Blazers Look To Get Back On Track Tonight In A Primetime Matchup Against Akron At Protective Stadium
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 13, 2025
AKRON (0-2) AT UAB (1-1)
PROTECTIVE STADIUM
SATURDAY, 7:30 P.M. CST, ESPN-plus
When Akron has the ball: What does Akron do well offensively? Thus far, not much. The Zips are 132nd in the country in total offense after two games. They are the only team in the country without a point after two games and punted a national-high 16 times. “The one thing I'll say about this opponent (Akron) is they've struggled offensively, they've also played against two very, very good defenses,” UAB coach Trent Dilfer said at his weekly Monday press conference. Those two defenses are currently ranked sixth (Wyoming) and 21st (Nebraska) in the country in total defense. So, we ask again, what does Akron do well offensively? Well, quarterback Ben Finley is probably better than his numbers indicate. Finley, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound redshirt senior, was chosen to the Phil Steele Preseason All-MAC Fourth team. He threw for 2,604 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while starting 12 games last season. He also played six games with two starts at Cal in 2023 and started two games in three seasons at North Carolina State. Through two games this season, he is 23-of-59 for 193 yards with one interception. No Akron receiver has more than four catches thus far and the team’s longest gain in the passing game is 19 yards. Backup quarterback Michael Johnson Jr. got some late game action in the 68-0 loss to Nebraska. Johnson played from 2021-23 at FAU but never threw a pass against UAB. He did have three carries for 38 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown run, in the 45-42 UAB victory at Protective Stadium in 2023. UAB has generated little pass rush thus far, partly because of the quarterbacks the Blazers have faced. UAB had two sacks against Alabama State and did not have a sack against Navy. Akron allowed six sacks in the first two games. If defensive ends JaMichael Rogers and J’Quan Mason return from injury, which looks like will happen, then the Blazers could generate more pressure. On paper, Akron does not pose a threat in the running game. Sean Patrick, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound freshman, is the team’s leading rusher with 90 yards on 17 carries. Jordan Gant was a FCS Freshman All-American in 2023 after rushing for 533 yards and 10 touchdowns at Tennessee State. UAB has yet to prove it can stop the run. The Blazers are 130th in the country in rushing defense, giving up 248.5 yards per game on the ground.
When UAB has the ball: Akron is coming off a game where the Zips allowed 728 yards in the loss to Nebraska. UAB averages 466.5 yards per game on offense, which is 31st in the country. Akron is 133rd in the country in total defense. To be fair, though, the Nebraska game skewed the Zips defensive numbers. Akron was better against Wyoming, allowing 426 yards and 10 points. Dilfer said he doesn’t pay attention to the stats when assessing the Akron defense. “They have some really, really good players defensively,” Dilfer said on Monday. “Nebraska, obviously from a talent (standpoint), there's a big talent gap overall. But even their dudes defensively for Akron played well against Nebraska. The score doesn't represent that but if you look at individual battles and winning one-on-ones, they have some players that can play at a really high level and mess up your game real quick if you're not careful.” Linebacker Shammond Cooper is legit. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker, who spent four seasons at Illinois and is in his third season at Akron, leads the team with 19 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Safeties Dimarco Johnson and Justin Anderson, who combined for 27 tackles in the first two games, are also playmakers. Unless the Blazers turn the ball over, though, it’s hard to find a way that Akron will slow down UAB’s offense. UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna didn’t commit a turnover in the first six quarters of the season and threw for a pair of interceptions in the second half against Navy. Learning from those mistakes is important as Kitna moves forward. Through two games, Kitna is 40-of-55 for 551 yards with four touchdowns. “They talk about don’t let the game wreckers wreck the game,” said Akron head coach Joe Moorhead. “He’s a guy that if you allow him to get going, he can make it tough on you.” Corri Milliner and Iverson Hooks have handled the bulk of the receiving production but running back Solomon Beebe (seven catches for 93 yards) and receiver Brandon Hawkins Jr. (five catches for 61 yards) are important in complementing the top two guys. Iowa transfer Kaleb Brown also looks like he is closer to getting healthy and handling a bigger role in the passing game.
Special teams: Akron punts so much that, apparently, it takes two people to do the job. Joseph Castle is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart but leads the team with 10 punts for a 42.7 yard average. Brayden Johnson, the depth chart starter, has six punts for a 42.5 yard average. UAB punter Patrick Foley, stayed busy as the field goal and extra point holder but punted just once in two games. Speaking of the punting game, UAB returner Iverson Hooks could have a chance at success with Akron allowing 14.7 yards per return thus far.
Hello my name is: Jevon Jackson. The 5-foot-8, 210-pound UTEP transfer, who spent three seasons at Austin Peay, is currently fourth in the American Conference with 232 rushing yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns. He’s done that while sharing the backfield with Isaiah Jacobs and Solomon Beebe. In Jackson’s first game at Protective Stadium, the Decatur, Alabama native had 166 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Trend to follow: UAB is vastly improved when it comes to game-changing penalty numbers. Did that jinx things? It shouldn’t happen if the Blazers play with discipline. The Blazers are averaging 36 penalty yards per game, which is tied for 27th in the country for least penalty yards. Last season, UAB averaged 73.83 penalty yards per game, which was 129th. Akron, on the other hand, is tied for fourth in the country with 19.5 penalty yards per game. The Zips had just six accepted penalties in the first two games.
How Akron wins: Playing better than their stats is a start. Force turnovers, run the football and have success in red zone defense are all key parts of the equation.
How UAB wins: Take care of the football, play solid defense and establish a balanced offense. UAB is not good enough to just show up and win comfortably, even against a struggling opponent. Show up ready to play and UAB should win the game.
Coach’s corner: Akron head coach Joe Moorhead played in college at Fordham University in New York and spent most of his coaching career in the Northern United States. For those that forgot, Moorhead spent a couple of years in the South as the head coach of Mississippi State. Moorhead was coming off an impressive stint as the Penn State offensive coordinator when he was hired to replace Dan Mullen. He was 8-4 in his first season but some off-the-field problems and early season upsets got him in trouble with the Mississippi State fan base. He was on the hot seat despite winning the Egg Bowl over Ole Miss in both of his seasons. The day after the second Egg Bowl win, Moorhead was talking about job security and proclaimed “You’ll have to drag my Yankee a** out of here.’ About a month later, that happened when Moorhead was fired.
One more thing: The ‘Takeaway Pencil’ made its debut when these teams met in Akron in 2019. The pencil, which according to a 2019 story on ESPN.com, was 44 inches long. It was given to the Akron player responsible for the takeaway as part of the sideline celebration. The player then signed the pencil. Akron did that once in a 31-20 loss to the Blazers on that day. Times have changed. The Zips now have the ‘Turnover Tire.’ Moorehead was the one who came up with the idea, according to the Akron game notes, to connect the community with the program. Akron is home to the home offices of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.