2011 Akron Zips Football Preview

The bottom line in the land of Goodyear Tire Company is that Akron had a flat last year. If the local college football team can merely get on the road again and travel a short distance in the coming months, some small semblance of hope can be generated for the future.

After a brutal 1-11 season under first year head coach Rob Ianello, the Akron Zips are looking for a rebound. If recent history is any indication of probability, the Zips should look no further than the turnaround at Miami of Ohio. Miami turned a one-win 2009 campaign into double-digit victories and a bowl win last season. While the Zips shouldn’t expect such a drastic degree of improvement, the seeds may very well be in place to bring back some semblance of winning with an eye on a breakout campaign in 2012. This team will be young in 2011, but a year under the current system should provide some basis for success.

How much success is the real question, and this is where the coaching comes in.

Ianello was the former tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis. Akron was banking on Ianello’s ability to bring in higher-caliber players, but in 2011, Ianello had little to work with. Moreover, Ianello – being known for recruiting more than coaching – did not look particularly smooth on the sidelines. In a late-season contest against eventual league champion Miami University, Ianello called a timeout before a first-down snap in the final minutes of regulation with his team trailing 19-14. The fact that the clock was stopped on a first down meant that the timeout cost Akron a good 30 seconds, thereby being just enough to allow Miami to run out the clock. Ianello will have to be on top of his game as a gameday strategist and last-minute manager if the Zips are going to zig and zag when the next football season tees off.

The offense was one of the worst in the country last season. The Zips were 119th in the nation in total offense and scored just 15 points per game. The defense wasn’t much better. Akron was outscored by its opponents by nearly 250 points last season. The Zips were also out gained by 40 percent. Suffice it to say, Akron can only improve during the 2011 campaign. The Zips are hoping that a quarterback will emerge from the pack. Both Patrick Nicely and Clayton Moore will compete for the position.

An opening weekend contest at the Horseshoe against Ohio State will be an interesting matchup. The Zips must also travel to Cincinnati and Miami (Florida) during the regular season. But these games won’t be indicative of a successful season. The MAC schedule opens in the middle of those two games, with a date with Temple. The Zips have a favorable bill during conference play.

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