Akron5-72Joe Moorhead enters his fourth season at Akron with a 5-7 losing record and the program facing academic sanctions, complicating efforts to restore its historic football legacy.
Akron produced a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in Jason Taylor and one MAC title in 2005 -- and in 2025 became the first FBS team barred from the postseason over academic progress rate since 2014, a headline that swallowed everything else about the season.
Akron fans know Jason Taylor is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who wore their uniform, and that the program has real history -- but 2025's APR ineligibility is the kind of story that travels further nat…
Approaching
28 days
until kickoff · at Wake Forest · Thu Sep 3 · 23:00 UTC
Akron produced a Pro Football Hall of Famer in Jason Taylor and won its only MAC title in 2005, but 2025 brought a stranger distinction: a 5-7 season that ended in automatic postseason ineligibility over academic progress rate, the first FBS team so barred since Idaho in 2014.
With a recruiting rank of #132 and heavy reliance on transfers, Akron's 2026 season hinges on integrating new talent effectively. The team's returning players account for only 37% of the roster, necessitating strong contributions from newcomers.
Zippy waits quietly in the pouch.
the open questionwhere does it go from here?
Israel Polk produces at a notably higher rate when his team is an underdog than when favored, and his per-target value rises too, not just raw catches.
Akron enters 2026 — a 5-7 record and 104th national talent rank highlight a program that hasn't climbed above 100 in SP+ since Moorhead's arrival, and his fourth season tests.
Israel Polk is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
Israel Polk: a garbage time merchant signal screened this season.
Joe Moorhead enters his fourth season at Akron with a 5-7 losing record and the program facing academic sanctions, complicating efforts to restore its historic football legacy.
Akron enters 2025 at No. 117 in SP+ — Joe Moorhead's fourth season opens with a losing record and bottom-40% FBS talent, raising questions about progress.
Remplet commits to Akron
FCS-to-FBS for Remplet, and Moorhead's LB room is the beneficiary — a depth class ranked 132nd nationally can't afford gaps at pressure spots, and Binghamton tape says he earned this shot.
Top 3 commits
Market outlook
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Akron · Next-Season Outcome Band
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
Akron enters 2026 rated No. 117 in 2025 SP+ (-13.9). SP+ describes what the program HAS done, not what it will do. The season is the field test. The preview consensus leans in — but preseason ratings reward the recent past, not the season ahead.
The 'the projection is underselling us' read -- fans betting the season beats the preview number.
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter -- efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
Only 3 of 32 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Akron: the fanbase's identity shifting.
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
Only 3 of 32 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Opens Sep 3
vs Wake Forest · away
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
CA leads the 2026 class with 4 commits. National footprint reaching 8 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
65 signees across 23 states, 2023-2026. OH leads the pull.
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
4 games with TV coverage: 1 cable, 1 conference network, 2 streaming
Kickoff windows: 4 primetime
The bounces haven't gone their way on their own fumbles: 43% recovered, vs. ~51% expected.
6 of 14 own fumbles recovered themselves; 8 of 14 forced fumbles recovered, 2025 only.
Cashing in at a normal clip: 24% of disrupted passes intercepted, close to ~19% league-wide.
12 interceptions of 50 disrupted passes (38 deflected, 12 intercepted), 2025 only.
The flags have favored them: 71 penalties drawn on opponents vs. 70 committed, 119 yards to the good.
549 penalty yards committed vs. 668 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Fanbase Signals
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
What little we hear
Only 2 cohort(s) cleared the signal floor this week, so we won’t stage a split we can’t back. Here’s the honest read:
How Akron fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
~ our readNot enough Akron chatter this week to read the room.
We read 10 Akron posts this week — not enough to call the room. Check back during the season.
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Fanbase Health Index · Akron · high confidence
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.09 EPA/play | 10 | 11 | 186 / 362 | 51.4 | 2475 #64 FBS | 6.8 | 19 #44 FBS | 9 | 121.2 | 36.9 | 5.9 | 6.5 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt6.7 bottom 25th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like our readthe one real worry is the accuracy — bottom 3% of FBS quarterbacks in completion rate. | |||||||||||||
| 6 | 3 | 11 / 17 | 64.7 | 91 | 5.4 | 0 | 0 | 109.7 | 62.3 | — | — | ||
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| -0.32 EPA/play | 15 | 7 | 12 / 23 | 52.2 | 62 | 2.7 | 1 | 0 | 89.2 | 38.3 | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Back · +0.09 EPA/play | 22 | 12 | 213 | 1032 #38 FBS | 4.8 | 6 | 36 | 18.6 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 15.9 | 4.2% (15/360) | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry4.7 bottom 32th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Receiving share4.1% bottom 12th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Jordan Gant's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · -0.12 EPA/play | 13 | 10 | 69 | 274 | 4.0 | 1 | 25 | 5.6 | 7.4 | 20.6 | 10.3 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry4.0 bottom 14th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / reception12.4 92th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like View Sean Patrick's full player page | |||||||||||||
| -0.31 EPA/play | 24 | 4 | 21 | 86 | 4.1 | 0 | 14 | 8.9 | 6 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Technician · +0.59 EPA/play | 2 | 11 | 45 | 641 | 14.2 | 2 | 46 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 18.3% (66/360) | |
Yards by week → Slot TechnicianRuns precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving. 97 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Reception volume45 71th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate4.4% bottom 25th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.08 EPA/play | 5 | 12 | 33 | 525 | 15.9 | 8 #23 FBS | 75 | 7.7 | 6.9 | 16.7% (60/360) | |
Yards by week → Possession Receiver· Boom-or-bustReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception15.8 75th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate24.2% 99th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score moved from the 15th to 62nd percentile among FBS WRs | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.48 EPA/play | 11 | 12 | 33 | 481 | 14.6 | 5 | 62 | 12.2 | 11.2 | 14.4% (52/360) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception14.6 64th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate15.2% 86th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Kyan Mason's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.06 EPA/play | 23 | 8 | 20 | 209 | 10.4 | 0 | 24 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 10.6% (38/360) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception14.0 57th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.1 bottom 5th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Myles Walker's full player page | |||||||||||
| Deep Threat · +0.40 EPA/play | 4 | 7 | 14 | 178 | 12.7 | 1 | 37 | 9.3 | 10.4 | 7.8% (28/360) | |
Yards by week → Deep ThreatStretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play. 100 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception17.2 85th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Plays like View Tim Grear Jr.'s full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · -0.13 EPA/play | 85 | 9 | 18 | 147 | 8.2 | 2 | 27 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 7.5% (27/360) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. 177 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception8.8 bottom 27th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions EPA / play (adj)-0.1 bottom 4th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Connor Cravaack's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.39 EPA/play | 12 | 5 | 8 | 109 | 13.6 | 0 | 18 | 5.5 | 9.7 | 5.3% (19/360) | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.08 EPA/play | 9 | 3 | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 0 | 24 | 11.9 | 8.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 98 | 11 | 45 | 18 | 10.5 | 4 | 6 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate23.3% 82th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 41 | 12 | 44 | 17 | 8 | 3.5 | 6 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate18.2% 64th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score went from the 5th percentile among FBS IDLs to the 90th | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 10 | 10 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 3.5 | 7 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate28.1% 92th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Cyrus Durham's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 5 | 10 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Ronald Hull's full player page | |||||||
| Nose Anchor | 54 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Nose AnchorThe heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile. 152 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Weight315 lb 87th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Kiawan Murphy's full player page | |||||||
| 97 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| 16 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 91 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 7 | 10 | 66 | 27 | 39 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior View Shammond Cooper's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 32 | 10 | 54 | 24 | 30 | 7 | 1.5 | 0 | 2 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 74th percentile among FBS LBs, up from the 17th | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 42 | 11 | 45 | 21 | 24 | 5 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · sophomore our readBreakout: his CFB Index score went from the 5th percentile among FBS LBs to the 58th | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 44 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume19 bottom 13th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate0.0% bottom 18th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Markus Boswell's full player page | |||||||||
| 25 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Nickel | 18 | 10 | 53 | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate5.7% bottom 38th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View DiMarco Johnson's full player page | |||||||
| Rover | 17 | 11 | 51 | 8 #45 FBS | 2 | 2.5 | 0 |
Rover· Takeaway threatHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. the kind of DB who takes it back the other way Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate15.7% 85th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 87th percentile among FBS Ss, up from the 8th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 11 | 11 | 44 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate9.1% 56th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 74th percentile among FBS Ss, up from the 44th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 20 | 9 | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · junior View Mehki Flowers's full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 3 | 9 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. The most common profile in its group this season — 141 of 270 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · senior View Alex Branch's full player page | |||||||
| Cover Corner | 4 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. 141 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate0.0% bottom 8th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Justin Anderson's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 13 | 10 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · sophomore · 3-star, 2024 class View Rodrick Hunter's full player page | |||||||
| Press Corner | 14 | 9 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 4.5 | 1 |
Press CornerLong and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line. 43 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Height6'3" 96th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 9 | 8 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate0.0% bottom 14th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Aamii Branch's full player page | |||||||
| Centerfielder | 15 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
CenterfielderSingle-high range who erases the deep middle of the field. 133 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate11.1% 66th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Terence Thomas's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 6 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt View Jamari Somerville's full player pagePD rate6.7% bottom 43th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles | |||||||
| 43 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 47 | 6 | 11/12 | 91.7 | 11/11 | 44 | 48 |
| Steady | 99 | 7 | 4/10 | 40 | 11/11 | 23 | 39 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 95 | 12 | 48 | 2053 | 42.8 | 68 | 16 | 5 |
| 34 | 7 | 12 | 481 | 40.1 | 52 | 7 | 0 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.59 EPA/play | 8 | 10 | 29 | 663 | 22.9 | 0 | 43 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Back · -0.12 EPA/play | 13 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 5.4 | 0 | 15 |
2025 stat leaders
finalRoster
2025+19 more
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 28 | #154 | #86 | +5 | Wyoming | L 0–10 141 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #149 | #34 | +33.5 | @Nebraska | L 0–68 132 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 14 | #152 | #115 | +13.5 | @UAB | L 28–31 154 | 0-3 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #158 | #179 | -10.5 | Duquesne | W 51–7 131 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #151 | #50 | +22.5 | @Toledo | L 3–45 120 | 1-4 | 0-1 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #177 | #114 | +6.5 | Central Michigan | W 28–22 130 | 2-4 | 1-1 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #169 | #56 | +12 | Miami (OH) | L 7–20 129 | 2-5 | 1-2 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #175 | #218 | +1.5 | @Ball State | L 28–42 140 | 2-6 | 1-3 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #183 | #106 | +10 | @Buffalo | W 24–16 143 | 3-6 | 2-3 |
| 11 | Nov 5 | #159 | #235 | -11.5 | Massachusetts | W 44–10 123 | 4-6 | 3-3 |
| 12 | Nov 12 | #148 | #227 | -7.5 | Kent State | L 35–42 142 | 4-7 | 3-4 |
| 13 | Nov 19 | #173 | #184 | +2 | @Bowling Green | W 19–16 136 | 5-7 | 4-4 |
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19 | @Bowling Green | W 19–16 | 319 | 3 | 25:48 | -0.039 | 29.9% | 157.4% | One-score win |
| Nov 12 | Kent State | L 35–42 | 530 | 2 | 38:40 | +0.132 | 41.4% | 121.6% | One-score loss |
| Nov 5 | Massachusetts | W 44–10 | 467 | 1 | 35:13 | +0.275 | 53.4% | 88.8% | Blowout win |
| Oct 25 | @Buffalo | W 24–16 | 325 | 3 | 30:22 | +0.044 | 32.5% | 172.5% | Most explosive |
| Oct 18 | @Ball State | L 28–42 | 419 | 2 | 28:08 | +0.076 | 41.1% | 121.4% | |
| Oct 11 | Miami (OH) | L 7–20 | 273 | 1 | 25:48 | +0.097 | 39.7% | 110.0% | |
| Oct 4 | Central Michigan | W 28–22 | 422 | 1 | 32:18 | +0.307 | 47.1% | 135.8% | One-score win |
| Sep 27 | @Toledo | L 3–45 | 148 | 1 | 28:53 | -0.286 | 36.2% | 62.5% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Sep 20 | Duquesne | W 51–7 | 518 | 1 | 26:42 | +0.328 | 57.4% | 100.5% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Sep 14 | @UAB | L 28–31 | 441 | 0 | 29:58 | +0.183 | 37.3% | 138.5% | One-score loss |
| Sep 6 | @Nebraska | L 0–68 | 175 | 1 | 29:50 | -0.189 | 23.7% | 120.4% | Defense's roughest night |
| Aug 28 | Wyoming | L 0–10 | 228 | 1 | 26:44 | -0.225 | 30.9% | 100.4% | |
| Season average (12 games) | 355 | 1.4 | +0.059 | 39.2% | 119.1% | ||||
Akron fields a struggling offense behind a solid, gives up the big play defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
12th percentile quality, 89th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 29th percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it drops to the 27th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
20th percentile success on standard downs, 36th on passing downs — a 16-point gap between the two.
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
1st-half offense ranks 28th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 12th — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.06; 33rd percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.01. The widest gap came in week 1: -0.23 raw vs. -0.04 adjusted.
Akron reads strongest in success rate allowed (top 42%) and passing epa allowed (top 42%); the crux lives in epa / play, where Akron sits at the 12th percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
Most Similar Programs · Akron
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Akron · 2018-present
31% home win rate vs 14% on the road. margin runs +11.2 better at home. InfoCision Stadium seats 30,000, averaging 27% full (8,115 attendance, 21 games reported).
Positional competition · RB room
Jordan Gant and Sean Patrick split the carries (210/278 vs 68/278) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Jordan Gant owns the receiving work.
Positional competition · WR/TE room
Marcel Williams (WR) and Connor Cravaack (TE) split the targets (66/93 vs 27/93) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
What changed
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved down 12 points. The rest held closer to steady.
The biggest shift: 4th-down go rate moved down 9 points. The rest held closer to steady.
Season by season
Defensive identity · pass zones
On short passes, Akron’s defense allows a completion rate below the FBS mean (63.6% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 93-play sample) — mid-pack, 24 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
58°F average kickoff temp; 9% of games had measurable precipitation; 9 mph average wind.
Based on 65 home games with weather data.
12 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
Akron's 2014–2025 record is 45-96. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
since 1913 · 63 seasons · .365 win rate
Akron produced a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. In 2025, the program still made national news for a completely different reason — the first FBS team barred from the postseason over academics since 2014.
Start with the real thing: Jason Taylor started at Akron from 1993 to 1996, still holds the program's all-time sacks record, and went on to fifteen NFL seasons, mostly with the Miami Dolphins, before a first-ballot 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction — the first and only Akron player enshrined in Canton, with a 2026 MAC Hall of Fame induction still to come. It's as good a credential as any MAC program can claim.
The team-level peak came almost a decade later and hasn't repeated since: 2005, J.D. Brookhart's second season, a 31-30 win over Northern Illinois at Ford Field for the program's only MAC title, followed by a 38-31 loss to Memphis in the Zips' first-ever bowl game. Twenty years on, it's still the ceiling.
2025 gave the program a stranger kind of headline. Joe Moorhead's fourth year produced a 5-7 record, but the season's real story broke before it even mattered on the scoreboard: Akron was ruled ineligible for the postseason regardless of its final record, over an insufficient Academic Progress Rate — the first FBS team to face that specific penalty since Idaho in 2014. The Zips also lost the Wagon Wheel back to Kent State in overtime, a year after winning it 38-17. Between a genuine Canton legend and an academic-eligibility headline that traveled further than the win-loss record, 2025 was a season that said more about the program off the field than on it.
A program whose defensive standard was set by Jason Taylor's era and has been chased, with mixed results, by every staff since — no fixed modern scheme identity has stuck across the coaching changes between the 1990s peak and now.
Akron 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (-0.08 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 1.
12 seasons on file
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 5-7
Akron: Below .500 in FBS play. The rebuild bar.
Mid-American Standing · 2025
Akron sits 6th of 13 in the Mid-American at 4-4. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Michigan | 7-1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 5-2 |
| 3 | Toledo | 5-2 |
| 4 | Central Michigan | 5-3 |
| 5 | Miami (OH) | 5-3 |
| 6 | Akron | 4-4 |
| 7 | Buffalo | 4-4 |
| 8 | Ball State | 3-4 |
| 9 | Kent State | 3-4 |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan | 2-5 |
| 11 | Bowling Green | 2-6 |
| 12 | Sacramento State | 0-0 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 0-7 |
Coaching Era · Akron
Joe Moorhead has held the program for 5 seasons — the era is established.
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
since 1993
Jason Taylor started at Akron from 1993-1996, still the program's all-time career sacks leader (21), before a 15-year NFL career mostly with the Miami Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 on his first ballot -- the first Akron player ever enshrined in Canton -- and is set for the 2026 MAC Hall of Fame as well.
since 2005
In coach J.D. Brookhart's second season, Akron won its first-ever MAC title and first-ever bowl berth -- a 31-30 win over Northern Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit, followed by a 38-31 loss to Memphis in the 2005 Motor City Bowl. It remains the only conference championship in program history.
since 1953
Zippy, a female kangaroo mascot, is one of the few female mascots in college athletics -- symbolizing the Zips' agility, distinct from nearly every other program's mascot conventions.
Program memory
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
Akron beats Northern Illinois 31-30 at Ford Field for the program's first-ever conference title
Akron's first-ever bowl appearance ends in a 38-31 loss to Memphis
Heartbreak
2017
Taylor is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot, the first Akron player ever enshrined
Akron becomes the first FBS program since Idaho (2014) ruled ineligible for the postseason over Academic Progress Rate, regardless of its 5-7 final record
Wound
Moment of the Year · Akron · 2025
Week 4 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Most recent: 2017 — loss 50-3 (away). Last 5 postseason: 1-1.
Unit lineage
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
All-time top community posts · ranked by upvotes
Akron · Next-Season Outcome Band
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Fanbase Health Index · Akron · high confidence
2025 stat leaders
How They Play · 2025
Most Similar Programs · Akron
Season Standing · 2025 · 5-7
Coaching Era · Akron
Moment of the Year · Akron · 2025
Bowl / Postseason Ledger