2015 Akron Zips football team

The 2015 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Terry Bowden and played their home games at InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field. They were members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 8–5, 5–3 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the East Division. They were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, where they defeated Utah State for their first ever bowl victory. This was Akron's fourth bowl appearance. Previous bowl games are: Grantland Rice Bowl 1968, Pioneer Bowl 1976, Motor City Bowl 2005. They made their fifth bowl game appearance in 2017 at the Boca Raton Cheribundi Bowl.

2015 Akron Zips football
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl champion
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, W 23–21 vs. Utah State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	8–5 (5–3 MAC)
Head coach	Terry Bowden (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	A. J. Milwee (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Chuck Amato (4th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field

2015 Mid-American Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Bowling Green x$		7	–	1					10	–	4
Ohio		5	–	3					8	–	5
Akron		5	–	3					8	–	5
Buffalo		3	–	5					5	–	7
Kent State		2	–	6					3	–	9
Miami (OH)		2	–	6					3	–	9
UMass		2	–	6					3	–	9
West Division
Northern Illinois xy		6	–	2					8	–	6
Western Michigan x		6	–	2					8	–	5
Toledo x		6	–	2					10	–	2
Central Michigan x		6	–	2					7	–	6
Ball State		2	–	6					3	–	9
Eastern Michigan		0	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: Bowling Green 34, Northern Illinois 14
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	7:00 p.m.	at No. 19 Oklahoma*	Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	FSN PPV	L 3–41	85,370
September 12	6:00 p.m.	Pittsburgh*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	L 7–24	23,425
September 19	Noon	Savannah State*	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	W 52–9	16,763
September 26	7:00 p.m.	at Louisiana–Lafayette*	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN3	W 35–14	24,679
October 3	2:00 p.m.	Ohio	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	L 12–14	17,301
October 10	3:00 p.m.	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	ESPN3	W 47–21	5,638
October 17	3:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN3	L 10–59	20,021
October 31	2:00 p.m.	Central Michigan	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	ESPN3	L 6–14	18,981
November 7	Noon	at UMass	Gillette Stadium Foxboro, MA	CBSSN	W 17–13	6,228
November 14	Noon	at Miami (OH)	Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPN3	W 37–28	15,629
November 21	3:30 p.m.	Buffalo	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH	CBSSN	W 42–21	15,727
November 28	Noon	Kent State	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel)	ASN	W 20–0	16,391
December 22	3:30 p.m.	vs. Utah State*	Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)	ESPN	W 23–21	18,876
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

At Oklahoma

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	0	3	0	0	3
#19 Sooners	3	14	21	3	41

See also: 2015 Oklahoma Sooners football team

Pittsburgh

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	7	7	7	24
Zips	0	7	0	0	7

See also: 2015 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

Savannah State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	3	6	0	0	9
Zips	7	21	10	14	52

See also: 2015 Savannah State Tigers football team

At Louisiana–Lafayette

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	7	14	7	35
Ragin' Cajuns	0	7	0	7	14

See also: 2015 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	7	7	0	0	14
Zips	3	3	3	3	12

See also: 2015 Ohio Bobcats football team

At Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	14	26	7	0	47
Eagles	7	7	7	0	21

See also: 2015 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

At Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	3	0	0	10
Falcons	7	21	21	10	59

See also: 2015 Bowling Green Falcons football team

Central Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	7	7	0	14
Zips	0	6	0	0	6

See also: 2015 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

At Massachusetts

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	0	7	3	17
Minutemen	7	6	0	0	13

See also: 2015 UMass Minutemen football team

At Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	14	13	7	3	37
RedHawks	7	0	7	14	28

See also: 2015 Miami RedHawks football team

Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	0	14	0	7	21
Zips	14	14	7	7	42

See also: 2015 Buffalo Bulls football team

Kent State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	0	0	0	0
Zips	7	7	3	3	20

See also: 2015 Kent State Golden Flashes football team and Wagon Wheel (trophy)

Utah State–Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	7	6	7	3	23
Aggies	0	7	7	7	21

See also: 2015 Utah State Aggies football team and 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Roster

2015 Akron Zips football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 1 Hakeem Lawrence  Jr WR 2 Tyrell Goodman  Jr WR 2 Michaelee Harris  Sr WR 3 Richie Cooper Fr RB 4 Conor Hundley Sr QB 5 Tra'Von Chapman  So QB 7 Devyn Wood  Fr RB 8 Donnell Alexander  Sr WR 10 Mykel Traylor-Bennett Jr WR 11 A. J. Coney  So WR 12 Imani Davis Sr QB 13 Tommy Woodson  So QB 14 Caleb Chapman  Fr QB 15 Matthew Hoyer  Jr QB 16 Kyle Pohl  Sr WR 17 Anthony Young So TE 18 Josh McNeil Jr WR 19 Anthony Lauro  Fr WR 21 Michael Means  Jr RB 23 Van Edwards Fr RB 25 D. J. Jones  Jr RB 28 Manny Morgan  So RB 30 Chuck Turfe Fr TE 33 LaVonne Gauthney  So WR 37 Danny Seafler Sr WR 39 Landon Yeartie  Fr TE 44 Dylan Seibel  So TE 45 Brandon Junk Fr FB 49 Christian Allen  Sr OL 55 Tommy Brown  Sr OL 56 Isaiah Williams  Sr OL 57 Stephen Ericksen  So OL 63 Nick Fazio  Fr OL 66 Kyle Ritz  Fr OL 67 Ryan Kortokrax  So OL 70 Michael Casimos  Jr OL 71 Quaison Osborne Sr OL 73 Mitchell Hlay Fr OL 74 Xavier Quigley Jr OL 75 Dylan Brumbaugh  Sr OL 77 Andrew Bohan  Sr OL 79 Rich Kallay Fr WR 80 Andrew Pratt Sr WR 82 Austin Wolf  So TE 83 Michael Kish  So TE 84 Avery Cagle Fr ATH 85 Jaquavis Dixon Fr ATH 86 Kwadarrius Smith Fr TE 92 Daryan Martin  Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 1 Jatavis Brown Sr DB 2 Larry Hope Jr LB 3 Darryl Monroe  Sr LB 5 Ulysees Gilbert III Fr CB 6 DeAndre Scott  Jr LB 7 Jerome Lane  So DL 8 Richard Dorvilus  Jr DL 9 Rodney Coe Sr LB 10 Brian Bell Fr DB 13 Wedley Charles  Jr S 14 James Turner Sr S 15 Cory Morrow  Jr DB 17 Bryce Jones Sr ATH 19 Vince Lockett Fr CB 20 Kyron Brown  Fr CB 21 Kris Givens Sr CB 22 Mikee Hayes  So DB 24 Jordan George  Fr CB 27 John Senter  Sr CB 29 Bryce Cheek  Sr S 31 Jamal Baggett  Fr S 32 Zach Guiser  So LB 33 Jason Williams Fr DL 34 Jamal Marcus  Jr LB, TE 35 Newman Williams  Fr DL 36 Cody Grice  Sr LB 40 John Lako Fr DB 43 Nathan Bischof  Fr DB 46 Zachary Sweat  Jr DL 50 Brock Boxen Fr LB 52 Josh Ward Fr DE, LB 53 Travonte Junius Fr LB 54 Dylan Evans Sr DE 56 Deon'Tae Moore  So LB 58 Andrew Hauser Jr LB 59 John Rachal  Jr DL 90 Se'Von Pittman  Jr DE 93 Daumantuas Venckus  Jr DL 95 Darius Copeland So DE 96 Alfonso Horner Sr DL 97 Undrea Bullard  Fr DL 97 Brennan Williams  Fr DL 98 Christopher Spruill  So DT 99 Tyler Shipman Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 37 Tom O'Leary So P, K 38 Zach Paul  Sr P 41 Kyle Foster  Fr PK 43 Zach Gingerich  So PK 47 Shawk Kirk  Fr PK 48 Robert Stein  Sr PK, P 60 Nick Gasser  Fr LS 65 Hayden Grover  Fr LS 88 Michael Buddenberg  So	Head coach Terry Bowden Coordinators/assistant coaches Chuck Amato (Associate head coach / defensive coordinator) A. J. Milwee (offensive coordinator / quarterbacks) Jeff Bowden (special teams coordinator / wide receivers) Trent Boykin (Tight Ends / H-Backs) Darrell Funk (offensive line / offensive run game coordinator) Erick Hickson (running backs) Otis Mounds (Cornerbacks / defensive passing game coordinator) Todd Stroud (Defensive Line / Director of Football Strength & Conditioning / recruiting coordinator) Mike Woodford (Safeties) Brett Ekkens (offensive graduate assistant) Tim Hargrett (offensive graduate assistant) Kory Gribbin (defensive graduate assistant) John Hughes (defensive graduate assistant) Ben Murphy (Director of football operations) John Nemec (Director of player personnel) Mark Ouimet (assistant director of football operations) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: December 20, 2016