A Legacy of the Zips: Exploring the Rich History of Akron Football

The University of Akron's football program, representing the Akron Zips, boasts a history stretching back to 1891. From its humble beginnings as Buchtel College to its current standing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the program has experienced numerous transformations, celebrated milestones, and witnessed the contributions of many individuals. This article delves into the key moments, figures, and traditions that have shaped the Akron Zips football team.

The Early Years: From Buchtel College to the "Zips"

The genesis of Akron football can be traced to 1891 when the institution was still known as Buchtel College. In their inaugural contest, Buchtel College achieved a 22-6 victory over Western Reserve Academy. The team concluded its first season with a 1-3 record. Frank Cook took over as the school's first head coach the following year, leading Buchtel to a 3-4 record in his only season.

A significant figure in the program's early history is John Heisman, who arrived in 1893 to coach both football and baseball. Heisman led Buchtel to their first winning season with a 5-2 record in 1893, and then led them to their first undefeated season, albeit a single game season in which they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes. Notably, Heisman also contributed to the invention of the snap, a fundamental element of modern football, during his time at Buchtel.

The early decades saw frequent coaching changes, with nine different coaches leading the program in a 22-year span. In 1926, the athletic teams adopted the nickname "Zippers," inspired by the popular rubber boots manufactured by the B.F. Goodrich Company, a major Akron-based business at the time. The name was later shortened to "Zips" in 1950. Akron was originally classified as a Small College school in the 1937 season until 1972.

Coaching Tenures and Defining Seasons

Fred Sefton, who coached the Zippers for nine seasons (1915-1923), achieved a 33-34-4 record. His teams recorded winning records in five of those seasons. After Sefton's resignation, James W. Coleman was hired as Akron's head football coach. His final record in two seasons with the Zippers is 6-10. George Babcock took over as head coach after Coleman's departure and led the Zips to a 5-2-2 record before departing to accept the head football coach position at Cincinnati. Red Blair then took over as head coach. In nine seasons at the helm of the Zips, Blair's teams compiled a record of 43-30-5. Blair's 1929 Akron team compiled a record of 9-1. His 1930 team went 7-1 and his 1935 team posted a 6-3 record for the best three years of Blair's tenure. Blair resigned as head coach of the Zips after the 1935 season. Jim Aiken was hired as the Zippers' head coach after Blair's resignation. Thomas Dowler was hired to lead the Zippers football program after Aiken's departure. In two seasons as head coach, Dowler's teams compiled a record of 7-9-2. Otis Douglas took over the reins of the Akron football program after Dowler and his teams struggled. In two seasons, the Zippers posted a record of 5-10-3 that included a winless 0-7-2 mark in what turned out to be Douglas' final season.

World War II led to the program's suspension from 1943 to 1945. After the three season hiatus was over, Paul Baldacci was hired as Akron's head coach. Baldacci served as head coach for two seasons, compiling a record of 7-10 that included yearly records of 5-4 and 2-6. Akron's on-the-field struggles continued during the tenure of Baldacci's successor, William Houghton, whose tenure produced a 7-27-1 record with no winning seasons or more than two wins in a single season. Under head coach Kenneth Cochrane, the Zippers broke out of their slump, posting yearly records of 2-6-1 and 6-3 before Cochrane stepped down to focus on his duties as athletics director at Akron. Cochrane shorted the school's athletic nickname from "Zippers" to "Zips". Joe McMullen came to Akron from Washington & Jefferson and achieved moderate success as the Zips head coach. While his teams did compile an overall winning record during McMullen's seven-season tenure (30-28-3), declining records of 4-5 and 1-8 led to his firing after the 1960 season.

In 1961, the Zips hired Gordon Larson, who had been an assistant coach under Woody Hayes at Ohio State. Larson helped the Zips finish 2nd in the Ohio Athletic Conference 3 times in his first five seasons, going 26-8 in conference play during those five season. In 1966, the Zips left the Ohio Athletic Conference, and became an Independent football program. During its Independence era, the Zips put together the best run in school history, winning 38 games from 1968 to 1971, also going to the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl.

Jim Dennison holds the record for most victories in program history, with 80 wins.

Transition to Division I-A and the Gerry Faust Era

In 1985, a significant shift occurred when Akron president William Muse replaced Dennison with former Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust. Muse wanted the program to have "instant credibility" during its transition into a 1-A school in 1987. Adams and Muse felt that Faust was more prepared to lead the Zips as they transitioned into a 1-A institution. Faust struggled to get acclimated to the small budget school, struggling to a 25-23-2 start after his first 4 seasons with the Zips. Faust's Zips teams never won more than seven games in one season. Following a 1-10 finish in 1994, he was relieved of his coaching duties and became a fundraiser for the university. Faust's 43 wins placed him 3rd in Akron career wins leaders.

Recent Years and Memorable Moments

On September 14, 2013, Bowden led Akron against the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and came within a few yards of defeating the Wolverines, losing 28-24 after an incomplete pass from the Wolverines' 3-yard line on the final play of the game went out of the back of the end zone. In 2015, the Zips finished the season at 8-5 with a 5-3 record in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the MAC East Division. To kick off the season, Bowden led the Zips into Norman, Oklahoma for a showdown against one of the country's all-time college football powers, No. Bowden led the Zips to a 5-7, 3-5 record in MAC play to finish in a tie for third place in the MAC East Division in 2016. The season began with a victory over VMI. The next week, Akron went to Madison, Wisconsin for a showdown against No. 10 Wisconsin. The Zips lost the game by a score of 54-10. Next, the Zips defeated Marshall by a score of 65-38, the most points Marshall had allowed in a football game in 25 years. The next week, Akron lost to Appalachian State before defeating Kent State and Miami (OH). After getting blanked 41-0 by No. On December 14, 2018, Akron hired Chattanooga head coach Tom Arth as the 28th head football coach of the program. The following year, the Zips would finish win less at a record of 0-12.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Bowl Game Appearances

Akron has participated in three bowl games in its history, compiling a 1-2 record. Prior to 1987, the Zips were not a part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

Rivalries and Traditions

Akron's biggest rival is Kent State, located 10 miles (16 km) from the Akron campus. The two schools first met in 1923 and have played 56 times through the 2013 meeting. Akron went 11-0-1 in the first 12 meetings in the series between 1923 and 1941, with no games played from 1924-27 and 1937-39. Kent State started a 10-game winning streak in 1942 through 1954, though no games were played during the World War II years of 1943-45 when neither school fielded teams. After the 1954 meeting, the rivalry was scrapped due to a lack of competition. It was reinstated in 1972 and has been an annual contest since 1983. Since 1946, the two teams have played for the Wagon Wheel trophy. The story goes that John R. Buchtel was searching for a site to start a new college in 1870 near what is now Kent State University when his wagon became stuck in the mud. The horses pulled the wagon apart and one of the wheels ended up being buried. Buchtel would eventually settle on a site in Akron for Buchtel College. In 1902, while digging for a pipeline in Kent, the wheel was discovered and eventually came into the possession of Kent State dean of men Dr. Raymond Manchester.

The Zips have played the Youngstown State 35 times in football. They played for the Steel Tire, named for the products that both cities were known for.

Stadiums and Facilities

The Akron Zips football team played their first game in the stadium on October 5, 1940 against Western Reserve (now known as Case Western Reserve University), before getting their first win in the facility November 9 of that year against rival Kent State. Prior to playing at the Rubber Bowl, the Zips football teams played at Buchtel Field, a 7,000-seat facility that opened in 1923. The Zips recorded their first sellout in the Rubber Bowl on September 30, 1961. In 1971, the university purchased the stadium for $1 from the city. An artificial surface was installed in 1983, which was replaced with AstroPlay in 2003. The Zips played 324 games at the stadium, which included their first-ever appearance on ESPN in 1986. Other notable games include the highest-scoring game in the stadium's history, a 65-62 victory over Eastern Michigan in 2001, as well as a 65-7 Akron victory over Howard University in 2003. In 2005, the Zips clinched their first Mid-American Conference East Division title and spot in the 2005 MAC Championship Game with a 35-3 win over arch-rival Kent State in that year's Wagon Wheel game.

In 2003, the university began exploring the feasibility of building an on-campus stadium to replace the Rubber Bowl, which was in disrepair and several miles away from campus. In 2007, plans were announced for a new stadium, later known as InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field, with work beginning in January 2008 and opening in September 2009. The final Akron Zips football game at the Rubber Bowl took place on November 13, 2008 against the Buffalo Bulls. The game was nationally televised on ESPN and featured the two teams tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference's East Division with identical 5-4 (3-2) records entering the game. Buffalo defeated the Zips 43-40 in four overtimes in front of a crowd of 18,516. For the Zips, it was both the first four-overtime game and the first overtime loss in school history. The home opener of the 2009 football season marked the first game held in InfoCision Stadium. In it, the Zips defeated Morgan State 41-0. To mark the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to inaugurate the new stadium. An indoor training facility used primarily for the football team.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Mascots and Logos: Representing the Zips

In 1927, a campus-wide contest was conducted to choose a nickname for the University's athletic teams. Student Margaret Hamlin suggested "Zippers," which was also the name of a popular rubber overshoe sold by Akron's B.F. Goodrich Co. The evolution of Zippy, The University of Akron’s mascot, began 54 years ago when the student council, under president Dave Frye, decided the University needed a mascot.“Zippy” the kangaroo was officially declared UA’s mascot on May 1, 1953. The first known printed reference to the mascot as “Zippy” was a 1965 Zips football press brochure. The Buchtelite's first use of the name “Zippy” came Sept.

In 2002, the University instituted a new athletics logo featuring the kangaroo as well as a custom font for "Akron Zips." The logo replaced the former Akron logo which featured a flying "A". The football program adapted the alternate logo for their helmets which featured an "A" and a profile view of a kangaroo. The first year of the logo change, the football helmets had the alternate logo with a navy colored oval around it. The following year, the navy oval was dropped.

Individual Achievements and Records

Several players have left their mark on the Akron Zips football program, setting records that stand as testaments to their skill and dedication. Some notable records include:

Most Points Scored: 62 vs. Western Reserve Acad.
Most Points Scored in a Game: 692 vs. Ashland (1993)
Most Points Scored in a Regular Season Game: 65 vs. Howard (2003) & vs. Marshall (2016)
Most Points Scored in a Bowl Game: 31 vs. Utah State (2015)
Most Passing Yards in a Game: Charlie Frye vs. Marshall (2003)
Most Rushing Yards in a Game: James Black (1983) vs. Kent State
Most Receiving Yards in a Game: Jabari Arthur vs. Buffalo (2007)
Highest Completion Percentage in a Game (minimum 10 completions): Charlie Frye - 80.5% vs. Kent State (2000)
Most Receptions in a Game: Jabari Arthur - 15 vs. Buffalo (2007)
Longest Field Goal Made: Daron Alcorn - 56 yards vs. Eastern Michigan (1992)

NFL Draft Selections

Akron has had 17 players selected in the NFL Draft. Daron Alcorn became the final pick of the 1993 NFL draft, a pick that has been dubbed as Mr. Irrelevant.

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