Spring practices are already in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it, which means you’ll have an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo is here to help you understand what to expect this coming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 college football preview.
#70 – Akron 7-6 SU zippers; 7-6 ATS
Fargo’s Take Akron was the surprise for MAC last season, winning three of their last four games to reach the MAC Championship where they defeated Northern Illinois in a classic battle. A loss to Memphis in the Motor City Bowl was disappointing, but it was the first 1-A bowl game for the program, so there was nothing to hang your head over. Talk of repeating started as soon as that game against the Tigers was over, but it won’t be as easy as some might think. The Zips return to quarterback Luke Getsy, arguably the best in the MAC, but all other skill positions need to be replaced, including leading rusher Brett Briggs, who rushed for 1,230 yards last season. The defense was a pleasant surprise, finishing 32nd in the country in total defense, and nine of those starters return. Akron returns with the most starters of any team in the conference, so a second straight MAC East title should happen, but in this conference, anything can happen.
Returning starters on offense – 8 The offense is focused on Getsy, who shone in his first season with Akron, running the West Coast offense to perfection. The Pittsburgh transfer threw for 3,455 yards and 23 touchdowns, but the only negative was his 53 percent completion rate. He will throw to relatively new receivers this season, as 188 of his 278 completions have graduated. The leading candidate to replace Domenik Hixon is junior Jabari Arthur, who closed out last season with a brilliant game in the Motor City Bowl. The other side is still wide open. As a running back, things aren’t so great as the main returning running back is Dennis Kennedy, who rushed for 131 yards in just 2.9 ypc last season. Getsy benefits from the return of the five offensive linemen, a small but highly experienced unit. Akron averaged 23.6 points per game last season, a pretty low number considering how much talent was on the team, so reaching that average again might be overkill.
Returning Headlines Defense – 9 This is where the Zips will have to shine if they want to make a second straight trip to the MAC Championship. Nine starters return to the mix and there are no glaring weaknesses anywhere. The defensive line will be strong as will the linebackers, but if there’s one area to improve, it’s stopping the run. Akron finished 71st in the country in run defense last season, allowing 159 ypg, and while that was a big improvement over the past five years, it has yet to drop. Allowing a combined 596 rushing yards in the past two games doesn’t give the Zips much momentum heading into this year. The secondary was excellent last season, finishing 16th in the nation in passing defense and bringing back its five starters.
Calendar At first glance, the calendar seems quite complicated with seven away games, but after further analysis it is very manageable. The Zips start off with two extremely tough non-conference road games at Penn St. and NC State before playing their first MAC game at Central Michigan. The first home game is a non-conference game against North Texas and then it’s back on the road for two more games against Kent St. and Cincinnati. Playing five of their first six away games is no easy task, but three of those games are winnable. Four of the last six games are at home, including games against Miami and Bowling Green, both of which are in rebuilding seasons. The toughest game in that final stretch is an away game at contender MAC West Toledo. The final road game in Ohio could very well decide the division.
You can bet that… Akron definitely outperformed last year and it will likely take a similar effort to get back into a bowling game. Akron has had a winning record the past three seasons, but received no bowl offers those first two seasons, so winning the entire MAC might be the only way to reach the postseason once again. Akron has been a solid house dog, going 16-8 ATS since 1996, but it’s unlikely he’ll find himself in that role this season. The Zips have made a name for themselves and since every home game is a likely win, they will be the favorites in all of them. They are just 5-9 ATS as home favorites over the past five years and in order to target a profitable third straight season against the number, that will have to improve.
