A Look at the Rockets' Ninth Opponent: Akron
8/28/2006 12:00:00 PM | Football
Aug. 28, 2006
Akron, OH - The University of Akron football program has a new moniker this fall - defending conference champions.
For the first time in school history, the Zips enter a season in possession of league hardware after winning the 2005 Mid-American Conference Championship.
Last season was memorable for the team and the Akron community.
The Zips began the year with a bang, capturing an early overtime win over perennial MAC power Northern Illinois, and closed out the regular season with convincing wins over Ohio and Kent State in their final two contests to secure the first East Division crown in school history.
Akron went on to win its first league title in school annals with a thrilling, 31-30, come-from-behind win over NIU in the MAC Championship game.
That triumph, which was capped off with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Luke Getsy to Domenik Hixon with 10 seconds left, sent the Zips to their first-ever Division I-A bowl game.
UA lost to Memphis in the Motor City Bowl, but that defeat hasn't dampened the spirits of the team or the fans who traveled to Detroit that day.
Akron became just the second team in the history of the Motor City Bowl to sell out its ticket allotment and had approximately 15,000 fans in attendance at Ford Field.
"It was a tremendous tribute to our fans," Brookhart said. "It was a great feeling coming out of the tunnel that day, seeing blue and gold filling the seats."
However a new season dawns, one in which the Zips will be the hunted for the first time.
"Last year was a great ride," head coach J.D. Brookhart said. "But we want to defend our championship. In order to do that, we can't be complacent and need to keep working hard. We'll have the bull's eye on our back this season."
The Zips have received a number of preseason accolades and are the consensus pick in the summer publications to repeat as MAC East Division Champions.
Brookhart, who is entering his third year, and the staff welcome back 39 of the 51 letterwinners, including 16 offensive and defensive starters, from 2005.
For the second-straight season, the Zips will also be joined by the MAC's top-rated recruiting class.
"We have a number of guys back from last season," Brookhart. "But we have holes in some key areas. We lost nearly all of our skill people on offense and some key veterans on defense.
"However, we feel good about some of the young people we have in our program. We're excited to see what they can do on the field."
With Hixon, RB Brett Biggs and WR Jason Montgomery having moved on, the Zips will need to fill that void.
That threesome ended their career ranked among the top-15 in school history in receptions and combined for over 75 percent of the all-purpose yardage last season.
Hixon, a fourth-round choice of the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft, left ranked No. 4 on the UA career all-purpose yardage list (3,888), while Biggs checked in seventh on that chart (3,227) and ninth on the school's career rushing list (2,245).
The Zips will have their top-six offensive linemen back this season, as well as starting tight end Kris Kasparek.
(LT) Tim Crouch, (LG) Mike Donaldson, (C) Andy Wills, (RG) Andy Alleman and (RT) Chris Kemme combined to make 58 starts last season, while Mike Schepp made the other seven starts at guard and tackle.
Alleman and Crouch, both preseason All-MAC picks, headline this unit.
The line enabled Getsy to toss for 3,455 yards in 2005 and aided the Zips in becoming the 31st team in NCAA history with a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher (Biggs - 1,230) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Hixon - 1,210) in the same year.
Getsy, the consensus preseason All-MAC signal-caller, should be in the running for a number of accolades this season, including the Davey O'Brien and Unitas Awards.
Defensively, the Zips were among the most improved teams in the nation last season and hope for a continuation of that trend.
They ended 2005 ranked 32nd nationally in total defense (339.8 ypg). Akron hadn't finished better than 59th overall in the nation since 1996 when they ended the year tied for 26th. That also happened to be Jason Taylor's senior season.
UA's jump of 66 spots in total defense from 2004 represented the fourth-best increase in the nation.
The Zips also improved from 91st to 52nd in scoring defense (24.5), which was tied for the seventh-best improvement in the country.
In addition, Akron's pass defense jumped from 87th to 16th (180.85 ypg), an increase which was seventh-best nationally.
The good news is that defensive coordinator Jim Fleming and his staff return eight starters and nine of their top-11 tacklers from last year's squad.
"We have a chance to be better than last year," Fleming said. "We're hoping for better execution after two years in the system."
They'll have to replace leading tackler Jay Rohr, but have freshman All-American Kevin Grant and All-MAC performer Brion Stokes waiting to pick up the slack at linebacker.
Kiki Gonzalez, who is expected to regain a year of eligibility, and Jermaine Reid headline a promising group of defensive linemen, though the steady Brian White, who led the team in tackles for loss, will need to be replaced.
Akron also has four of its five starting defensive backs returning, including John Mackey, who was second on the team in tackles a year ago (95).
Senior Reggie Corner headlights a group of three cornerbacks which also return this season.
Both Corner and Mackey were named to preseason All-MAC teams.
Special teams is likely to be an area of concern with PK Jason Swiger and P Billy Sullivan exhausting their eligibility.
Each had started the last three seasons and rank among the best at their position in school history.
True freshmen Igor Ivelijic and John Stec will be in the mix to replace Sullivan and Swiger.
Offense
Despite eight starters returning from a year ago, the 2006 offense will have a different look as nearly all the production at running back and wide receiver has evaporated.
Gone are All-MAC performers Domenik Hixon and Brett Biggs. That duo played just the past two seasons on offense, but were two of the most productive players to ever don the blue and gold.
Hixon, who played defensive back his first two seasons, ended his career No. 2 on the UA career receptions list (141) and third in receiving yards (2,092). He set the UA single-season receptions mark with 75 in 2005.
Biggs rolled up 1,230 rushing yards in 2005, the highest total by a UA back at the Division I-A level.
He was also the second-leading receiver, hauling in 65 passes, the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
The steady Jason Montgomery is also gone. The four-year letterwinner caught 90 balls over his final two seasons and started all 13 games opposite Hixon last year.
However, where last season the offensive staff had to break in a new quarterback, this year Luke Getsy returns and is coming off one of the best campaigns in school history.
Getsy threw for 3,455 yards in 2005 (No. 2 in UA history) and ranked among the top-25 nationally in passing yards per game (265.8, 15th) and total offense (263.5, 22nd).
The senior is at the top of all the MAC preseason lists, as well as receiving consideration for the Davey O'Brien and Unitas Awards. The Sporting News has him ranked as the No. 10 signal-caller in the nation entering the season.
"Luke had a much better comfort level this spring, than last," Brookhart said. "He's developed into our unquestioned leader."
Getsy will looking for new targets, but has his whole offensive line back as (LT) Tim Crouch, (LG) Mike Donaldson, (C) Andy Wills, (RG) Andy Alleman and (RT) Chris Kemme have a year playing together under their belt.
Crouch is the veteran of the group having started for the last three seasons, while the other four saw significant action for the first time in 2005.
Junior Kris Kasparek, a preseason all-conference choice, is the returning starter among a talented group of tight ends who could see time this fall. Merce Poindexter saw quite a bit of action as a true freshman last season.
While Biggs is gone, his able lead blocker Joe McDaniel is back to open holes for a new running back.
Dennis Kennedy, who served in a backup role last season, enters the fall No. 1 on the depth chart after a solid spring.
"Dennis really stood out in the spring," Brookhart said.
But fellow sophomore Alex Allen and junior Frank Berchie will push him for time.
Jabari Arthur hopes to translate a solid end to the 2005 season into a breakout 2006. He is the leading returning receiver after hauling in 30 passes a year ago.
Arthur will be joined by Johnny Long, Stephon Fuqua, Jermaine Lindsay and Marcus Patterson. All will vie for time at the top-two receiver spots.
"We need to find some skill people," Brookhart said. "We also want to keep improving our schemes and our running game."
Quarterback
The Zips have few worries at quarterback with one of the top signal-callers in the MAC back, and a young and talented group waiting in the wings.
Luke Getsy is coming off one of the finest seasons in league history. His 3,455 yards rank 13th on the MAC all-time single-season list. Getsy, a veteran of the west-coast offense, also tossed a school-record 23 TD passes a year ago.
"Luke does a great job managing the game for us," Brookhart said. "He makes the right checks and has a great ability to make plays on his own."
The battle at quarterback is for the No. 2 slot, which remains up for grabs heading into the fall.
A pair of talented redshirt freshmen - Carlton Jackson and Chris Jacquemain - will battle it out to back up Getsy.
Jackson is one of the most talented players to come out of the fertile recruiting area of south Florida. The southpaw is extremely athletic with a powerful arm.
Jacquemain, one of the top prospects in Ohio two years ago, is more of a pocket passer, but can move as well.
With Getsy a known commodity, Jackson and Jacquemain received the majority of the snaps last spring, but neither emerged as the clear-cut No. 2.
"They are both exciting and talented players," Brookhart said. "But it's a tough position to master."
True freshman Sean Hakes, a talented signal-caller from Ft. Worth, Texas, enrolled in January and is expected to compete with Jackson and Jacquemain in the fall. He saw limited action in the spring.
Running Back
Over the last two seasons, Brett Biggs carried the ball 469 times, while seven other backs managed a total of 151 rushes.
Needless to say, Biggs was the Zips running game in 2004 and 2005. He left Akron as the ninth-leading rusher (2,245 yards) in school history despite just two seasons in uniform.
Biggs accounted for 88 percent of the rushing yards and 80 percent of the carries from the running backs last season.
"Brett was so important to our attack last season, not only in the running game, but also in our passing attack," Brookhart said.
"Dennis (Kennedy) is the No. 1 back, but we have a number of guys we feel comfortable playing."
Kennedy is the leading-returning rusher, but has just 131 career yards.
Alex Allen, along with veteran Frank Berchie will look to earn time as the backup.
Allen had only two carries last season, but is a slasher who can gain yards between the tackles.
Kennedy, a speedy and powerful runner, is also a good receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 14 passes a season ago in limited duty.
Redshirt freshman Bryant McMillon is another talented back who will push for time. He was an All-Ohio performer as a senior in high school.
Sophomore Joe McDaniel is back as the lead fullback, but he will be pushed by redshirt freshman Joe Tuzze.
McDaniel carried the ball only 15 times, but his forte his blocking, a task he performed well in opening holes for Biggs, who averaged nearly 100 yards per game in 2005.
"McDaniel and Tuzze have shown great improvement," Brookhart said. "There should continue to be good competition at fullback during camp."
Freshmen who will add depth to this group include Andre Boone and Aaris Reed. Both were ranked among the top-100 running backs nationally last season.
Wide Receiver One of the most important spots in the Zips west-coast style offense will need an overhaul as two of the most productive players in school history are gone in Domenik Hixon and Jason Montgomery.
Hixon and Montgomery accounted for nearly 75 percent of the receptions for the receiving corps last season. They also both ended their playing days among the top 10 in school history in career receptions (Hixon - 2nd; Montgomery - 6th).
"We lost a ton of receiving yards," Brookhart said. "Hixon and Montgomery were very productive for us the last couple years."
The Zips do have the talented and multi-dimensional Jabari Arthur back in the fold. The former signal-caller turned full-time receiver last season has the size and skills to become an all-league performer. He emerged from the spring as the No. 1 wideout.
"Jabari continues to improve, much like Domenik did over the last two years," Brookhart said.
Arthur had 30 catches a year ago and had a breakout game in the Motor City Bowl, posting career-highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (180).
Arthur and Johnny Long, who has two years experience under his belt, are the only receivers on the roster to catch a pass.
However, there are some talented youngsters who will all vie for time as the Zips quite often use three- and four-receiver packages.
Sophomores Brandon Williams and Stephon Fuqua, as well as redshirt freshman Jermaine Lindsay are the favorites to push Arthur and Long.
The dependable Marcus Patterson will add depth at receiver and play special teams.
A trio of talented freshmen - Curtis Brown, David Harvey and D.J. Henderson - will also fit into the mix. Harvey has a chance to factor into the return game as well.
Harvey is a gamebreaker who was among the top wideouts nationally in 2004, and Henderson was ranked among the top-100 wideouts in the country last season.
Brown was a three-sport standout from talent-rich Florida.
After two years under the guidance of Joe Moorhead, the wide receivers position will be overseen by Reno Ferri in the fall. Ferri is the former UA director of football operations.
Moorhead moves to the full-time offensive coordinator role, as well as tutoring the quarterbacks.
Offensive Line/Tight End
Last season the Zips had just one returning starter on the offensive line heading into the year - left tackle Tim Crouch.
The good news is Crouch is back again and this time joined by four more starters in seniors (LG) Mike Donaldson, (C) Andy Wills and (RG) Andy Alleman, as well as sophomore (RT) Chris Kemme.
All four received valuable experience and should be even more improved this season.
"This group is back intact, but we should have some backups that may be able to push the veterans," Brookhart said. "This group showed improvement across the board in the spring."
Wills was the lone lineman to start all 13 games in 2005, though Donaldson was the only one of the five to miss time due to an injury. He missed the opener courtesy of a broken bone in his foot during preseason.
Junior Mike Schepp is a versatile lineman, who started seven games a year ago at guard and tackle.
Despite its overall lack of experience last season, the line opened holes for Brett Biggs, who gained over 1,200 yards, and helped protect QB Luke Getsy, giving him the time to become just the second signal-caller in school history to throw for over 3,000 yards.
The line yielded an average of just 1.62 sacks per game which was the third-lowest total in the league last season.
Crouch and Alleman have both been mentioned for all-league consideration in the preseason. Alleman, among the strongest and most athletic lineman in the MAC, was a second-team choice by Lindy's and Crouch was selected to the preseason first-team by Athlon.
Some of the youngsters who will push the veterans include Zack Anderson, Elliot Bates and Keith Huebner. All three redshirted last season.
Sophomore Garrett Brewster remains as Donaldson's backup after the spring, while junior Jim Holley is No. 2 at center behind Wills.
Josh Kiner, a redshirt freshman, moved from defensive to offensive line during the spring and will figure into the rotation.
Tight end appears to one of the deepest positions on the team as the top-two players on the depth chart from last season - Kris Kasparek and Merce Poindexter - are back, plus a number of talented youngsters and veterans.
Kasparek, a preseason second-team All-MAC selection by Lindy's, enters the fall No. 1 on the depth chart and one of only two Zips with more than 20 career receptions.
Poindexter saw action as a true freshman last season, backing up Kasparek.
Jose Cruz, one of the top-rated tight ends in the nation last year, should push Kasparek and Poindexter. He signed in 2005, but did not join the team until January. Veterans Doug Fife and Brian Flaherty will add depth.
Defense
An area of concern in years past has turned into a strength.
After finishing near the bottom of the MAC in total defense for a number of years, the Zips made great strides last season, finishing the campaign No. 2 in the league and 32nd nationally (339.8 ypg).
Defensive coordinator Jim Fleming and his staff used an unconventional 3-3 stack formation to chop nearly 90 yards off their 2004 total when it finished 10th in the MAC in defense.
The defensive staff, which replaced two members of the 2005 unit in the offseason, will welcome back eight starters from a year ago, having to replace a lineman, linebacker and safety.
"We feel good about the direction of our defense, but we want to get better," Fleming said. "We'd like to increase our number of takeaways and continue to improve in other areas, including points allowed."
Seniors Kiki Gonzalez and Jermaine Reid return along the defensive line. Reid was among the top pass rushers in the league in 2005, while Gonzalez is a solid run stopper who should vie for All-MAC honors again in 2006.
Gonzalez was a consensus choice to the preseason All-MAC team and was ranked as the No. 18 defensive tackle nationally by The Sporting News heading into the season.
The Zips will need to replace Brian White along the front line. White was a steady performer over his four seasons and led the team in tackles for loss (16.5) in 2005.
Linebacker should be in good shape with the return of two of the top young defenders in the league in Kevin Grant and Brion Stokes.
Grant plays the hybrid bandit position and was named a freshman All-American last season. Stokes was a second-team All-MAC choice in 2005 and was selected to Lindy's preseason second team.
They will have to replace leading tackler Jay Rohr who racked up 9.3 stops per contest which ranked fifth in the MAC.
The Zips have four of the five starting defensive backs returning.
Rover John Mackey is the leading-returning tackler on the team (95), while the top four cornerbacks are back, including starters Reggie Corner and Davanzo Tate.
Chevin Pace, whose 2005 campaign was cut short by a knee injury, is the returning starter at strong safety. He sat out the spring, but should be ready by the fall.
Defensive Line
The defensive line could turn out to be deeper than it has been in many seasons, but it will have new leadership as Dana Chambers replaces Terrell Williams, who was the position coach the last two seasons.
"This is an area where we have a chance to be much improved," Brookhart said. "We have some veterans back and some young guys ready to step in."
Not only are seniors Kiki Gonzalez and Jermaine Reid back, but also three other linemen who saw action a year ago.
Reid ranked seventh in the league in sacks (0.54 pg) in 2005, helping the Zips tie for the MAC lead in that category (31).
"We should have the benefit of rolling a number of guys into the lineup in order to keep people fresh," Fleming said.
Last season, Gonzalez, Reid and Brian White played the majority of the time.
Jared Cecchetti has played a number of snaps as a reserve nose guard and defensive tackle over the last two seasons.
Eric Lively, who saw time as a true freshman in 2005, is slated to be Gonzalez' backup. Lively moved over from the tackle position during the spring.
Junior Nate Robinson and Cecchetti will battle it out to replace White at defensive tackle.
Robinson is a big, athletic lineman who sat out last season after transferring from Rutgers. He was one of the top-rated lineman in the nation back in 2002. He has a chance to have an immediate impact.
Clarence McPherson is a young, athletic player who enters the fall behind Reid. He was one of six true freshmen to play last season.
Brandon Butler and Craig Truax are veterans who will provide depth at defensive line.
Newcomers along the defensive line include Dantley Cline, Tevlin Petit-Frere and Blake Smith.
Cline has the potential to help in the middle of the line, while Petit-Frere and Smith are ends.
Linebacker
The Zips lose leading tackler Jay Rohr, but welcome back freshman All-American Kevin Grant and All-MAC performer Brion Stokes.
"We have well recognized starters in Kevin and Brion," Fleming said. "But there is an unknown in the middle."
Junior Bryan Howe will get the first crack at replacing Rohr's 121 tackles at middle linebacker. He is a stout backer who battled injuries his first two seasons. Howe remains No. 1 on the depth chart heading into fall camp.
Veteran Mark Groza and newcomer Mickey Baker, a junior college All-American, are likely to see time behind Howe.
Sophomore Doug Williams shifted to linebacker from defensive end in the offseason. He opens the fall behind Grant at the bandit position after a solid spring. Williams should be able to provide a pass-rushing presence off the edge.
Redshirt freshmen Michael Alphonse and Al-Teric Balaam are talented youngsters who should battle for snaps in the fall. Alphonse missed the spring after suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2005. He may see time at bandit or on special teams
Balaam enters the fall as the backup to Stokes behind senior Parris McNeal and sophomore Kevin Jackson.
McNeal made the move to linebacker in the spring after two years as a reserve defensive back. He is a physical player who will add speed to this group.
Veterans Ray Siler and Brian Rice will provide depth at the linebacker a group that will be under the direction of first-year assistant Mike Dawson this fall. Dawson replaces Matt Wallerstedt who left after last season.
Newcomers along with Baker include Mitchell Magloire who spent last season at Valley Forge Military Academy and enters school as a sophomore.
Secondary
The Zips had one of the top-rated pass defenses in the nation last season (No. 16) and four of the five members of the secondary return.
"We have some guys that got experience last season because of injuries," Fleming said. "Now we need to find the right combination."
The strength of the secondary - cornerback - has its top three performers back from 2005.
However, rover John Mackey is back as the leader of the defensive backfield. The speedy DB is the top-returning tackler on the team after racking up 95 stops in 2005. He is a preseason all-league selection.
The versatile Mackey also spent time at strong safety when Chevin Pace went out with a season-ending knee injury.
Pace sat out the spring, but should return in the fall to add even more depth.
Redshirt freshman Evan Laube and senior Jason Nedd took the majority of the snaps at strong safety in Pace's absence in the spring.
Laube impressed the defensive staff last fall, while Nedd has been a reserve and regular on special teams the last two seasons.
Chris Brown is No. 2 on the depth chart at free safety after sitting out the spring. He has struggled with a shoulder injury since the end of last season but has been cleared to return in the fall.
Yamari Dixon enters the fall No. 1 at free safety. Dixon has been a reserve and solid special teams performer the last two seasons.
Senior Dionte Henry began last season as the starting cornerback, but moved to rover midway through the year due to injuries to Pace and Dion Elie. He is back at safety after spending the spring at CB.
Henry and Rodney Etienne will get a chance to see time at free safety.
True freshman Wayne Cobham is expected to make an immediate impact. He enrolled in January and is No. 2 on the depth chart behind Mackey.
Reggie Corner enters the fall as the No. 1 cornerback, with Davanzo Tate and Brandon Anderson right behind him.
Corner has 24-straight starts and four picks over the last two seasons.
Tate, a transfer from West Virginia, assumed the starting role at corner for the final nine games of 2005.
Anderson, one of the fastest players on the team should see plenty of action in a passing league like the MAC.
"This is really the strength of the secondary," Brookhart said of the cornerbacks. "We have three guys that will play."
Sophomore Andre Jones, who sat out last season, will push for time immediately.
Redshirt freshman DeAndre DeScott, as well as veterans Ryan Johnson and Andre Walker will competition to the first and second string.
Wes Jordan is another redshirt freshman who will provide depth.
Members of the top-rated recruiting class who will vie for time include Dante Barnes, Delvin Davis and Amin Kabir.
Barnes is a speedster from Virginia Beach and Davis an All-Broward County choice from Florida. Kabir is a local product from Warrensville, Ohio.
Special Teams
This is an area of concern for the Zips with both starting kickers and the main return specialist having ended their eligibility.
Jason Swiger, who ranks fourth on the UA all-time scoring list (229 points) and fourth on the career field goals made chart (38), and Billy Sullivan, who holds the record for single-season punting yards (3,034 in 2005) each spent the last three seasons starting.
Brookhart has just two kickers on the roster from last season in PK Matt Domonkos and P Andy Hildreth. Neither of them has seen action in a game, though Domonkos backed up Swiger last season.
"Matt and Andy will have a chance to show what they can do in the fall," Brookhart said. "This is an area where true freshmen will have the chance to compete immediately."
The Zips signed Igor Iveljic, one of the top place-kickers in the nation, and punter John Stec in February.
With the departure of Domenik Hixon, the Zips not only lost their No. 1 receiver, but also their first string returner as he handled nearly every punt and kickoff over the last two seasons.
Hixon departed Akron No. 1 on the career punt return yardage list (576) and No. 3 on the career kickoff return yardage chart (1,171).
The kickoff and punt returner jobs are wide open.
Jermaine Lindsay, a speedy wideout, enters the fall No. 1 on the depth chart at punt returner, while RB Dennis Kennedy and CB Brandon Anderson will get first crack at replacing Hixon as the kick returner.
"We are hoping for an improvement in our return and coverage teams," Brookhart said. "We were among the best in the league two years ago and want to get back to that level. It's an area we spent a lot of time on in the spring."
David Harvey, a true freshman, will also be looked at as a potential return specialist.
