Akron did rally for victories over Buffalo and Eastern Michigan, a 65-62 three-overtime thriller, in its final two games to build momentum for this season.
"Last year kind of forced us to regroup and refocus," Owens said. "We were tested and the coaching staff and players really had to bow up and get back to basics."
The Zips found another positive, their quarterback through the 2004 season, when Charlie Frye was forced into action as a red-shirt freshman in the first half of the season opener against Ohio.
Frye set a school record with 170 completions during the season and is primed to take the next step in his development with a healthy backfield and his favorite receiver, junior Matt Cherry , returning. The biggest question on offense is the line, where only one starter returns.
Defensively, the Zips gave up too many yards (470.6) and too many points (32.6) per game last season. Owens hired Joe Tresey, the former defensive backs coach, to return to his home state and oversee the remaking of the defense. Former Akron standout Jim Meyer was also brought in to coach the defensive ends and former Central Michigan coach Dick Flynn is now in charge of the linebackers.
Akron plans to simplify its scheme and will play more zone coverage than it has in the past. In addition to returning six starters, including senior linebacker Ryan Myers , the Zips also welcome back defensive end Dwayne LeFall from an academic hiatus and cornerback Corvin Amos from a knee injury.
"The enthusiasm has really jumped," Owens said. "I feel really good about the staff and the scheme that we’re running. I think it fits our personnel a whole lot better."
Both aspects of the kicking game also have questions as career scoring leader Zac Derr and his 266 points have moved on. The Zips also ranked 101st in the country in net punting and are counting on more from incumbent Andy Jerdon .
QUARTERBACKS
Talk about your baptisms under fire.
After completing 13-of-16 passes for 145 yards and directing a 55-yard drive for the winning field goal in the final seconds against Ohio, Frye (6-4, 200) made his first start in front of a record crowd of 102,602 screaming Buckeye fans at Ohio Stadium. He survived, completing 15-of-31 passes in a 28-14 loss.
Frye went on from there, more efficient than spectacular, finishing the season with 170 completions in 258 attempts for 2,053 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions.
Junior Nick Sparks (6-3, 206), who opened last season as the starting quarterback, will also see some snaps behind center. Sparks, a transfer from West Virginia, has 4.38 speed in the 40-yard dash and can create a lot of problems for defenses with his feet.
"We’re going to find ways to get him the ball," Owens said.
Juniors Micah Faler (6-2, 176) and Jonathan Gill (6-2, 221) also return, but have very limited experience.
RUNNING BACKS
The healthy return of Payne, Bob Hendry and Dan Basch -- who were all injured at Western Michigan -- and the addition of Minnesota transfer Marcus Sanders makes this the strongest and deepest position on the team.
"Now we’re stacked," Owens said. "We went from having an empty cupboard to being the most stacked position on our football team."
Payne (5-10, 197), the only Akron back to rush for 1,000 yards since the program jumped to Division I-A in 1987, was on his way to a second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign when his season ended in Kalamazoo.
Hendry (5-10, 193), who suffered a concussion against Western Michigan, missed two games before emerging as Akron’s go-to back while averaging 141.5 yards per game down the stretch. He returned to rush for a career-high 192 yards against Marshall and finished the season by running for 154 yards and tying a school record with five rushing touchdowns against Eastern Michigan.
Basch (6-0, 233) sustained an ankle injury against Western and suffered a season-ending knee injury against Bowling Green two weeks later but is back to start at fullback. He finished third on the team with an efficient 228 yards on 35 carries last season (6.5 average).
Sanders (5-10, 180) should bring another dimension of speed and quickness to the offense. A star at nearby Ravenna High School, where he ran for 6,793 yards in his career, Sanders scored on a 13-yard touchdown and ran for 46 yards while showing off a glimpse of his talents in the spring game.
The Zips also return senior Junior McCray (5-4, 165), an elusive runner who was forced into action by the injuries last season. McCray finished with 221 yards on 57 carries.
Sophomore Ashanti Barbee (5-10, 237), who carried the ball just seven times last season, backs up Basch at fullback.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The Zips have more speed than they ever have had under Owens and are counting on their wideouts to provide a balance to what should be a formidable ground game.
Cherry (6-1, 194) blossomed into Frye’s favorite target last season, catching a team-high 48 passes for 630 yards and three touchdowns.
Akron loses its other 2001 starter, Jake Schifino, who was taken by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Schifino, who ranks second in Zips’ history with 131 career receptions, was bothered by a leg and ankle injury throughout most of the season and finished second on the team with 36 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns.
Either sophomore Morris Ellington (5-11, 183), junior Miquel Irvin (6-2, 185) or Sparks could step into the starting roles vacated by Schifino. Ellington caught three passes in eight games last season and snared three for 53 yards in the spring game. Irvin, a transfer from Toledo and former high school quarterback for Meyer at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, caught three passes for 61 yards in the spring game and also looked good running the ball from shotgun formation after taking some snaps at quarterback.
Sparks can make plays as a wideout or slot receiver and junior Bates Szakos (6-3, 187) is anxious to get on the field after a long bout with injuries. Szakos missed most of last season with an ankle injury and was limited in the spring by appendicitis.
Junior Mike Brake (6-4, 252) and senior Nick Fortener (6-1, 243), both of whom caught seven passes last season, are the leading candidates to replace Tim Ritley at tight end.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Zips lose four starters, including bookend tackles Konrad Dean and Jeff Grzeskowiak, so retooling the front five was a top priority in the off-season.
Akron shuffled some people around and enters the season with eight or nine deep on the line.
Sophomore Aaron Conley (6-3, 295) won the left guard job in the spring of 2001 and is the only returning starter after gaining valuable experience as a red-shirt freshman last season.
Junior Bryan Shaw (6-3, 283) can play several spots on the line but will start the season replacing All-MAC first-teamer Dean at left tackle. He is backed up by massive red-shirt freshman Justin Hein (6-7, 335).
Junior Jud Cummins (6-4, 294), another versatile performer, will start at right tackle. He is backed up by sophomore Mike Grzeskowiak (6-6, 315), Jeff’s younger -- but not little -- brother.
Junior Mike Piccirillo (6-2, 295) will open the season at center and sophomore Aaron Feller (6-4, 289) will open at right guard. Junior Jumbo Bridger (6-2, 300), a transfer from Fresno City College, and sophomore Jim Borrieci (6-3, 280) can both play center and could shift other people around if they crack the lineup.
KICKERS
Derr converted three clutch field goals, one to tie the score with a second left in regulation and two more in overtime, and scored 17 points in his final college game to become Akron’s all-time scoring leader with 266 points. He truly walked off a winner, hitting a 35-yarder in the third overtime to defeat Eastern Michigan, 65-62, in the highest-scoring game in MAC history.
"He’s probably going to be the toughest guy to replace," Owens admits.
It won’t be easy, but Owens is quite high on incoming freshman Billy Sullivan (6-1, 175), the projected starter. Sullivan will need to make the same adjustments all kickers coming to college do, most notably not being able to use a tee on place kicks, but Owens things he will be up to the challenge.
"I just love his attitude," Owens said. "He’s just loving that his first kick coming from Niles (Ohio) McKinley as an 18-year-old is going to be at Iowa."
The Zips have red-shirt freshman Andy Heinl (6-0, 175) in reserve. Heinl booted a 30-yard field goal in the spring game.
DEFENSIVE LINE
As is the case with any team, Akron’s hopes for improvement begin up front, and having LeFall back will help on several fronts. First, the 6-3, 248-pounder is a good player, so good that he reminded some Zip followers of a young Jason Taylor while compiling a team-best nine tackles for losses in 2000.
"We’ve never had a true freshman like that, having him back is huge," Owens said. "I don’t think there are going to be too many tackles who can handle him one-on-one."
Which brings us to another positive. LeFall’s return will change opposing blocking schemes and free up other players to make plays. Akron has already strengthened itself by moving Chase Blackburn , who played defensive end in LeFall’s absence last fall, to inside linebacker.
Junior Marques Hayes (6-1, 250) should also benefit from LeFall’s return, although he did pretty well without him last season while leading the Zips with six sacks. Like LeFall, Hayes brings speed and power off the edge. Both are also athletic enough to run backs down from behind.
The Zips also have experience at tackle. Ryan Schulz (6-4, 257), a returning starter, is a blue-collar player who made 15 tackles, including four for losses, and two sacks last season. Senior Ryan Gargasz (6-6, 260) shifts from end to tackle after making 35 tackles, including nine behind the line of scrimmage, and two sacks last season.
Senior Josh Hill (6-4, 220) and red-shirt freshman Tim Wilkes (6-2, 246), who played for Meyer at St. Vincent-St. Mary, are the backups at end. The Zips have a couple of young reserves, red-shirt freshman Dorian Beard (6-0, 260) and sophomore Bobby Gardner (6-4, 230), inside.
LINEBACKERS
Myers (6-1, 230) came into his own after moving to "rover" from the middle last season and should be both the spiritual and physical leader on defense in 2002. Myers, the only returning starter at linebacker, has the strength (1,236 bench-squat-clean total), speed (4.53 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and athletic ability (34-inch vertical leap). He has attracted the attention of scouts and also makes plays. He led the Zips with 77 tackles and three forced fumbles last season.
Diontre Earl (5-11, 221) saw action in two games as a freshman before breaking his ankle in practice last September and having to red-shirt. A two-time Northwest Ohio Defensive Player of the Year at Rogers High School in Toledo, he missed spring drills but is expected to return and start at the other outside position.
Junior Doug Sutton (6-4, 225) is the Zips’ most experienced backup and is capable of stepping in after registering 21 tackles and a sack last season. Sophomore reserves Joe Radich (6-1, 225) and Ryan Robinette (6-2, 220) both sat out last season. Robinette, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, was also slowed by a back injury throughout the spring.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Having a healthy Amos back in the secondary is every bit as important to the defense as having LeFall return up front.
"It’s nice to have him back," Owens said. "He’s that take-away corner that we didn’t have last year."
Amos (5-9, 187) was the Zips’ top returning tackler heading into last season, but injured his knee in the season opener against Ohio and missed the rest of the season.
Junior Ricky McKenzie (6-0, 184) returns at the other corner after leading Akron with three interceptions and eight pass breakups last season.
If Amos is healthy, the Zips will have one of the better corner tandems in the league. They also have fairly good depth with junior Jesse Smith (6-1, 180) and sophomore Greg Williams returning. Smith made 23 tackles and an interception last season.
Akron also has veterans back at the safety spots. Senior Marcus Suber ( 5-11, 201) had a solid first season for the Zips, making 45 tackles after transferring from Sacramento City College.
RECRUITING CLASS
Owens more than holds his own against other MAC schools in the hotly contested pursuit of players in football-rich Ohio. The Zips signed 23 players in February, including 11 from the Buckeye State. The class is rich in linemen with Mike Donaldson (6-6, 325), Tim Crouch (6-4, 300) and Andy Wills (6-4, 280) joining Bridger as newcomers on offense and Antonio Shippy (6-3, 340) and Mike Berry (6-5, 240), who could be the most talented player in the class, on defense. Jay Rohr (6-1, 210) and Mark Groza (6-4, 220) could provide some immediate help at linebacker and Mike Bradshaw (6-0, 175) leads the defensive back prospects. The class also includes left-handed quarterback Rick McFadden (6-5, 210), a transfer from Ohio State.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
The Zips spent a great deal of energy retooling their defense after finishing last in the conference in 2001. Although Akron was only a couple of plays away from a third straight winning season, it must continue to improve in order to keep up with the rest of the conference.
The skill positions are solid on offense, particularly at running back, where several proven players will bid for time. Owens also plans to open up the offense to showcase the skills of Frye, his talented sophomore quarterback. The key is up front, where four new starters must click in order for any of the skill players to succeed.
Akron leaned heavily on the departed Derr in recent years, winning its last two games against rival Ohio, so Sullivan’s ability to adjust to college may also be a key.
It’s a cliché, but this team must avoid the injury problems that held it back last year. If Akron can stay healthy and take steps forward on offense and defense, it should be able to hang with almost everyone in the division. The number of victories will depend on the Zips’ ability to make plays.
