We keep rolling with our preseason look at Kentucky’s schedule. If you missed the Ball State and Eastern Kentucky previews, make sure you check those out. Up next, we’re looking into another (and thankfully our last of the season) MAC opponent in the Akron Zips.
Series Outlook
Despite our affinity for MAC programs and the relative proximity of the two programs Kentucky and Akron have only played once. It was a 47-10 Kentucky win in Joker Phillips’ first season. Kentucky was led by Mike Hartline and 166 rushing yards from Derrick Locke. The Cats put up over 500 yards of offense and totally dominated the game from start to finish.
2022 Season Look Back
After the 2021 season Joe Moorhead kind of shocked the CFB when he left the Oregon OC job and returned to Akron where he was an assistant from 2004-2008. Many felt he had been treated unfairly at Mississippi State and it was only a matter of time before a guy who was largely considered an offensive guru was back leading a P5 program. Instead, he took over an Akron program that has, frankly, been one of the worst FBS programs of the last half decade. They have not been to a bowl game since 2017 (which they lost 50-3) and Tom Arth had gone 3-27 in his 3 seasons (technically he was fired 9 games into the 2021 season, so those last three losses aren’t on his official record).
In stepped Joe Moorhead and Akron was…awful again in 2022. They finished 2-10 beating only FCS opponent St. Francis in OT but did grab a blowout win on the road against fellow MAC cellar dweller Northern Illinois (a team that gave Kentucky fits last year). They did play two P5 programs last year and lost 52-0 to a bad Michigan State team and lost 63-6 to Tennessee.
They were far more competitive in the month of November, including the win against NIU but also pushing bowl teams EMU and Buffalo to one possession games. The offense was inconsistent but started putting things together especially with the passing game when back-up QB Jeff Undercuffler took over after an injury to starter DJ Irons and WR’s Shocky Jacques-Louis and Alex Adams got in a groove.
Defensively they were solid against the run led by leading tackler LB Bubba Arslanian but struggled to slow down things through the air. As the offense improved the defense was able to find their footing and showed real promise but still finished as one of the worst defenses in the conference.
2023 Outlook
Moorhead is back after what amounted to a Year 0 last season. QB DJ Irons is back as is his back-up Jeff Undercuffler who started in Akron’s best win in NIU and the close game against Buffalo. Alex Adams also returns after being one of the better WRs in the MAC last year as does almost 800 yard receiver Daniel George. They’ve added a few significant transfers including Florida RB Lorenzo Lingard to replace their leading rusher from last season Cam Wiley.
The offensive line returns some experience but there will need to be substantial development after they allowed the most sacks in the MAC last season. OT Nate Williams looks to be a real stud and will likely anchor the unit so if they can find the right combination of guys around him there is hope for improvement.
Defensively Akron lost just about all of their front 7 production that was solid against the run and brought in several transfers from the FCS level to replace the lost production. The secondary returns just about everyone but will need to see significant improvement.
Who Wins
Kentucky. Akron isn’t ready to compete in the MAC and they certainly aren’t ready to beat a legitimate SEC program on the road. Moorhead is an excellent offensive coach who was just an awful fit at Mississippi State (but still managed to keep them bowl eligible both of his years there) and he has experience scheming against Stoops’ defenses. In 2018 Kentucky throttled his Mississippi State team 28-7 but the next year Kylin Hill and Garret Schrader gashed Kentucky for over 200 combined yards on the ground in a 28-13 Mississippi State win.
He will have the option of a mobile QB in DJ Irons and he has playmakers out wide so if he can figure out the RB and OL spots Akron could be in bowl contention. That shouldn’t be enough to really scare Kentucky but should be a good test before the SEC schedule gets started. Kentucky will win 31-14 and we’re ready to dive head first into SEC play.
