in his place.
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October 2nd Akron #69 (3-1) at Northern Illinois #64 (3-1) 12:30pm MAC Game
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We needed to rebound from last weeks devastating loss. This one counted in the MAC again so a win would bump us back up to .500. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 22. We took the field on defense. They tried a sweep but Earl dropped them for a loss of two yards. They tried a quick slant and Nick was there to break it up. On third and 12 they tried a screen but I was there to make the tackle for a loss of four yards. Nick went back to return the kick. He brought it out to their 41. Frye led out the troops. Ringer carried the ball for a gain of three yards. Basch carried for a gain of eight yards and a first down. Frye overthrew Basch. Ringer carried for a gain of 17 and another first down at their 13. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer bounced outside and got all the way down to the one yard line before he was tackled. Basch got the carry and the touchdown. Swiger made the point after and it was 7-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 26. We headed back out on defense. They threw deep and the only one there was Elie. He picked it off easily and we took over on our 39. Frye hit Ellington over the middle down to their 39. Basch carried the ball for a gain of six yards. Ringer ran for a gain of seven yards and a first down at their 26. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for five yards. Basch carried again for seven yards and a first down at their 14. Frye threw incomplete to the endzone. Ringer carried for a gain of a yard. Another incompletion brought Swiger out. The kick from 30 yards out split the uprights and made the score 10-0. We kicked off. They returned the kick out to their 26 and we took the field on defense. They completed a pass for 18 yards and a first down. They tried a sweep and Fuller dropped the back for no gain. They went deep again and Elie came down with the jump ball, he returned it out a ways and we took over on our 19 as the quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

Ringer ran for five yards. Ringer ran again for a gain of 13 and a first down. Frye threw incomplete. Basch ran for seven yards. On third and three from our 44 Ringer gained four yards and another first down. Frye went deep to Hixon but he couldn’t come down with it. Ringer carried for 10 and made it third down and inches. Coach decided to take a chance, go deep on third down and if we don’t get it run for the first down on fourth and inches. I liked the gutsy call. Frye fired deep and to his right and Ellington made the catch at their seven yard line. Ringer pounded it in for another TD. Swiger made the kick and it was 17-0. They returned the kick out to their 23. We headed back out on defense. A nice pass gain and a five yard facemask put them on their 47 with a fresh set of downs. They ran and Blackburn made the stop after a gain of a yard. They ran again and coughed up the ball but they recovered it. On third down and six they tried to pass but Earl batted it down. They brought out the punter and Nick headed back to return it. We took over on our 18. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of 10. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of five. Frye hit Ellington again for a gain of 14. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for 10 yards. We had the ball third and inches at their 43 with :35 on the clock. Frye went deep to the endzone and found Ellington for another score. Swiger made the point after and it was 24-0. They returned the kick off to their 30. They swept to their right for a gain of two. They called a time out with :20 on the clock. Their QB couldn’t get the pass away and just barely avoided the sack. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of three. The half came to a close.

Halftime
At halftime Coach pretty much just told us to keep it up and hopefully we could get some reserves in the game.

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick off. The kick went to Nick and he returned it 15 yards out to our 25. Ringer carried for a gain of nine yards. Basch carried for no gain. Ringer carried for no gain. On fourth and one from our 34 Coach sent out the punt team. They took over on their 43. They ran a QB draw for a gain of five. LeFall made a stop in the backfield for a loss of three. On third and eight they tried a play action but Blackburn was in for the sack and a loss of six yards. They punted. Nick returned it out to our 43. Ringer bounced off a tackler in the back field and took it for 20 yards. Ringer carried for four. Frye’s pass was batted down. Frye hit Basch for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at their 22. Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried for 10 and another first down at their 10. Frye threw to the endzone but it was batted down. Ringer carried for five. Basch carried for four and it was fourth and goal on their one yard line. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Swiger hit the chip shot and we were up 27-0. They brought the kick off out to their 26. They ran for a gain of two yards. They threw incomplete. On third and eight from their 28 they threw incomplete. They punted. We took over on our 39. Coach sent in the second team offense. Nedd carried for a gain of 18. Arthur found Kasparek down the right sideline for a gain of 28 yards. Nedd took it to the house from 15 yards out. Swiger made the score 34-0. We kicked off. They took over on their 23. We headed back out on defense. Coach sent the second team D in. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of four. They tried a QB keeper but White stopped it for no gain. They came out to punt. Goodwin fumbled the punt but we recovered. We took over on our 40. Greer carried for a gain of three yards. Nedd carried for a gain of four yards. Arthur scrambled for a gain of 15 and stepped out of bounds. Greer carried for a gain of eight. Nedd carried for a gain of 21 down to their nine yard line. Greer rumbled for the TD. Swiger hit the kick to make it 41-0. They took over on their 28 after the kick off. They ran for no gain. They ran for five yards. They ran again for no gain. They punted and we took over on our 37 with :43 on the clock. Nedd carried for four yards. Arthur took a knee and the clock ran out. We headed to the locker room and Coach addressed the team.
“Great game guys. Offense played outstanding, defense played outstanding. Way to bounce back from the last game. Today’s game ball goes to the entire defense for holding them to a total of 40 offensive yards. Great job guys. Bring it in. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 7/17 140yds TD
Arthur 1/1 28yds

Ringer 18/142 TD
Nedd 5/62 TD
Basch 8/35 TD
Greer 3/20 TD
Arthur 2/13

Ellington 5/124 TD
Basch 1/11
Kasparek 1/28
Hixon 1/5

LeFall 3T 1TFL 1FF
Blackburn 3T 2TFL 2S
Yeow 3T
Porter 3T 1TFL
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Akron 10-14-00-17 41
NIU 00-00-00-00 00
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Press Conference is Open.
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Senior Defensive Dwayne LeFall has been suspended for the first quarter in Saturday’s game against Buffalo for skipping a class. Sophomore Mike Berry will start in his place.
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October 9th Akron #62 (4-1[1-1]) vs Buffalo #87 (3-2[3-0]) 12:30pm
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It was good to get back home after a three game road trip. Buffalo is undefeated in MAC games so far this season. After today that won’t be the case. Coach has installed a new package in the I formation designed to emphasize power running. He has Kasparek at tight end, Dennis Basch moves to fullback and Dan Basch goes to tailback. It should be an exciting set. They won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They brought the return out to their 26. They completed a pass for a gain of just three. They ran a counter for seven yards and a first down at their 36. They tried a play action but I wasn’t even close to fooled. I went up for the jump ball and came down with it in my possession. We took over on our 33. Coach sent in the powerful new set on first down and Dan Basch ran for four yards. On second down Ringer ran for a gain of 11. Tim Crouch was hurt on the play and he headed for the sidelines. Frye dropped back to pass and no one was open, he took off down the sideline and gained 25 before he was pushed out. On first and 10 at the 27 we got called for a delay. Ringer gained four on the ground. Frye threw to the endzone but the pass was deflected and fell incomplete. The medical staff let us know that Crouch had a sprained wrist and he would return. Frye hit Ellington across the middle for a gain of seven. On fourth and two from the 19 Coach made the safe call and sent out Swiger. The kick was good and we took the lead 3-0. They returned the kick off to their 27. They ran for a gain of five yards. They completed a pass for four and it brought up third and one. They got four yards and a first down on a sweep. They completed another pass for six yards. They completed another pass for a gain of 19 all the way down to out 35. Another completion brought them to our 25. The first quarter came to an end.

2nd Quarter

They ran the ball for a gain of 13. Gardner busted through the line and broke up a play for a loss of two. They tried a sweep but I made the tackle for a loss of one. They went to the endzone on third down and it fell incomplete. They sent out their kicker to try for a tie. The kick was good and it tied the score at three points each. Nick and I went back to return the kick off. Nick returned the kick 22 yards to our 30. Ringer carried for three yards. Frye threw towards Hixon but it was incomplete. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of 19. Ringer carried for a gain of seven. Frye threw to Montgomery incomplete. Ringer carried again for a gain of seven and a first down at their 34. Ringer took a direct snap and ran for nine yards. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of 16 and another first down at their nine yard line. With the play clock running low we had to burn a timeout. Frye had a pass batted down. Basch carried for a gain of three. Ringer carried and lost a yard. Swiger came back out to try for the lead. He hit the 24 yard attempt from the left hash and made the score 6-3. They brought out kick off out to their 27 with :55 on the clock. They threw an incomplete pass. They threw another incomplete pas and it was third and 10 at their 27 with :48 on the clock. Earl made a play in the backfield and we called a timeout. They punted. Nick returned it 17 yards to their 49. Frye wanted it all on first down and he went deep to Ellington who caught it in the endzone. Swiger made the kick and we were up 13-3. They took over on their 24 with :26 on the clock. They ran for no gain. They let the clock run out to end the half.

Halftime

Coach pretty much just told us to keep doing what we were doing in the second half.

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick 18 yards to our 26. Frye threw deep to Ellington but it was incomplete. Ringer carried for no gain. Frye threw to Montgomery and the ball was tipped, then tipped again Montgomery made the catch for a gain of 14. Ringer ran for a gain of three yards. Frye got sacked for a loss of eight. Frye went deep to Ellington again but it was incomplete. We punted. They took over on their 34. They tried a receiver screen but I was there and I lit up the receiver for a loss of one yard. The next pass was incomplete. Another pass came my way and I batted it down. Nick went back to return the kick. He brought it back to their 45. Ringer carried for a yard. Basch ran for a gain of five. Frye got sacked. We punted. They took over on their nine. They tried another screen and Agyeman dropped the receiver for a loss of two. They completed a long pass out to their 42. Agyeman broke up a pass. Another pass was incomplete. Another incomplete pass brought out their punter. Nick brought it out 16 yards to our 34. Ringer ran for a gain of four. Ringer carried again for a gain of two. The quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Ringer carried for four yards and a first down. Frye scrambled for eight yards. Ringer carried for a gain of 10. Frye hit Ellington and he turned on the jets and dove into the endzone. Swiger hit the point after to make it 20-3. They took over at their 24 after the kick off. They completed a pass out to their 37. They threw a pass that looked like it was tipped at least a dozen times and LeFall finally came down with it. We took over at our 42. Ringer ran for four yards. Ringer swept left for a gain of 12 yards. Ringer carried again for a gain of four. Dan Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried again but only got a yard. On fourth down and three from their 35 we punted. We downed the ball at their 14. They threw an incomplete pass. They threw one over every ones head and the receiver jogged into the endzone. The point after made it 20-10. They came out to attempt an onside kick. Ellington caught it and we took possession at their 41. Ringer carried for a gain of two. They called a time out. Ringer carried for a gain of 6 and they called another time out. Ringer carried for five yards and a first down. Ringer carried again for a gain of seven. Ringer carried for no gain and they used their final timeout with 1:06 on the clock. Ringer carried for a gain of two. On fourth and inches at their 18 coach sent in the big boy formation. Fry handed off to Dennis Basch who carried for a gain of four yards. Dan Basch carried for a gain of three and we ran out the clock. We headed back to the locker room. Coach addressed the team.
“Good conference win men, we did a lot of things well. Today’s game ball goes to Morris Ellington with 4 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Bring it in guys. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”

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Stats
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Frye 6/12 145YRDS 2TD

Ringer 24/108
Dan Basch 5/17
Frye 4/15
Dennis Basch 1/4

Ellington 4/115 2TD
Montgomery 1/14
Hixon 1/16

Porter 4T 2TFL 1INT 2DEF
Agyeman 3T 1TFL 3DEF
Rohr 3T
Fuller 3T
Clark 2T
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Press Conference is Open
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[djp73]

Akron #55 (5-1[2-1]) at UCF #115 (0-5[0-2]) 12:30pm MAC Game
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It sure seemed like we had been on the road a lot so far this season. We had played six games so far and four of them were away, today would be the seventh overall and the fifth road game. It will be nice to be home for the majority of the second half of the season though. UCF didn’t look very good on paper, but we all knew the danger in overlooking any opponent. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 22 yard line. On first down Henry came on the corner blitz and dropped their QB for a loss of nine yards. Outstanding pass coverage led to another sack on their QB this time by Radich for a loss of seven yards. On third and 26 from their six yard line they completed a pass out to the 31 and brought up a fourth down and one. They sent out the punt team. Our offense took over on our 37. On first down Frye went deep to Ellington but it went out of bounds. Frye threw again incomplete on second down. Frye threw incomplete again and we punted. They took over on their 30. Their QB was hit as he threw and the pass was incomplete. They threw a bad pass and Fuller was there for the interception. He returned it back to their 10 and the offense took over. Ringer carried for a gain of three. Basch carried for a four yard gain down to the three yard line. Ringer got the call but he was stopped at the one. Coach decided to go for it since if we didn’t score it would put our defense in a great position to score. The Basch and Basch formation was called on. Dennis Basch got the carry and he coughed up the ball. They recovered and took over on their two yard line. They tried to run and Blackburn dropped the runningback for a loss of a yard. Another run attempt was stopped in the endzone by Gardner and we were on the scoreboard first. Nick and I went back to return the punt and it went out of bounds on our 48. Dan Basch carried for a gain of nine yards. Frye went deep to Montgomery but he couldn’t hang on to the ball. Ringer pounded for a gain of two and a fresh set of downs. Basch carried for five yards. Frye scrambled for a gain of five to make it third and inches. Ringer pounded ahead for three yards and another first down. We let the first quarter come to a close.

2nd Quarter

Frye went deep but the batted ball fell incomplete. Ringer carried for five yards. Frye hit Dennis Basch for a gain of 20 down to their three. Ringer gained a yard. Ringer carried again and finished the drive off with a touchdown. Swiger made it 9-0 with the kick. They returned the kick out to their 46. They went deep and Elie tipped the ball, I snatched it out of the air and returned it out to our 39. The offense took over there. Frye took off running for a gain of 31. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer lost 3 yards. Frye threw incomplete again and it was fourth and 13 on their 33. We punted. We downed the ball on their eight yard line but a kick catch interference penalty put the on their 23. They completed a pass for a gain of six. They threw a quick pass but Nick was there on the tackle and stopped it after a gain of just one yard. Radich stopped their run after a gain of two and they sent out the punt team. Nick returned the punt to our 33. Ringer carried for five. Basch carried for almost five more and it was third and inches. Ringer carried for just enough. Frye carried for three. Frye hit Hixon down to their 25 and we called a time out with :12 on the clock. Frye fired to the endzone incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of eight and centered the ball for Swiger. We called a time out with :02 on the clock. Swiger came on to try from 34 yards, he made the score 12-0 as time ran out in the half.

Halftime

“Ok guys all we have to do is play good defense and keep running the ball with some success and we’ll be all set in the second half. Keep it up and let’s get another W.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return, it came to me and I brought it back 19 yards to our 27. Basch carried for a gain of six. Ringer carried for six more. Ringer bounced outside for a gain of 18. We got called for a delay of game due to some personnel confusion. Coach sent in Nick at HB for a few plays because Nedd wasn’t paying attention on the sidelines, that was the reason for the delay of game. Nick got a toss but a lack of blocking led to a loss of five yards. Nick carried again and lost another yard. I could tell he was tired, so wasn’t our offensive line. Frye threw incomplete and we punted. They returned the kick out to their 20. They tried to run off tackle but LeFall stopped it after a yard. Another run was stopped after a yard by Henry. Gardner broke through fast for a sack and they decided to punt. Our offense took over on our 46. Basch carried for 13 yards. Ringer carried for four yards. Ringer carried again for 14 yards. Ringer ran for five yards and fumbled but Basch recovered it. The third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Basch carried for a gain of eight yards. Ringer carried for two yards down to the eight. Ringer bounced it outside and put another six points on the score board. Swiger made it 19-0. They returned the kick off out to their 21. They tried a screen play but lost two yards. LeFall hit their QB as he tried to throw and the ball fell incomplete. LeFall got there again and managed a sack this time. They punted and Nick returned it to their 36. Ringer carried for four yards. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch carried for five and another first down. Frye tried to hit Ellington on a slant but the tipped ball was picked off. They took over at their 10. Coach asked me to play LOLB for this series. On first down they threw incomplete. On second down it was another incompletion. Blackburn got to the QB again for a sack and a loss of seven yards. They sent out the punt team. Our offense took over on their 25 with 2:30 on the clock. More than half of their fans had left the stadium. I thought about how hard it would be to be 0-6 like they would be soon. Losing one game was bad enough for me. Ringer carried for 17 yards down to their eight. Basch waltzed in and Swiger made the kick to put us up 26-0. They took over at their 24. LeFall stopped the run for no gain. Another run ended in a loss of a yard. They completed a pass out to their 45 and called a time out with :58 on the clock. Their QB gained two yards on a run and another time out was called. Agyeman batted down a pass. They completed another pass for 17 yards against soft coverage. Another pass was incomplete. They ran a draw for seven yards and Nick laid a huge hit on the runningback. The gun sounded and the game came to a close. We headed into the locker room and Coach addressed the team briefly. “Hey guys good win here but the competition was certainly lacking. Game ball goes to the entire Defense for holding their offense to just 47 total yards. Bring it in men. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 2/12 48YDS

Ringer 21/108 2TD
Basch 9/63 TD
Frye 3/39

Basch 1/20
Hixon 1/28

Blackburn 4T 2TFL S
LeFall 3T 2TFL S DEF
Radich 3T 2TFL S
Henry 3T 1TFL S
Stockton 2T
Gardner 2T 2TFL
Porter 1T INT
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Akron 02-10-00-14 26
UCF 00-00-00-00 00
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Press Conference is open.
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Akron #51 (6-1[3-1]) vs Ball State #97 (3-4[2-2]) 6pm MAC Game
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We were finally back home. It was good to be playing in front of the home crowd. It was good to hear cheers instead of the boos we had become accustomed to. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick to their 30. They ran for a gain of eight. They ran again for a gain of two and a first down. They tried to run but Gardner was in the backfield quick, he dropped their runningback for a loss of three yards. Blackburn picked up a sack mostly due to the pass coverage. On third and 19 they completed a screen but Agyeman stopped it for a loss. We were called for an inadvertent face mask but they still had to punt on fourth and 14. The offense took over at our 35. Ringer carried for no gain. Ringer broke one for a gain of 12. Frye hit Montgomery for a gain of five yards. Ringer took a direct snap out of shotgun and ran for four yards. Basch carried for three yards and a first down. Ringer carried for eight yards. Frye threw to Basch but the pass was picked off. They took over on their 28. Agyeman broke up a pass but we were flagged for roughing the passer. They tried to run and LeFall made the tackle for no gain. They tried to go deep but the pass was incomplete. They completed a pass for 11 yards and a first down at our 46. They tried a screen but Nick was there to break it up. They tried to pass again and it was another incompletion. On third and 10 they completed a pass all the way down to our20 and the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

They called my favorite play, a safety blitz. I stayed back in my normal alignment to try not to give it away. They snapped the ball and I took off. Their tight end merely brushed me as I ran past him the runningback didn’t even try to block me and I had a free shot at the QB. Down he went for a loss of five. They completed a pass for eight yards. On third and seven they ran the ball, the runningback coughed it up and Nick was there to recover. The offense took over on our 10. Ringer carried for a gain of seven yards. Ringer carried again for a yard. Basch carried for a gain of six yards and a first down. Frye had a pass batted down at the line. Another pass was tipped. On third and 10 Frye was picked off again. They took over on our 26. on first down they ran a QB draw for two yards. They tried to run off tackle and Blackburn stopped it after a yard. On third and seven they completed a pass down to our six yard line. They completed another pass to our two. They tried a sweep and Rohr stopped it after a yard. On third and goal from the one they tried a reverse but Gardner stopped it for a loss of three yards. Their field goal attempt was no good and we had dodged a very big bullet. We took over on our 20. Ringer ran for a yard. Frye hit Hixon on a crossing pattern and it was off to the races. Hixon turned on the jets big time and scampered into the endzone to score on a 79 yard pass for a touchdown. Swiger hit the point after to make it 7-0. They returned the kick to their 22. Nick broke up a pass on first down. They ran for a gain of seven. The gun sounded to end the half.

Halftime

Coach told us we were playing great defensively and that the offense was doing well. He figured one more TD would be enough to seal the deal.

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back for the kick. I caught it just behind the 15 and returned it out to the 31. Frye hit Ellington fore a gain of 22 yards down to their 47. Ringer carried for two. Ringer carried again for a yard. Frye tried to force a pass and he was picked off yet again. They fumbled but recovered after a loss of four yards. They threw incomplete. They went deep again and it was incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. We tried to lay off it but a bad bounce hit one of our players and they recovered it on our 24. Once again it was time to go to work on defense. They ran for a gain of 11. “LETS GO DEFENSE” shouted LeFall. Blackburn nailed their QB as he threw and the pass fell incomplete. Their QB didn’t get up and they sent in the backup. They ran for two yards. They completed a pass for three yards. On fourth and five from our eight yard line kicked a field goal, our defense had held them again with our backs against the wall. Hopefully the offense could do something this time. The kick came to me and I returned it 14 yards to our 27. Ringer found a huge hole in the middle on a dive play and he didn’t stop until he was in the endzone. Swiger hit the kick and made it 14-3. They returned the kick to their 28. They tried a run but Shippy dropped the RB for a loss of two. Shippy busted up another run play for a loss of two yards. On third and 14 they went deep but Elie was there to break up the pass. Nick went back to return the kick. Our offense took over on our 48. Ringer bounced outside for a gain of 16 yards. Ringer carried again for seven yards. Frye handed off to Ringer again and he ran for a gain of three and a first down. We let the clock run down the final seconds of the third quarter.

4th Quarter

Ringer took another handoff and ran for 10 yards. On first and 10 form their 16 Basch carried for a gain of four. Basch carried again for two more yards. Ringer carried for a gain of two. On fourth and one at the seven Swiger hit a field goal to make it 17-3. They took over at their 14 after the kick off. They ran for a gain of six yards. They completed a pass to their 34 and went no huddle. Agyeman batted away a pass. We were informed by the trainer that their QB had broken his collarbone and would miss the rest of the season. They threw incomplete again. On third and ten they threw incomplete again. Everyone in the stadium knew they would be going for it on fourth down. They threw a pass and it sailed out of bounds. Our offense took over on their 34. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer bounced outside for a gain if 14 yards. Basch carried down to their three yard line. They called a time out. Basch carried again and rumbled into the endzone. Swiger made it 24-3. They took over on their 21. Gardner got through their line for a sack. They went deep and completed a pass down to our 33. They went no huddle. They completed another pass down to our 10. Their QB threw out of bounds. Nick broke up a pass to the endzone. They completed a pass into the endzone. They missed the point after and it was 24-9. They tried an onside kick. We recovered but were called for clipping. We took over on our 42 with :39 left on the clock. Ringer ran for seven and they called a time out. Ringer carried for two more yards and they called another time out, their last. Basch carried for a gain of five yards. We let the clock run out and we headed to the locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Hey guys, another good conference win. Game ball goes to Ringer with 19 carries for 174 yards and a TD. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 3/8 106YDS TD 3INT

Ringer 19/174 TD
Basch 7/37 TD

Montgomery 1/5
Ellington 1/22
Hixon 1/79 TD

Porter 5T 1TFL S DEF
Rohr 3T
Gardner 3T 3TFL S
Earl 2T DEF
Fuller 2T DEF
LeFall 2T 1TFL DEF
Blackburn 2T 1TFL S
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Ball St. 00-00-03-06 09
Akron 00-07-07-10 24
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Press Conference is Open.
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Bye Week Stat Spectacle
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-Team Stats-
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Frye 47/110 1029YDS 6TD 7INT

Ringer 128/804 6TD
Basch 71/401 9TD
Nedd 24/165 3TD

Hixon 15/357 2TD
Ellington 14/364 3TD
Basch 8/169
Montgomery 7/82 TD

Porter 24T 4TFL S 3INT 5DEF
LeFall 17T 8TFL S INT 2DEF FF
Blackburn 17T 9TFL 7S DEF
Fuller 16T 3TFL INT 3DEF
Yeow 15T TFL DEF
Rohr 13T TFL INT DEF FF
Gardner 13T 8TFL S SAF
Stockton 12T TFL INT 9DEF FR
Earl 11T 3TFL 4DEF
Agyeman 11T 3TFL 11DEF
Henry 11T TFL S 2DEF

Swiger 10/13 FG 25/25 XP
Sullivan 14/508 Punting

Stockton 16.3 YD KR AVE
Porter 16 YD KR AVE

Stockton 9.4 YD PR AVE
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-MAC Standings-
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Toledo 7-2 6-0
NIU 7-2 5-1
Marshall 5-3 4-1
Kent State 5-3 4-1
Akron 7-1 4-1
Buffalo 4-4 4-2
Bowling Green 4-4 3-2
Miami (OH) 4-4 3-3
W. Michigan 2-5 2-3
Ball State 3-6 2-4
C. Michigan 2-6 1-4
E. Michigan 2-6 0-5
UCF 0-8 0-5
Ohio 1-8 0-6
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Top 25
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Coaches’ Poll
1 Tennessee
2 Ohio St.
3 Nebraska
4 Oklahoma
5 Florida St.
6 USC
7 Florida
8 Auburn
9 Georgia Tech
10 Wake Forrest
11 Texas
12 Georgia
13 Texas A&M
14 West Virginia
15 Louisville
16 Kansas St.
17 Maryland
18 Alabama
19 Arizona St.
20 Michigan
21 Cal
22 Virginia
23 Southern Miss
24 Missouri
25 UCLA

Media Poll
1 Tennessee
2 Ohio St.
3 Nebraska
4 Oklahoma
5 Florida St.
6 USC
7 Wake Forrest
8 Florida
9 Auburn
10 Georgia Tech
11 Texas
12 Georgia
13 Arizona St.
14 Texas A&M
15 Maryland
16 Kansas St.
17 Michigan
18 Cal
19 UCLA
20 Louisville
21 Arizona
22 Clemson
23 Penn St.
24 Boise St.
25 Oregon St.
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Heisman Watch
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R. Brown HB Auburn SR 230/1340 15TD, 22/259 2TD
K. Lumpkin HB Georgia SO 169/1017 9TD, 23/291 7TD
L. Washington HB Florida St. JR 155/940, 21/327 12TD
C. Leak QB Florida SO 137/227 2290YDS 31TD
C. Ross HB Nebraska JR 109/640 4TD, 22/333 8TD
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November 5th Akron #37 (7-1[4-1]) vs Marshall #63 (5-3[4-1]) 8pm MAC Game
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We were well rested. A win tonight will move us up in the conference. Gotta love it under the lights. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 31. They went deep down the sideline for a score before we could even blink. If it stayed like this all night it would be a long game. They made the point after and it was 7-0. Nick returned the kick out to our 18. Ringer carried for six yards but a clipping penalty brought it back. Basch ran for four yards. Frye’s pass was batted down. Another incompletion brought up fourth and 13 and we punted. They took over on our 46. They completed a screen for no gain. They completed another screen but LeFall made the tackle for a loss of a yard. Their pass was tipped and fell incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. Out offense took over on our 19. Ringer carried for a gain of 12. Basch carried for four yards. Ringer carried for a gain of six and a first down. Ringer carried again for six more yards. Frye hit Hixon all the way down at their nine yard line. Ringer pounded down to the one. Basch was stuffed for no gain. Ringer was stuffed for no gain. On fourth and goal from the one we went for it. Dennis Basch got the carry and he rumbled into the endzone. Swiger made the kick and tied it up. They took over on their 22 after the kick. They threw incomplete and the quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

They completed a pass for five yards. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of seven. On fourth and 12 they punted. Our offense took over at our 44. Ringer bounced outside for a gain of 15. Ringer carried again for three yards. Ringer carried for nine yards and a first down. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of five. Ringer carried again down to their nine. Basch walked into the endzone basically untouched. Swiger hit the kick to make it 14-7. They took over on their 23. LeFall busted through and dropped the QB for a loss of six. They threw incomplete. On third and 16 they threw incomplete again. Our offense took over at their 42. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of five. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of two. On fourth and three from their 35 we decided it was too long for a field goal so we went for it. Ringer carried for a gain of two and we were back on defense. They completed a pass for 10 yards. They threw incomplete. Blackburn broke through the line and dropped their QB for a loss of seven. After the hit the QB went to the sidelines and the backup came in. Blackburn broke through again and sacked the new QB for a loss of seven. The first half came to an end.

Halftime

“Defense, way to step it up after the early touchdown, keep it up and we’ll have another big W” said Coach.

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off out to our 27. Ringer carried for a gain of two. Ringer carried again for four more. Ringer carried again for a gain of nine. Basch carried for a gain of 10 and another first down. Basch carried again for a gain of nine yards. Basch carried again for a gain of four. Ringer carried for a gain of 14 down to their 21. Ringer carried again for six yards. Basch carried for 13 down to their two yard line. Ringer carried and lost a yard. Frye found Basch in the back corner of the endzone for another TD. Swiger hit the point after and it was 21-7. They returned the kick off out to their 26. They threw incomplete. They tried to run and got dropped for a loss of a yard. Another pass attempt was batted at the line and fell incomplete. Our offense took over at our 43. Ringer carried for eight. Frye hit Basch for a gain of seven. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Frye hit Hixon for a gain of six. Ringer ran for a gain two. Ringer carried for another first down. Frye’s pass was tipped and fell incomplete. Basch carried for a gain of 10. Ringer carried for a gain of 11. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer carried to the six. Basch carried to the one. We did the safe thing and Swiger made it 24-7. They took over on their 24 with 2:04 on the clock. They completed a pass for seven yards. They went no huddle and threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On fourth and 3 from their 31 they went for it. They got us with the direct snap and picked up seven yards and a first down. They went right back into the no huddle. They ran the same play for a gain of two. Another run got them out to our 46. They stayed with the no huddle. Another run got them down to the 36 with a fourth and inches. They threw deep and it was like he was throwing to me, I made the easy pick and our offense took over on our eight. Basch carried for eight. Basch carried again for two and a first down. Ringer carried for 12 and we let the clock run out. We headed into the locker room and Coach addressed the team. “We’re on a roll guys, great win. Today the game ball goes to Blackburn with three sacks. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Frye 6/10 70YDS TD

Ringer 24/152
Dan Basch 12/78 TD
Dennis Basch 1/1 TD

Hixon 3/55
Basch 2/10 TD
Ellington 1/5

Blackburn 3T 3TFL 3S
Pace 3T
Gardner 2T 1TFL
Nelson 2T DEF
LeFall 2T 2TFL S
Porter T INT
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Press Conference is open.

[djp73]

November 13th Akron #30 (8-1[5-1]) @ Ohio #119 (1-9[0-7]) 12:30pm MAC Game
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On paper it looked like smooth sailing for us. Coach told us we would be passing the ball much more today than we had been. Once again we knew the danger in overlooking any opponent. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 26. They tried an option and LeFall dropped the RB for no gain. I dropped the RB for a loss of four on another option attempt. Their QB scrambled for nine yards but they still had to punt. Nick was pushed out at their 35 on the return. Frye hit Ellington to their 20. Ringer carried for a gain of five yards. Basch carried for two more yards. Ringer carried for a gain of five and they tacked on a facemask to put us on their four. Frye hit Ellington in the endzone for six. Swiger made it seven. They tried a reverse and lost a yard. They ran the option and I drilled the RB, he coughed it up ad we recovered on their 28. Frye hit Hixon to their six yard line. Frye’s pass was batted down. Frye hit Basch in the endzone. Swiger hit the kick and made it 14-0. They took over at their 28. They tried the option again but LeFall was in there before the QB could get going for a loss of a yard. Earl stopped the RB for a loss of three on another option. The QB scrambled for eight yards and they punted.

2nd Quarter

We took over on our 48. Basch carried for seven. Frye’s pass was incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of two. We went for it on fourth and one. Basch carried for a gain of four and a first down. Frye threw incomplete. Dennis Basch carried for a gain of four yards. Frye hit Hixon down to their 18. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of two yards. Frye hit Hixon to their three yard line. We got called for a delay and moved back to the eight. Frye hit Hixon in the end zone and Swiger hit the extra point to make it 21-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 20. LeFall broke up an option by hitting the QB and Nick dropped the RB for a loss of six. Their QB was grasping his arm and he headed for the sidelines. They completed a pass for six yards. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of three more yards. On fourth and 13 they punted. Nick returned the punt 31 yards to their 19. Frye’s pass to the endzone was tipped. Ringer ran for five yards. Frye found Hixon in the endzone, Swiger hit to put us on top 28-0 with :13 left in the half. They returned the kick to their 20. Radich made the tackle for a loss of two yards and the half ended.

Halftime

Coach told us we would be playing some of the reserves in the second half and to have fun.

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick 18 yards to our 32. Ringer carried for a gain of four. The trainer told us their QB would be out for the remainder of the game. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of 22 to their 42. Frye’s pass was picked off and they took over on their 35. They ran a reverse for five yards. Radich dropped their QB for a loss of three on the option attempt. Their deep pass went out of bounds and they punted again. Nick returned the punt 20 yards to our 49. Frye aired it out and Ellington made the catch in the endzone. The kick made it 35-0. They took over on their 24. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of two. They tried to run and Blackburn stopped them for no gain. They completed a pass to their 41 for a first down. They ran for no gain. They ran for three yards. Nick tipped a pass and it fell incomplete. They punted. Nick returned the punt all the way to the endzone. Swiger kicked to make it 42-0. We kicked off again and they took over on their 25. They ran for two yards. They ran a reverse for a gain of a yard. They tried another option and LeFall made the tackle after a gain of two. They punted again. Nick gave me déjà vu with another TD return. The kick made the score 49-0. The quarter ended and the stands emptied.

4th Quarter

They took over at their 21. They ran for a gain of four. They ran again for no gain. Another option resulted in a fumble and a loss of four. They punted again. Nick returned it to their 43. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of five. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of seven. Ringer carried again for five yards. Ringer carried yet again for four yards. Ringer carried for six more yards. Ringer carried for 14 down to their two yard line. Frye hit Ellington for another touchdown. Swiger made it 56-0. They took over at their 21. They ran option for a gain of 11 yards. They ran for a yard. They tried another option and Earl stopped it for a loss of three. They threw incomplete. On fourth and 12 they punted. Nick returned it to their 48. Ringer carried for two. Ringer carried again for 11. Ringer lost a yard. Ringer carried for seven. Ringer carried for 13 more and the final gun sounded. We headed to the locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Great job out there today guys. Defense amazing job, holding any team to less than 50 total offensive yards is quite an accomplishment and a shut out is always nice. Offensive line great pass blocking today, we passed a lot more than normal. The receivers did a great job today. Today’s game ball goes to Charlie Frye with six passing touchdowns, way to step it up son. Bring it in men. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 12/19 180YDS 6TD INT

Ringer 16/90
Dan Basch 3/13
Dennis Basch 1/4

Hixon 6/79 2TD
Ellington 5/95 3TD
Basch 1/6 TD

Radich 6T 3TFL
Earl 5T 3TFL
Gardner 3T 2TFL S FF
Howe 3T
Porter 3T TFL FF
Blackburn 3T 3TFL 2S

Stockton 8PR 225YDS 2TD
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Akron 14-14-21-07 56
Ohio 00-00-00-00 00
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Press Conference is Open
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November 20th Akron #24 (9-1[6-1]) vs Miami of Ohio #67 (4-5[4-3]) 6pm
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This is our final conference game of the year. The crowd is pretty solid tonight. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick to their 26. They threw incomplete on first down. LeFall broke through and dropped their QB for a loss of six. They tried a screen but Agyeman dropped it for a loss of three. They punted. Nick returned the punt to their 41. Basch carried for nine yards. Ringer carried for a gain of seven yards. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of four yards. Frye hit Hixon down to their one yard line. Ringer punched it in. Swiger made it 7-0. They returned the kick off to their 31. Blackburn got to the QB for another sack for us. They threw a pass and after about the third tip Nick came down with it. He took off down the sideline toward the endzone. He made it to their eight yard line before he was pushed out of bounds. Frye was hit as he threw and he fumbled, Borrieci was there and fell on the ball at their 15. Frye threw incomplete. Frye threw incomplete but there was a pass interference call on them at the four. We got a fresh set of downs. Frye hit Hixon in the endzone. Swiger made it 14-0. They returned the kick to their 25 but a facemask on us brought them out to their 40. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of one yard. They threw incomplete but got a pass interference call on us. They got a first down at our 45. They completed a pass down to our 14 and we got called for roughing the passer to move them to our seven. “Are we trying to give them points” LeFall said in the huddle. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They fooled us on a direct snap to the RB and scored easily. They made the point after to make it 14-7. Nick and I went back to return the kick off. I returned the kick off 18 yards to our 26. Ringer carried for a gain of 11 yards. Ringer carried again for a gain of 15. The first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Frye hit Ellington for a gain of 17 yards. Ringer carried for a gain of four. Ringer carried for two. Frye got hit for a sack and a loss of six. We punted. The ball went in to the endzone for a touchback. They passed for five yards. They ran for a gain of 15. They ran again for a gain of 30 yards. LeFall told us to get our heads in the game. They ran a screen for a loss of four yards. They tried a toss but Rohr dropped the RB for a loss of three. They completed a pass for four yards. On fourth and 13 they punted. It went into the endzone and we took over on our 20. Ringer carried for 10 yards. Ringer carried again for no gain. Ringer carried for nine. Frye kept and carried for a gain of five. We called a time out with :30 in the half. Frye threw incomplete. Frye threw incomplete again. Frye hit Ellington all the way down to their three yard line and we called another time out with :15 left in the half. Ringer carried for a yard and we used our final time out to stop the clock with :11 left in the first half. Swiger hit the 19 yard attempt from the right hash to make it 17-7. They fumbled the kick return and we recovered on their 25. With just :02 left in the half Swiger jogged out onto the field again. The kick was short and we headed to halftime.

Halftime

Coach told us we were playing well and if we stopped shooting ourselves in the foot we would win again.

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return. I returned it 17 yards out to our 25. Ringer carried for three yards. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of 14. Ringer carried for a gain of 17. Frye hit Ellington for a gain of seven. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of 13 and a fresh set of downs at their 19. Frye threw incomplete. Basch ran for a gain of five. On third and five at their 14 Ringer ran for a gain of one but centered the ball. Swiger made it 20-7. They returned our kick to their 24. They threw incomplete. They ran option for a gain of three. They threw deep and Elie picked it off. We took over on their 49. Basch carried for 10 yards. Ringer carried for five. Ringer carried again for two yards. Basch carried for a gain of 11 yards. Dennis Basch carried for a gain of nine. Dan Basch carried for six yards down to their six and the third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Frye’s pass to the endzone was tipped. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch ran into the endzone untouched and Swiger made it 27-7. We kicked off. They returned the kick to their 27. They ran for a yard. They ran again for two yards. They ran a screen for a gain of five. On fourth and two they went for it and completed a three yard pass. They tried a QB keeper and gained a yard. They ran a screen for two yards. On third and seven they threw incomplete. On fourth and seven they went for it and threw incomplete again. We took over on their 41. Ringer carried for a yard. Ringer carried again for six yards. Basch carried for two yards. On fourth and one from their 32 Basch carried again for two more yards and a first down. Dennis Basch carried for no gain. Frye threw incomplete. Frye hit Montgomery but he couldn’t stay in bounds. Swiger missed a 47 yard field goal and they took over on their 30 with :47 left. They completed a pass for four yards and got out of bounds. They threw incomplete. They ran a screen for four yards and called a time out. They punted and Elie called for a fair catch at our 31. Basch carried for seven yards. We let the clock run out and we headed for out locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Another nice win today guys. Today’s game ball goes to the defense for holding another team under 100 yards of offense. Bring it in fellas. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 7/15 119YDS TD

Ringer 19/113 TD
Dan Basch 9/55 TD
Dennis Basch 2/9

Ellington 4/81
Hixon 3/38 TD

Rohr 3T TFL 2DEF
Gardner 3T TFL
Stockton 3T INT DEF
Blackburn 2T TFL S
Porter 2T
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Miami (OH) 07-00-00-00 07
Akron 14-03-03-07 27
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Press Conference is Open.
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November 27th Youngstown State @ Akron #20 (10-1) 8pm
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This was it. The last game of the regular season Youngstown State isn’t very good so we should win pretty easily. We’ll see. There’s nothing like a rivalry game to wrap up the season. The crowd was pretty good sized. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off to their 29. They threw incomplete. They tried to sweep but I dropped the RB for a loss of five yards. They completed a pass for a gain of five. They punted. Nick called for a fair catch at our 39. Ringer ran for a gain of seven yards. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer ran for four more yards. Ringer swept right for a gain of 16. Ringer carried again for 10 yards. Basch carried for nine yards. Dennis Basch carried for a gain of 14 down to their one yard line. Frye hit Kasparek in the endzone for the TD. Swiger made it 7-0. They brought the kick off out to their 17. They tried a reverse and Shippy dropped it for a loss of six. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of seven more. On third and 23 they tried to pass. I leapt and caught the ball just inside their 10 yard line. It was an easy stroll into the endzone. Swiger made it 14-0. They brought the kick off out to their 29. Blackburn recorded another sack for a loss of six yards. They completed a long pass all the way down to our 17. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of three. They threw incomplete. The first quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

On fourth and seven from our 14 they sent out the field goal team. The kick missed right and we took over on our 20. Ringer carried for a gain of nine. Ringer carried again for nothing. Frye carried and coughed it up but Conley recovered on our 34 for a first down. Ringer carried for five yards. Ringer carried for six more yards. Ringer swept right for a gain of 12 yards. Basch carried for three yards. Frye threw incomplete. Basch carried for 14 yards. Ringer carried for 23 yards down to their three yard line. Frye hit Ellington in the endzone and Swiger made it 21-0. They returned the kick out to their 16. Radich exploded off the line and sacked their QB for a loss of five yards. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of 12. On fourth and three from their 23 they punted. Nick returned it 14 yards to their 46. Frye hit Ellington and it was off to the races. He scampered into the endzone. Swiger kicked the point after to make it 28-0. We kicked off and they returned it out to their 22. They threw over the middle and Earl was there for the pick. We took over on their 22. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of nine yards. Frye threw incomplete. Basch ran for a gain of two and a first down at their 11. Frye threw incomplete. Frye hit Hixon down to their one and we called a timeout with :01 left in the half. Basch pounded it home and Swiger made it from 18 after the unsportsmanlike conduct call to make it 35-0.

Halftime

“Hey men, it looks like we’ve got this one in the bag. Let’s get some of the reserves out there and have fun. No more stupid penalties like the unsportsmanlike.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick 16 yards out to our 33. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer carried again for a loss of one yard. Frye tried to scramble and only got a yard. They took over at their 32 after the punt. They tried a QB throwback but lost two yards. They threw incomplete. Their QB had to throw it away. Nick returned the punt 12 yards to their 49. Ringer carried for a gain of nine yards. Ringer swept left for a gain of 17. Basch ran for five yards. Basch carried for 12 yards down to their six yard line. Basch carried for two more yards. Ringer carried for two yards. Dennis Basch carried for a yard down to their one yard line. Dan Basch drove into the endzone and Swiger made it 42-0. We kicked off and they returned it out to their 26. They ran for nine yards. The third quarter came to an end.

4th Quarter

They completed a pass for two yards and a first down. They ran for no gain. Coach sent in the second team defense. They completed a long pass down the sideline and the receiver beat everyone into the endzone. They made the kick to make the score 42-7. Coach told the second team offense they were going in. For some reason they tried an onside kick and we recovered on their 47. Nedd ran for a gain of seven. Greer ran for a gain of four and a first down. Arthur ran for two yards. Nedd ran for a gain of 12. Greer ran for 13 down to their nine yard line. Nedd ran for seven more yards down to their two. Arthur threw incomplete. Greer pounded his way into the endzone. Swiger made it 49-0. They returned the kick to their 25 but a clip sent them back to their 11. They ran for nine yards. They threw incomplete. They tried to run on third and one and lost two yards. They punted. Our offense took over on their 46. Nedd ran for seven yards. Nedd ran for six more yards. Arthur ran for seven yards. Greer rumbled into the endzone from 26 yards out. Swiger made it 56-7. We kicked off and they returned it out to their 22. They ran for five yards. They completed a pass for six yards and the final gun sounded. We headed to the locker room and coach addressed the team. “Nice win today guys. Next week is the MAC Championship, then hopefully a bowl game. Today the game ball goes to TJ with four tackles and an interception for a TD. Bring it in men. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Frye 5/9 69YDS 3TD

Ringer 15/122
Basch 9/49 2TD
Greer 4/45 2TD
Nedd 5/39

Hixon 2/19
Ellington 2/49 2TD
Kasparek 1/1 TD

Porter 4T TFL INT TD
Blackburn 3T 3TFL 2S
Nelson 2T
Henry 2T DEF
Stockton 2T TFL
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Youngstown State 00-00-00-07 07
Akron 14-21-07-14 56
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Press conference is open.
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~MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME~
December 4th, 2004 8pm
Akron #17 (11-1[7-1]) vs NIU #25 (9-2[7-1])
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This is it. This is for all the marbles and a shot at the Motor City Bowl. We played NIU back in October and beat them 41-0. We didn’t think it would be quite as easy this time. The stands were as full as I had seen them all season. They won the toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 22. They ran a play action but the QB got hit and it was incomplete. They ran for a gain of two yards. They ran a screen for nine yards and a first down. They completed a pass for three yards. Another short pass gained them only a yard. On third and six they ran for a gain of seven and another first down. They completed another screen but lost two yards. They swept left for three yards. On third and nine Shippy broke through and sacked the QB for a loss of eight yards. They punted. Nick returned the kick out to our 38. Ringer ran for a yard. Ringer lost five yards on a toss. Frye hit Hixon for a gain of 22 and a first down at their 44. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer bounced outside left and got to their 22 before he was tackled. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer carried for six more yards. Swiger hit the 29 yard kick from the right hash to make it 3-0. They returned the kick out to their 31 but a clipping penalty sent them back to their 16. They ran and lost a yard. The first quarter came to an end.

2nd Quarter

They threw incomplete. On third and 11 they completed one deep out to their 49. They ran for a gain of one yard. Radich busted through and stopped the run for a loss of three. They threw incomplete on third down and they sent out the punter. Nick called for a fair catch at our 21. Basch ran for four yards. Ringer carried for five yards. On third down and one from our 30 Basch got the carry and gained six yards. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer carried for two more. On third and five we came out in shotgun and direct snapped to Ringer. He carried for a gain of just under five yards and that brought up and fourth and inches at our 46. We went for it and Basch carried for three yards and a new set of downs. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer got dropped for a loss of a yard. Frye was picked off and they took over on their 32. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for about five yards and got out of bounds with :56 left in the half. They completed another pass to their 45 and called a timeout. They completed another pass for eight yards and called another timeout. They passed for a touchdown. LeFall was screaming at the defense. Nick and I went back to return the kick. Nick downed it in the endzone and we took over at our 20 with :41 until the half. Frye hit Hixon over the middle for nine yards. We called a timeout. Frye hit Ellington to the 41 and we called another timeout. Frye’s pass was tipped. Frye threw incomplete. Frye hit Hixon over the middle down to their 38 and we called another time out with :13 left in the half. Frye threw incomplete to the endzone. Frye threw incomplete to the endzone and the clock stopped with one second left. The deep pass was incomplete but there was pass interference. The penalty moved us down to the 23 and gave us one final play. Swiger hit from 40 yards out to make it a one point game at halftime.

Halftime

Coach told us there was still a lot of football to be played. He told us we were doing great against the run but we needed to tighten up against the pass.

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick. Nick returned it out to our 22. Ringer lost two yards. Basch carried for three yards. Frye threw incomplete and we had to punt. They called for a fair catch at their 41. They ran for no gain. Shippy laid out their RB hard for a loss of two. They threw deep and I batted it down. Nick went back for the punt. The punt went out of bounds and we took over at our 33. Ringer lost a yard on the draw. Frye hit Ellington out to the 50. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer bounced outside and carried down to their 34. Basch carried for a gain of six. Dennis Basch carried for a gain of five and a first down at their 23. Ringer carried for a gain of seven yards. Frye hit Hixon in the endzone on a play action. Swiger hit the point after to make it 13-7. They returned the kick out to their 25. They ran for seven yards. They lost three yards on a run courtesy of Earl. On third and four they ran and only gained three. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Nick went back to return the punt. He returned it out to our 38. Ringer carried for a gain of five and a facemask on them brought it out to their 42. Ringer carried again for six yards. Basch carried for a first down to their 29. Ringer gained a yard. Ringer carried again for seven yards. On third and two Basch rumbled for four yards and another first down. Frye hit Hixon down to their six yard line for another first down. Ringer carried for four. Basch lowered his shoulder and punched it in. Swiger made it 20-7. They returned the kick out to their 30. They passed for nine yards. They threw incomplete. On third and one the receiver dropped a pass. On fourth and one they ran for the first down. They went no huddle and ran for six yards. Again they went no huddle. Another run, another first down and another no huddle. They ran again for two yards and stayed with the no huddle. Another run went for no yards. On third and eight the QB had to throw it away. On fourth down they went for it and Radich came up with the sack. We took over on our 47 with :44 on the clock. Ringer carried for three yards and they called a timeout. Basch ran for two more and they used another time out. Frye took off scrambling all the way down to their 30 before they got him. They called their last timeout with :29 on the clock. Ringer carried for three yards. We let the clock run out. Frye and Hixon doused Coach with the water. We headed to the locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Here we are men. MAC Conference Champions. No one predicted us to come close to this, no one except for us. Great win today and we just earned ourselves a bowl game. Today the game ball goes to Hixon with five catches for 79 yards and a TD. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stats
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frye 7/15 109YDS TD INT

Ringer 23/91
Basch 9/37 TD
Frye 1/18

Hixon 5/79 TD
Ellington 2/30

Radich 3T 2TFL S
LeFall 3T 2TFL
Gardner 2T
Shippy 2T 2TFL S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NIU 00-07-00-00 07
Akron 03-03-07-07 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Conference is Open
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Awards
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coach JD Brookhart – Coach of the Year
All-Americans
Aaron Conley – G – 1st Team
Jim Borrieci – C – 1st Team
TJ Porter – SS – 2nd Team, Freshman
Kris Kasparek – TE – Freshman
Nick Stockton – CB – Freshman
All-MAC
Morris Ellington – WR – 1st Team
Aaron Conley – G – 1st Team
Jim Borrieci – C – 1st Team
Mike Piccirillo – G – 1st Team
Mike Grzeskowiak – T – 1st Team
TJ Porter – SS – 1st Team
Jason Swiger – K – 1st Team
Domenik Hixon – WR – 2nd Team
Tim Crouch – T – 2nd Team
Chase Blackburn – DE – 2nd Team
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heisman Winner
Ronnie Brown HB Auburn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOWL WEEK 1
New Orleans Bowl
Louisville 34
#25 North Texas 31

Tangerine Bowl
Clemson 13
Virginia Tech 54

GMAC Bowl
Toledo 56
USF 24

Fort Worth Bowl
Southern Miss 10
Virginia 27

Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA 66
Utah 10

Hawaii Bowl
Fresno State 23
#23 TCU 49

MPC Computers Bowl
#21 Boise State 38
Syracuse 14

Motor City Bowl
Georgia Tech
#16 Akron
See Below

Independence Bowl
#20 LSU 30
#24 Missouri 20

Insight Bowl
Boston College 14
Arizona 31

Master Card Alamo Bowl
#12 Texas A&M 21
#14 Minnesota 42

Silicon Valley Classic
NC State 63
Louisiana Tech 28

[djp73]

~MOTOR CITY BOWL~
Detroit Michigan
December 27th 2004 5:30pm
Akron #16 (12-1) vs Georgia Tech #45 (6-5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A bowl game. I expected to get to one eventually but not so soon. Georgia Tech wasn’t very good on paper, but we don’t play on paper. They won the toss and chose to receive the kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 24. Their QB scrambled for a gain of nine yards. They completed a pass to our 46. Radich jumped off sides. They completed another pass down to our 25. They ran for three yards. They ran for another first down to our 12. They ran the option and got to our one. They ran a screen for no gain. They tried a reverse and Blackburn dropped it for a loss at the three. They threw incomplete and sent out the kicker. They hit the kick to make it 3-0. Nick and I went back for the kick off. I caught the ball just inside our five and returned it to our 25. Ringer ran for a gain of 14. Ringer ran again for another 10 yards. Basch carried for 11 yards. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer got dropped for a loss of two yards. Frye threw deep to the endzone and it was tipped away. We punted. They took over on their 20. Blackburn sacked their QB for a loss of three yards. The first quarter came to an end.

2nd Quarter

Their QB kept on an option for no gain. They completed a pass for 9 yards. Nick went back to return the punt. We took over at out 44. Ringer carried for four yards. Basch carried for five yards. Ringer carried for a first down at their 43. Frye threw incomplete. Frye hit Hixon to their 29. Ringer carried for two yards. Basch carried for four yards. Frye hit Ellington at the 12 for a first down. Ringer carried for six yards. Basch carried to the one for a first down. Frye hit Kasparek in the endzone for a TD. Swiger hit the kick to make it 7-3. We kicked off. Their offense took over at their 25. They threw incomplete. Their QB rolled my way and lobbed one out there. I hauled it in and got to their 40 before they tackled me. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch carried for six yards. Ringer got to their 26 and gave us a first down. We used our first timeout. Frye threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of eight. We used another timeout. Ringer got us the first down and we went no huddle. Ringer carried for no gain and we used our third time out with :23 left. Frye rolled to his left and took off scrambling he dove near the endzone but was forced out of bounds at the one yard line. The clock stopped at :16. Ringer took the handoff and smashed his way in for six points. Swiger made it 14-3. They took over at their 28 with :12 on the clock. They tried a draw and we stopped it after a gain of one. The quarter came to an end.

Halftime

“Defense way to step it up on the one yard line, that really fired up the offense. Let’s just keep doing our thing and we’ll be celebrating after another 30 minutes of football.”

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off to our 24. Frye’s pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete. Ringer carried for a yard. Frye threw incomplete and we had to punt. They took over at their 47. LeFall dropped the QB for a loss of seven. Blackburn sacked the QB for a loss of seven more. On third and 24 they completed a pass for eight yards and had to punt. Nick called for a fair catch at our 34. Ringer carried for eight yards. Frye hit Ellington down to their 46. Ringer carried for a gain of nine. Frye got sacked for a loss of nine. Frye threw incomplete. We had to punt. It bounced into the endzone and they took over at their 20. They completed a pass out to their 34. They threw incomplete. They threw over the middle and Rohr picked it off. Our offense took over at their 34. Ringer ran for two yards. Frye hit Ringer for five yards. Ringer carried for just under three yards to bring up a fourth and inches at their 24. We let the clock run out to end the third quarter.

4th Quarter

Basch got more than enough for a first down and we started over at their 20. Ringer carried for no gain. Frye hit Hixon at their eight. Ringer ran it in untouched. Swiger made it 21-3. They took over at their 25. They threw deep and incomplete. They lost three yards on a sweep. They tried a screen and got nothing. They punted. Nick returned the punt all the way down to their eight yard line. Ringer carried for three yards. Frye was picked off in the endzone. The QB scrambled for eight yards. The QB carried again out to their 41. They went no huddle. Another scramble got them to our 48. They went no huddle again. A long pass got them to our 25. They threw incomplete. They had a pass batted at the line. They completed a pass to our four yard line. They threw incomplete. Their QB scrambled and found the endzone. They went for two and Reid dropped the QB. We recovered the onside kick at their 44. Ringer carried for four and they called a time out. Ringer carried again for a yard and they called another timeout. Frye scrambled down to their 29 for a first down. They called another time out. Ringer carried for a gain of 12. Ringer carried for a yard. We let the clock run out. We headed to the locker room. “Guys, great win and a great way to cap off a great season. Today the game ball goes to the entire group of outgoing seniors. We will pass around a bunch of ball and have everyone sign them, one for each of the seniors.”
“We have something for you too Coach” said LeFall.
It was a plaque with all the seniors names on it and it said “2004 MAC Champions Thank You Coach Brookhart” all the seniors had signed the back of it.
“Thank you guys, bring it in everyone, Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stats
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frye 6/13 55YDS TD INT

Ringer 26/112 2TD
Basch 6/35
Frye 3/15

Ellington 2/23
Hixon 2/26
Kasparek 1/1 TD
Ringer 1/5

Blackburn 5T 3TFL 2S DEF
Stockton 4T DEF
Earl 2T
LeFall 2T 2TFL S
Agyeman 2T TFL DEF
Porter 2T INT DEF
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georgia Tech 03-00-00-06 09
Akron 00-14-00-07 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Conference is open
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOWL WEEK 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continental Tire Bowl
#22 Maryland 14
Temple 28

Houston Bowl
Cal 21
Kansas State 24

Emerald Bowl
Colorado State 13
Northern Illinois 26

Holiday Bowl
Stanford 26
Oklahoma State 24

Music City Bowl
Ole Miss 36
Iowa 31

Sun Bowl
#15 Arizona State 35
Illinois 41

Autozone Liberty Bowl
San Diego State 11
Cincinnati 16

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
#18 Auburn 20
#19 Wake Forrest 38

Outback Bowl
#13 Florida 63
Penn State 14

SBC Cotton Bowl
#6 South Carolina 35
#9 Nebraska 45

Gator Bowl
Notre Dame 9
#11 Miami 27

Capital One Bowl
#8 Alabama 24
Michigan 38

Rose Bowl
#4 USC 30
#3 Florida State 24

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
#7 Georgia 14
#5 Texas 41

Nokia Sugar Bowl
#10 West Virginia 28
#17 Tennessee 35

FedEx Orange Bowl
#2 Oklahoma 24
#1 Ohio State 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach JD Brookhart has signed a 5 year extension with the University of Akron. Financial details have not been released.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Top 25(Coaches’ Poll)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
01 Oklahoma
02 USC
03 Texas
04 Ohio State
05 Nebraska
06 Florida State
07 Miami
08 Minnesota
09 Florida
10 South Carolina
11 Tennessee
12 Akron
13 Georgia
14 Wake Forrest
15 Alabama
16 West Virginia
17 LSU
18 Boise State
19 Texas A&M
20 TCU
21 Michigan
22 Arizona State
23 Arizona
24 Virginia Tech
25 Louisville
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[djp73]

ANOTHER SECOND CHANCE
YEAR TWO


Outgoing Seniors
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QB Charlie Frye
FB Sekai Greer
FB Dan Basch
WR Morris Ellington
T Mike Grzeskowiak
G Mike Piccirillo
T Aaron Conley
C Jim Borrieci
DE Doug Sutton
DE Chase Blackburn
DE Dwayne LeFall
DT Bobby Gardner
DT Joe Radich
LB John Fuller
LB Jared Smith
LB Cam Yeow
CB Steve Agyeman
SS Jino Vital
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recruiting
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week One Signings
Quinn Ferguson 4* #2 DE
Week Two Signings
Emanuel McNeal 4* #4 DT
Brennan Robinson 4* #10 FS
Week Three Signings
Sydney Dorsey 4* #3 MLB
Marcus Downing 4* #7 OLB
Nate Griffin 4* #4 MLB
Bobby Paige 4* #15 DE
Week Four Signings
Chester Murphy 4* #7 SS
Anthony Nicholson 4* #16 MLB
Week Five Signings
Andre Dukes 4* #8 OLB
Kala Gambill 4* #16 QB
Tanard Thompson 4* #5 ATH
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Position Changes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dennis Basch from TE to FB
Tanard Thompson from ATH to LG
Quinn Ferguson from LE to RE
Chester Murphy from SS to CB
Sydney Dorsey from MLB to LE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6-01-05

After practice coach posted the season schedule. Here is what it said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akron Football 2005 Season Schedule
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 20th @ Washington State
August 27th @ SMU
September 3rd @ Purdue
September 17th Kent State MAC Game Battle for the Wagon Wheel
September 23rd NIU MAC Game
October 1st @ Buffalo MAC Game
October 8th UCF MAC Game
October 15th @ Ball State MAC Game
October 29th @ Marshall MAC Game
November 5th Ohio MAC Game
November 12th @ Miami(OH) MAC Game

8-15-05

The off season had flown by. The team was practicing very well. New starters were stepping up. New players were learning the system. After practice Nick and I headed for the apartment. I stopped and picked up a certain newspaper. When we got to the apartment I looked over the team preview.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Akron Zips Football-
2005 Roster and breakdown
Alphabetical Order
S = Returning Starter

Head Coach: JD Brookhart
-Offense-
Quarterbacks
12 Jabari Arthur 6-4/215 SO(RS)
13 John Ferguson 6-5/226 SO(RS)
06 Kala Gambill 6-4/225 FR

No clear cut favorite here. Any of the three could start.
C+

Halfbacks
29 Frank Berchie 5-8/201 SO(RS)
37 Jason Nedd 5-10/196 JR(RS)
40 Jerrell Ringer 5-10/207 SR(RS) –S-

No new faces here. If they pick up where they left off last season they could be the best position on the team.
C+

Fullbacks
41 Dennis Basch 6-3/252 JR
39 Mark Tetzel 6-0/242 SR(RS)

Basch moves over from TE to replace his departed brother. Basch could be the best player on the offensive side of the ball.
B-

Wide Receivers
47 Jeff Garrison 6-2/186 JR(RS)
15 Jamie Goodwin 5-10/171 SR(RS)
23 Domenik Hixon CAPT 6-2/191 SR –S- MAC 2nd
81 Jason Montgomery 5-11/167 SR(RS)
84 Deonte Morris 6-3/197 SO(RS)

Decent group here. Former DB Hixon is the leading receiver from last season.
C+

Tight Ends
84 Kris Kasparek 6-6/260 SO(RS) NCAA Fr
83 Matt Pichardo 6-4/230 SO(RS)

Both should see significant playing time. Better blockers than receivers.
C-

Tackles
72 Tim Crouch 6-3/303 JR(RS) –S- Mac 2nd
75 Mike Donaldson 6-5/322 JR(RS)
76 Justin Hein 6-5/335 SR(RS)

Crouch is the team’s only returning starter on the offensive line. Hein is solid. Donaldson is a quality backup.
C+

Guards
73 Scott Kaplan 6-4/321 SO(RS)
68 Mike Schepp 6-4/300 SO(RS)
74 Tanard Thompson 6-7/252 FR
63 Andy Wills 6-3/307 JR(RS)

Solid unit here. Schepp and Wills are the likely starters. Thompson has amazing speed and the ability to play other positions.
C

Centers
66 Darrin Archie 6-4/269 FR
64 Jim Holley 6-3/307 SO(RS)

Holley saw spot duty last year and is the likely starter this year. Average group.
C-

-Defense-
Defensive Ends
91 Mike Berry 6-3/252 JR(RS)
95 Sydney Dorsey 6-1/244 FR
90 Quinn Ferguson 6-7/266 FR
96 Mark Groza 6-3/227 JR(RS)
53 Chuck Lewis 6-2/252 SR(RS)
92 Bobby Paige 6-7/254 FR

An outstanding group of freshmen gives this position great depth. Could very well start two Freshmen.
B-

Defensive Tackles
97 Emmanuel McNeal 6-2/289 FR
99 Jermaine Reid 6-4/273 JR(RS)
77 Antonio Shippy 6-1/334 JR(RS)
93 Sam Walker 6-2/250 SO(RS)
48 Brian White 6-2/277 SR

Another deep group. White and Shippy are the likely starters. White will see time.
C

Outside Linebackers
51 Marcus Downing 6-1/218 FR
58 Andre Dukes 6-4/212 FR
56 Diontre Earl CAPT 5-10/248 SR(RS) –S-
52 Bryan Howe 6-0/232 SO(RS)
17 John Mackey 5-10/188 FR(RS)

Yet another position with depth. Earl is a returning starter and the new Captain for the Defense.
C

Middle Linebackers
33 Nate Griffin 6-1/244 FR
45 Anthony Nicholson 6-4/235 JR
35 Jay Rohr 5-11/217 SR –S-

New recruits Nicholson and Griffin are so good that last year’s starter Rohr may not start.
B-

Cornerbacks
29 Reggie Corner 5-9/173 FR(RS)
26 Yamari Dixon 5-8/188 SO(RS)
20 Dionte Henry 5-11/190 JR
01 Chester Murphy 6-0/198 FR
03 William Nelson 5-10/188 SR
43 Nick Stockton 5-9/181 SO –S- NCAA Fr

Solid group with average depth. Stockton returns to lead the group. Henry will most likely step up as the second starter.
B-

Free Safeties
07 Ernest Clark 6-0/193 JR
27 Dion Elie 6-0/193 SR(RS) –S-
21 Brennan Robinson 6-1/193 FR

Solid group with experience. Clark and Elie are back from last year. Robinson may see some time.
C+

Strong Safeties
10 Chevin Pace 5-10/191 SO(RS)
34 TJ Porter 6-0/221 SO –S- NCAA 2nd, NCAA Fr, MAC 1st

Porter is a game breaker. Pace is a great back up. No problems here.
B+

-Specialties-
Kicker
36 Jason Swiger 5-8/182 JR –S-

Improved last year. Good power, better accuracy.
B-

Punter
14 Billy Sullivan 5-11/179 SR(RS) –S-

Also improved during the course of last season. Powerful, accurate.
B
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Team Grade: C+
Preseason 119: #18


MAC East Prediction
Akron
Kent State
Buffalo
Marshall
Miami(OH)
UCF
Ohio
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Looks like they learned their lesson last year, they picked us to do better this season” said Nick.
“Yeah, now we just have to prove them right instead of wrong” I replied.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-17-05

After another great team practice Coach posted a list of people that were being red shirted. He gave a speech similar to last years about the reasons for red shirting people. Here is what the list said.

OL T. Thompson
DL B. Paige
DL E. McNeal
LB A. Dukes
DB B. Robinson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-19-05

After a walk through practice Coach posted the starters for our opening game. Here is the list.

QB Arthur
HB Ringer
FB Basch
WR Hixon, Montgomery, Goodwin
TE Pichardo
LT Crouch
LG Schepp
C Holley
RG Wills
RT Hein

LE Dorsey
RE Ferguson
DT White, Shippy
LOLB Earl
MLB Griffin, Rohr
ROLB Downing
CB Stockton, Henry, Nelson, Dixon
FS Elie
SS Porter

K Swiger
P Sullivan
KR Stockton, Porter, Hixon
PR Stockton, Goodwin
KOS Sullivan

[djp73]

8-20-05 Akron #18 @ Washington State #71
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earl called the defense together. “Listen guys, we had the best defense in the nation last year, I don’t think anything should change this season. These guys pass a lot do you all know what that means, sacks and picks. Let’s get it done. Everyone get a hand in here. Swarm on three. 1-2-3.”
“SWARM!”
I was pumped. We were all pumped. Their stadium was packed. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 24. They ran up the middle for two yards. Dorsey broke through and dropped their QB for a loss of five. I looked forward to many more big plays by Dorsey. They tried a screen pass but Shippy was there for a loss of three. Nick went back to return the punt. He brought it out to our 43 and Arthur led out the troops. Ringer carried for a gain of six yards. Ringer carried again down to their 35 for a first down. Arthur hit Montgomery on a crossing pattern and he scampered into the endzone. Swiger made it 7-0. They returned the kick off out to their 22. They threw incomplete. White stopped a middle run after a gain of one yard. White dropped the QB for a loss of four yards. Nick went back for the punt. He returned the punt to their 36. Ringer carried for four yards. Ringer carried again for a gain of three. On third and three Basch carried for two yards. Swiger came on to try from 44 yards but it was no good. They took over on their 27. They threw incomplete again. They ran for a yard. On third and nine they hit a pass for a first down. “More pressure on that QB” shouted Earl. The gun sounded to end the quarter.

2nd Quarter

They threw incomplete. Shippy dropped the HB for a loss of two. White dropped the QB for another sack and a loss of six. Nick caught the punt at our 26 and brought it out to their 47. Arthur hit Hixon for six yards. Ringer carried for another first down at their 35. Arthur hit Pichardo for ten yards and another first down. Ringer carried down to their 11 for another first down. Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried for two more. Arthur hit Hixon in the endzone for another TD. Swiger made it 14-0. They returned the kick off out to their 26. They threw again and it was tipped incomplete. They had a pass dropped. On third and ten they threw incomplete again. The punt sailed out of bounds and we took over at our 37 with 1:48 in the half. Ringer carried for eight yards. Arthur hit Hixon on a short crossing route and he got to their 38. We called a timeout. Ringer fumbled and Kasparek recovered for a gain of six. Ringer fumbled again and we couldn’t recover. They took over on their 28 with under a minute left in the half. Another pass was batted down. They threw incomplete. On third and ten they ran for a gain of six. Nick went back to return the punt. We took over on our 25 with :04 left. Ringer carried and the clock ran out.

Halftime

“Great job so far guys. Defense is playing very well and the offense is sticking to the game plan. Let’s keep it up and get the W.”

3rd Quarter

I caught the kick at our five and returned it to the 16. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a big gain out to our 41. Basch carried for three yards. Ringer carried for four more yards. Arthur hit Montgomery down to their 40 for another first down. Basch carried for a yard. Ringer carried for seven yards. On third and two Basch picked up the first down to their 28. Arthur hut Kasparek for a gain of eight. Arthur hit Kasparek again for a first down at their 17. Ringer lost a yard. Ringer carried again for six yards. Arthur had a pass tipped and it fell incomplete. Swiger came on to kick from 29. He hit it and made the score 17-0. We kicked off and the returned it out to their 21. Their QB threw one away. The QB tried a draw but lost three yards. They threw another incompletion. They sent out the punter. Nick returned it to their 44. Ringer carried for eight yards. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Ringer carried for a yard. Basch carried for just enough for the first down. Arthur hit Hixon for nine yards. Arthur hit Kasparek for a gain of four and a first down. Kasparek got up holding his wrist and headed to the sidelines. I hoped he would be alright. It would be terrible to be injured for any duration in the first game. Ringer carried for three yards. The trainer told us Kasparek had strained his shoulder and that he would be out for three weeks or so. I was a bit bummed for him but glad that he would be back fairly soon. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for another first down at their eight. Ringer carried for no gain. Arthur hit Pichardo and he rumbled into the endzone for another six. Swiger made the point after to make it 24-0. They returned the kick off to their 21. They threw incomplete. They completed a long pass out to their 46 for a first down. They threw incomplete again. They threw incomplete again. They ran a screen and only got three yards. On fourth and seven form their 49 they went for it. They completed a pass but didn’t get enough. We took over on our 45. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer carried for five more. Ringer broke off a big gain up the middle down to their 34. Basch carried for no gain. Ringer carried for three more yards. We let the clock run out and headed to the locker room. Coach Brookhart addressed the team. “Defense, you all played an amazing game. The offensive line had some outstanding blocking today. Good win men. The game ball is going to go to Jabari Arthur who was 11 of 14 for 120 yards and three touchdowns in his first start. Good game. Bring it in everyone. Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stats
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur 11/14 120YDS 3TD

Ringer 25/158
Basch 7/14

Hixon 4/39 TD
Kasparek 3/15
Montgomery 2/47 TD
Pichardo 2/19 TD

White 5T 3TFL 2S
Nelson 3T
Shippy 3T 2TFL
Howe 2T
Dorsey 2T TFL S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akron 07-07-03-07 24
Washington State 00-00-00-00 00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senior WR Domenik Hixon has been suspended 1 Quarter for Academics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-27-05 Akron #18 (1-0) @ SMU #96 (0-0) 8pm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We should win this one, on paper. We all know how that goes. Earl gathered up the D and we got fired up. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 21. They ran up the middle for one yard. They ran again for another yard. Dorsey dropped their QB for a loss of two. Nick went back to return the punt. Our offense took over at their 49. Arthur hit Montgomery down to their 37. Ringer carried for a yard. Ringer carried again for 13 yards and a first down at their 23. Arthur’s pass was incomplete. Ringer carried for nine yards. Basch carried for eight yards to make it first down and goal to go from their six yard line. Some confusion caused a delay of game. Arthur was hit and threw incomplete. Ringer lost a couple yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Swiger hit from 30 yards out to make it 3-0. They returned the kick to their 22. Shippy dropped the RB for a loss of four yards. Ferguson dropped the QB for a sack and a loss of three. On third and 17 from their 15 they completed a pass for seven yards, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Nick went back to return the punt. He brought it all the way back to their 26. Ringer ran for a gain of 13. Ringer carried for eight more. The opening quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Arthur hit Hixon in the endzone for six. Swiger hit the point after to make it 10-0. They brought the kick out to their 31, but a clipping call sent them back to their 14. They ran for no gain. They ran again for a loss of two yards. On third and 12 at their 12 they threw deep and it was batted around then fell incomplete. Nick went back to return another punt. He returned it to their 33. Ringer carried for a gain of 19 yards. Arthur hit Pichardo for four yards. Ringer carried for a gain of six yards and a first and goal at the four yard line. Ringer carried for two more yards. Arthur threw to the endzone but it fell incomplete. Ringer finished off the drive with a TD. Swiger made it 17-0. They took over on their 25 after the kick return. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass out to their 39 for a first down. They lost a yard on a run. Dorsey nailed the RB in the backfield and he coughed it up. We recovered the ball on their 35. Arthur hit Hixon for a gain of five yards. Arthur hit Montgomery down to their seven yard line. Ringer carried to the one. We called a timeout with :51 left. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer finished the drive with another TD. Swiger made it 24-0. They took over on their 20 with :45 in the half. They ran for a yard. They ran a sweep for no gain. The gun sounded and the half came to a close.

Halftime

“Hey guys looking good out there, keep it up and we may be able to play some of the reserves in the second half.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick off out to our 23. Ringer carried for five yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur hit Hixon for a gain of 20 yards. Ringer carried for 10 yards. Arthur hit Pichardo but he dropped the ball. Ringer carried for 14. Arthur hit Goodwin for a gain of 13. Basch carried for five yards. Ringer carried for seven yards to the one. Ringer finished off the drive again with another TD. Swiger made the score 31-0. We kicked off and they returned it out to their 17. They ran a sweep for a loss of one, I made the tackle. They threw incomplete. On third and 11 from their 16 they completed a screen but they lost a yard. Nick went back for the punt. He returned it to their 31. Arthur hit Montgomery for a gain of 10 yards and a first down. Ringer carried for a gain of 11 yards. Arthur hit Montgomery in the endzone for six more points. Swiger made it 38-0. They returned the kick off to their 21. They ran for one yard. They ran again for two yards. On third down they threw incomplete. Nick went back to return another punt. He returned it to their 25. Ringer carried for five yards. Ringer carried for almost five more. The third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

On third and inches at their 15 Basch gained three and a first down. Basch carried again for a gain of six. Ringer carried for almost four. On third and inches at their two Arthur threw incomplete. Swiger hit the field goal to make it 41-0. They took over on their 21. They ran a screen for a gain of three yards. They completed another pass for eight yards and a first down. They completed again for six more yards. They completed for four more yards. On third and inches they ran for a yard and a first down. They lost two on a run. They lost four more on a sweep. On third and 16 they got dropped for a loss of four on a sack by White. Nick went back for another punt, he returned it to our 40. Coach sent in the second team offense. Nedd carried for a gain of 12 yards. Tetzel carried for a gain of seven. Nedd carried for two more. Tetzel carried for two yards. We let the clock run out and we headed for the locker room. “That’s another quality win men. Way to go. Another outstanding game by the Defense. Defense wins championships. The game ball today goes to the entire defense for holding them to just 22 total yards of offense. Bring it in, Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 9/17 104YDS 2TD

Ringer 21/140 3TD
Basch 4/22
Nedd 2/14
Tetzel 2/9

Montgomery 4/55 TD
Hixon 3/30 TD
Goodwin 1/15
Pichardo 1/4

Porter 5T 1TFL
White 4T 2TFL S
Ferguson 4T TFL S FR
Dorsey 4T 2TFL S FF
Shippy 4T 2TFL
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Akron 03-21-14-03 41
SMU 00-00-00-00 00
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Press conference is open
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9-3-05 Akron #16 (2-0) @ Purdue #31 (1-0) 6pm
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This would be one of the toughest opponents on our schedule this season. We were ready though. Earl got the D fired up. They won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off to their 28 and Earl led out the D. They ran for no gain. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of six yards. On third and 16 they completed a pass for eight yards. Dixon was slow to get up and he headed for the sidelines, I hoped he would be back soon. They sent out their punting team and Nick went back to return it. Nick caught it at our 34 and returned it to their 44. Ringer carried for four yards. Arthur scrambled for almost six yards and brought up a third and inches. Basch got enough for a first down. Ringer carried for three yards. Then came the bad news, I saw the trainer after he was done looking at Dixon. He told me he had a dislocated shoulder and would be out probably for the remainder of the season. I was bummed. Ringer carried for five yards. Basch carried for almost two yards but not quite and that brought up fourth down and inches at their 22 yard line. Coach called a timeout to think it over. He decided to go for it. Ringer carried for just barely enough and the drive stayed alive. Arthur hit Montgomery for a gain of five yards. Ringer carried for four yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Swiger came on to attempt from 30 yards out, he hit it and we went up 3-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 25. They threw incomplete. Griffin stuffed the HB for a loss of a yard. They threw incomplete on third and 11 and they sent out the punt team. Nick brought it back to their 48 and the quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Ringer carried for two yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Montgomery made a great sliding catch at their 35 for the first down. Arthur hit Montgomery again for eight yards. Ringer carried for four yards and a first down. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer lost three yards. Arthur threw incomplete and Swiger came out again. The kick was short and they took over on their 26. Dorsey dropped the QB for a loss of seven yards. Another sack for another loss of seven yards. On third and 24 they completed a pass all the way out to our 46. Earl was disgusted, I was worse. Another completion to or seven didn’t make us feel any better. They threw to the endzone and I made my move. It was an easy catch and our offense took over at our 20. Arthur hit Pichardo for a gain of 10 and a first down. Ringer carried for seven. Arthur threw incomplete with :54 in the half. Arthur’s pass was tipped and fell incomplete. On fourth and three Ringer pounded for a gain of seven and another first down. Arthur threw incomplete. “Stockton, get in there at slot” said Coach. Arthur dropped back and had all the time in the world. He fired to Nick. He went up and came down with the ball at their nine yard line. We called a timeout with :19 on the clock. Ringer carried to their one yard line and we called another timeout, our last one. With :13 left in the half and us on their one we could either kick it or go for the TD. Basch got the carry and capitalized. Swiger made the point after to make the score 10-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 25. They ran the ball and let the clock run out.

Halftime

“Good work in the first half guys, all we need to do now is hold on to the lead so defense, keep it up and offense, no turnovers.”

3rd Quarter

Their kick off went into the endzone so our offense took over on our 20. Ringer carried for a gain of five yards. Ringer carried for a gain of 11 and a first down. Arthur got dropped for a sack. Arthur threw incomplete and we got called for a hold. On second and 28 for our 18 Arthur threw incomplete again. What happened to Arthur, he was so solid to start the season. He was obviously rattled because he couldn’t get it together, we took a delay of game penalty and that made it third down and 33 to go on our 13. Coach called a timeout. Coach sent Nick in at the slot receiver again. I knew Arthur would be looking for him. Arthur dropped back and the offensive line finally gave him some time. Nick was open for half a second and Arthur fired it in there. Nick scampered out to the 50 before he was brought down and amazingly the drive stayed alive. Ringer carried for a gain of six yards. Ringer carried again and coughed it up. They took over on their 45. Elie broke up the pass. They completed a pass for almost ten yards and that brought up third down and inches. Downing made the tackle for a loss of half a yard. Nick went back to return the punt and called for a fair catch at our 17. Ringer carried for three yards. Arthur scrambled all the way out to our 47. Ringer carried for four yards. Arthur got dropped for a loss of eight yards. Arthur hit Montgomery to their 37 for a first down. Arthur hit Hixon down to their 13. Ringer bounced a dive play outside and kept running until he was in the endzone for six points. Swiger made it 17-0. After the kick off their offense took over at their 19. They ran for two yards.

4th Quarter

They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again and brought out the punter. Nick got it to their 41. Ringer carried for a gain of 12 yards. Ringer carried again for a gain of almost 10 yards. Basch carried for a gain of nine yards to their 10 for another first down. Ringer carried for three more yards. Basch carried for four yards to their three yard line. Basch carried again and took it to the house. Swiger made it 24-0. We kicked off and they returned it out to their 32. They threw a bad pass and Nick caught it. The offense got the ball at their 42. Nedd carried of six yards. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch got stuffed and that brought up a fourth and one at their 33. It was too long for a field goal so we went for it. Ringer got the first down and with 2:20 left in the game the fans started filing out of the stadium. Ringer carried for 13 yards. Basch carried of three yards. Nedd carried for five yards. Nedd carried again for a first down at their two yard line with :35 left. Nedd carried to their one. Ringer punched it in as time expired. Swiger made the kick and the final was 31-0. We headed to the locker room. “Hey guys good win against a good team. I’ll keep this short so we can get out of here. The game ball goes to Nick Stockton, two receptions, including a first down conversion on a third and 33 and a pick and he played great Defense all day. Bring it in everyone, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 8/16 162YDS

Ringer 25/128 2TD
Basch 8/24 2TD
Nedd 4/20
Arthur 4/17

Montgomery 4/44
Stockton 2/84
Hixon 1/24
Pichardo 1/10

Dorsey 2T 2TFL 2S
Shippy 2T TFL
Porter 2T INT
White T TFL S
Stockton INT
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Akron 03-07-07-14 31
Purdue 00-00-00-00 00
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Press conference is open, please ask questions of anyone affiliated with the team.
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9-17-05 Akron #12 (3-0) vs Kent State #60 (1-1) 6pm
Battle for the Wagon Wheel
MAC Game
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Last year it didn’t matter to me very much. This year was different. We would win this year if I had anything to do with it. It felt good to be home again. Earl gathered up the defense and gave us a talk. “Look guys, I don’t give a (poop) about some stupid piece of wood. What I do care about is winning this game. We have to get it done on defense, everyone do your job. No heroes today. Bring it in, swarm on three. 1-2-3.”
“SWARM!!!”
We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 27. Ferguson dropped the QB for a loss of five yards. Their QB ran for a gain of eight. On third and seven they completed a pass for about nine yards and got a first down. They ran up the middle and fumbled but they recovered. They ran up the middle for two more yards. On third down and five they threw incomplete. Nick dropped back to return the punt. Mackey got up slow after the play and headed for the sidelines. Our offense took over at our 46. Ringer carried for four yards. The trainer told us Mackey had a sprained elbow and he would miss a couple weeks. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer got stuffed. We punted. They started on their 22. They tried the run to the middle and got two yards. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. Nick came in to return another punt. He called for a fair catch at their 42. Ringer got dropped for a loss of two. Hixon dropped a pass. Arthur threw incomplete again. We punted again. The punt went through the endzone and they took over on their 20. They ran foe a gain of two. They ran for four more yards. On third and four they lost a yard trying to run. The first quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

Nick returned the punt to their 41. Ringer ran for six yards. Ringer ran again for another yard. On third and three Ringer ran again and got the first down. Arthur got flushed out of the pocket and threw incomplete. Arthur scrambled for about seven yards. Ringer got a yard and it was fourth and two at their 23. It would be a 40 yard field goal and the punt would probably be a touch back. “Porter, get in there for Ringer.” I hadn’t played much offense so far this season but coach knew I was there when he needed me. I would be running the ball. The play was designed to go in the middle between the guard and center on the left side. Arthur took the snap and stuck it in my gut. I immediately noticed the hole was filled by a blitzing outside linebacker. I bounced outside to the left. I saw a potential tackler at the 15 so I lowered my head and protected the ball. We collided and went forward to their 12. First down. I was a little surprised that coach left me in. They play was for me again. It was similar to the last play but to the opposite side. This time the hole was there and I ran into the endzone untouched. Swiger hit the point after to make it 7-0. After the kick off they took over on their 18. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of eight. They completed a pass for eight yards. On third and 10 they completed another pass out to their 34 for a first down. They ran for three yards and called a timeout with 2:00 left in the half. Their QB tried to scramble but Dorsey dropped him for a loss of five. On third and 12 they threw incomplete. Nick came in to return the punt, he got it down to their 37. I was surprised to be going back out with the offense. Arthur hit Kasparek down to their three yard line. Arthur hit me on a screen but I had to lay out to catch it to prevent a pick and ended up with no gain. Arthur hit Hixon for the TD. Swiger made it 14-0 with :46 left in the half. They returned the kick off to their 30. Nick batted down a pass. They completed a pass to their 44 and used a timeout with :32 left. Their QB scrambled for a gain of nine yards. They went no huddle. Their QB scrambled again down to our 24. They went no huddle again. They threw incomplete and the clock stopped at :02. They lined up to kick the field goal and it wasn’t even close to being good.

Halftime

“Good half guys. It took a while for the offense to get clicking but it is now. Defense, keep up the good work. Ringer you’ll be back in the start the half.”

3rd Quarter

I caught the kick just inside our 10 and returned it out to our 34. Basch carried for six yards. Ringer carried for two more yards. Ringer carried again out to our 42 for a first down. Ringer carried for a gain of two. Ringer got dropped for a loss of three on a sweep. Arthur had no time and he was sacked. The punt team headed out. They took over at their 29 after the punt. They ran for a gain of two. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete. Nick dropped the punt and they recovered at their 49. They tried a QB keeper for no gain. They tried option and I got the QB after a gain of two. On third and eight they threw incomplete. Nick returned the punt to our 37. Ringer carried out to our 49. Basch carried for three yards. Arthur hit Montgomery down to their 31. Ringer carried for a gain of eight.

4th Quarter

Ringer carried to their 12. He was finally getting going. Ringer carried again for five yards. Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried again for almost three yards. That made it fourth down and inches on their two yard line. Coach left the offense out there. Ringer pounded for the first down and the touchdown. Swiger made it 21-0. We kicked off. They took over at their 14. They ran for five yards. White sacked their QB for a loss of six. They threw incomplete. On fourth down and 11 they punted. Nick called for the fair catch at their 34. Ringer carried for seven yards. Ringer carried again to their 18. Ringer got the call again and picked up three more yards. Ringer ran again for a gain of six. We got called for a delay. On third and six Arthur scrambled and dove into the endzone. He was so pumped he got called for excessive celebration. Swiger hit the long extra point to make it 28-0. We kicked off. They returned it out to their 17. They got stuffed for a loss of two and called a timeout with :58 left in the game. They ran option and only got a yard. They completed a pass and called another timeout. They punted. Nick took the fair catch at their 46. Ringer carried for a gain of 12. Ringer carried again for two yards. Ringer carried again and time ran out. Coach hoisted the trophy and we headed to the locker room. “Hey guys great game, another good win and now we have the wheel. The game ball goes to the D once again, they had 88 total yards of offense. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 3/8 54YDS TD

Ringer 24/108 TD
Porter 2/23 TD
Arthur 3/14 TD
Basch 3/11

Hixon 1/3 TD
Montgomery 1/17
Kasparek 1/34

Porter 4T DEF
Henry 4T DEF
White 4T 2TFL S FF
Griffin 4T
Ferguson 4T 2TFL
Dorsey 3T 2TFL 2S
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Kent State 00-00-00-00 00
Akron 00-14-00-14 28
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Press Conference is now open, feel free to ask questions of anyone affiliated with the team.

[djp73]

9-23-04 NIU #90 (0-3[0-1) at Akron #12 (4-0[1-0]) 8pm MAC Game
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We were fired up for this one, another home conference game. We wanted to make it five wins in a row. They won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 22. They ran for a gain of three plus a five yard facemask call. They ran for a gain of seven and a first down. Nick tackled the QB for a loss of six. “Yeah man that’s the way you play D! They can’t handle it!” I shouted. They tried to pass but Nick was there for the pick. “I told you they can’t handle it!” We took possession on their 35. Ringer carried for a gain of seven. Ringer bounced outside for a gain of 12 to their 16. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a yard. Arthur hit Montgomery coming across and he juked into the endzone. Swiger kicked the point after to make it 7-0. They returned the kick off to their 22. We came back out on defense. They threw incomplete. They ran for no gain. On third and 10 they completed a screen pass but Downing made the tackle for a loss of four. Nick went back for the punt. He returned it to their 48. Ringer carried for five yards. Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried for nine yards. Arthur got sacked for a loss of eight yards. Arthur hit Pichardo at their 18 for a first down. Ringer carried for a gain of 10 and a first down on their eight. We got called for a delay of game. Ringer carried for a short gain but we got called for clipping. Time ran out in the first quarter.

2nd Quarter

On first and goal from their 25 Arthur scrambled all the way down to their 10 but he fumbled and they recovered. Tim Crouch was holding his leg and the trainer helped him off the field. Time to go to work on defense. They took over on their nine. They ran for a gain of five. They ran again for three yards. “We have to get this stop” shouted Earl. They tried a sweep but Earl dropped the back for a loss of one yard. They had to punt. Nick returned the kick to their 32. Ringer carried for no gain. Arthur kept on an option for 16 yards to their 16. We called a time out. Ringer carried for two. Arthur lost a yard on an option. Arthur hit Hixon at their four yard line for another first down. Arthur lost two yards on the keeper. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur got dropped for a sack and Swiger came on to kick. He hit the 30 yarder to make it 10-0. We kicked off. They returned the kick to their 28. They ran for a gain of two and called a time out with :51 left in the half. They completed a pass for six yards and got out of bounds. They got the two yards for a first down running and called another timeout. They completed a pass to our 41 and went into a no huddle. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. Nelson sacked their QB for a loss of seven yards. They called a timeout with :04 left in the first half. On fourth and 17 they went for it. The QB threw a perfect pass and the receiver took it in for six points. The kick made it 10-7 and we went in for halftime.

Halftime

“We can’t give up touchdowns on fourth and 17. Defensive line we need more pressure on that QB. Defensive backs we need tighter coverage.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick off. The kick bounced out of bounds and we took over on our 35. Ringer bounced outside and scampered for 30 yards before he was brought down at their 35. Ringer carried for seven yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur hit Basch for a gain of four yards and a first down. Arthur scrambled for a gain of a yard and then it happened. He got up very slowly and was hopping trying not to put any weight on one of his legs. I went out and helped him to the sideline. “Gambill, get in there” shouted Coach. Gambill was a true freshman. He seemed to have more speed than Arthur and he seemed to be more accurate, maybe he should have been the starter all along. Now was his chance. Gambill kept on an option for four yards. On third and five Gambill had to get rid of it because of pressure. He threw it and it got picked off. They took over on their seven yard line. Everyone on defense had their ears pinned back ready to get that ball back. They completed a pass for 12 yards and a first down. “Come on guys!” They ran a sweep for no gain. They completed another pass for a gain of seven. On third and three they tried to run but White dropped him for a loss of a yard. Nick returned the punt to our 45. Arthur was back in the game. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer carried for 11 yards and a first down at their 42. Hixon dropped a wide open pass that hit him in the hands. Ringer ran for a yard. Arthur scrambled around and then found Hixon deep. He got to their 10 before he was tackled. The third quarter came to a close.

[b4th Quarter[/b]

Basch carried for two yards. Ringer carried for three yards. On third and goal from their five Arthur got sacked again. “Hey Porter, you want to play some o line?” Coach was obviously joking. “Hey coach, you know I’ll play wherever you ask me to.” He knew I wasn’t kidding. We called a timeout then coach sent out the kicking team. Swiger hit the chip shot to make it 13-7. After the kick off they took over on their 23. They ran for a yard. They ran again for another yard. On third and eight they threw incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. He made the fair catch at our 42 yard line. Ringer carried for 16. Ringer carried again for another 16 yards. Basch ran for a yard. Ringer carried for eight. Basch got a yard and made it fourth and inches at their 16. Coach did the smart think and sent out Swiger and the rest of the kicking team. Then he called a timeout to think it over. He sent the offense back out on to the field. Ringer got the carry and picked up about three yards. They called a timeout with 1:53 left. Ringer carried for three yards. Ringer carried for two more. Ringer carried for a gain of eight to their one yard line and they used their final timeout with :49 left on the clock. Arthur took a knee. Arthur took a knee again and we let the clock run out. We headed to the locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Great game today guys, we played a great team and beat them. We fought through some adversity and got the win. The game ball goes to Ringer with 21 carries for 155 yards, that’s an average carry over seven yards. The o line may have had something to do with that too. Ok guys, bring it in. Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 5/9 83YDS TD

Ringer 21/155
Basch 4/6

Hixon 2/42
Montgomery 1/15 TD
Pichardo 1/22
Basch 1/4

Nelson 3T TFL S
Porter 3T DEF
Downing 3T TFL DEF
Stockton 2T TFL INT
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NIU 00-07-00-00 07
Akron 07-03-00-03 13
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Press Conference is now open, feel free to ask questions of anyone affiliated with the team.
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10-01-05 Akron #10 (5-0[2-0]) @ Buffalo #47 (5-1[3-0]) 6pm MAC Game
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The way things were looking right now one of these two teams would be half of the MAC Championship game. I wanted it to be us. Beating them today would help our chances a lot. The crowd seemed tiny after two weeks at home. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 40. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass to our 49 for a first down. They threw incomplete. Shippy went too soon and we got called for off sides. They tried to run and Shippy dropped it for a loss of two. They threw incomplete and they sent out their punting team. Nick called for the fair catch at our 14. Ringer ran for a loss of a yard. Ringer swept left for a yard. Arthur threw incomplete and we had to punt. They took over at their 45. They ran a draw for four yards. They completed a pass to our 40 for a first down. Shippy dropped the HB for a loss of two yards. They threw incomplete. On third and 12 they threw incomplete again. Nick went back to return another punt. He returned it to their 20 but a clipping call pushed us back to our five. They jumped off sides and put us out at the ten. Ringer carried for almost five. On second and inches Basch carried out to the 19. Arthur’s pass got batted down. Ringer carried for six yards. Ringer carried again for just a yard. On fourth and three we had to punt again. They returned the pun to their 38 and their offense took over there. They completed a pass to our 46. They threw again and we knocked the pass down. We knocked another pass down. On third and ten their receiver dropped the pass. The first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

They punted and it was a touchback. Ringer carried for three yards. Arthur scrambled out to their 32 for a first down. Ringer carried out to our 45 for another first down. Ringer carried for six yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a yard and that brought up a fourth down and two at our 47. We punted. Their offense took over at their 16 after the punt. They ran a QB draw for five yards. They ran for a yard. On third and four they ran again but only got a yard. Nick went back for the punt. The offense took over at our 47. Ringer carried for seven yards. Ringer carried again for a gain of five more and a first down. Kasparek took a play at fullback and pounded for a gain of 14. Ringer carried for a yard. Arthur took off and got to their 10 for another first down. He wasn’t the type to scoot out of bounds or slide, he was pretty hardcore for a QB. He played all out all the time, I liked that. Ringer carried for five. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur called an audible and Goodwin was wide open in the endzone. Arthur hit him for the TD and Swiger made it 7-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 18. Shippy busted through and dropped their QB for a loss of five yards. They threw incomplete and the clock stopped with :05 in the half. They ran the ball and let the clock run out. We headed to the locker room.

Halftime

“Good half of football guys. If we get the kickoff and go score they’ll be done. Let’s put it away. Stockton and Porter when the offense is out there stay near me.”

3rd Quarter

I caught the kick off at our five and brought it out to our 29. Ringer carried for a gain of 12 yards. Ringer carried again for 13 yards. Ringer bounced outside and got all the way down to their 21. Coach told me to go in for Ringer for two plays to give him a breather. Arthur hit me on a screen and I picked up about six yards. I ran off tackle and picked up a yard. I expected Ringer to come back in but he didn’t. Arthur called triple option right. We needed three yards for the first down. Arthur took the snap and faked to Basch. He started coming right and turned the corner. He ran for a yard or two and then pitched, I made it to their two yard line before I was tackled. Ringer came back in. Ringer got nothing. Bach took the handoff and the ball popped out like a greased pig. They recovered on their own four yard line. Time to step it up on defense. They tried to run and Henry dropped the HB for a loss of three yards on their one. They tried to run again but we shut it down. Ferguson dropped the runner in the endzone for a safety. That made the score 9-0. They set up to punt to us. Nick and I went back to return. Nick returned it to our 29. Ringer carried for a gain of 10 and a first down. Ringer carried again for a gain of 10 more yards and another first down. Ringer carried once again for a gain of 13 more yards. “Way to block hogs” I shouted from the sideline. “Porter, spell Ringer again” said Coach. Arthur called speed option left. He pitched quickly and I picked up 11 yards and another first down. We tried triple option to the right but Arthur didn’t have a chance and he lost a yard. We ran option again back to the left and I picked up 16 yards after the pitch. I looked to the sideline to see if Ringer was headed back out but he wasn’t. He had always been very good about letting someone else in the game. Weather it was me or Nedd or Berchie that was stepping in he never seemed resentful, he was definitely about the team just like Nick and I and I respected him a lot. I carried again, this time up the middle for about five yards. Arthur scrambled on a pass and I made a block to spring him. He dove into the endzone. Swiger made it 16-0. They returned the their 24. They tried to sweep to their right and we dropped them for a loss of two yards as the third quarter came to a conclusion.

4th Quarter

They threw incomplete. On third down and 12 they threw incomplete again. Nick went back to return the punt. We took over at our 44. Arthur scrambled again and picked up 11 yards. Ringer carried for a gain of six yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer picked up a yard and made it fourth down and three at their 38. We punted. The punt sailed into the endzone and they took over at their 20. They ran for a yard. They tried to sweep to their left and they lost two yards. On third and 11 they passed and Nick broke it up. They came on to punt and Nick went back to return it. Nick returned it to their 35 and our offense took over. Ringer carried for a gain of 14. Basch carried for a gain of three. Ringer carried again down to their four. Basch pounded ahead and crossed the goal line. I couldn’t help but notice a large portion of the fans leaving the stadium. Swiger kicked the point after to make the score 23-0. After the kick off their offense took over at their 23 with 2:01 left. They completed a pass for a gain of eight. They threw incomplete. They completed a long pass to our 24 and they went no huddle. They threw incomplete. They threw again incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They threw incomplete on fourth down and gave the ball back. More fans left. Ringer carried for a yard. Ringer carried again for five more yards. Ringer lost two yards. We punted. They returned it to mid field. They threw incomplete. Shippy batted down a pass at the line. They threw incomplete again and decided to punt. Our offense went back out on the field with :05 left. Ringer carried and the clock struck zero. We headed for the locker room. “Great game by the defense. Another quality win. The game ball without a doubt goes to the hogs on the offensive line. We ran the ball 43 times for 391 yards. Who liked running the ball that much?”
Everyone raised their hands, even the receivers.
“Well, I’m glad you all liked it because I did too. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/7 11YDS TD

Ringer 28/179
Porter 5/45
Arthur 5/42 TD
Kasparek 1/14
Basch 4/11 TD

Goodwin 1/5 TD
Porter 1/6

Henry 5T 2TFL DEF
Shippy 4T 3TFL S DEF
Downing 3T TFL
Griffin 2T DEF
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Akron 00-07-09-07 23
Buffalo 00-00-00-00 00
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Press Conference is now open, feel free to ask questions of anyone affiliated with the team.
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10-08-05 Akron #10 (6-0[3-0]) vs UCF #116 (0-6[0-2]) 6pm MAC Game
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This looked like a blowout in the making on paper. Before the season started we were considered a team that ran the ball about 55% of the time and passed about 45%. Lately we had been running the ball a lot more and it was working for us. Coach knew to stick with what was working and adjust your game plan accordingly. We had added a few new formations on offense and I was told by coach that I would be seeing more time on that side of the ball. One of the new formations was the T. We used two tight ends, Kasparek and Pichardo and three backs, Basch at fullback, Ringer to his left and me to his right. The idea behind the use of this formation was to split up carries between Ringer, Basch, Arthur and I and wear down the defense then use mostly Ringer in the second half against the worn down defense. I liked the idea. Nick was going to be playing more offense as well, mostly at wide receiver. We all got together and got ourselves fired up. They won the toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick to their 25. They ran for a gain of 12. That was enough yards. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of eight yards. Nelson came on the blitz and sacked the QB for a loss of five yards. They threw incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. He returned it to their 39. We started in our brand new T formation. Ringer carried for three yards. We ran option right, that was me. I took the pitch and picked up nine yards. Ringer carried for a yard. We went to the pro formation and I came out. Ringer lost a yard. Arthur scrambled for a gain of seven yards and got up grasping his shoulder. Swiger came on to try the 37 yard kick. The kick bounced off the upright and we went back out on defense. They threw incomplete. The trainer told us Arthur would be back by halftime. They threw incomplete again. It was third and 10, time for the defense to buckle down. They came out in the shotgun with no backs and three receivers to their left and two to their right. Even a blind man could tell they were passing. They snapped the ball and I dropped into my zone. Their QB took a one step drop and then fired to his right. The receiver caught the pass next to Nelson and about five yards ahead of me. Just as he had turned up field I hit him just as hard as I could. The ball came flying out and Elie recovered it. We took possession at their 37. We went with the T again. Gambill took the snap and handed to Basch for a gain of five yards. Ringer carried for a gain of almost five to make it third down and inches. Ringer got the carry and got stuffed for a loss of two yards. The gun sounded to end the first quarter.

2nd Quarter

The ball was spotted at their 29 directly in the middle of the field. The field goal would be a 46 yard attempt, a little long for Swiger. We went back out in the T. The play was a toss to the left with me coming across the formation. They were stacked that side and Gambill should have called an audible to switch to the other side. He didn’t. He took the snap and I took the pitch, I didn’t have anywhere to go but I did manage to get a yard. Arthur would have called an audible. Maybe Gambill didn’t know them. I stayed on the field and the rest of the defense joined me. They started out on their 28. They ran up the middle for two yards. Their QB floated a pass over the middle and Earl picked it like a fresh apple. We took possession on their 42. We went back to the T and Arthur was back in. Ringer took the snap and carried for a gain of five. The next call was for me to take the handoff and go up the middle. I took the handoff and hit the hole, I lowered my head and pounded for seven yards. Carrying the ball was actually pretty fun. The T seemed to be working so we stayed with it. The call was a lead option left. Basch and Ringer would lead block for Arthur and I on the option. Arthur took the snap and started to the left. He got to the corner and then pitched it to me. I ran hard all the way down to their 11 yard line, a gain of 19 yards. Basch carried up the middle for a gain of nine yards. Basch got the carry again and he pounded his way into the endzone. Swiger made the point after and it was 7-0. They returned the kick off out to their 24. They ran for two yards. They completed a play action pass for a gain of six yards. That brought up third down and two yards to go. They tried to run off tackle to their right and Henry made the tackle for a loss of a yard. Their punt was pretty bad and it went out of bounds at their own 45 where we took over on offense. It was right back to the T. Ringer took the quick toss and ran for a gain of three yards. On second down we ran the same play to my side and I gained four yards. Arthur was having trouble with his helmet communicator and it led to a delay of game. That made it third down and eight after the penalty. We stayed in the T. The call was for a play action pass but Arthur saw a lane and took off, he picked up 16 yards before he was brought down at their 27. I got the call and headed up the middle, there was a huge hole and I got to the 11 before I was dragged down. Basch carried up the middle for five yards. We got in the huddle. “T formation Lead option left on two” called Arthur. Hopefully he would audible out of it if he needed to. Arthur snapped the ball and rolled to his left, he got to the corner and the DE was all over him. He pitched to me and it was far from perfect. I gathered it in and headed for the endzone, Arthur had held the ball just long enough to draw all the defenders to him and I had only one man to beat, a defensive back. I bulled into him and he barely slowed me down on my way to pay dirt. Swiger did his thing to make it 14-0. They took over on their 20 yard line with :18 left until halftime. They ran for a gain of nine yards and the clock expired. We headed into the locker room.

Halftime

“Great job out there on both sides of the ball so far. The T is working just like we planned, we’ll stay in it for this next possession and then we’ll stop using it. Arthur we’ll probably pass a few times in the second half so be ready, Stockton we’ll try to get you out a receiver for a few plays. Keep up the good work all around.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick from our six out to our 23. We went to the T. Basch carried up the middle for two yards. We ran speed option right and Arthur kept it for a gain of 13 yards. A lot of quarterbacks would have been upset with the change we had made to become more of a running team. Arthur loved it. I ran up the middle for a yard but ran out of real estate. Ringer took the quick toss and picked up four yards. Arthur got dropped for a loss on the option call and we punted. They took over on their 27. They threw over the middle again and Earl made the catch like the pass was designed to go to him. We took over at mid field. Arthur threw a screen to Montgomery but they sniffed it out and dropped him for a loss. Arthur got dropped for a loss of 11. That made it third and 22. They needed to catch a plane for the first down. Arthur threw a bad pass over the middle and it was picked off. We couldn’t complain too much, that was the first one he had thrown all season. They took over on their 48. Ferguson sacked their QB for a loss of four yards. They went deep and Elie picked it off. He returned it to our 30 and the offense took over again. They jumped off sides. Ringer carried for four yards. We lost a yard on an option when Ringer had to go back and recover an arrant pitch. Arthur gave to Basch on the triple option and he ran for six yards. Ringer carried for two yards. The third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Arthur threw another pick. I was perplexed, he had been playing fairly solid ball so far this season and now two picks in one game. They threw deep and incomplete. Henry was called for a 15 yard pass interference, it was a bad call. They paid for it on the next play when Shippy sacked their QB for a loss of eight yards. Dorsey hit their QB as he threw and caused an incompletion. On third and 18 from their 44 they completed a pass for 14 yards. On fourth and four they decided to go for it. They threw incomplete and we took over on our 42. Ringer carried for a gain of 10 yards. Ringer carried again for five yards. Ringer carried again for a yard. On third down and four Arthur took a sack for a loss of one. We punted. The ball bounced out at their nine. The pass looked like a duck with two bad wings. Elie picked it off easily. Coach sent Gambill out at QB. Gambill hit Nick for a gain of 13 yards. Gambill hit Hixon for a gain of eight. Gambill hit Montgomery for a gain of six yards to their seven yard line. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill found Nick open in the endzone. Why isn’t this guy starting I thought to myself. Swiger made it 21-0. They took over on their 18. They completed a pass out to their 40 and went no huddle. We got called for an off sides. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again and it brought up third down and five. White busted through and sacked their QB for a loss of six. We took over at our 21. Ringer carried for four yards. Gambill kept on the option and picked up seven yards. Gambill had a pass tipped and it was picked off. We put in the second team defense. They went deep and scored easily due to some coverage confusion, it didn’t really matter at this point. They kicked the point after to make it 21-7. They tried the onside kick and we recovered it at their 48. For some odd reason Gambill threw deep and had it picked off. That was an interesting play. Oh well I thought we won. We went to the locker room. “Hey guys a win is a win, we certainly didn’t play very well today though. We’ll worry about that Monday at practice though. Porter gets the game ball today for great play on both sides of the ball. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 4/7 34 YDS TD 2INT
Arthur 1/3 -1YDS 2INT

Porter 8/63 TD
Ringer 14/44
Basch 6/29 TD
Arthur 7/22
Gambill 1/7

Montgomery 2/5
Stockton 2/20 TD
Hixon 1/8

Stockton 5T
Earl 2T 2INT
Porter 2T FF
Henry 2T TFL 2DEF
Dorsey 2T TFL S
Elie T 2INT DEF
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UCF 00-00-00-07 07
Akron 00-14-00-07 21
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Press conference is open
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10-10-05 Practice

Coach felt that we had some definite issues on the offensive side of the ball, things that needed to be dealt with if we were going to survive against quality teams. Our run game was very successful but our passing game was certainly lacking. I could tell he wasn’t very confident in any of our three options at quarterback. Arthur had been inconsistent all season and was definitely in a slump. Gambill seemed to have the most ability and his advantage in speed helped us with the option game however his inexperience led to mistakes. Ferguson hadn’t really been given an opportunity because his lack of mobility would be a problem with our offensive line. It was quite a predicament and I was glad I didn’t have to make the decision. We looked over game film of games we had played to see what had worked for us and what hadn’t. Coach talked to all three quarterbacks and decided that for the time being Arthur would remain the starter. We would continue to use the T formation. Coach said that we may be having trouble passing simply because we aren’t doing it enough. We set some offensive goals for the upcoming game. We would try to pass at least 20 times this game. I just wanted to play.
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10-15-05 Akron #8 (7-0[4-0]) @ Ball State #60 (4-2[3-1) 12:30pm MAC Game
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I was as anxious as I had ever been to play a football game. We all hoped our offense would click as Ball State was a far better team than we had faced last week. They won the toss and chose to receive. There was a harsh wind ripping through the stadium.

1st Quarter

They took over at their 18. They went to the bag of tricks early with a halfback throwback. Nick read it all the way and came up with the pick effortlessly. We took over at their 21. Ringer ran for a gain of three yards. We tried a play action pass and Arthur got sacked. On third down and 17 Arthur managed to find Montgomery in the endzone. Swiger made it 7-0. The wind helped make the kick off a touchback. They ran up the middle for no gain. They tried to pass and Dorsey sacked the QB for a loss of six yards. They completed a short pass but the receiver fumbled. Earl picked it up and ran it home untouched. Swiger made it 14-0. Their offense started over at their 15 after the kick off. They swept to their left for five yards. They ran up the middle for no gain. Ferguson sacked their QB for a loss of four. Nick went back to return the punt. We came out at their 46 in the T. Ringer carried for two yards. Ringer carried again for four yards. On third and four they finally called my number with the lead option left. I gained 14 yards and we picked up the first down. Just like high school I thought to myself. Arthur got sacked again. I couldn’t believe he was having so much trouble avoiding defenders. Arthur threw to Nick but it was a bad out of bounds pass. That brought up third and 21. Arthur hit Nick across the middle for a gain of 24 and a first down. I breathed a sigh of relief. The first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Ringer ran for eight on an option out of pro. That made it second and goal on the five. Then we went back into T. Basch got the call on a dive up the middle and made it to the endzone. Swiger made it 21-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 27. They took over on offense. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass to their 48. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of four. They completed another pass to our 21. They tried a sweep and Nick dropped the HB for a loss of a yard. They tried to run again and only got a yard. Griffin sacked the QB for a loss of six yards and the QB didn’t get up on his own. They decided to go for it on fourth down and 16. Their timing was off on a pass play and we got the ball back on our 27. I picked up six yards on lead option left. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for six yards and a first down. We went back into the T. Ringer got dropped for a loss of a yard. Ringer got nothing on a sweep. Third down and 11. Arthur threw an ugly pass that luckily fell incomplete. We punted. They took possession on their 34. They ran a screen and I dropped the receiver for no gain. Shippy sacked their QB for a loss of eight yards. They got two yards on a quick pass. On fourth and 16 they decided to punt. Nick returned the punt to our 49. Arthur threw deep to no one in particular and they picked it off as the half ended.

Halftime

“We have a good lead but the game isn’t over yet. Gambill you’re in for the second half.”

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off to our 23. No T. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch broke one for a gain of 14. Gambill scrambled for a gain of 13 yards. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill threw incomplete again. Gambill got sacked. I had never been so unhappy with this much of a lead. To add insult to injury the put team got called for a delay of game. Their offense got the ball back at their 30. They ran for a gain of two yards. We knocked down another pass. They completed a 17 yard pass for a first down. Earl didn’t say anything we all knew how tired everyone was from being on the field so much. We needed the offense back. Shippy stopped a run after just a yard. They tried to run again and got only a yard. “Let’s get off the field” said Earl. We knocked down the pass and they had to punt. Nick called for a fair catch at our 21. Still no T. Ringer broke one for a gain of 15 yards. Ringer carried again for four yards. Gambill got sacked again. Why isn’t he running? Gambill got dropped again. Maybe it’s the line. The defense got together and got ready to go back out. They returned the punt to their 29 and the quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They completed a screen and ran for about 45 yards after the catch. We were definitely tired. We sacked the QB and the ball came out, they recovered but lost three yards. They ran a toss to their right and White made a hit in the backfield. I saw the ball pop loose and I got after it. We took over on our 32. Ringer carried for three yards. Gambill got hit again and coughed it up. Schepp recovered and we lot two yards on the play. Ringer gained nine yards on the option. We punted again. They returned the punt to our 45. They threw an ugly pass and Downing was all over it. He picked it off and brought it back to their 43 where the offense took over. Ringer ran for a gain of eight yards. Ringer picked up three more yards and the first down. Coach told me we probably would go with the T again this game but I may still need to spell Ringer. Ringer ran for two yards. We ran a play action and Gambill showed a flash of what he could be. He sold the fake very well and hit Hixon in the endzone. Swiger made it 28-0. They took over on their 17 after the kick off. They completed a screen for 20 yards. They threw incomplete. They tried a sweep and got nothing. Nick went after a duck and picked it off easily. Gambill threw incomplete. Ringer ran for a gain of four yards. A few more runs ran out the clock and we headed for the locker room. We had won the game but we really hadn’t answered any questions about the offense. Coach addressed the team. “Hey guys, we won. I think we’ll be going back to the beginning of the season with our offense, I have to sit down with the other coaches and make some decisions. Regardless a win is a win. Nick Stockton gets the game ball, he had a nice catch on offense and five tackles and two picks on D. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 1/4 30YDS TD
Arthur 2/6 52YDS TD INT

Ringer 19/104
Porter 2/20
Basch 2/19 TD

Stockton 1/24
Hixon 1/30 TD
Montgomery 1/28 TD

Shippy 5T 2TFL S
Stockton 5T 2INT DEF
White 4T 2TFL S 2FF
Ferguson 3T 2TFL S
Griffin 3T TFL S
Dorsey 2T TFL S
Porter 2T TFL FR
Downing T INT
Earl T FR DEF
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Akron 14-07-00-07 28
Ball State 00-00-00-00 00
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Press Conference
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10-26-02

We had all arrived and were ready for practice. Coach Brookhart called the team over to the bleachers. “Hey everyone listen up. Come on guys quiet down. I have some unfortunate news. Jerrell was caught doing some things that he should not have been doing involving some athletic boosters. The NCAA has told us that if we didn’t take action on our own then they would have to. Jerrell is suspended from the team for the remainder of the regular season. He will be eligible to play in the MAC Championship game. We can’t afford to lose anyone else so keep your noses clean, get to your classes and keep your grades up. As far as the runningback situation Porter will be starting. Nedd you will be getting time and carries as well, I want you at the number two back position in the T formation. Stockton we may be using you back there too and we’re definitely going to be using you as a receiver still. Alright everyone let’s have a good practice.”
I was shocked, Jerrell always seemed to be on the up and up. I knew I was going to have to bring it. We had a great practice.


10-29-05 Akron #7 (8-0[5-0]) @ Marshall #115 (1-6[1-4]) 6pm MAC Game
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I had been working on both sides of the ball all week and I was ready to go. We worked on offense hard all week and we were looking to break out of our slump. They won the toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 26. They passed deep but no one was there. They tried to run and I made the tackle after a gain of about three yards. They tried to throw on third down and it was incomplete. Nick returned the punt to our 46. I got the call for a run up the middle on first down. The hogs opened up a huge hole and I carried for a gain of 14 yards. “That’s the way to block line!” Basch pounded up the middle again for a gain of 15 yards. If we keep blowing them up like this it’s going to be smooth sailing. I swept right for a gain of six yards. Arthur hit Montgomery on a screen but he was dropped for a loss of a yard. Third and five at their 20 yard line. Arthur called my number on a run inside. The blocking wasn’t there and I was lucky to get the four yards I did. Swiger hit from 33 yards off the left hash mark to make it 3-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 27 yard line. Nick broke up a pass. They ran a screen and picked up three yards. They hit another pass for a gain of 25 and a first down at our 45. They ran for a gain of three. They completed a pass to the sideline for a gain of seven yards and another first down. They ran outside for three yards. They tried to run again and lost two yards. On third down and nine they tried to pass but Dorsey broke through for a sack. Nick went back to return the punt. We took possession on our 27. Basch carried for a gain of five yards and the quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

I got the carry again on another run up the middle. It was jammed up so I bounced outside. I picked up 22 yards before I was pushed out of bounds. Arthur hit Hixon for a gain of 26 yards and a first down at their 20 yard line. Basch carried for a gain of seven yards. I got the ball again and picked up 11 yards and a first and goal at their two yard line. Basch picked up a yard. Basch lost the yard. On third down and goal at their two I carried. They fired the whole team at us and I only got a yard. Swiger hit from 18 yards off the left hash to make it 6-0. They took over on their 15 after the kick off. They ran right into Dorsey for no gain. They ran for a gain of four yards. On third down and six they threw incomplete. Their punt went out of bounds at their 48. Basch carried for a gain of three. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur threw incomplete again. We sent out the punt team. Sullivan’s punt went out at their 15. Shippy stopped the run for a loss of a yard. Elie dropped the sweep for no gain but a facemask made it third down and six yards to go. They ran a draw and burned us for 38 yards and a first down at our 43. They ran a QB draw for three yards. Their QB scrambled for 15 yards. They completed a pass for a gain of eight and Nelson made the tackle on their big tight end. Nelson went to the sideline after the play holding his arm. They completed a pass to our one yard line and called a timeout with :03 left in the half. They sent out their field goal team and made it 6-3.

Halftime

Coach told us the defense was doing very well and the offense would get there.

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off to our 25. I carried for four yards on a broken sweep. Basch picked up 10 yards. I carried again for a gain of four yards. Arthur threw incomplete. On third and six, coach sent in the T formation. Power sweep right. That meant Nedd and Basch were lead blocking for me on a sweep to the right. Their defense destroyed our offensive line and I was dropped for a loss of six yards. I never had a chance. They took over on their 30 after the punt. They threw incomplete. They gained six on a QB draw. They only got three yards on fourth down. Earl didn’t get up after the play. He was holding his head. The trainers came out and helped him off the field. Nick returned the punt 31 yards to their 36. Basch carried for a gain of nine yards. I got the ball and carried for four yards and a new set of downs. We tried to run option and I got a horrible pitch, I had to chase it down and we lost 14 yards on the play. Arthur hit Nick for a gain of 26 yards, Nick did a great job of staying in bounds and we had a fresh set of downs at their 11. I carried for no gain. “Where’s the blocking line?” We called a time out. Basch pounded for a gain of seven yards. That made it third down and three yards to go at their four yard line. I looked to the sideline at Coach Brookhart, he just nodded. I went to the huddle and listened to the call. “I right 21 power.” That meant I was getting ht handoff and going between the center and the guard on the left side. Arthur took the snap and spun to his left, he put the ball right in my gut and I covered it up. The hole I was supposed to run was jammed up but there was a little bit of daylight to the left of the designed hole. Basch sealed off the defensive end and I cut behind his block. A pair of linebackers met me a yard from the endzone and I lowered my shoulders. I powered through them and into the endzone. Swiger made the kick and it was 13-3 with :25 left in the third quarter. They returned the kickoff out to their 21. They tried a draw out of shotgun and got nothing. The quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Dorsey broke through and sacked their QB for a loss of three yards. Their QB scrambled and picked up 18 yards. I could hear Earl yelling from the sideline. They completed a pass for nine yards. They threw a bad pass that fell incomplete but the refs called pass interference on us for no apparent reason. That gave them a first down at our 40. They ran a sweep to their left and I made the tackle after a gain of three. They ran a reverse for a gain of nine and another first down. They threw incomplete. They tried a draw and lost two yards. On third down and 12 they tried to pass. Dorsey broke through and sacked their QB for a loss of six yards. Everyone knew they were going to go for it on fourth down. They threw incomplete and we took over at our 36. Basch carried for two yards. I got the toss to the left and picked up 19 yards before I was hauled down. Basch carried for four yards and they called a timeout with 1:50 left. Basch carried again for a big gain down to their 24. Arthur ran for eight yards. I got the ball again on a pitch to the left. I got around corner and there was nobody there. I got to their 10 and saw that I would have to beat a couple defenders to make it to the endzone. I juked one of them at the four and dove for the endzone. I felt myself take a hard shot to the head and then I spun around. Everything went black. I don’t know how long I was out for but when I came to I was laying in the endzone with the ball still in my grasp. Nick was standing over me with the trainer. “Are you ok TJ?” The trainer asked. I wasn’t really sure if I was. “Yeah, I’m fine” I said. “Do you know where you are?” The trainer asked. I jumped up and shouted “I’m in the endzone baby!!!” Nick helped me off the field. Swiger did his thing and made the score 20-3. They returned the kick off to their 20 and I started back out onto the field with the defense. “Porter” yelled coach “shouldn’t you take a break?” “I’m fine” I replied as I continued back out to the field. I felt fine so I was going to play, even if I wasn’t fine I would still be out on the field. Henry batted the pass incomplete. Their QB scrambled for almost ten to make it third and inches. They went no huddle. Nicholson knocked the pass down. Fourth and inches. They decided to punt. Nick returned the punt to their 45. I got the toss and picked up another 15 yards. Basch carried for a gain of one yard. We let the clock run out and we headed for the locker room. Coach addressed the team. “Another solid win today men. The defense gave up some yards but only three points, great job. Offense put 20 points up and with this defense that’s enough to win 99 percent of the time. The game ball goes to TJ with 100 yards rushing, two touchdowns and four tackles on defense. Bring it in everyone, Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 3/6 51YDS

Porter 16/104 2TD
Basch 13/78
Arthur 1/8

Montgomery 1/-1
Stockton 1/26
Hixon 1/26

Dorsey 5T 4TFL 3S
Griffin 4T TFL
Porter 4T DEF
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Akron 03-03-07-07 20
Marshall 00-03-00-00 03
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11-5-05 Akron #4 (9-0[6-0]) vs Ohio #118 (0-10[0-7]) 8pm MAC Game
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This one shouldn’t be close, hopefully we’ll get the back ups in. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They took over on their 23. They ran for a yard. They tried option but Griffin lit up their QB for a loss of two yards. Their QB left with an injury. On third and 11 Downing sacked the QB for a loss of five yards. Nick returned the punt to their 46. Basch carried for a gain of six. I carried up the middle through a gigantic hole and got to their 16 yard line before I was tackled. Basch carried for six yards. I carried again and the hole was there again, I ran over a DB at the goalline and put six on the scoreboard. Swiger hit the point after to make the score 7-0. They ran option for a gain of three yards. They ran option again and got nothing. Another option resulted in a loss of two. Nick went back for another punt. He returned it to their 26 before he was pushed out. Basch rumbled for almost 10 and made it second down and inches. I bounced outside and got to the one yard line before I got shoved out. I got the carry again and walked into the endzone untouched. Swiger made it 14-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 22. Their QB kept for four yards. They tried a reverse and got nothing. The quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

They ran up the middle for almost enough but chose to punt on fourth and inches. The punt went out of bounds at our 35. Arthur kept the ball on option and coughed it up when he was tackled. We went back on defense. Dorsey dropped the QB for a loss of two yards on the option. They fumbled and Earl recovered it on our 39. I took the toss left and picked up about 22 yards. We ran a reverse and Hixon picked up three yards. I ran a toss for six yards. On third and one Basch carried for about four yards and a first down at their 25. I took the toss right and picked up 11 yards. Basch pounded for 10 yards and a first down at the four. I took the toss left and went into the endzone untouched. Swiger made it 21-0. They took over at their 21. They threw incomplete. They threw a bad pass over the middle and Griffin was there to pick it off. We took over on their 18. I took the toss right and picked up 13 yards. Basch carried for two yards. Basch carried again and bulled his way into the endzone. Swiger made it 28-0. They took over on their 21 after the kick off. They completed a long pass all the way to our 21. They ran option for four yards. They tried option again and lost a yard. Another option attempt resulted in a loss of five. They sent out the field goal unit. The kick bounced off the cross bar and went through to make it 28-3 with :06 in the half. We took over on our 27 after the kick off. I ran for nine yards and the half ended.

Halftime

“Keep it up guys, good job on defense except for that one play.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick to our 24. Basch carried for five yards. I bounced outside on a blast and got to their 44 before I was dragged down. Arthur threw incomplete. I carried for seven yards. Basch picked up the first down and a little extra. Basch carried again and got all the way down to their 13 yard line. I carried for five yards. Basch carried again for four yards. That made it third down and one at their four. I picked up two yards and the first down. I got the call again and scored an easy TD. Swiger made it 35-3. We kicked off and they let it go into the endzone for a touch back. Their QB kept on an option for a gain of 16. They ran option again for two yards. They tried to run again and lost three yards. They threw incomplete. They punted and Nick returned it to their 46. I ran for seven yards. Basch carried for 13 yards. Nick subbed in for me at HB. The third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Nick carried for 17 yards. Basch carried for four yards. Basch carried again for a yard. Arthur threw incomplete. Swiger hit the chip shot and made it 38-3. They took over on their 23. They ran option for a gain of five. They ran up the middle for two yards. On third and three they lost five yards trying a sweep. They punted again and it went out at our 46. Nedd went in. Nedd carried for two yards. Basch carried for two yards. Arthur threw incomplete. We went for it because of the spot, too long for a field goal and too short for a punt. Arthur scrambled all the way to their 21. Arthur hit Pichardo for a gain of 11 yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Basch carried for a yard. Arthur hit Basch for eight yards down to the one. On fourth and goal from the one Nedd pounded in for the TD. Swiger made it 45-3. They returned the kick to their 19. They ran for two yards. They fumbled but recovered after a loss of four. They let the clock run out. We headed for the locker room. “Good win today guys. Great blocking by the o line. Sorry to all the receivers” He was chuckling as he said it, Hixon and Montgomery laughed too “If running the ball 100 time makes us win that’s what we’re gonna do. Porter gets the game ball over 150 yards and four touchdowns as well as some solid defense. Bring it in Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/6 19YDS

Porter 16/167 4TD
Basch 16/95 TD
Arthur 2/36
Stockton 1/17
Nedd 2/3 TD
Hixon 1/3

Basch 1/8
Pichardo 1/11

Shippy 5T 2TFL FF
White 4T TFL FF
Dorsey 4T 3TFL
Griffin 3T 2TFL INT
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Ohio 00-03-00-00 03
Akron 14-14-07-10 45
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Domenik Hixon has missed a mandatory team meeting. This is his second violation of the season and as a result he has been suspended for a game.
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11-12-05 Akron #3 (10-0[7-0]) @ Miami of Ohio #68 (5-5[5-2]) 6pm MAC Game
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We are in the MAC Championship no matter what the outcome of this game is. We are ranked #3 in the polls and in the bowl rankings. Without a loss by either Florida or LSU our chances of moving up in either were slim. We still want to win. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 22. They threw incomplete and were called for holding, we pushed them back. They ran for a yard. They threw incomplete again. On third down and 19 they completed a screen but Dixon made the tackle for a loss of three yards. Nick went back to return the punt. He called for a fair catch at their 41. Arthur threw incomplete. I swept left for a gain of five yards. Arthur threw incomplete. We went for it and Arthur threw incomplete. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete. Henry batted down the pass on third down. We took over on our 40 after the punt. Arthur threw incomplete. I could tell coach was trying to build Arthur’s confidence, I didn’t think it was working very well. Basch pounded for a gain of 13 yards. I carried up the middle for 13 of my own. Arthur threw incomplete. Basch carried for a gain of seven. The call was 23 dive, I took the handoff and saw the designated hole was jammed up. I bounced outside to my right. I ran over a potential tackler at the 25, got a good block from Kasparek and strolled into the endzone. Swiger made it 7-0. They took over at their 22 after the kick off. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. Another incomplete pass brought out their punt team. Nick returned the punt to their 41. Arthur threw incomplete. I carried outside left for 11 yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur carried for four yards. Arthur lost two on an option. Swiger tried from 45 but it hit the crossbar and bounced back no good. They threw incomplete. Dorsey dropped the reverse for a loss of three. On third down they completed a 23 yard pass. They ran for a gain of four. They ran for no gain. On third and six they threw incomplete and the quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

We took over on our 21 after the punt and fair catch. Basch carried for eight yards. I carried for four yards and a first down. Arthur kept on the option for nine yards. Kasparek took a play a fullback and carried for 11 yards. I found a seem in the middle and scampered for 28 yards before I was tackled at their 19. I went outside left for nine more yards. Basch carried for no gain. Coach showed his confidence in Basch and gave him the ball again, he picked up five yards and a first down at their five. I got the ball and followed Basch into the endzone. Swiger made it 14-0. They returned the kick off to their 22. They threw incomplete, and again, and once more on third down. They sent out their punter. Nick returned the punt to their 48. Arthur threw incomplete. I carried and picked up just two yards. I was beating myself up in the huddle. Coach called a timeout, he told me I couldn’t break one every time I touched the ball and that I was getting it again. I took it again and plowed over a linebacker before I was finally tackled after a gain of six. That made it fourth and two. I was signaling to coach to let us go for it, then the entire o line was signaling too. He told us to go for it. Basch got the carry and picked up about two yards and one inch to give us the first down, that’s the good thing about having a six foot three fullback, all he has to do is fall forward and he’s got two yards. Basch carried again and picked up 14 yards. I went outside right and picked up 10 yards. Arthur made his first completion count as it was a TD pass to Montgomery. Swiger made it 21-0. After the kick off they took over on their 20 with :05 in the half. They ran for no gain and the half expired. We headed into the locker room.

Halftime

“Great job offensive line. Great job Mr. Basch. Great job Mr. Porter and great job to everyone on defense. Let’s keep it going.”

3rd Quarter

I returned their kick off to our 26. Arthur dropped back and then took off scrambling for a gain of 27. Basch carried for a gain of 14 yards. Arthur kept on an option for seven yards. Arthur got dropped for a loss of one on an option. On third and four I pounded right up the gut for a gain of 13, I love this offensive line. Basch carried and fumbled but Crouch recovered. On second down and one on their five Arthur snuck for two yards and a first down. I followed Basch into the endzone once again and Swiger made it 28-0. They returned the kick to their 21. They threw incomplete. They ran for no gain. They tried a screen and it got broken up. Nick returned the punt to the 50. Basch carried for six yards. I carried and picked up five yards and another first down. I carried again for nine yards. Arthur carried all the way down to their three. He should be a runningback. Basch rumbled into the endzone from three yards out and Swiger made it 35-0. They took over on their 21 after the kick off. They completed a pass for 11 yards. The third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They tried a short pass and it was tipped at the line by Ferguson. Griffin hauled it in and took it about 31 yards to the house. We swarmed him in the endzone. Swiger made it 41-0. They took over on their 20. Shippy sacked their QB for a loss of five yards. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for a gain of 13 but punted on fourth and two. Nick returned the punt to their 36. Basch carried for a gain of 15 yards. I carried on a pitch right for a gain of 17 down to their four yard line. I took it in on a pitch to the left and Swiger made it 49-0. We kicked off again and they got called for clipping, that pushed them back to their 11. They tried a draw and lost four yards. Nelson hit their QB as he threw and it fell incomplete. They threw incomplete. They punted again. Nick returned it to their 22. We called an option and Arthur got drilled and fumbled, they recovered on their 29. They completed a pass for a gain of 27 and Henry went to the sideline holding his hand. They threw incomplete. They ran outside and I lit the runningback up hard. He gained seven before I got to him. They threw incomplete. They went for it on fourth and three and didn’t get enough. We took over on our 34. Basch carried for a gain of one and went out grabbing his arm. We had just found out that Henry was fine and we really needed Basch for the rest of the season, I crossed my fingers. I carried for nine yards. Tetzel picked up four and a first down. I took a pitch right and picked up 17 yards. Arthur fumbled again on a run and they recovered at their 27 with :32 left in the game. They ran for six yards. They threw incomplete. They ran again and the game ended. We headed for the locker room. “Hey guys way to finish off the regular season, all we can do now is win the MAC Championship and wait for the computers to do the rest for us. Today the game ball goes to the hogs. We ran all day, great job. Bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 1/9 14YDS TD

Porter 19/197 4TD
Basch 13/91 TD
Arthur 10/79
Kasparek 1/11
Tetzel 1/4

Montgomery 1/14 TD

Shippy 4T 2TFL S
Dorsey 4T 2TFL
Rohr 4T FF
Griffin 2T INT TD
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Later That Night

We rushed into the apartment and Nick got on the computer to check the days scores.
“DUDE!” He screamed. “Florida lost to FSU, 21 to 27.”
“Cool” I said. “How about LSU?”
“They lost too!! Ole Miss beat them 45 to 42.”
“Well that’s good news for us, maybe we’ll move up.”

[djp73]

Sunday 11-13-05

Nick and I were just hanging out in the apartment watching Sportscenter and waiting for the newest polls to be released.
“Hey, I just did some math” he said.
“What kind of math” I asked.
“Well you played runningback for basically three games and got 619 yards, that’s about 200 yards a game, if you did that all season you would have about 2,200 yards. And you got 12 touchdowns, that would be about 44 touchdowns” he said.
“I played running back before those three games though” I said.
“Yeah, you did. Not that much though.”
“So what are you saying?”
“You’re a good runningback.”
“Thanks, as long as we win it’s cool. Jerrell is back now so he’ll be playing.”
“Yeah.”

They came back from the commercial break and gave the new polls. First was the Media Poll. “At number five after a win over Kentucky is Georgia, number four is Virginia, they beat Georgia Tech. USC is at number three after whooping on FIU. Maryland is number two, they bead NC State in a close one. At number one is Akron, they beat on Miami of Ohio and ran their record to 11-0. Coach Brookhart is doing a fantastic job out there.”

Nick and I looked at each other and smiled.
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12-03-05 Akron #1 (11-0[8-0]) @ Toledo #59 (7-4[6-2]) 8pm MAC Championship
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It had been a long three weeks or so since the last time we played a game and we had been practicing as hard as ever. Toledo had no idea what they were getting themselves into. We were going to go into their house and make it ours. Coach told me that even though Ringer was back I was still getting carries. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 20. They completed a pass for about five yards. Henry dropped their QB for a loss of three yards. On third and eight they threw incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. The punt went out at the 50. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for a gain of three yards. Arthur threw a wild pass over the middle and it was picked off. They took it back to our 31. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They tried a screen but lost three yards. They downed the punt at our seven. Coach sent out the T. Ringer carried for six yards. I bounced outside and got out to our 28 before I was tackled. Basch carried for a gain of four. Hein went to the sideline holding his arm. I ran again to the 46. Basch carried for a gain of seven yards. We were told Hein would be back. Ringer carried again and picked up the first down at their 41. Arthur threw me a screen but it was a bad pass and I lost eight yards. Ringer carried for seven yards. The first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

On third and 11 I picked up nine yards. On fourth and two we went for it. Basch got just barely enough and we kept rolling. I carried again and got down to their 12 yard line. Ringer carried and lost two yards. I carried and picked up five yards to make it third and seven on their nine. Ringer carried for a couple yards and centered to ball for Swiger. He hit from 24 yards to make it 3-0. We kicked off and they returned it to their 27. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again under heavy pressure. Their QB scrambled for a gain of 17 for a first down. They ran a draw for a gain of seven. They completed a short pass to make it third down and inches. They ran a sweep and Henry dropped it for a loss of about two. Nick went back for the punt. They downed it at our 21 with :52 left in the half. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer ran for a gain of four and Hein limped to the sideline. Arthur threw incomplete and we punted. The punt went out at their 36 and they took over with :10 left. Shippy sacked the QB and the half ended.

Halftime

Coach told us to keep it up on defense that the offense would start clicking.

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick off to our 35. Ringer carried for nine yards. Basch picked up the first down and a little extra. Arthur hit Ringer for a gain of three yards. Ringer carried for five yards. On third and two Basch picked up about three yards and the first down. Nick went in at receiver. Arthur hit him down to their 28. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for 12 yards to their 16. Basch carried for a gain of three. Arthur kept on the option and got all the way to their one yard line. Basch pounded it home. Swiger hit the point after to make it 10-0. They returned the kick to the 27 but a clipping call sent them back to their 11. They completed a pass to their 24 for a first down. They ran a draw for nine yards. They ran again for no yards. They ran for the first down at their 41. They ran and White dropped it for a loss of one. They completed a pass to our 47 for another first down as the quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They ran for a gain of two yards. They completed another pass to our 31. White dropped the run for a loss of two. They threw incomplete. Their QB scrambled for a gain of eight to make it fourth down and four yards to go. They came out in shotgun with one back. “Watch direct snap!!!” I knew that’s what they were going to do, I could see it in the tailback’s eyes. Sure enough the snap went to him. I ran in and blew him up in the backfield. We got the ball back at our 28. Basch carried for a gain of two yards. Ringer lost the yards that Basch picked up. Arthur threw incomplete and we had to punt. After they fumbled the return they managed to recover at their 31. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They threw another incomplete pass on third down. They went for it again on fourth down. They threw incomplete again and we got the ball back at their 31. Basch carried for six yards. Ringer picked up the first down at their 20. Ringer carried for two yards and they called a timeout with 1:56 left. Ringer carried again to the eight for a first down and they used another timeout. Basch carried to their six. Basch carried again to their four and they used their final timeout with 1:10 left. Ringer took the handoff and followed Basch into the endzone. Swiger made it 17-0. We kicked off again and they returned it to their 25. They completed a five yard pass. They passed for a yard. They threw incomplete. They decided to punt. We took over on our 39 with :38 left. Ringer lost a yard. Basch carried and we let the clock run out. We doused coach Brookhart with the Gatorade and headed to the locker room. “This is just what we planned way back in practice in the summer. Back to back MAC Championships. Now we have a bowl game to look forward to. The D gets the game ball for another great shutout. Bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 3/9 8YDS INT

Ringer 16/70 TD
Porter 5/62
Basch 12/41 TD
Arthur 1/12

Ringer 1/3
Stockton 1/13
Porter 1/-8

Downing 4T DEF
White 3T 2TFL
Henry 2T 2TFL
Stockton 2T 2DEF
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Akron 00-03-07-07 17
Toledo 00-00-00-00 00
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Team Awards
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Coach JD Brookhart – Coach of the Year
All-Americans
none
All-MAC
J. Holley C 1st Team
M. Schepp G 1st Team
A. Wills G 1st Team
J. Hein T 1st Team
B. White DT 1st Team
J. Swiger K 1st Team
J. Ringer HB 2nd Team
T. Crouch T 2nd Team
S. Dorsey DE 2nd Team
N. Stockton CB 2nd Team
T. Porter 2nd Team
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Heisman Winner
Buck Dempsey QB Fresno State
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12-04-05

Our win was enough to make us the unanimous #1 in both polls. On January 3rd we would face of against Maryland for the national championship. I knew from now until then would be one of the longest months of my life.
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Bowl Results

New Orleans Bowl
Tulane 37
North Texas 31

Tangerine Bowl
Texas Tech 31
Florida St 41

GMAC Bowl
Buffalo 14
Southern Miss 41

Fort Worth Bowl
ECU 21
Kansas St 38

Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA 16
Utah 31

Hawaii Bowl
Boise St 43
Houston 23

MPC Computers Bowl
Fresno St 37
Temple 23

Motor City Bowl
Iowa 42
Kent St 17

Independence Bowl
Ole Miss 29
Missouri 52

Insight Bowl
Notre Dame 45
Stanford 35

MasterCard Alamo Bowl
Texas 31
Ohio St 38

Silicon Valley Classic
Midd Tenn St 37
Nevada 10

Continental Tire Bowl
Miami 29
West Virginia 13

Houston Bowl
Tennessee 10
Colorado 34

Emerald Bowl
San Diego St 28
Oregon 20

Holiday Bowl
Cal52
Oklahoma St 45

Music City Bowl
Alabama 30
Michigan St 37

Sun Bowl
Washington 14
Michigan 45

Autozone Liberty Bowl
BYU 41
Memphis 38

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Auburn 53
Wake Forrest 51 OT

Outback Bowl
Georgia 20
Penn St 35

SBC Cotton Bowl
South Carolina 21
Oklahoma 38

Gator Bowl
Rutgers 33
NC St 55

Capital One Bowl
Florida 31
Wisconsin 21

Sugar Bowl
USC 35
LSU 41

Fiesta Bowl
Minnesota 22
Nebraska 43

Orange Bowl
Virginia 45
Pittsburgh 26
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1-3-06 Rose Bowl
National Championship
Akron #1 (12-0) vs Maryland #2 (10-1) 5pm
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We had an outstanding month of practice and we were more than ready to take it to Maryland. None of the so called experts thought we should even be here. The only ones that thought we would win was us. We brought the number one defense in the nation against the sixth best offense in the nation. I didn’t pay attention to any of the hype surrounding the game. When you got right down to it, it was still just a football game. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off to their 22. They ran for a gain of eight. They tried a sweep and I dropped the runningback for a loss of one yard. They completed a pass out to the 50 against our soft coverage, just as the receiver turned to go up field Nick drilled him and the ball came out. Elie recovered and we took over on their 49. Ringer carried for three yards. Basch carried for five. On third and two Basch picked up the first down and then some. Ringer fumbled but Hixon recovered. Arthur got no gain in the option. On third and nine Arthur’s pass was tipped at the line. We lined up for the 51 yard field goal but a false start moved us back more. We had to punt. The punt sailed in for a touchback. They ran for two yards. They ran again for four yards. They ran again for two yards and they had to punt. Nick caught the punt at our 30 and returned it all the way to their 40. Arthur kept on the option and got all the way down to their 16. Basch broke a tackle or two and picked up eight yards. Ringer picked up a yard and the quarter came to an end

2nd Quarter

Ringer carried again and followed Basch all the way into the endzone. Swiger made it 7-0. They returned the kick off all the way out to their 46. We came out in the 4-4 and I moved to left outside linebacker. I was going on a blitz and no one touched me before I nailed the QB for a loss of eight. On second down it was like an instant replay, this time for a loss of six. On third down they threw incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. He returned it out to our 36 and we took over on offense. Arthur threw incomplete. Basch picked up three yards. Arthur picked up almost seven yards to make it fourth and inches. We went for it and Basch picked up about eight yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Ringer carried for nine yards to make it third down and one yard to go. Ringer got the carry but he fumbled, they recovered on their 35. They completed a pass out to our 49. They ran a counter and Dorsey dropped the HB for a loss of two. White sacked their QB and he fumbled. They recovered but it was now third down and 26 to go. They threw incomplete and sent out their punt team. Our offense took over at our 42. Ringer carried for three yards. Arthur pitched to Ringer on the option for a gain of eight but a clipping call sent us back and made it second and 14. Arthur kept for 13 and we needed a yard for a first down. We called a timeout. Arthur lost three yards on the option and they called a timeout. We called a timeout to think it over. We decided to punt. The ball bounced out at their 12 with :15 left. They ran foe a yard and let the clock run out.

Halftime

“Hey fellas, great job on both sides of the ball. Lets keep it going.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kickoff to our 31. Ringer picked up three yards. Ringer carried again for three yards. Ringer picked up the first down. Arthur lost two yards. Nick went in a receiver and Arthur hit him on a long pass to their 31. Ringer picked up six yards. Basch picked up the first down plus. Arthur got sacked. Arthur kept on the option and got nothing. On third and 17 Nick went back in. Arthur threw incomplete. Swiger came on to try from 41. He over corrected for the wind and it was wide left. They ran for five. They lost a yard. They threw incomplete and had to punt. We got the ball back at our 48 and coach sent in the T. Ringer lost a yard. Ringer lost six more yards. The o line wasn’t blocking anyone. The quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Nick went back in at receiver and Arthur found him again. Nick got to their 41 and picked up the first down. Basch pounded for nine. Ringer got to the 26 for another first down. Ringer carried for a gain of two. Ringer carried again for six more. Basch carried to their eight for another first down. Basch got to the one. Ringer followed Basch into the endzone. Swiger made it 14-0. They completed a deep bomb to our 34. They went no huddle. They couldn’t get it together and they got s delay of game. They completed a pass for a gain of nine. They completed a pass and the receiver took it to the house. They made the point after and the score was 14-7. They tried an onside kick and Nedd recovered at their 46. Basch pounded to their 33 and they called a timeout. Ringer picked up three and they used their second timeout. Ringer carried again and picked up the first down. Basch picked up eight yards. Maryland used their last timeout with 1:10 left. Ringer picked up the first down. Basch picked up three to their six yard line. Basch picked up two yards. Ringer carried as the clock ran out. WE ARE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! We hoisted the coaches and ran off the field. “Hey guys, outstanding game, outstanding season. To the outgoing seniors, what a way to go. To the underclassmen let’s work to repeat. The game ball goes to everyone for gelling and working as a team. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/6 47YDS

Basch 13/90
Ringer 21/66 2TD
Arthur 8/33

Stockton 2/47

Stockton 4T DEF FF
Porter 4T 3TFL 2S
White 3T 3TFL S FF
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Akron 00-07-00-07 14
Maryland 00-00-00-07 07
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Final Season Top 25 (Coaches’ Poll)
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01 Akron
02 Virginia
03 LSU
04 Nebraska
05 NC State
06 Maryland
07 Fresno State
08 Missouri
09 Florida State
10 Minnesota
11 Florida
12 Penn State
13 Georgia
14 Miami
15 Oklahoma
16 Ohio State
17 South Carolina
18 USC
19 Boise State
20 Cal
21 Rutgers
22 BYU
23 Wisconsin
24 Southern Miss
25 Notre Dame
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1-26-06

The good times didn’t last. Nick and I were shocked to hear that a good friend of ours was killed in a car accident back home. Rickey Swanson was a Sophomore when we graduated. We played football with him for two seasons, he was very good and had been offered scholarships by several division 1AA and 2 schools. We went home for the services, it was very tough. Rickey was buried in his high school football jersey, very fitting in my eyes. I talked with Rickey’s mom a lot and promised her that I would wear his #22 for the rest of my playing days as a tribute to him. She thought it was a nice thing to do.

[djp73]

Another Second Chance
Season Three


Outgoing Players
HB Jerrell Ringer Graduation
FB Mark Tetzel Graduation
WR Jason Montgomery Graduation
WR Jamie Goodwin Graduation
WR Domenik Hixon Graduation
LT Tim Crouch Leaving Early
RT Justin Hein Graduation
RG Mike Schepp Leaving Early
RE Chuck Lewis Graduation
DT Brian White Graduation
LB Diontre Earl Graduation
LB Jay Rohr Graduation
CB William Nelson Graduation
FS Dion Elie Graduation
P Billy Sullivan Graduation
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Recruiting
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Week One Signings
Corey Schneider (JUCO) 4* #4 HB
Reggie Beard 2* #51 ATH
Week Two Signings
Josh Demps 5* #3 CB
Marquis Beasley 4* #5 FS
RJ Benson 4* #4 DT
Albert Hodges 4* #4 OLB
Chris Lang 4* #17 MLB
Broderick Steward 4* #22 CB
Week Three Signings
Domingo Thomas 5* #2 DE
Demetris Jones 4* #4 MLB
Art Novak 4* #15 MLB
Jeremi Pruitt 4* #7 MLB
Byron Dawson 3* #32 T
Week Four Signings
Brian Newman 4* #7 HB
Ahmaad Jordan 3* #43 T
Brian Dupree 2* #77 T
Ryan Jeffery 2* #12 P
Chad Stamps 2* #141 G
Week Five Signings
Vinny Holt 4* #9 MLB
Erik Wade 1* #103 ATH
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6-19-06

I don’t know if it was our way of dealing with what happened to Rickey or if was because of mine and Nick’s vow to each other to stay out of trouble together. If we weren’t in class 90% of the time we were at the gym or out running. We worked out everyday and it was showing on both of us. We headed to the first practice of the season. We were the first players to arrive and coach Brookhart greeted us.

“Hello TJ, Nick. You fellas ready to back up last season?”
“You better believe it” replied Nick.
“Looks like you’ve both been doing a bit of lifting huh?”
“Yeah, a little” I smiled as I answered.

The rest of the team filed in and we all got together and talked about the way things would be run in preseason and then during the season. Coach explained his “buddy system”, it sounded a little childish but it had worked very well since I started playing for him. Basically we paired up to make sure we both knew what was going on when. We also made sure we both had all our equipment for road trips. It kept the less organized players in the loop. Nick and I always paired up. We also went over what the plan was for today’s practice. We would all get measured up then on to the strength tests and then outside for speed and agility tests. These were mostly for the coaching staff to figure out where the new recruits were and see which returning players had been working in the off season. Nick and I paired up. He stepped on the scale. He balanced out at 190 and measured out at 5’9”.
“You’re up about nine pounds from last season, good job lifting” said coach. A lot of head coaches would probably let assistants handle days like today but he felt the more he was involved the better relationship he would have with his players, I liked that attitude.
“Porter, you’re up”
I knew what I was at last year, 6’ and 220 pounds.
“Porter, you’re up two inches and 27 pounds” he said it with a quizzical tone.
“That can’t be right, step off for a second.”
I stepped off the scale and let him reset it then got back on, sure enough it read 247. “You trying to move to linebacker?.” He was joking when he said it.
“You know I’ll play wherever you need me to Coach.” It had always been that way, team over self was my attitude from the time I laced up the cleats in Pop Warner, Nick was always the same way.
“I know you will TJ” he responded.
I was willing to play linebacker but with 12 players on the roster at the position I would likely be listed at Strong Safety as I had been all along. Nick and I both did well in the rest of the day’s events, bettering our numbers from last year in each. Afterwards Coach Brookhart asked to see Nick and I in his office.
“Hey Coach, what’s up?” I asked.
“I just wanted to talk to you both about the upcoming season. I’m not going to break the tradition of having seniors as captains but I want to let you know I’m depending on you both to help keep the team gelling. You’re two of my top players and you guys always stay positive. There’s a bunch of new faces here and there’s only so much us coaches can do to make sure everyone works together.”
“Sure thing coach, we’ll do everything we can to win another title, whatever it takes” said Nick.
“Yeah, we’ll do what we can without stepping on the captains feet” I assured him.
“I knew I could count on you two. How is everything else going? How are your classes going?”
“Everything is going well, we’re both still on schedule to finish up early.” Nick and I were both majoring in Sports Management. We had decided early on to load up on classes and try to graduate early so we could focus solely on football our senior seasons, some of my classes from Plymouth State transferred and Nick had taken a few at a community college back home so it was actually a little easier for than it would have been without previous credits. We chatted with coach for a little while longer and then headed back to the apartment.
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6-30-06
After practice Coach posted the season schedule, here is what it looked like.

~Akron Zips 2006 Season Schedule~

August 19th @ Army
August 26th @ Penn State
August 31st @ NC State
September 16th @ Kent State MAC Game Battle for the Wagon Wheel
September 23rd @ Central Michigan MAC Game
September 30th Buffalo MAC Game
October 7th @ UCF MAC Game
October 14th Eastern Michigan MAC Game
October 27th Marshall MAC Game
November 4th @ Ohio MAC Game
November 11th Miami (OH) MAC Game
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Position Changes
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E. Wade to QB from ATH
R. Beard to WR from ATH
A. Novak to ROLB from MLB
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8-04-06
On the way home from practice I picked up the yearly team preview.


-Akron Zips Football-
2005 Roster and breakdown
Alphabetical Order
S = Returning Starter

Head Coach: JD Brookhart
-Offense-
Quarterbacks
12 Jabari Arthur 6-4/217 JR (RS) –S-
13 John Ferguson 6-5/228 JR (RS)
06 Kala Gambill 6-4/226 SO
08 Erik Wade 6-1/195 FR

Arthur struggled as the starter last year so the position is up for grabs. Arthur or Gambill have the best chances out of the group. Wade will most likely redshirt.
C+

Halfbacks
29 Frank Berchie 5-8/204 JR (RS)
37 Jason Nedd 5-10/199 SR (RS)
23 Brian Newman 5-10/192 FR
32 Corey Schneider 5-11/206 SO

Two new faces here in Schneider and Newman. The starter from the last two years, Jerrell Ringer, is gone. Nedd is a likely starter but Berchie or Schneider could steal the position. Also expect TJ Porter to get carries again this season. Newman may redshirt. This is one of the more solid positions on offense.
B-

Fullbacks
41 Dennis Basch CAPT 6-3/260 SR –S-
38 Wynn Long 6-2/220 FR

Basch is a rock here and by far the best player on offense. He is an above average runner for a fullback and he is also a receiving threat. He is the offensive captain this season. Long is an acceptable reserve.
B-

Wide Receivers
87 Allen Aristegui 6-0/185 SO
19 Reggie Beard 6-0/218 FR
88 Keenan Dudley 6-7/210 JR
47 Jeff Garrison 6-2/187 SR (RS)
84 Deonte Morris 6-3/197 JR (RS)
89 Rueben Nichols 6-4/205 FR

There are a lot of new faces here with last year’s top three gone. None of the players listed at WR have caught a pass. Dudley is a junior college transfer here to play basketball but Coach Brookhart convinced him to play football, his height, speed and acceleration could create several mismatches and he will most likely be the number two or three guy. Garrison is the clear cut number one with Morris close behind. Beard is a solid number four or five. Aristegui and Nichols are both walk-ons and they may both contribute. Also expect to see Nick Stockton playing here some and possibly TJ Porter from time to time.
C-

Tight Ends
84 Kris Kasparek 6-6/263 JR (RS)
83 Matt Pichardo 6-4/232 JR (RS)

These two will continue to split time with Pichardo getting a bit more. Both are solid blockers but below average receivers.
C+

Tackles
76 Byron Dawson 6-4/306 FR
75 Mike Donaldson 6-5/323 SR (RS)
72 Brian Dupree 6-3/290 FR
70 Ahmaad Jordan 6-7/310 FR

Both of the team’s starting tackles from last year are gone. Justin Hein graduated and Tim Crouch left early. Donaldson saw some time last season and is the leader of the otherwise inexperienced group, he is the favorite on the left side. Dawson and Jordan will battle for the spot on the right side. Dupree will back up Donaldson.
C+

Guards
73 Scott Kaplan 6-4/324 JR (RS)
78 Chad Stamps 6-1/304 FR
74 Tanard Thompson 6-7/275 FR (RS)
63 Andy Wills 6-3/308 SR (RS) –S- MAC (1st)

Wills is a returning starter from last year and he has the right side locked up. Stamps will back him up. On the left side it is either Kaplan or Thompson. Thompson spent his redshirt year lifting and has put on about 23 pounds of mostly muscle. At 275 lbs he is still a bit small for the position but has other abilities most linemen do not. Kaplan is bigger and has more experience. It is possible the two will rotate.
C+

Centers
66 Darrin Archie 6-4/275 FR (RS)
64 Jim Holley 6-3/309 JR (RS) –S- MAC (1st)

Holley is the returning starter from last year and is likely to be the starter again this year. Archie is a solid reserve and may see time at other spots on the offensive line.
C+

-Defense-
Defensive Ends
91 Mike Berry 6-3/254 SR (RS)
95 Sydney Dorsey 6-1/250 SO –S- MAC (2nd)
90 Quinn Ferguson 6-7/273 SO –S-
96 Mark Groza 6-3/229 SR (RS)
92 Bobby Paige 6-7/264 FR (RS)
94 Domingo Thomas 6-4/252 FR

Both starters from last season are back in Dorsey and Ferguson. Berry and Paige may possibly see some time. Groza will probably not play very often but does give them great depth. Thomas may redshirt.
B-

Defensive Tackles
69 RJ Benson 6-2/285 FR
97 Emmanuel McNeal 6-2/299 FR (RS)
99 Jermaine Reid 6-4/275 SR (RS)
77 Antonio Shippy CAPT 6-1/336 SR (RS) –S-
93 Sam Walker 6-2/262 JR (RS)

Shippy is a returning starter and he is a lock for one of the starting positions, his size and strength will challenge most offensive guards he faces. He is the defensive captain this year. Reid will probably be the other starter although McNeal may challenge him. Walker provides some depth and Benson will most likely redshirt.
C+

Outside Linebackers
51 Marcus Downing 6-1/221 SO –S-
58 Andre Dukes 6-4/214 FR (RS)
59 Albert Hodges 6-4/228 FR
52 Bryan Howe 6-0/235 JR (RS)
17 John Mackey 5-10/191 SO (RS)
31 Art Novak 6-4/230 FR

Perhaps the biggest loss to graduation on defense was Diontre Earl. Downing returns as a starter from last year and will be the starter again on the right side. Mackey will back him up there and Novak may redshirt. Dukes and Hodges will battle for the spot on the left and Howe will provide depth.
C+

Middle Linebackers
33 Nate Griffin 6-1/247 SO –S-
48 Vinny Holt 6-4/218 FR
40 Demetris Jones 6-3/247 FR
46 Chris Lang 6-1/244 FR
45 Anthony Nicholson 6-4/237 SR
44 Jeremi Pruitt 6-5/222 FR

With four new freshmen this group is one of the deepest out there. Griffin is a returning starter and will be the number one guy in on both 4-3 and 3-4 sets. The second spot will likely go to Nicholson. Lang will be a reserve. The remaining three freshmen will likely redshirt.
B-

Cornerbacks
29 Reggie Corner 5-9/173 SO (RS)
05 Josh Demps 6-0/161 FR
26 Yamari Dixon 5-8/189 JR (RS)
20 Dionte Henry 5-11/191 SR –S-
01 Chester Murphy 6-0/201 FR (RS)
02 Broderick Steward 6-1/194 FR
43 Nick Stockton 5-9/190 JR –S- MAC (2nd)

Stockton and Henry both return to their starting positions. Stockton has bulked up from last season but didn’t lose any of his blazing speed. He should be a better tackler and better against aggressive receivers this year. Expect to see Stockton at receiver again this year. Murphy will step in at the nickel after being a redshirt last year. Corner and Dixon will battle for the dime position. Both freshmen will probably redshirt.
B-

Free Safeties
15 Marquis Beasley 6-3/216 FR
07 Ernest Clark 6-0/193 SR
21 Brennan Robinson 6-1/195 FR (RS)

Despite losing last year’s starter this group is actually deeper and maybe even better than last year. These three will battle for the starting spot. Beasley is slightly more talented than the other two but a lack of experience is dangerous in the secondary. If Clark and Robinson do well Beasley could redshirt.
B-

Strong Safeties
10 Chevin Pace 5-10/191 JR (RS)
22 TJ Porter 6-2/247 JR –S- MAC (2nd)

Coach Brookhart can sleep easy with these two. Pace is an above average reserve. Porter is solid and shuts people down. He is also very versatile. He played some cornerback and linebacker and even filled in at halfback last season during Ringer’s suspension, he is expected to play all of those positions and perhaps more this season. Porter hit the weights hard this off season and is now bigger than a good portion of linebackers. He maintained his speed and quickness despite the 26 lb gain. Those who follow Akron closely will notice Porter has changed jersey numbers, a tribute to a friend and former high school teammate who was killed in a car accident.
B+

-Specialties-
Kicker
36 Jason Swiger 5-8/184 SR –S- MAC (1st)

Swiger had a very good season last year and should be fine this year. He may do some punting if the freshmen punter has problems. He is also expected to take on the kick off duties this year.
B

Punter
49 Ryan Jeffery 5-11/210 FR

Jeffery is untested but has all the tools to be a solid punter. If the Zips offense is anything like last season he will be tested often.
C
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Overall Team Grade: B-
Preseason 119: #14


MAC East Prediction
1 Akron
2 Buffalo
3 Kent State
4 Miami (OH)
5 UCF
6 Marshall
7 Ohio

It looked pretty good, they were starting to respect us a little.
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8-11-06

After practice Coach Brookhart posted the list of players who would redshirt. He gave the usual speech, one more season and I would probably be able to recite it, I knew he was being honest though. He also posted the starting lineup.

Redshirts

QB Wade
HB Newman
DE Thomas
DT Benson
LB Novak
LB Holt
LB Pruitt
LB Jones
CB Demps
CB Steward
FS Beasley

Starters

QB Gambill
HB Nedd
FB Basch
WR Garrison, Dudley, Morris
TE Pichardo
LT Donaldson
LG Kaplan
C Holley
RG Wills
RT Dawson

LE Dorsey
RE Ferguson
DT Shippy, Reid
LOLB Hodges
MLB Griffin, Nicholson
ROLB Downing
CB Stockton, Henry, Murphy, Dixon
FS Clark
SS Porter

K Swiger
P Jeffrey
KR Stockton, Porter, Murphy
PR Stockton, Porter
KOS Swiger

[djp73]

8-19-06 Akron #14 (0-0) @ Army #116 (0-1) 8pm
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I had always loved playing under the lights. Shippy gathered up all the defensive players and got us fired up. He told us anything but a shut out would be a disappointment. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off out to their 25. They ran up the middle and picked up only a yard. They tried a sweep and lost four yards. On third and 13 they threw incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt and returned it to our 49. Gambill threw incomplete. Nedd carried for a gain of four yards. Gambill threw incomplete again. We decided to punt it away. They took the fair catch at their 19. We dropped the run for a loss of one yard. They tried another toss and we dropped them for a loss of two yards. On third and 13 they completed a pass but only for eight yards. Nick went back for another punt. We took over on our 49 again. Nedd carried for a gain of four. Gambill threw incomplete again. On third down Gambill kept the ball and picked up the first down at their 39. Nedd pounded for a gain of 12. Gambill threw incomplete again, so far none of his passes had looked very good. Nedd ran again and picked up almost 10 yards to make it third and inches. Basch hammered to their six yard line. Gambill had a pass tipped and it fell incomplete. Schneider carried to their two yard line and the quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

On third and goal from there two I was expecting coach to give it to Basch. Coach decided to mix things up a little. Gambill took the snap and dropped back to pass, the blitz was coming fast and he lobbed it towards Dudley. He used his height advantage and hauled in the first TD of the season. Swiger made it 7-0. They started at their 23 after the kick return. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of three yards. On third down they threw incomplete again. Nick went back for the punt. Nick brought the punt back to their 32. Nedd picked up 10 yards on the option. Gambill tricked their D on a play action and lobbed it over Garrison’s shoulder for six more points. Swiger made it 14-0. They took over on their 19 after the kick return. Ferguson got through and sacked their QB for a loss of five yards. They threw incomplete. On third down and 15 they threw to the sidelines but didn’t stay in bounds. Nick went back to field another punt. They downed the horrible punt at their own 35. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill kept on the option and got down to their 21. Schneider tried the option trick pass but Gambill couldn’t make the catch. Gambill picked up two yards. On third and eight Schneider got to their 7 on the option. Gambill hit Garrison on the endzone again to make it 20-0. Swiger added another point. They took over at their 20 after the kick off. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They tried a screen but it was another incompletion. Nick went back for the punt. He returned it to their 33. “Porter, get in there at tail.” I headed back on the field with the offense. I carried up the middle and got four yards. Gambill tossed a bad pitch on the option but Garrison scooped it up. Gambill threw another bad pitch on an option. I could hear coach on the sideline. On second and 10 at their 21 I got the call, no fancy option play just a handoff to me up the middle. I took the handoff and headed for the hole, I juked a linebacker at the line of scrimmage and then turned it on. I popped their safety and was finally tripped up but not before I fell forward to the one yard line. Coach gave me the nod again. I bulled into the endzone for another six points. Swiger made it 28-0 with :33 left in the first half. They returned the kick to their 25. They ran a draw and I read it almost instantly, I fired into the hole and laid into their halfback. On second down they ran option, the QB kept and got to their 44 before I brought him down. We sacked their QB for a loss of eight. They threw incomplete and the half came to a close.

Halftime

“Good half men, great job on both sides of the ball, lets keep it going.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to field the punt. They kicked off out of bounds and we took over on our 35. Coach sent me back in. I bounced outside and picked up 13 yards. Schneider subbed in for me. Gambill hit Dudley down to their 38. Gambill looked to Dudley again but he couldn’t hold on to it. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill hit Dudley again and he got to their 16. Schneider took the pitch to the left and had all kinds of real estate, he went airborne at the two on the sideline, it took the refs a few seconds but they signaled it a TD. Swiger made it 35-0. They took over on their 20 after the kick off. They tried a draw and lost two yards. They ran up the gut for a yard. On third and 11 they went to pass. The QB threw me a gift and I snatched it easily. Our offense took over at their 41. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider went outside left, juked and got to their 26. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider picked up six yards. On third and four Basch picked up a couple yards. Swiger came on to kick from 36 yards out. He split the uprights to make it 38-0. They started at their 13 after the kick off. They threw incomplete. They lost a yard on a sweep. On third and 11 they threw another one incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. Our offense started ad their 36. Schneider picked up six yards. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill threw one a little too far ahead of Dudley for another incompletion. Because of the field position we went for it. Schneider only got a couple and we were back on defense. They tried to run and lost a yard. They tried to run again with the same result. The third quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

They completed a screen and picked up a yard. Nick went back for another punt. Our offense took over on their 44. Basch carried for three yards. Gambill scrambled down to their 27. Gambill hit Dudley for 10 yards and another first down. Gambill hit Dudley again for another first down at their four. Gambill had a pass tipped at the line. Schneider took it to the house on the option to the left. Swiger made it 45-0. They took over at their 21. Shippy broke through and dropped the halfback for a loss of four. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again and Nick went back for another punt. Our offense took over at their 45. Nedd carried for a big gain to their 26. Nedd carried again for five more yards. Nedd carried again for about five and made it third and inches at their 16. Nedd carried again to their 11 for another first down. Basch carried for five. Basch carried again to their one. Basch rumbled into the endzone as time expired. Swiger made it 52-0. We headed into the locker room. “Great team game today and a good warm up win. Schneider gets the game ball. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gambill 7/20 90YDS 2TD

Nedd 9/74
Schneider 8/65 2TD
Gambill 6/47
Porter 4/38 TD
Basch 6/26 TD

Dudley 5/61 TD
Garrison 2/29 2TD

Porter 4T INT DEF
Nicholson 3T
Downing 3T TFL
Ferguson 3T 3TFL S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Akron 00-28-10-14 52
Army 00-00-00-00 00
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8-26-06 Akron #14 (1-0) @ Penn State #11 (1-0) 8pm
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Game of the Week. That didn’t really mean much to me, winning and extending our 24 game win streak mattered. Winning and bettering our chances for a repeat national title mattered. Some analysts on TV saying this was the game of the week didn’t mean a thing. We were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. “The Winning Continues” it said. That’s all that matters. Winning. My favorite quote “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” That’s how I feel. Under the lights, stadium at capacity, 30 MPH winds, this is football. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

The kick was a boomer and they settled for a touchback. They threw a short pass on the first play. It was tipped at the line and then tipped again, it seemed like it was up there bouncing around for 10 minutes. Nick snatched it out of the air and we took over on offense at their 19. “Nice play man” I complemented. “Now it’s your turn” he replied. Back in our high school days we made the games a bit of a challenge between us, who could make the most plays. I knew he was joking so I laughed it off. Gambill dropped back to pass and there was no chance, he was sacked by a blitzing backer for a loss of seven yards. Gambill’s pass was tipped. Nedd got the carry and picked up 15. Swiger came on. The wind was roaring at his back and he made the kick easily. 3-0. They took another touchback. They completed a pass out to their 46. They ran for two yards. They went deep to my side and I broke on it. I made the easy catch and gave the ball back to our offense. “We’re even” I joked with Nick. The offense took possession at our 31. Nedd picked up two yards. Nedd carried again for a gain of two more. Gambill threw incomplete and we sent in the punt team. The punt was a good one and they took over on their 24. Downing dropped the tailback on a sweep for a loss of three yards. They tried a sweep to the other side and got nothing. On third down and 13 they tried a screen but Nick read it and dropped the back for no gain. Nick went back to return the punt. Nick returned the kick to their 43. Nedd lost three on the counter.

2nd Quarter

Nedd got dropped again for another loss. I saw coach throw his clip board. “Porter!! Get in there.” I ran out on to the field. “J, you’re out.” “Damn it man why don’t coach ever give me a chance.” I didn’t know the answer to Nedd’s question. Gambill called the play, it was a pass out of the shotgun formation, I was supposed to stay in and block. We ran to the line and he called the cadence. He took the snap and dropped back, I scanned the line for any leaks. I caught a glimpse of a linebacker breaking through on the left so I sprinted over there and met him about eight yards ahead of Gambill. I drilled him and he went down quick. Gambill threw one of the worst passes I had ever seen, worse than when Nick and I coached peewee. Luckily it fell incomplete. We got off a decent punt considering the wind and they took over at their 17. They threw incomplete. They ran up the gut for seven. Shippy wasn’t happy. On third down and three they passed and it fell incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. Nick got a decent return back to their 38. I got the ball on a play up the middle and noticed a complete lack of blocking, I had to fight for the two yards I did get. The next play was triple option to the right, when we got to the line Gambill shouted “Red! Red!” Any color as the first call meant the play would be run to the opposite side. I didn’t see whatever it was that he saw but I did see a defensive end on the left waiting to take Gambill’s head off. Gambill snapped the ball and faked to Basch, he rolled out to the left and that end was on him in a second. I didn’t have anywhere to go either, the rule on the option is if neither guy has a shot the QB just holds it and takes the loss, avoiding a possible fumble. Apparently Gambill didn’t get that rulebook. He tossed the ball to me and tossed me under the bus, I had to fully extend in a leap just to gather in the ball. The fact that we only lost a yard on the play was amazing. Coach was glaring at Gambill from the sideline, I saw him say something and motion to Arthur. Arthur got the play from coach and jogged onto the field, apparently that was the last straw for Gambill. Arthur threw incomplete. Because of the wind a field goal was impossible. We went for it. Arthur tossed it up for Dudley but he couldn’t come down with it. They took over at their 37. They picked up a yard on the sweep. Clark got beat deep and they scored. I felt sick, literally. “Hey men, heads up it’s not over.” They hit the point after to make it 3-7. Nick and I went back for the kick off. I caught it at our 11 and found a small seam up the middle. When I was dragged down I was out to our 39, a decent return. Power option right was the call. “Red, red!!” I actually saw the reason Arthur called the audible, they were stacked tot hat side. Arthur took the snap and did the work himself getting to their 47 before he was tackled. I got the ball up the middle and pounded for eight yards. Basch picked up enough for a first down. Arthur hit Dudley across the middle for another first down at their 24. I took it up the middle again and picked up 11 yards and another first down. Basch picked up three yards. I got the call again, a run up the middle between the center and the left guard. The hole opened up pretty well and I got to the three before I was touched. I drove into the linebacker and easily fell forward into the endzone. “Nice work Porter” it was always nice to get compliments form the captain, Basch. Swiger made it 10-7. We kicked off and they returned it to their 24 where they took over with :50 in the half. They pulled out all the stops and tried a QB throwback. Nick wasn’t fooled for a second and he made the tackle for a loss of three. Their QB was under pressure and he threw up a prayer, Downing picked it off and returned it to their 24. We decided to go for it because of the wind. The line didn’t block anyone and before I could try to pick someone off Arthur had five defenders and a hot dog vendor bringing him down for a sack. The gun sounded and we went into the half.

Halftime

“Hey we’re playing pretty good. The offense seems to be clicking now and the defense is playing great except for the one mistake. If we score right off we kill the momentum, let’s go get it done.”

3rd Quarter

Gambill had always seemed to be a team player and he took the replacement in stride and continued to support the team. Nedd seemed to be the exact opposite, putting his own personal goals above those of the team. I thought I caught him giving me the evil eyes a couple times but I wasn’t concerned with his childishness. Nick and I went back to field the kick off. Nick returned the kick off to our 28. “Power option right, on one, on one.” Arthur kept it for about five yards. It seemed like Arthur only pitched the ball when he absolutely needed too, whereas Gambill pitched it just about every time. I pounded up the middle for three yards. Basch got the carry and picked up enough for the first down. “I right, 21 dive. On one” I right was the formation with Basch directly behind Arthur and me behind Basch. Pichardo was the tight end on the right. 21 dive was the number two back, me, getting the ball and running through the one hole, between the left guard and the center. Arthur took the snap, spun and put the ball right where I liked it. The line made their blocks and Basch sealed off the defensive end on the left. The hole opened right up and I got past the line and linebackers. One man to beat, a safety. Should I plow him over or juke him out? I headed toward the left sideline and he had a pretty good pursuit angle. I waited until he was a few yards from me and I lowered my shoulder like I was going to plow into him. He lowered his shoulder and then made one of the biggest mistakes you can make in football. He lowered his head. I juked him out and it was smooth sailing the remaining 45 yards to the endzone. As I headed to the sideline all 11 players on the field goal team slapped me five or slapped me on the helmet. When I got to the sideline Coach Brookhart and Nick were there waiting. “Porter, great play” said Coach Brookhart. “Thanks” I replied. “You winded man?” Nick knew I wasn’t but I could tell he was joking. “Yeah, get me the oxygen” I joked back. Swiger made it 17-7. Swiger took advantage of the wind and kicked off for another touch back. They ran a screen and picked up about six yards. They completed a pass for a yard. On third and three they dropped back to pass, I batted it down and they had to punt again. Nick didn’t get a chance as the punt sailed out of bounds at their 48. I stayed with the offense. Basch picked up a yard. I carried up the middle for a gain of four. I took the option pitch to the left and I got 13 yards down to their 30 for another first down. Basch picked up four yards. Arthur hit Garrison down to their 19 for another first down. Dudley dropped one. I bounced outside on a dive and got down to their 6. I got the ball again and followed Basch into the endzone. That quieted the crowd. Swiger made it 24-7. When I got to the sidelines Coach Brookhart called me over. “Porter, I’m putting Schneider in at tail now. I want you fresh on defense to protect this lead.” I thought it was a good idea. Swiger got into the kickoff and the wind helped it go straight through the endzone. They took over on their 20. Downing dropped the halfback for no gain. They completed a screen in the middle for 10 yards and a first down. They ran for a gain of six. “Come on Defense!” They completed another pass to their 41 for another first down as the third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They tried the throwback again and it was a fumble. They recovered but lost six yards on the play. They threw incomplete. Their QB was hit as he threw and they had to punt. We took over at our 33. Arthur didn’t like the defense and he called a timeout. A wise decision Gambill probably wouldn’t have made. Schneider picked up four yards. Basch barely got back to the line. Arthur scrambled but he got lit up by a linebacker after only a couple yards. Jeffrey punted into the wind but he still got off a decent one. They took over on their 34. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. The crowd was booing. Their pass was batted down at the line and they had to go for it on fourth and 10. They completed a deep pass to our 34. “NO MORE YARDS DEFENSE!!!” They ran for four yards. They threw incomplete. They completed another pass for another first down to our 19. They went no huddle. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for about seven yards. They completed a screen to our five. We went to the 4-4 and that made me a linebacker on our left. They threw incomplete. They faked most of us out with a play action and the tight end was wide open for six points. The point after made it 24-14 and we got ready for an onside kick. Pichardo recovered the kick and got it to their 38. Schneider ran outside to their 27. Schneider picked up four yards. Basch got to their 20 and made it third and three. They used a timeout. Schneider picked up two and it was fourth and one at their 18. Swiger’s kick into the wind was no good and they took over on their 20 with 1:32 left. Henry got tackled but the refs didn’t see it. They went deep and the point after made it 24-21. We got set for another onside kick. Morris recovered and we got the ball back at their 44. Schneider carried and coughed it up, my heart skipped at least two beats. We recovered and it was second down and five at their 39. Basch pounded to their 31 and Penn State used their last timeout. Basch carried again for six yards. Schneider carried for two. Basch carried again and we let the clock run out. It wasn’t pretty, but like they say: A win is a win is a win. At least the “Game of the Week” lived up to the hype. We headed into the locker room. “Hey guys we rode the rollercoaster today and we came out on top. Way to hang in there everyone and way to keep our heads high when it got ugly. TJ Porter gets the game ball. Three TDs on offense and great defense. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/5 19YDS
Gambill 0/3

Porter 11/128 3TD
Basch 10/38
Schneider 6/28
Arthur 4/18
Nedd 5/12

Dudley 1/12
Garrison 1/7

Stockton 6T 2TFL INT
Downing 4T 2TFL INT DEF
Henry 3T DEF
Porter 2T INT DEF
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Akron 03-07-14-00 24
Penn St 00-07-00-14 21
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Senior Kicker Jason Swiger has been suspended for three games for continued violations of team rules.
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8-31-06 Akron #11 (2-0) @ NC State #7 (0-0) 8pm
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Our toughest opponent yet. I was pumped. I could tell who else was and who wasn’t. Hopefully we could play well enough that losing Swiger wouldn’t have and effect on the outcome of the game. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 16 yard line. They ran up the middle for two yards. They ran up the middle again for three yards. On third and five they threw incomplete. Nick went back to return the punt. Our offense took over at mid field. Nedd carried up the middle for a gain of 10 yards. Basch carried for a gain of three yards. Gambill hit Garrison down to their 14 yard line. Nedd carried for two yards. Gambill kept for seven yards down to their five yard line. On third and one from their five yard line Basch pounded into the endzone. Jeffery made the score 7-0. They took over on their 21 after the kick off. They ran up the middle for a couple yards. They completed a pass to their 32 and got a first down. They completed a screen for about five yards before I made the tackle. They completed a pass to our 38. They completed another pass to our 14. The defensive line was tired and they weren’t getting much of a pass rush. That meant that we would have to lock up our pass coverage or they would be in the endzone. They ran a play action that didn’t fool anyone and their QB threw into the endzone to their left. Nick was there in coverage and he jumped. From my view it looked like Nick was able to bat it down. Then I saw the ref indicating that we had possession. I ran over to Nick. “How did you come down with that one man” I asked. “One handed dude, I’m surprised I held on to it” he replied. “Great play.” “Thanks, your turn.” The offense took over on our 20. Nedd got dropped for no gain. Nedd went up the middle and everyone picked up their blocks, he got out to the 35. Nedd carried again for four yards as the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Basch carried for four yards. On third and two Nedd carried the ball and got one yard two feet and nine inches. That meant it was fourth down and inches at our 45. Coach told the offense to stay out there. The crowd got really loud but that didn’t stop Basch from punishing them on the way to a five yard carry and a first down. Coach called a timeout so he could send in the shotgun package. Nick went out to play receiver. The play was an all go, meaning that all five receivers were running a go route, straight down the field. Garrison and Morris lined up on Gambill’s left. Dudley was far to the right with Nick inside him and Nichols furthest in. Gambill took the snap and everyone went deep. Nick’s route was a bit different because after about 15 yards he angled across the field to try and confuse the defense. Garrison got a half step on his man and Gambill launched it his way. By the time the ball got there another defender had come over to cover Garrison. They were about two yards deep in the endzone and the second defender jumped and tipped the ball. The ball was up in the air and the second defender tried to make a second play on the ball but Garrison got a piece of him on his way down so all he could do was tip the ball again. By this time Nick had made his way over there and he snatched the ball out of the air. Our sideline went absolutely nuts. Nick came to the sideline towards me. “Still your turn man” he joked. “That was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen” was all I could say. Jeffery hit the point after and made the score 14-0. They returned the kick to their 14. Their QB kept for three yards. They ran option for a yard. On third and six they threw incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. Nick returned the punt to their 39. Nedd got a yard. Nedd carried again and picked up three more. Gambill’s pass got batted down at the line. We went for it. Gambill took the snap and dropped back. Dudley had a huge height advantage in the man covering him, Gambill hit him in the back corner of the endzone for six more points. Jeffery’s kick made it 21-0 with 2:26 left in the half. The kickoff bounced out of bounds and they took over on their 35. They threw incomplete. Nick batted down a pass. They threw incomplete again. Nick went back to return the punt. We took over on our 33. Nedd carried for four yards. Schneider bounced one outside and got out to our 49. Gambill hit Dudley for nine yards. Schneider got to their 30. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider picked up eight yards on the option. Gambill got sacked and the half ended.

Halftime

“Great half overall, we could have used the score right there but we get the ball back. Let’s get some more points.”

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off to our 22. Schneider carried for eight yards. Gambill hit Garrison to our 40. Gambill hit Pichardo for a gain of three yards. Gambill hit Dudley over the middle down to their 36. Schneider carried for nine yards. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider got dropped for a one yard loss. Jeffery came up short on the 45 yard attempt. They completed a long pass to our 42. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for almost 10 yards. On third and inches they tried a play action, no one was fooled. Nicholson came free on the blitz and sacked their QB and caused a fumble. They recovered and it was fourth down and nine at our 41. The punt went into the endzone and we got the ball back on our 20. Schneider got to our 32. Gambill picked up eight on the option keeper. Schneider got the option pitch and scampered to their 46. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider got two yards and the quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

Gambill lost a yard on the option. Jeffery came out to punt. The punt went out at their 14. They completed a pass out to their 39. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. They threw incomplete for the third time in a row. They had to go for it on fourth and 10. They tried a screen and got nothing. “Porter, take a few plays at halfback.” I ran up the middle for a couple yards. I lost a yard chasing a bad option pitch. Gambill kept on the option and fumbled at the end. They recovered and took over on their 17. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of five. They threw another incomplete pass. They completed a swing pass but didn’t get enough yards. We took over on their 25. I lost another two yards. The line wasn’t doing much of anything. Gambill fumbled again and I dove on it. On third and nine Gambill lost some more yards. They used a timeout. Jeffery came on to try a kick from 44 yards and it fell short. They completed a pass out to our 42. They threw incomplete but we got called for off sides. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass to our 26. They threw incomplete. They threw over the middle. Dixon dove and got a hand on it for a tip, Ferguson tried to scoop it out of the air but it bounced off him and right into Nick’s hands. “Can’t you make a normal catch” I asked. He smiled. We took over on our 21 and I went back in at halfback. I carried for three yards. I bounced outside and got out to their 38. I carried again for 11 yards. Basch carried for four yards. Gambill kept and fumbled again, we recovered and the final gun sounded. We headed to the locker room where Coach Brookhart addressed the team. “Great game today guys, way to play on both sides of the ball. The offense clicked toady. The game ball goes to Mr. Stockton for his great plays on both sides of the ball. Bring it in Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Gambill 7/11 151YDS 2TD

Schneider 9/76
Nedd 9/41
Porter 6/27
Gambill 8/26
Basch 5/21 TD

Dudley 3/65 TD
Garrison 2/33
Pichardo 1/3
Stockton 1/50 TD

Griffin 4T
Dixon 3T DEF
Porter 3T DEF
Nicholson 3T 2TFL S FF
Stockton 2T 2INT 3DEF
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Akron 07-14-00-00 21
NC State 00-00-00-00 00
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9-16-04 Akron #7 (3-0[0-0]) @ Kent State #64 (1-1[0-0]) 12:30pm MAC Game
Battle for the Wagon Wheel
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The Wagon Wheel was going to stay right where it was if I had anything to do with it. On paper our toughest games of the season were behind us, but we never overlooked anyone. The rain was a nice touch in my opinion. They won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off to their 21. With all of us covering receivers their QB ran all the way to our 45. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen again. Their halfback picked up four on the option. We came to the line and I read the play. “Option! Watch option!” Sure enough they ran the option to their right. The QB kept it and I hit him hard enough so he would think about it before he kept next time. On third and five they completed a pass to our 28 for a first down. Time to dig in. They completed another pass to our nine yard line. Shippy was yelling at the line to get more pressure. They ran option to their left and their QB kept to our one yard line. Their QB walked in from there. That one hurt. The point after made it 0-7. Nick and I went back to return the kick. I caught it at our seven and returned it to our 24. Nedd pounded for eight yards. Basch pounded for eight yards of his own and a first down. Nedd carried again for a gain of four. Basch carried for six more yards and a first down. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill kept on the option and got to their 36 for a first down. Gambill gained a yard. Nedd carried to their 24 for another first down. Basch got two yards. Nedd drove for a gain of six and the opening quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Gambill threw incomplete. Jeffery came on to kick from 33 yards out. He missed. They took over on their 20. They ran to their left on a sweep. Nick drilled the halfback and the ball came out. Griffin got the recovery and our offense got the ball back on their 22. Nedd carried for three yards. “Porter, get in there at tailback.” I ran out on to the field. Nedd had been doing well but he was getting worn down. He gladly subbed out. I carried up the middle for a gain of 13 to their 3, I punished the linebacker that tackled me. Coach called the same exact play and I took it to the house. Jeffery tied it up at 7-7. They returned a short kick off to their 30. Hodges broke through and sacked their QB for a loss of eight. They completed a pass for about seven yards. On third down and 11 to go they completed a pass for about 12 yards and another first down. They picked up five on an option. They picked up another first down with another option. We switched to a 4-4. Downing dropped the HB in the backfield for a loss of three. They ran for a gain of four. On third and nine they threw incomplete. On fourth and nine they came out to punt. They faked the punt and completed a pass for a first down at our 36. Ferguson sacked the QB for a loss of two. They ran for a gain of three. They completed another pass to our 10. They completed to the endzone but it was out of bounds. They threw incomplete. They threw for a TD. I was angry. We all headed to the sideline to talk about what they were doing. They kicked the point after to make it 7-14. Nick and I went out to return the kick off. I returned the kick to our 26. With :38 left before the half Coach Brookhart sent in the four receiver package. Gambill hit Morris out to the 37 for a first down and we used a timeout. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill threw incomplete again. On third down Gambill threw incomplete again. We went for it, a call I didn’t agree with. Gambill threw a pass to Garrison but he had to adjust to catch it and was tackled immediately for a gain of only four yards. They got the ball back at our 41 with :14 left in the half. Their QB kept for 11 yards and they called a timeout. They threw incomplete and the clock stopped at :04. Their QB scrambled and the half ended. We headed to the locker room.

Halftime

“Hey anyone who thinks we aren’t going to win this game can leave now. We are still in this and we will pull out the win. Defensively we’re going to make a few adjustments for the second half. On offense we’re just going to keep running at them. Basch, Nedd Porter, Gambill and Schneider you all are going to carry the ball in the second half. Let’s get back out there and tie it up.”

3rd Quarter

I couldn’t speak for everyone but most of us knew we were still in this game. Nick and I went back for the kick. I hammered the return out to the 31. I was to take the first set at HB. I pounded up the middle for a gain of 11 yards. Basch carried for two. Gambill hung me out to dry with a terrible pitch on one of those no where option plays where the QB is supposed to keep it. On third and 15 Gambill threw one of the worst passes I had ever seen and it fell incomplete. We punted and as if we weren’t playing poorly enough already they returned the punt all the way back to our 37. “Gut check defense, gut check.” It was Shippy, the defensive captain. I thought he made a great captain, knowing what to say when and then knowing when not to say anything. He was right. We headed out in the 4-3. They ran up the middle for two yards. They sent out four receivers and completed another pass to our 14. They ran up the middle for two yards. They ran again to our eight and that brought up third down. Yet again they scored on a pass. We looked like a practice squad out there on defense. It was sickening. After the point after I looked at the scoreboard. 7-21. I felt horrible. Nick and I went back out for the kick off. I returned the kick to our 20. I knew if we didn’t score now we were in trouble. Coach put in Schneider at halfback. Schneider picked up five yards. Basch carried for a gain of three yards but didn’t get up after the play. The trainers helped him off the field. “Thompson, go in at fullback. Porter you go in at tail, tell Thompson what to do.” Tanard Thompson was listed as an offensive lineman on the roster but in practice he had been playing a few positions. His unusually good speed was an asset for sure. Hopefully he could give me a decent block to keep the drive alive. The call was a 21 blast. I carried between the center and left guard with Thompson leading the way. He got a fairly good block and I picked up four yards and a first down. Thompson and I stayed in. Thompson got the ball on a dive play and picked up nine yards. I carried up the middle again and got another first down. Basch came back in. I got the carry again and picked up nine yards and made it second and one. Coach sent Thompson in for me and Basch moved to HB. We lined up in a goal line formation and it looked like Basch would probably get behind Thompson on a power run for the first down. That’s what it looked like anyway. Gambill ran a play action and missed a wide open receiver. On third and one Basch did follow Thompson for the first down. Berchie went in at halfback and Basch went back to fullback. The third quarter came to a close and we had a ways to go.

4th Quarter

Basch carried for about 12. Berchie carried for three yards. Coach sent in Thompson and Arthur. I was curious when Berchie and Basch came off and not Gambill. Gambill lined up at halfback with Thompson at fullback. Gambill got the carry and didn’t get a yard. I went back in at halfback, Basch went back to fullback and Arthur stayed in at QB. On third down and seven at their 26 we needed a play. We ran option to the left and Arthur kept it for a gain of 14 to their 12. I carried up the middle and got into the endzone untouched. Jeffery made it 14-21. We would need a fairly quick stop on defense. They returned the kick off to their 21. They threw incomplete. They ran for no gain. They threw incomplete. Finally, a punt. Nick went back to return the punt. Nick returned the punt to their 39 but a clipping penalty put us back at our own 41, still decent field position. “Coach, put me in” I told Coach Brookhart. I wasn’t the type to think I was invincible and better than anyone on my team but it was crunch time and I was ready. He told me to go in at halfback and get the job done. I bounced outside to our left and picked up eight yards. Basch picked up just enough for a first down. I followed Basch up the middle for six yards. We ran the same play and I bounced outside and picked up 12 yards to their 30. I carried again for seven yards. I wanted the ball every play. We weren’t going to lose this game. I bounced outside again and got to their 10. I carried again for three. Another carry, another three yards. Coach Brookhart called a timeout. Basch carried for three yard to their one yard line. Coach called another timeout. I wanted the ball but I didn’t say anything. The play was power option to the right. Arthur saw the defense shift out of the middle and ran the “goose” play. The QB gooses the Center and he snaps the ball, no one on the defense knows the ball is being snapped and the QB runs straight forward. Arthur scored easily. Jeffery kicked the point after to tie it at 21 with :34 on the clock. They returned the kick off to their 20. Nick batted down a pass. Their QB scrambled for a gain of four and they called a time out with :20 left. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of six yards and they used another timeout. On fourth and 12 from their own 18 it was most likely that they would punt. We went out in “safe return” where we leave men covering their receivers and the defensive staff is on the field. Clark fielded the punt and returned the punt to their 43. With :09 left we had one maybe two shots. Arthur threw deep to Dudley but it fell incomplete. Two seconds left. Arthur threw to the endzone and it fell incomplete.

Overtime

They won the toss and chose defense. I carried for a gain of five. I carried again for four yards. I carried again and got almost a yard. I needed a breather but I wasn’t coming out now. On fourth and inches I pounded for five yards and a first down at their 10. Coach sent in Schneider for me. Basch got nothing. Schneider got the carry and Basch opened up a huge hole for him to scamper into the endzone. Jeffery made it 28-21. Now was our chance to redeem ourselves on defense. A stop here and everyone would forget about the 21 points we let up. They ran for a gain of three. They tried a QB draw and Shippy dropped it for no gain. Shippy dropped their QB for a loss of two yards. On fourth and nine from their 24 every one knew they were passing. Their QB dropped back and I shifted over into my area of the zone coverage. The QB had time, too much time. He set his feet and looked at his first option, then his second. He looked to his third option and fired the ball in my general direction. The receiver was about six or seven yards away from me and I covered that distance in what felt like half a second. The ball got there maybe a tenth of a second before I did. I put one of the hardest hits I had ever made on that tight end and the ball popped out and hit the ground. Incomplete. Our entire team swarmed on to the field and surrounded me. It was nice to be the so called hero but all I cared about was the win. When the team finally made it into the locker room Coach Brookhart addressed us. “We went to battle today guys. Things weren’t going our way. We were getting frustrated. It seemed like everything that could go wrong for us did. But we won. We played more than a complete game of football out there and that’s why we won. You should all take a moment and absorb this feeling cause we go back to war in a week. The game ball goes to TJ for, well, everything he did. Bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 2/9 15YDS
Arthur 0/2

Porter 19/119 2TD
Basch 10/44
Nedd 5/32
Arthur 2/15 TD
Schneider 2/15 TD
Gambill 3/14
Thompson 1/9
Berchie 1/4

Garrison 1/4
Morris 1/11

Stockton 6T 2DEF FF
Dorsey 4T 2TFL 2S
Porter 4T DEF
Hodges 3T TFL S
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Akron 00-07-00-14-07 28
Kent State 07-07-07-00-00 21
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Sophomore Linebacker Nate Griffin has been suspended for two games for Academics
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9-23-06 Akron #5 (4-0[1-0]) @ Central Michigan #96 (1-1[0-0]) 3:30pm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Central Michigan was on probation, so they were only playing for pride. That’s what everyone kept telling us. My though was what else is there besides pride? Every time I stepped on the field I was playing for pride. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick off to their 24. They threw incomplete. They ran for a gain of three. On third and seven they threw incomplete again and had to punt. Nick returned the punt about 27 yards to their 44. Nedd carried for 16 yards. Basch carried for about 11 but he coughed it up and they recovered. Their offense took over on their 17. They ran for a gain of two. Their QB was under pressure and he threw it away. They completed a pass for about 22 yards to their 41. Shippy dropped the runningback for a loss of two yards. Hodges sacked their QB for a loss of eight yards. On third and 20 they completed a pass for 10 yards. Nick went back for the punt. He returned the punt to our 36. Nedd carried for a gain of two. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill kept on the option and picked up 14 yards. Nedd pounded for a gain of 27. Schneider went in to spell Nedd. Schneider carried for a gain of 20 down to their one yard line. Gambill gave Schneider a bad pitch on the option and he lost four yards. Basch carried for a gain of four. Coach sent in Thompson and moved Basch to halfback, the “Bulk” package as we had affectionately nicknamed it in practice. Gambill ran the “goose” and walked in for six points. Jeffery made it 7-0. They returned the kick off out to their 22. They threw incomplete. They ran for no gain. On third and ten they completed a pass for four yards as the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Nick returned the punt 28 yards to their 34. “Porter, take this series at halfback.” Watching our other backs run against this defense had me chomping at the bit to get in there. I carried up the middle for 11 yards. Gambill lost two yards on the option. I was surprised he held on to it. Gambill fumbled on the next option and I recovered it. On third down and 14 Gambill fumbled the snap. We recovered but it brought up fourth down. Coach sent out the field goal team at first but changed his mind. It was too far for a field goal and a punt would most likely be a touchback, so for a difference of five yard it was worth a shot, our defense was dominating anyway. Gambill threw incomplete and they took possession on their 25. They ran for a gain of two. They threw incomplete. They completed a screen but only picked up a yard. Nick went back for another punt. He returned it to our 46. Coach told me to stay in and he sent Arthur in at quarterback. I carried up the middle for five yards. Basch carried for a gain of one. I broke off a nice run to their 30 but a clipping penalty put us back on our own 48 with a third down and eight to go. I got the carry but a missed block led to only a two yard gain. We punted and they returned it to their 20. They threw incomplete. They tried a sweep and Ferguson dropped it for a loss of three. They threw incomplete and we declined the holding penalty. Nick went back for another punt return. Coach told me I was still in at halfback. Nick returned the put to their 32. I carried for a gain of four yards. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur hit me on a screen and I fought for almost six yards. On fourth and inches from their 22 coach decided to kick, and then he called a timeout. He didn’t think Jeffery, who is actually a punter, could hit it. With :10 left in the half it was certainly a tough call. He decided to send the offense back out. He sent us out with me as the lone back and four wide receivers, one being Nick. Arthur threw a pass but it got tipped at the line and they took over with :05 left in the half. They ran the ball for a minimal gain and the half came to a close.

Halftime

“OK, great job by the defense so far. We’re going to go back out there and run, run, run. We get the ball so let’s go out there and put together a good long drive and get some more points.”

3rd Quarter

I caught the kick off at our six and returned it to our 24. Coach sent in Berchie at halfback but told me I would be back in at some point. Berchie carried for a gain of six. Coach sent in Gambill at halfback. He was going to rotate a bunch of us for single plays to keep fresh legs and pound at their defense. Gambill carried for four yards. On third and inches it was my turn again. I carried for a yard and got the first down. I stayed in. I got a bad pitch on an option and couldn’t bring it in. They recovered on our 43. “Porter don’t beat yourself up for that one, it wasn’t your fault” said Coach Brookhart. I wasn’t going to beat myself up because we were going to have the ball back in three downs. They threw incomplete. Another incompletion. On third down they completed a pass for 17 yards to our 26. They ran for a yard. “Let’s stop it right here defense.” Their QB threw it away. On third and nine Nicholson sacked the QB for a loss of five. They sent their offense out. They threw incomplete and we took the ball back at our 30. I carried for a loss of one. I carried for a gain of three. I wasn’t getting any blocking up the middle. Coach called a timeout to talk to the line. On third and eight Arthur hit Garrison for a gain of three. Jeffery went out to punt. I knew that with the way the offense was playing we couldn’t let up anymore points on defense. “Coach, I don’t want anymore offense today. I need to lead the defense cause if we let up any points we’re in trouble” I wasn’t sure how coach would take my comment. “Actually Porter, I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Keep that defense fired up and we’ll work with what we have on offense.” I was half surprised at his answer but I didn’t say anything, I just nodded and Shippy and I gathered up the defense. “Alright boys the offense is having trouble today so we can’t let up any points” yelled Shippy. We all gathered in a circle and yelled and hollered, I could tell everyone in that group was genuinely ready to bring it. Jeffery punted and they returned it to their 32. Time for us to go to work. Ferguson tackled the QB on an option for a loss of three. The line got pressure on the QB and he threw incomplete. Another pass and another incompletion. Nick went back to return the punt. Our offense took over on our 36. Schneider fumbled but we recovered. Arthur kept on the option and picked up eight yards and a first down at our 47. Basch rumbled for six yards. Nedd picked up four yards and another first down at their 43. Thompson carried for three yards and the quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Nedd carried for a yard. Schneider juked a defender out of his cleats and picked up 11 yards and a first down at their 28. Basch carried for a gain of seven. Berchie carried for a gain of two. On third and one from their 19 Thompson pounded for two yards and another first down. Basch lost a yard. Arthur got sacked for a big loss and it was third and 21 at their 28. At times watching our offense was quite discouraging. Arthur threw incomplete and Jeffery came on to try from 45. The kick fell about 10 yards short and we went back out on defense. They ran for a yard. They threw incomplete. Nick knocked down a pass. Nick went back to return another punt. Our offense, if you want to call it that, took over on our 45. Arthur threw incomplete. Gambill took a carry at halfback and got five yards. Basch picked up 13 yards and a first down at their 37. Schneider ran for no gain. They called a timeout with 1:56 left to play. Schneider got outside and picked up 16 yards and a first down at their 21. Berchie carried for two yards and they called another timeout. Schneider carried for 10 and another first down at their nine yard line. Berchie carried to their three. They used their final timeout with 1:10 left. Arthur took it in himself for six points. Jeffery hit the point after to make it 14-0. They took over on their 19. They threw incomplete. They completed a screen for three yards. They went no huddle. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of seven yards. Ferguson sacked him and we got the ball at their eight with :20 left on the clock. Schneider carried and scored easily. Jeffery made it a deceiving 21-0. They took over on their 35 because Jeffery’s kick off went out of bounds. They threw incomplete. Reid dropped the runningback in the backfield and they went no huddle. They lost more yards as the clock expired. We all headed for the locker room. Coach Brookhart addressed the team. “Hey guys our defense carried us more than usual for most of the game today but that is going to happen from time to time. Overall a good win. Today’s game ball goes to Ferguson with six tackles including four for losses. Ok, everyone bring it in, Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/6 9YDS
Gambill 0/2

Schneider 8/64 TD
Nedd 5/50
Basch 7/40
Porter 8/31
Gambill 7/20 TD
Berchie 4/16
Thompson 2/5
Arthur 3/1 TD

Porter 1/6
Garrison 1/3

Ferguson 6T 4TFL S
Downing 4T 2DEF
Nicholson 3T TFL S
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Akron 07-00-00-14 21
CMU 00-00-00-00 00
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9-30-06 Akron #2 (5-0[2-0]) vs Buffalo #51 (2-1[1-1]) MAC Game 8pm
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It was the same old story for us, heavily favored. We know how it went last week though, we were heavily favored that game but you wouldn’t have known it on the field. We got together and whooped it up. At about 45 degrees it was a little chilly standing around, but perfect for a football game, and it’s under the lights too. They won the toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 22. They gained a yard on a QB draw. They threw incomplete. On third and nine they completed a pass out to their 45. “More pressure on that QB!!” They ran a screen for nine yards. “Too much D!! Too Much!!” They ran the ball down to our 38. I came free on a safety blitz and sacked their QB for a loss of eight. “That’s the way man, that’s the way.” They threw incomplete. On third and eighteen they threw a pass out of bounds. Nick went back to return the punt. We took over at our 11 after Nick had to call for a fair catch. Nedd went right up the middle for about 10. A five yard facemask on them moved us out to our 27. Gambill threw incomplete. Basch carried for a gain of seven yards. Nedd broke one and got to their 48 before he was finally dragged down. Nedd bounced outside and cut back for a gain of 10 and another first down. Basch carried for a gain of eight. Gambill hit Garrison to their 12. Gambill hit Dudley for six points. Swiger hit the point after to make it 7-0. They took over on their 23. They completed a long pass out to their 44 on a play action. They ran to our 43. “Step it up D!!” They ran for a yard. They threw incomplete. They completed on third down to our 30 for another first down. They ran a sweep for four yards and the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

They completed another pass to our 7. “Let’s go D!” Shippy broke through and sacked the QB for a loss of four yards. They threw incomplete. Their QB dropped back to pass, everyone was covered and Dorsey was closing in quick. Their QB got the pass off just as Dorsey hit him. Murphy made a leaping interception on the goalline. He took off the other way, the receivers were all too far behind them and their linesmen were too slow. Ferguson set a good block that sprung him and he took it 100 yards for pay dirt. Swiger made it 14-0. They returned the kick off to their 25. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of seven. Nick knocked down the pass. On third and 17 Dorsey sacked their QB again but we got called for being off sides. On third and 12 Ferguson got the QB for a loss of seven. Nick went back for the punt. We took over on their 39. Gambill lost two yards on the option. Gambill threw a bad pitch and it went out of bounds. On third and 11 Gambill hit Garrison to their 23 for a first down. Schneider carried to their 10. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider took it to the endzone. Swiger made it 21-0. They took over on their 22. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. Dorsey broke through and sacked the QB for a loss of seven. Nick returned the punt to our 37. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider got to their 43 before he was pushed out of bounds. Dudley dropped a pass. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill hung Schneider out to dry on the option pitch and he lost five yards. I knew the feeling. A delay of game made it fourth and 20. Jeffery came on to punt. They took possession on their 21 with :25 left in the half. They threw incomplete. They ran for no gain and the half came to a close.

Halftime

“OK, we’ve made a couple mistakes but for the most part we’re playing very well on both sides of the ball. Porte, I want you at halfback for our first possession, we’re going to score and put the game away.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick from our five to our 27. I carried for a gain of eight. I bounced outside and picked up a big gain down to their 25 before I got ankle tackled. I carried up the middle for a gain of six yards. Basch got to their 11 for a first down. I bounced outside and put it in the endzone. Swiger made the score 28-0. They took over on their 24. They completed a long pass to our 48. They completed another pass to our 36. They completed again to our 13. “DB’s tighten it up! Line, get to that QB!” We batted down a pass. We batted down another pass. On third and 10 they threw incomplete. On fourth down and 10 on the 13 they tried a field goal but it was wide right. We took over on our 18. I carried for a gain of two yards. Basch picked up a yard. On third and seven I got some open field and made it to our 43. Gambill threw me a horrible screen and I didn’t get a yard. I carried for a gain of six. Basch carried for almost four. On fourth and inches we decided to go for it. Basch picked up 19 yards down to their 28. Schneider picked up five yards. Gambill hit Morris to their 10. Gambill found Dudley in the endzone. Swiger made it 35-0. They took over on their 20. Their QB scrambled for a gain of 13. They got most of us to bite on the play action and threw it over the top for six points. They made it 35-7 after the extra point. Nick and I went back for the kick off. The kick off went out of bounds and we took over on our 35. Gambill threw to Nick for a gain of five and the third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

Nedd carried out to our 48. Nedd carried again for four yards. Basch picked up three yards. On third and three Basch got stuffed. Jeffery came on to punt. We downed the punt at their 17. They picked up three yards on a draw. Shippy nailed the HB and stopped him for a loss of a yard. On third and eight they completed another pass out to their 48. They ran for two yards. Their QB fumbled and Ferguson recovered for us on their 38. Nedd carried for a gain of 11 yards. Nedd picked up three yards. Berchie and Thompson headed into the game. Berchie carried to their 13. Thompson picked up four yards. Berchie bounced off a tackle and carried to the one yard line. Thompson pounded it in for six. After we got flagged for excessive celebration Swiger hit the long extra point to make it 42-7. They took possession at their 26 with 1:40 left. They tried a QB keeper and got a yard. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. We took over on our 34. Thompson picked up five yards. Berchie carried for two. Berchie carried for three more yards as the gun sounded. We headed to the locker room where Coach Brookhart addressed the team. “Hey guys, solid win against a good team. We had a few lapses but we dominated for the most part. Murphy gets the game ball today with a sack and a forced fumble and of course the interception when they were driving then the 100 yard return for a TD. Bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 7/12 75YDS 2TD

Porter 7/93 TD
Nedd 7/65
Basch 8/50
Schneider 5/43 TD
Berchie 4/24
Thompson 3/10 TD

Garrison 2/35
Dudley 2/22 2TD
Stockton 1/5
Morris 1/13
Porter 1/0

Porter 4T TFL S DEF
Ferguson 4T TFL S FR
Nichols 4T
Dorsey 3T 2TFL 2S
Shippy 3T 2TFL S
Stockton 3T 3DEF
Clark 2T 2DEF
Murphy T TFL S INT TD FF
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Buffalo 00-00-07-00 07
Akron 07-14-14-07 42

[djp73]

10-7-06 Akron #2 (6-0[3-0]) @ UCF #102 (1-4[1-1]) 6pm MAC Game
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If we win today the streak goes to 30 in a row. We feel this game should be a blowout and a shut out for the defense. It isn’t that we’re looking past this game its just that we know what we are capable of. We won the coin toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They took over on their 21. Their QB scrambled for 16 yards. They threw incomplete. They ran option for a gain of eight. On third and two they ran for four yards and another first down. They ran a QB draw for a yard. They ran up the middle for two yards. On third and seven they completed a pass for 16 yards and a first down at our 32. They threw incomplete. They tried a sweep and got no gain. On third and 10 they threw incomplete. On fourth and 10 they went for it and threw incomplete. Our offense got the ball at our 32. Nedd carried for three yards. Basch carried for four. On third and three Nedd got stuffed for a yard. We decided to go for it since they did. Basch picked up eight yards and a first down at our 48. Nedd carried for four yards. Basch rumbled for a gain of nine and a first down at their 39. Nedd got nowhere on the option. Gambill hit Dudley for six yards. On third and four Basch picked up three yards and the first quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

On fourth and one at their 30 Coach sent in Schneider and told him to get the first down. The O-line opened up a nice hole and he got five yards and the first down. Schneider carried for three yards. Basch carried for three. Schneider carried for three. “I know the defense will give us the ball back if we don’t make it so let’s keep going” said Basch, and Coach Brookhart agreed. Basch got the carry and he picked up five yards. First down and 10 to go at their 11. Schneider carried for four. Basch took the handoff and pounded his way to pay dirt. Swiger made it 7-0. They returned the kick to their 17. Shippy jumped off sides. They ran a sweep for three yards. They completed a pass for eight yards to their 33. They completed a pass but it got pushed back for holding. Their QB kept for nine yards. They ran a counter for five yards. on third down and six to go they dropped back to pass. Nick read the QB and broke on the pass. He picked it off easily and returned it to their 15. “Yeah baby!! Nice pick man!!” Gambill got sacked for a loss of seven. Gambill lost two on the option. On third and long Gambill threw incomplete. Swiger came on to try from 41 and he just missed. They took possession on their 24. Dorsey hit the QB as he threw and it fell incomplete. They threw over the middle and I drilled the receiver, he couldn’t hold on to it. On third and 10 we batted down a pass. Nick went back to return the punt. Our offense took over on our own 44. Schneider carried for three yards. Schneider swept for no gain. On third and seven Gambill hit Schneider out of the backfield for a yard. Jeffery punted and they took over on their 16. They ran for a yard and the half ended.

Halftime

“Good half. Great job by the defense. The offense is struggling a little but we’ll see what we can do. Porter I want you in at halfback. Let’s go get it.”

3rd Quarter

Nick returned the kick off to our 27. I ran up the middle and spun and juked for a gain of 22 yards. I lost two yards on a sweep. I bounced outside and went down the sideline for 25 yards and a first down at their 24. I went up the middle for five yards. Basch carried for 18 to their one yard line. Basch got the carry again and finished the drive with a TD. Swiger made it 14-0. They took over on their 16. We got called for pass interference and they moved out to their 31. They threw incomplete. They ran a sweep for five yards. They threw incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. We took over on our 29. I ran for a yard. I carried again for six yards. on third and three I got the ball again and picked up seven. I ran up the middle for six yards. Basch carried for eight yards. Basch carried again for five yards. Gambill got called for a delay of game. On second and 10 Gambill kept for seven yards. Basch carried for nine yards and a first down at their 27. Gambill hit Dudley for 18 yards to their nine yard line. I went off tackle and found the endzone untouched. Swiger made it 21-0. They returned the kick off to their 21. They lost a yard up the middle. Dorsey broke through and sacked their QB for a loss of eight. Their QB scrambled for 20 yards and a first down at their 33 as the quarter ended.

4th Quarter

They threw incomplete. They ran a draw for 14 yards. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On third and 10 they completed a pass for another first down out to our 36. “Let’s go D!” They threw incomplete. They ran up the middle for three. On third and seven they threw for a gain of eight to our 25. They threw incomplete. They threw for a TD. There goes the shut out. The kick made it 21-7. I returned the kick to our 28. I carried for a gain of five. I carried up the middle for 14 yards. Basch carried for three. I carried for nine yards and a first down. Basch got a yard. I ran outside for 12 yards. Basch picked up seven. Basch carried for five more. They used a time out. I carried for six yards and they used another timeout. I carried again for four yards and a first down at their six. I carried for two yards. I carried to the one yard line and they used their final timeout. Basch finished the drive with his third TD of the day. Swiger made it 28-0. They returned the kick off to their 20. We batted down a pass at the line. They completed a pass for 18 yards. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On third and 10 their QB scrambled for 14. Clark picked off a bomb in the endzone. Basch carried for four yards and we let the clock run out. We all headed to the locker room. “Hey guys good win, that’s 30 in a row. Today’s game ball goes to Basch with 101 yards rushing and three touchdowns as well as some great blocking. Bring it in, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 3/4 25YDS

Porter 17/138 TD
Basch 18/101 3TD
Schneider 6/18
Nedd 4/8

Dudley 2/24
Schneider 1/1

Porter 5T 2DEF
Henry 4T DEF
Shippy 3T TFL DEF
Reid 3T
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Akron 00-07-14-07 28
UCF 00-00-00-07 07
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10-14-06 Akron #2 (7-0[4-0]) vs Eastern Michigan #117 (0-5[0-4]) 6pm MAC Game
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It’s only our second home game of the season. It seems like we’ve been traveling constantly. The home crowd is pretty big and hopefully we can please them. We won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

They returned the kick out to their 24. Shippy dropped the runningback for a loss of one yard. They ran for a gain of two. On third and nine they threw incomplete. Nick returned their punt to our 45. Nedd ran for a gain of six. Basch carried for three yards. On third and one Basch pounded for the first down. Gambill went deep to Dudley and he got to their three yard line. Gambill kept on the option and took it to the house. Swiger made it 7-0. They returned the kick off to their 16. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for almost ten. On third and inches from their 26 they gave to the fullback for a yard and a first down. They threw incomplete on first down. Ferguson dropped their runningback after a gain of two. On third and eight they coughed it up but recovered. Nick returned the punt to our 24. Gambill threw incomplete. Nedd ran for a gain of three. On third down Gambill hit Garrison but he was out of bounds. Jeffery punted and they returned it to their 42. A short pass and a roughing the passer call put them on our 36. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On third and ten they threw another incompletion. I went back for the punt ad got it out to our 10. Schneider picked up 17 running. Basch rumbled for six yards. Schneider ran for five yards and a first down. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill kept on the option and fumbled the ball. They recovered on their 45.

2nd Quarter

They ran for a gain of three. They completed a pass for 10 yards and a first down at our 42. They ran a pitch for a gain of eight. “Too much defense, too much.” They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On fourth and two they decided to go for it. They ran it up the middle and just barely got enough. Ferguson dropped their QB for a loss of two. They completed a pass for 19 yards to our 14. They completed a pass for six yards to our eight yard line. “Tighten it up defense!!” They completed a pass into the endzone. I went to the sideline and Coach Brookhart came up to me. “Porter, what’s happening out there?” “I think we need more pressure on their QB, that and we didn’t get any rest.” Their kicker hit to point after to tie it up at 7. I returned the kick off to our 18. Gambill kept again on the option and picked up 14 yards, he also held onto the ball. Schneider carried for a gain of four. Basch pounded for eight yards and a first down at our 44. Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider carried for a gain of five. On third down and five Gambill lost two yards on an option. “That wasn’t the play I called!!” yelled Coach Brookhart. “Arthur, warm up.” I could tell coach was pretty mad at Gambill. Jeffery punted and they took over on their 20. They ran for a gain of six yards and called a timeout with 1:50 left. They completed a pass to our 49. Another completion, this time to our 34. They threw incomplete. They completed a short pass for a gain of four and called timeout with :58 left. On third down and six to go they completed a pass for eight yards then they went no huddle. They threw incomplete. They dropped back to pass and it was a perfect throw right into the hands of Clark. We took over on our eight with :42 left in the half. Arthur led the team out onto the field. Arthur threw incomplete. Arthur took a sack for a loss of seven. Arthur threw to Nick for a gain of 10 as the half ended.

Halftime

“OK, we need to get it going out there. This team has no business hanging with us. Porter, you’re in at halfback when we get the ball. Arthur, calm down back there. We’re gonna go back out there and pick them apart.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick. The kick came to me and I brought it out to our 21. I bounced outside for a gain of 11 yards. Basch picked up a yard. I pounded up the middle for 15 yards. “Great blocking hogs.” I had to chase down a tipped pitch and I lost a yard. I ran for a gain of five. On third down and six to go I took the option pitch 36 yards down the sideline to their 12. Basch rumbled in from there. Swiger made it 14-7. They returned the kick off to their 25. Their runningback dropped a swing pass. They went single back and the QB dropped back to pass. He rolled to his right with Shippy and Ferguson in hot pursuit. He launched one off his back foot and it was a duck. Griffin moved in for the kill and picked it off with plenty of acreage in front of him. He plowed over a receiver at their 23 and kept going. He dove into the endzone from the three. The entire defense swarmed around him in the endzone. “Hey Porter, nice block, that sprung me.” “No problem man, nice pick.” Swiger’s kick made the score 21-7. They brought the kick off out to their 21. They completed a short pass for a gain of two yards. They threw incomplete. They tried a screen to the halfback but Henry dropped him for a loss of two yards. Nick went back for the punt. Nick had a sweet return but it was called back for clipping. We took over on offense at our 30. Coach told me to take another series at halfback. I ran for four yards. I ran again for a gain of 10 yards. Basch got dropped for a loss of one. I took the option for a gain of 14 yards and a first down at their 43. Arthur got sacked for a loss of six. I got a bad pitch but managed three yards. Arthur put me in motion up to the line and then hit me with a beautiful pass for 18 yards and a first down on their 28. Basch rumbled for a gain of five yards as the third quarter ended.

4th Quarter

I carried for three yards. Basch got the ball again and bounced and bashed all the way into the endzone. Swiger made it 28-0. They took over on their 20 after the kick off. They passed out to their 40. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again. On third and 10 they threw a sloppy pass and Griffin was there for another pick. We got the ball at our 37. Schneider went off tackle for 11 yards. Schneider went off tackle to the other side for 23 yards. Basch went up the middle for 10 yards. Schneider went for 9 yards up the middle. Arthur threw incomplete. Schneider carried for three yards and a first down and goal at their seven. Basch picked up a yard. Basch picked up another yard. On third and goal from their five Schneider spun and juked his way for six points. Swiger made it 35-0. They returned the kick off to their 21. They threw incomplete but we got called for another roughing the passer. Two questionable calls in my opinion. Their QB coughed it up and Griffin pounced on it. We took over at their 36. Basch carried for three yards. Schneider picked up nine yards. Basch carried for five yards. Basch got the ball again and plowed his way for 10 yards. On first and goal from their nine Basch got drilled and coughed up the ball. He was also grasping his wrist as he came off the field. They took over on their seven yard line. They threw incomplete. They ran a sweep for a gain of two yards. Reid sacked their QB and he fumbled. They recovered and faced a fourth and 12 from their 5. Nick went back for the punt. He returned it to their 44 yard line. Berchie came in for Basch. Berchie ran for two yards. The trainer informed us Basch would be fine. Schneider carried fro two yards and we let the clock run out. We all headed into the locker room. “It was a tale of two halves for us today fellas. Great play in the second half. Griffin gets the game ball, two interceptions, one for a touchdown and a fumble recovery. Bring it in everyone, Zips on three 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Arthur 2/4 38YDS
Gambill 1/5 39YDS

Porter 10/100
Schneider 11/93 TD
Basch 16/93 2TD
Gambill 4/27 TD
Nedd 2/9
Berchie 1/2

Dudley 1/39
Stockton 1/20
Porter 1/18

Downing 4T
Porter 4T DEF
Hodges 4T
Reid 3T TFL S 2FF
Henry 3T TFL 4DEF
Griffin T 2INT TD FR
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Eastern Michigan 00-07-00-00 07
Akron 07-00-14-14 35
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Sophomore MLB Nate Griffin has been suspended for three games for academics. This is his second suspension of the year.
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10-27-06 Akron #3 8-0[5-0]) vs Marshall #117 (1-7[0-6]) 6pm MAC Game
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We need to win and win big if we’re going to move up in the rankings. The wind was ripping through the stadium in excess of 30 mph. We won the toss and chose to kick off.

1st Quarter

They took over on their 17 after the return and a holding call on them. They dropped back to pass with five receivers. Their QB fired over the middle. Nicholson got a hand on it and tipped it. Henry came down with it and took it in for six easily. Swiger made it 7-0 with nine seconds of the game elapsed. Swiger’s kick off fell victim to the wind and sailed out of bounds, they took over on their 35. They swept to their left for three yards. They threw incomplete. On third down they threw incomplete again. Nick went back for the punt. Nick returned it to their 48. Nedd carried for a gain of eight. Nedd carried again for 23 yards and a first down at their 17. Gambill hit Dudley to their three yard line. Nedd rumbled into the endzone from there. Swiger made it 14-0. They returned the kick off to their 27. They threw incomplete. Nick batted down a pass for another incompletion. On third down they threw incomplete again. Nick returned the punt to their 49. Gambill fumbled the snap and we recovered. Gambill hit Garrison for a gain of seven. Basch carried for a gain of 11 yards and a first down at their 31. Gambill got sacked for a loss of five yards. Gambill threw off his back foot and it got picked. Garrison got called for a facemask on the tackle and they took over on their 34. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of seven. “Good penetration!” They threw incomplete. On third and 17 they completed a pass out to their 48 for a first down. They ran right up the middle for 14 yards. Their QB scrambled for 18 yards. “What are we doing defense?” Ferguson dropped their runningback for a loss of four. They threw incomplete. On third and 14 from our 20 they threw another incompletion. They came on to try a field goal and it was no good. Schneider carried for four. Schneider carried again for nine yards as the first quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

Gambill threw incomplete. Schneider got a yard on a sweep. On third and nine yards to go, Gambill hit Dudley but for only seven yards. Jeffery came on to punt. They returned the punt to their 19. They threw incomplete. They ran up the middle for a loss of one. On third and 11 they threw incomplete. Nick returned the punt to their 37. Schneider carried for 13. Gambill kept for a gain of 13 to their 11. Gambill got sacked for a loss of seven. Gambill hit Garrison for six yards. Gambill hit Morris for a gain of five to their 7. Swiger hit from 24 yards to make it 17-0. They downed the kickoff in their endzone and took over on their 20. They tried a draw and got nothing. Dorsey sacked their QB for a loss of four yards. They went nowhere on a sweep. Nick went back to return the punt. He returned the punt to their 31. Gambill hit Garrison for three yards. Gambill threw incomplete and the clock stopped with :20 left in the half. Gambill took a shot at the endzone and it was incomplete. Swiger hit from 45 to make it 20-0. They took over on their 20 with :11 left after another touchback. They ran for six yards and got a first down on a five yard facemask call. They called a timeout. They completed a deep pass but they ran out of time.

Halftime

“Good job so far, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing. Porter you’re at tail; to start the half.”

3rd Quarter

I returned the kick off out to our 32. Basch carried for a gain of 11. I bounced outside and picked up 11 more. I took the toss for three yards. I carried up the middle for four. Basch carried for 14 yards and a first down at their 25. Gambill threw incomplete. I carried for a gain of seven. Basch carried for two yards. Fourth and one. Three feet. Thirty six inches. Coach told the offense to stay out. “I right 21 lead on one on one.” I was getting the ball right up the gut. I took the handoff and followed Basch for five yards. First down at their 11. Basch carried for three yards. I carried for three more. Gambill lost a yard on the option. Swiger hit to make it 23-0. They returned the kick to their 25. Dorsey dropped the runner for a loss of six. They threw incomplete. They completed a short pass and their QB looked to be injured. They had to punt. Nick returned the punt to their 44. Gambill hit Garrison for a gain of 39. “Way to read the coverage.” I carried for two yards to their three. Basch rumbled into the endzone. Swiger made it 30-0. They fumbled the kick return and we recovered on their 23. I carried for six yards. Gambill threw incomplete. Gambill called and audible and hit Garrison for four yards and a first down. I carried for a gain of almost 10 to their three as the gun sounded.

4th Quarter

I carried again and put six points up. Swiger made it 37-0. They took over on their 20 after the touchback. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete. They threw incomplete again and Nick went back for the punt. He returned it to their 36. Basch carried for 16. Schneider carried for eight. Coach sent John Ferguson in at quarterback. Nedd carried for four. Schneider carried for four to their four. Ferguson hit Nedd on a screen for no gain. Schneider carried for two. Swiger made it 40-0. The kick off went out of the back of the endzone. They took over on their 20. They ran a sweep for three yards. They threw incomplete. Dorsey hit the QB and the pass fell incomplete. Nick returned the weak put to their 20. Schneider carried for a yard. Nedd swept left and dove in for the TD. Swiger made it 47-0. They took over on their 20 after another touchback. They threw incomplete. They completed a pass for one yard. They threw incomplete on third down. Nick returned the punt to their 38. Nedd carried for a gain of 14. Schneider carried for seven yards. Nedd carried for four yards. Nedd carried for nine yards to their four. Nedd carried again to their one. Schneider pounded it home and Swiger made it 54-0. The kickoff sailed into the second row of the stands behind the endzone for another touchback. They ran up the middle for four and I punished the runner. Shippy sacked the QB for a loss of seven and the clock ran out. We headed to the locker room. “Great win today, the defense and the offense both played very well. I’ve never given a game ball to a kicker before but Swiger was four for four on field goals, six for six on extra points, and he had six touchbacks. That’s worthy. Bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 8/14 85YDS INT
Ferguson 1-1

Nedd 9/87 2TD
Basch 7/60 TD
Porter 10/54 TD
Schneider 10/50 TD

Garrison 5/59
Dudley 2/21
Morris 1/5
Nedd 1/0

Dorsey 4T 3TFL 2S DEF
Clark 3T DEF
Henry 3T DEF INT TD
Reid 2T 2TFL
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Marshall 00-00-00-00 00
Akron 14-06-10-24 54
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10-29-06

There were rumors all around me, rumors about Coach Brookhart and his future at Akron. His contract was up at the end of the season and a lot of people seemed to think that he wouldn’t be back for another season. Some said he would be going to the NFL, some said a more prestigious school was his likely destination. I was concerned that he would be leaving but I was more concerned with the three or four games we had left this season. I decided that I would wait to talk to Coach until after the season had concluded.
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11/04/06 Akron #3 (9-0[6-0]) @ Ohio #99 (3-6[2-5]) 3:30pm
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We were back on the road after two games at home. I had enjoyed the home stand but I would play anywhere anytime, it didn’t matter to me. They won the coin toss and chose to receive.

1st Quarter

We got off a good kick and Robinson tackled their kick returner at their nine yard line. Shippy led out the defense. They tried to run up the middle and Shippy stuffed the back for a loss of one. They tried a screen pass and Nick was there dropping the back for no gain. On third down they threw incomplete and punted. Nick caught the punt at our 45 and returned it to their 40. Nedd carried up the middle for three yards. Basch carried for three more yards. Gambill threw a horrible pass and it fell incomplete. I was pretty sure that Swiger couldn’t hit from 51 yards out but it was worth a shot. The kick went up and it was straight enough. It looked long enough but it hit the front of the crossbar and fell down. They took over on their 41. They ran up the middle and I made the tackle after a gain of four yards. On second down Shippy sacked their QB for a loss of six yards. On third and 12 from their 39 they tried a pass. It was a duck and Nick made the pick easily. We took possession on the 50 yard line. Nedd tried to run up the middle and he was stuffed after a gain of one yard. Basch pounded up the middle for five yards. On third and four from their 44 yard line Gambill rolled left on the option. He was met before he got back to the line of scrimmage and the linebacker drilled him. The ball came out and their corner back picked it up and took it all the way in for six points. They hit the point after and took the lead 7-0. Nick and I went back to return the kick off. Nick caught it a yard deep in the endzone and headed straight up the middle with me in front of him. I plowed into the first defender and absolutely destroyed him. Nick got out to the 50 before he was finally dragged down. Gambill led the offense back out with just over two minutes left in the quarter. Basch carried up the middle for four yards. Nedd carried off tackle for a gain of three yards. On third and three at their 43 Gambill fumbled the snap. Basch recovered it and we ended up losing 2 yards on the play bringing up fourth and five as the quarter ended.

2nd Quarter

Jeffery got off a perfect corner punt and pinned them on their 10. They ran up the middle for a gain of six yards. They ran outside for a gain of seven and a first down at their 23. They tried to run up the middle but Reid stopped them for no gain. They threw a short pass for a gain of four yards and Hodges made the tackle. On third and six from their 27 they ran a toss. I drilled the runningback at the 31 and sent him back. They spotted the ball at the 30 and they punted. The punt was about two miles high and Nick had no choice but to call for the fair catch on our 31 yard line. Gambill led out the offense. Nedd ran up the middle for three yards. Basch pounded for six yards right up the middle. On third and one from our 40 coach sent in Thompson. Thompson lined up at fullback with Basch behind him. Pichardo was the tight end with Garrison and Dudley at wide receiver. Gambill took the snap and faked the handoff to Basch, Dudley’s man bit on the fake and he was wide open on the 49. Gambill threw a rare perfect pass and Dudley hauled it in. He scampered to their 35 before he was tackled. Basch followed the block from Thompson and picked up eight yards to their 27. On second and two Gambill got stuffed for a loss of two on the option. I was surprised he held the ball, it was the right decision. On third and four they made a great play on a pass to knock it down. Swiger came on to try from 46 yards out. The kick was perfect and split the uprights. That made it 3-7 with about five minutes left in the half. They returned the kick off out to their 27. They tried a toss to their right and I stopped it after a gain of one yard. They ran up the middle for three yards and Nicholson made the stop. On third and six from their 31 they tried to fool us with a reverse but I sniffed it out and stopped the receiver cold for a loss of five yards. On fourth and 11 from their 30 they set up to punt. Nick caught the booming punt at our 20 and returned it to our 35. Gambill led out the offense with 2:00 minutes left on the clock. Schneider carried for a gain of five yards out to our 40. On second down and five yards to go Gambill dropped back to pass. He was hurried a little and threw a bad pass. They picked it off and brought it back to our 20 before Basch dragged him down. They ran up the middle for a yard. They tried the middle again and lost the yard. Ferguson made the stop. On third down they ran up the middle for a gain of three and called a timeout with :03 on the clock. They lined up to kick. They hit the 34 yard kick easily and we went to halftime down 3-10.

Halftime

“DEFENSE!! Great half of football, we need one more. The offense is struggling so it’s up to you guys. If we play defense like we have so far and get the offense to click for just a couple of drives we’ll pull out a win.”

3rd Quarter

Nick and I went back to return the kick. I caught the ball on the one and headed up field. Nick set a nice block that sprung me. I got to their 48 before I was tackled. “Nick, great block dude.” “Just returning the favor man.” Basch ran for a gain of five. Schneider ran for a gain of six and a first down at their 37. Schneider broke free on a toss and picked up eight yards. On second and two at their 29 Gambill gained a yard. Third down and one yard to go. 12 inches. Coach called a QB keeper. Gambill took the snap and tried to lunge forward, there was nowhere to go. Gambill leapt. Their middle linebacker leapt. They met helmet to helmet in the air and Gambill went back in a hurry. He flipped over backwards and dropped to the ground exactly where the ball was before the play, no gain, fourth and a yard at their 28 Swiger headed out. His kick was perfect again and that made the score 6-10. We kicked off and they took possession on their 19. They ran a sweep and I pounded the runningback for a loss of one yard. They completed a quick pass for a gain of seven yards. On third and four from their 25 they tried to run option. Downing got to their QB and forced him to pitch. I dropped the runningback after a gain of two yards. They punted on fourth and two. Nick called for a fair catch at our 39. Gambill brought out the offense again. Basch carried for four yards. Schneider took off on a sweep and picked up 11 yards and a first down at their 46. Schneider carried again for a gain of 8 to the outside. Basch picked up three yards in the middle and a first down at their 35. Nedd came in and ran up the middle for two yards. Schneider carried for five yards. On third down and three from their 28 Gambill got sacked for a loss of seven yards, moving us back out to their 35. It would be a 52 yard field goal attempt. A punt would most likely end up in the endzone. Gambill went under center and fumbled the snap. He recovered it and they took the ball at their 36. The glare that coach gave to Gambill would probably have scared most people. We took the field with just over a minute left in the third quarter. They ran outside and I was there on the tackle for no gain. Another sweep to the other side and I was there again for the tackle after a gain of a yard as the quarter came to a close.

4th Quarter

“TJ, you’re all over the place today.” “Yeah well I’m not losing this game.” “Alright, let’s get a three and out here and get the offense back out here.” They threw a pass over the middle and I destroyed the tight end. I was disappointed and impressed that he held onto the ball. It was a gain of six yards. They sent out the punt team on third and three from their 43. Nick caught another deep punt at our five and returned it to our 27. Schneider ran for four yards. Nedd got stuffed for no gain. On third down and six at our 31 Gambill dropped back to pass. He threw a decent pass to Pichardo but it was tipped and picked off. They returned it to our 22 and we headed back out on defense. “Hey D!” I yelled “We have to hold them here, no excuses!” On first down I went on a safety blitz and nailed the runningback for a loss of four yards. “Yeah man, nice pop!” Shippy stopped the runningback for no gain. On third down and 14 form our 26 they tried a pass but Nick was there to bat it down. They hit the field goal and that made it 6-13 with just over six minutes left in the game. I returned the kick off out to our 30. Nedd ran for a yard. Basch carried up the middle for four yards. On third and five Gambill threw incomplete. Jeffery came on to punt. He didn’t get off a very good punt and they returned it to the 50. We went back out on defense with 3:22 left in the game. This was it. Do or die. We had to get the ball back quick and then count on the offense to score. All we could worry about was stopping them quick. They ran up the middle for a yard. They tried a sweep and I stopped it after 2 yards. On third and seven at our 47 with 2:20 left they went to the air. Nick came from out of nowhere and picked the ball at our 27 and headed towards the endzone. There was really only one man he needed to beat and I sprinted faster than I had ever sprinted before to try to get up there to set a block. Nick saw me coming and made a beautiful cut that allowed me to lay out the potential tackler and watch Nick take it to the house. A 73 yard interception return for a TD. Swiger tied it up with 1:48 left in regulation. They returned the kick off out to their 28. We headed back out on defense. They ran up the middle for a gain of three. It looked like they were content to run the clock and go into overtime. That was fine with us. They ran the ball a couple more times for a few yards and the gun sounded.

Overtime

They won the toss and chose to be on defense first. On first down they tried to run up the middle but Shippy stopped him after a yard. They threw incomplete. On third down they fumbled a snap of their own and settled for the field goal to make it 13-16. We got the ball. Schneider ran off tackle for a gain of six yards. Gambill hit Garrison on a quick slant but he was tackled immediately after a gain of three. On third and one Nedd got nothing. Swiger tied it back up at 16 and we went to a second overtime.

Overtime 2

We took the field offensively. Basch carried for a gain of two. Gambill hit Pichardo over the middle for a gain of six yards. On third and two Nedd picked up a yard. Coach knew he could count on the defense to hold them to a field goal so he sent out Swiger. He lined up and the ball was snapped. The snap was out of Ferguson’s reach and Swiger fell on it. They came back out on offense needing only a field goal to end it all. They ran off tackle for eight yards. Coach Brookhart called a timeout. We lined back up on defense, I had a feeling they would go for it all right here. They had a pro formation in the backfield with a tight end on their right and receivers on either side. We were in cover one. That meant Nick and Henry had man coverage on the two wide receivers. Hodges and Downing were responsible for the two backs. Clark was deep in a zone and I was on the tight end. They started the cadence and I moved up on the tight end. They snapped the ball and the tight end tried to fool me with an inside move, I wasn’t fooled. He was running a deep fade pattern, into the back corner of the endzone and I was right with him. Shippy got in the quarterback’s face as he let it go towards the tight end. Everything slowed down and I jumped and caught the ball. I was about seven yards deep in the endzone and in a normal situation I would down the ball. In this situation we had nothing to lose, we were getting the ball either way. The other receivers were out of the play due to their routes. Clark popped the tight end and all I had to beat were the linesmen and the quarterback. None of the linesmen had a good line on me and I was by all of them before I got to our 30. Just the QB to beat. He wasn’t very big but all he had to do was maybe an ankle tackle and trip me up. All I saw was a blur of blue and gold as Nick streaked past me and absolutely demolished the QB. From there it was a walk in the park. Akron 22 Ohio 16. We headed to the locker room. “Wow! Great game defensively. Offensively we obviously struggled but we won. The game ball gets split tonight between TJ and Nick. Both of them were all over the field. Tackling, picking passes and even setting some viscous blocks. You guys should all be patting them on the back cause it may have ended another way if they weren’t here. Bring it in everyone, Zips on three. 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 3/5 34YDS 3FUM 2INT

Nedd 10/20
Schneider 8/53
Basch 10/46

Dudley 1/25
Garrison 1/3
Pichardo 1/6

Porter 11T 2TFL INT 107YD TD 51YD KR
Stockton 2T DEF 2INT 73YD TD 51YD KR
Shippy 4T TFL S
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Akron 00-03-03-07-03-06 22
Ohio 07-03-00-03-03-00 16
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[djp73]

11-11-06 Akron #24 (10-0[7-0] vs Miami of Ohio #22 (10-0[7-0]) MAC Game
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This is it. The season. Our struggles last week dropped us in the polls and ended our hopes for a repeat national championship. The winner of this game goes to the MAC Championship to play a tough Ball State team. Do or die. Lose and go home, win and play again. We won the coin toss and chose to receive. Shippy gathered up the defense and made sure everyone knew what this game meant.

1st Quarter

They kicked off and Nick got a nice return out to our 33. On first down Nedd carried up the middle for a gain of five yards. Basch carried for four yards. On third and one Gambill threw just out of Garrison’s reach. Jeffery got off a good punt at they took possession at their 28. They ran up the middle for a yard. They ran a sweep but only got a yard. On third and eight they tried a pass but Nick swatted it down. Nick returned the punt to our 40. We took over on offense. Basch carried for three yards. Nedd got six yards after a great block by Basch. Schneider got a great block from Basch as well and picked up 12 yards and a first down at their 39. Nedd made a bad cut and only got a yard. Gambill kept for two yards. On third and seven Schneider carried for six yards. On fourth and one at their 30 Gambill’s pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete. They took over on offense. They tried a sweep to my side and I dropped the back for a loss of three. On second and 13 they tried option but only got two yards. On third down ad 11 they tried a pass to the tight end and I broke it up. Nick went back for the punt. He caught it at our 20 and got out to our 40. Schneider carried for four yards as the opening quarter came to a close.

2nd Quarter

Schneider carried again for a gain of seven yards and a first down at their 49. Gambill threw over the middle and it was picked off. They brought it all the way back to our seven yard line before Schneider shoved him out of bounds. We came out with our backs against the wall. On first down they tried to run up the middle, Shippy stopped it after a yard. They swept to their left and Nick made the tackle after two yards. On third down and goal at our four yard line they tried an option. I lit up their QB and he fumbled. Hodges dove on the ball and we took over on our own two yard line. On first down Nedd gained a yard. On second down there was some confusion and Gambill fumbled the snap. Gambill recovered the ball but he couldn’t get out of the endzone and they went up by two points. We booted the ball to them and they took possession on their own 33. They went up the middle for three yards. They tried another sweep to my side and I stopped it after a yard. On third down and six at their 37 they threw incomplete. Nick went back for the punt. He got some room and brought it out to mid field. Nedd ran for three yards. Basch carried up the middle for four yards. On third and three at their 43 Nedd got lit up for no gain. On fourth down and three yards to go, Jeffery came on to punt. He got off a good one but the return was even better. They took over on our 19 with a minute left in the half. They tried three straight runs and got a total of two yards as the clock expired.

Halftime

“Hey, we’re getting it done on defense but the offense needs to start clicking. We’re going to try a few things in the second half and see what happens.”

3rd Quarter

I caught the kick in the endzone and followed a few blocks out to our 33. Gambill hit Garrison for a gain of six yards. Gambill hit Dudley on a slant for three yards. On third and one Gambill kept but didn’t get an inch. Jeffery punted and put it out of bounds at their 11. I made another tackle on a sweep after two yards. Nick deflected a pass on second down. I batted down one on third down. Nick returned the punt to the 50. Basch carried for two yards. Schneider carried for three yards. On third and five at their 45 Gambill dropped back to pass. He looked to the first receiver and he was covered, he looked to the second receiver and threw quickly the pass was picked off and no one could get a hand on their DB. The point after made it 0-9. Nick returned the kick off out to our 34. Schneider carried for four yards. Nedd carried for a gain of three yards. On third and three from our 41, Nedd gained two yards. Jeffery got off a booming punt and they took over on offense at their own 32. They ran for a yard and then threw incomplete twice. Nick caught the punt at our 30 and got a decent return out to our 44. After a gain of three by Basch and a Gain of five by Schneider, Gambill was sacked for a loss of two yards. Jeffery punted again and they came out on offense at their 18 with time for one play left in the quarter. They ran a sweep and Hodges made the tackle after three yards.

4th Quarter

On second down they picked up a yard on a QB keeper. On third down and six, they were passing. I could tell. I had the tight end. He ran an out route and the ball came his way. I broke on it and batted it down. They punted again and we got the ball back on our own 35. Nedd plowed ahead for a gain of four yards. Schneider took one outside and Basch freed him up with a great block. Schneider picked up 15 yards and a first down at their 46. Nedd got stopped for no gain. Basch got a yard. Gambill threw incomplete. Jeffery booted a punt into the endzone. They took over at their 20. They ran for a gain of three yards. They tried a sweep and Nick dropped it for a loss of one. On third down and eight to go at their 22, they threw incomplete. They got off an amazing punt and Nick called for the fair catch at our 30. Gambill led out the offense with 4:05 showing on the game clock. Basch pounded for a gain of three yards. On second down Schneider gained five yards. That made it third down and two yards to go at our 38. 3:12. Nedd tried the middle and got a yard. Fourth down and one yard to go with 2:35 left. We had to go for it. Do we give it to Basch and let him pound it? Do we send Schneider outside? Do we let Gambill keep it? I was glad it wasn’t my call to make. Coach sent in Nedd and Basch. The play was a counter with Gambill faking the hand off to Bash and then giving to Nedd to the opposite side. Basch was tackled after a yard and normally that meant the defense was fooled, however, the ball was on the ground. Nedd covered it up and they took possession on our 36. They ran up the middle for two yards. We called a timeout with 1:44 left in the game. On second and eight they ran a play action. Their QB rushed a pass to their tight end. I made a move on the ball and nestled it in. 30, 35, 40, one man to beat, juke, 45, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 20, 10, touchdown. 6-9 with 1:30 left to play. Coach called a timeout to think about our next move. He decided to kick the extra point and try for the onside kick. Swiger hit the point after and made the score 7-9. Nick and I were both out for the return and we were up in the front line. The kick went up and came down, Murphy jumped for it but could only get a fingertip on it. They recovered it on our 36. They ran up the middle for a yard and I made the tackle. We called our second timeout with :59 left in the game. They ran again for five yards and we used our final time out to stop the clock with :48 left to play. They had the ball third down and four at our 30. They ran up the middle for a yard and the clock ticked down. They kneeled down on forth down and the final gun sounded. I was sick to my stomach but at the same time I knew we did everything we could defensively. We headed to the locker room. “No one in this locker room should be hanging their head. That was a battle out there. Defensively we play an outstanding game. Offensively we struggled. Some of that was my fault, I called the plays and maybe I didn’t always have the right personnel in there. We probably won’t get a bowl bid, and that’s tough. Some of you will be back to play next year, some of you may not play another game. I want you all to know that I’m proud to have coached you all this season, this is a fine group of men. You all earned the game ball. Everyone bring it in, Zips on three, 1-2-3.”
“ZIPS!!”
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Stats
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Gambill 2/5 9YDS 2INT

Nedd 11/26
Schneider 9/61
Basch 7/20
Gambill 2/2

Garrison 1/6
Dudley 1/3

Porter 6T TFL DEF INT 76YD TD FF
Stockton 3T TFL 2DEF
Shippy 4T
Griffin 3T
Hodges T FR
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Akron 00-00-00-07 07
Miami of Ohio 00-02-07-00 09
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11-14-06

Coach Brookhart had called last night and asked Nick and I to come to his office and meet with him. We arrived at his office at about 11:30 for our 12:00 meeting, being early was something Nick and I had grown accustomed to. Coach was watching game film from the season and he invited us in. He stopped the VCR.

“Hey guys, thanks for coming in.”
“No problem coach, how’s it going?”
“Not too bad really. How are you?”
“I’m hanging in there.”
“Yeah me too.”
“Glad to hear it. How are your classes going?”
“Great, just a few more days for both of us and we’re all done.”
“I see you’re both near the top of the class for your subject.”
“Yeah, we try.”
“Well, I guess I’ll get to the point. I’m not coming back here next year, I’m going to take another job.”
We didn’t ask where, it really didn’t matter. We let him speak.
“I have been thinking a lot and it’s really the best for me and my family. What I really want to talk about is your plans.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well football and school mostly. Are you planning to come back and take some ticky tack classes and play football?”
“That’s what we were thinking, we honestly haven’t talked about it all that much.”
“Well, I’m going to give you some advise. Normally, I would never suggest that a student athlete leave school after three years. Your situations are different. You’ve both already earned your degrees, a great accomplishment. You would have to learn a new system next season.”
“So what do you think we should do?”
“I think you should both declare eligible for the NFL Draft. You both have a great shot at being middle round picks and I honestly think you both have what it takes to survive in the NFL. If it doesn’t work out you have very good educations to fall back on.”
“Wow” I was a little shocked “you really think we can make it in the NFL?” I was skeptical but I had always been my own biggest critic.
“I know you can.”
“Well, what do you think Nick?” I asked.
“What have we got to lose?”
We didn’t have anything to lose, except for a season of college football. I decided I was willing to take the risk and the wheels were put in motion. Our careers at the University of Akron were officially over. As for Coach’s decision to leave the school, I was glad he did what he felt was best for him, a lot of coaches feel pressure to stay in a situation that may not be the best fit for them. I wished him the best of luck and thanked him for all he had taught me, in both football and life. We vowed to stay in touch.

THE END