The 2019 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Zips were led by first-year head coach Tom Arth and played their home games at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio. They competed as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The 2019 Zips lost every single game on their schedule, finished with an 0–12 overall record and an 0–8 record in MAC play, and were outscored by their opponents by a total of 435 to 126. They finished in last place in the conference's East Division. CBS Sports rated Akron last, at 130th, in their season's-end ranking of all 130 FBS teams. The Zips were the only Division I FBS team to go winless in the 2019 season. They were also the last team to be winless in a full season until Kent State in 2024.
Preseason
Coaching changes Following the firing of seven-year head coach Terry Bowden at the end of the 2018 season, Akron announced the hiring of Tom Arth on December 14, 2018. Arth had spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, leading them to records of 3–8 and 6–5 in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Before Chattanooga, he was the head coach at John Carroll University, where he led the team to an upset victory over No. 1 Mount Union to claim an Ohio Athletic Conference title in 2016 and was named D3football.com Coach of the Year.
Tom Arth announced the members of his coaching staff in January and March 2019. Among them were defensive coordinator Matt Feeney and offensive coordinator Tommy Zagorski, who both served in the same roles on Arth's staff at Chattanooga.
MAC media poll The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 23, 2019, with the Zips predicted to finish in fifth place in the East Division.
Schedule Akron's non-conference slate consisted of home games against UAB of Conference USA and Troy of the Sun Belt Conference, and road games against Illinois of the Big Ten Conference and UMass, a football independent.
In Mid-American Conference play, the Zips hosted Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, and Ohio, and traveled to Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, and Miami. They did not play West Division members Ball State, Toledo, or Western Michigan.
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Personnel
Coaching staff
Tom Arth - Head coach Matt Feeney – Defensive Coordinator / Inside Linebackers Tommy Zagorski – Offensive coordinator / Offensive Line Brian Cochran – Defensive Line Chris Cook – Tight ends / Offensive Tackles Jonathan Cooley – Defensive Backs / Corners & Nickels Jayden Everett – Running Backs Shelton Felton – Outside Linebackers / Defensive Ends Bryan Gasser – Pass Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers Chris Hurd – Special Teams / Fullbacks / Halfbacks Oscar Rodriguez – Secondary / Safeties
Game summaries
At Illinois
Statistics AKRILL First downs 16 22 Total yards 192 401 Rushing yards 64 207 Passing yards 128 194 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 31:37 28:23 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 10/24, 122 yards, INT Rushing Deltron Sands 14 rushes, 47 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 5 receptions, 79 yardsIllinois Passing Brandon Peters 14/23, 163 yards, 3 TD Rushing Mike Epstein 8 rushes, 45 yards Receiving Ricky Smalling 4 receptions, 54 yards
UAB
Statistics UABAKR First downs 15 16 Total yards 402 393 Rushing yards 83 34 Passing yards 319 359 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 27:37 32:23 Team Category Player StatisticsUAB Passing Tyler Johnston III 15/24, 319 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing Spencer Brown 16 rushes, 35 yards Receiving Austin Watkins Jr. 3 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TDAkron Passing Kato Nelson 25/44, 359 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kato Nelson 13 rushes, 31 yards Receiving Dustin Burkhart 8 receptions, 217 yards
At Central Michigan
Statistics AKRCMU First downs 16 21 Total yards 326 533 Rushing yards 42 189 Passing yards 282 344 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 31:10 28:50 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 26/42, 241 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Kato Nelson 16 rushes, 28 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 5 receptions, 78 yards, TDCentral Michigan Passing David Moore 20/31, 316 yards, 2 TD Rushing Kobe Lewis 27 rushes, 146 yards, 3 TD Receiving Kalil Pimpleton 7 receptions, 116 yards, TD
Troy
Statistics TROYAKR First downs 32 10 Total yards 485 242 Rushing yards 270 39 Passing yards 215 203 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 41:17 18:43 Team Category Player StatisticsTroy Passing Kaleb Barker 27/37, 214 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing D. K. Billingsley 22 rushes, 100 yards, TD Receiving Luke Whittemore 7 receptions, 64 yardsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 15/29, 200 yards, TD Rushing Brandon Lee 6 rushes, 38 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 4 receptions, 89 yards
At UMass
Statistics AKRMASS First downs 22 24 Total yards 406 433 Rushing yards 71 220 Passing yards 335 213 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 29:02 30:58 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Zach Gibson 12/16, 173 yards, TD Rushing Michiah Burton 8 rushes, 25 yards, TD Receiving Boogie Knight 5 receptions, 100 yardsUMass Passing Michael Curtis 17/31, 173 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Bilal Ally 15 rushes, 97 yards Receiving Samuel Emilus 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD
Kent State
Statistics KENTAKR First downs 24 19 Total yards 382 288 Rushing yards 233 95 Passing yards 149 202 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 29:34 30:26 Team Category Player StatisticsKent State Passing Dustin Crum 16/21, 149 yards, TD Rushing Will Matthews 25 rushes, 126 yards, TD Receiving Isaiah McKoy 7 receptions, 80 yards, TDAkron Passing Kato Nelson 17/28, 202 yards Rushing Kato Nelson 14 rushes, 64 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 4 receptions, 71 yards
Buffalo
Statistics BUFFAKR First downs 16 11 Total yards 254 196 Rushing yards 189 3 Passing yards 65 193 Turnovers 1 4 Time of possession 34:37 25:23 Team Category Player StatisticsBuffalo Passing Kyle Vantrease 14/23, 65 yards Rushing Jaret Patterson 17 rushes, 88 yards Receiving Daniel Lee 6 receptions, 30 yardsAkron Passing Zach Gibson 22/39, 193 yards, INT Rushing Decavilon Reese 8 rushes, 37 yards Receiving Julian Hicks 9 receptions, 51 yards
At Northern Illinois
Statistics AKRNIU First downs 7 21 Total yards 145 345 Rushing yards 94 274 Passing yards 51 71 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 20:35 39:25 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Zach Gibson 4/15, 36 yards, INT Rushing Brandon Lee 10 rushes, 76 yards Receiving Julian Hicks 3 receptions, 22 yardsNorthern Illinois Passing Marcus Childers 7/9, 71 yards, 3 TD Rushing Tre Harbison 31 rushes, 158 yards, 2 TD Receiving Mitchell Brinkman 2 receptions, 36 yards, TD
At Bowling Green
Statistics AKRBGSU First downs 7 17 Total yards 100 276 Rushing yards 29 156 Passing yards 71 120 Turnovers 4 1 Time of possession 22:58 37:02 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 9/24, 60 yards, 2 INT Rushing Peter Hayes-Patrick 4 rushes, 23 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 3 receptions, 26 yardsBowling Green Passing Grant Loy 12/20, 113 yards, TD Rushing Andrew Clair 29 rushes, 86 yards, 2 TD Receiving Quintin Morris 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD
Eastern Michigan
Statistics EMUAKR First downs 25 14 Total yards 498 342 Rushing yards 252 54 Passing yards 246 288 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 33:45 26:15 Team Category Player StatisticsEastern Michigan Passing Mike Glass III 20/25, 246 yards Rushing Shaq Vann 28 rushes, 142 yards, 4 TD Receiving Matthew Sexton 4 receptions, 76 yardsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 20/33, 288 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Peter Hayes-Patrick 13 rushes, 43 yards Receiving Boogie Knight 6 receptions, 121 yards
At Miami (OH)
Statistics AKRMOH First downs 11 19 Total yards 202 355 Rushing yards 5 238 Passing yards 197 117 Turnovers 0 2 Time of possession 26:54 33:06 Team Category Player StatisticsAkron Passing Kato Nelson 15/25, 197 yards, TD Rushing Peter Hayes-Patrick 6 rushes, 17 yards Receiving Nate Stewart 3 receptions, 66 yardsMiami Passing Brett Gabbert 10/21, 117 yards, 2 INT Rushing Jaylon Bester 21 rushes, 128 yards, TD Receiving Jack Sorenson 3 receptions, 46 yards
Ohio
Statistics OHIOAKR First downs 25 7 Total yards 603 74 Rushing yards 251 41 Passing yards 352 33 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 37:34 22:26 Team Category Player StatisticsOhio Passing Nathan Rourke 20/28, 308 yards, 4 TD Rushing De'Montre Tuggle 9 rushes, 78 yards Receiving Tyler Walton 5 receptions, 82 yardsAkron Passing Zach Gibson 3/11, 23 yards, INT Rushing Peter Hayes-Patrick 14 rushes, 42 yards Receiving Boogie Knight 2 receptions, 22 yards
References