# 2023 Akron Zips football team

The 2023 Akron Zips football team represented the University of Akron as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by second-year head coach Joe Moorhead, the Zips played home games at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio. They finished the season 2–10 and 1–7 in conference play The Akron Zips football team drew an average home attendance of 7,237 in 2023.

## Preseason
### Preseason polls
#### Coaches Poll

On July 20, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Akron was picked to finish fifth in the East.
East :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio | 63 (9) |
| 2 | Miami | 52 (2) |
| 3 | Buffalo | 51 (1) |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 35 |
| 5 | Akron | 26 |
| 6 | Kent State | 19 |
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Toledo | 66 (11) |
| 2 | Eastern Michigan | 55 (1) |
| 3 | Northern Illinois | 38 |
| 4 | Central Michigan | 37 |
| 5 | Ball State | 27 |
| 6 | Western Michigan | 23 |
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Toledo | 7 |
| 2 | Ohio | 4 |
| 3 | Buffalo | 1 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at Temple* | Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA | ESPN+ | L 21–24 | 12,456 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Morgan State* | InfoCision Stadium–Summa FieldAkron, OH | ESPN+ | W 24–21 | 8,213 |
| September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | at Kentucky* | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | ESPNU | L 3–35 | 59,456 |
| September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | at Indiana* | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | BTN | L 27–29 $^{4OT}$ | 44,968 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Buffalo | InfoCision Stadium–Summa FieldAkron, OH | ESPN+ | L 10–13 $^{OT}$ | 5,490 |
| October 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Northern Illinois | InfoCision Stadium–Summa FieldAkron, OH | ESPN+ | L 14–55 | 8,216 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI | ESPN+ | L 10–17 | 17,886 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH | ESPN+ | L 14–41 | 10,068 |
| November 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Kent State | InfoCision Stadium–Summa FieldAkron, OH (Wagon Wheel) | ESPNU | W 31–27 | 8,113 |
| November 8 | 7:30 p.m. | at Miami (OH) | Yager StadiumOxford, OH | ESPNU | L 0–19 | 7,233 |
| November 14 | 7:00 p.m. | at Eastern Michigan | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | CBSSN | L 27–30 $^{2OT}$ | 13,664 |
| November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio | InfoCision Stadium–Summa FieldAkron, OH | CBSSN | L 14–25 | 6,152 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### at Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Akron | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
* Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: -
* Game attendance: 59,456
* Referee: Lee Hedrick
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (analyst)
| Statistics | AKR | UK |
| First downs | 16 | 18 |
| Total yards | 66–239 | 48–450 |
| Rushing yards | 25–49 | 22–135 |
| Passing yards | 190 | 315 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 29–41–0 | 16–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:47 | 25:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | DJ Irons | 23/34, 130 yards |
| Akron | Rushing | Lorenzo Lingard | 7 carries, 30 yards |
| Akron | Receiving | Jasaiah Gathings | 5 receptions, 43 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 16/25, 315 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 7 carries, 72 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Ray Davis | 3 receptions, 97 yards, TD |

### at Bowling Green

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Akron | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bowling Green | 3 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 41 |
at Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH
* Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: W 7 mph (11 km/h)
* Game attendance: 10,068
* Referee: Jeremy Valentine
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi, Marcus Ray
| Statistics | Akron | Bowling Green |
| First downs | 18 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 279 | 297 |
| Rushes–yards | 28–45 | 42–214 |
| Passing yards | 234 | 83 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 22–39–2 | 8-14-0 |
| Time of possession | 29:56 | 30:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | Jeff Undercuffler | 22/39, 234 yards, 2 INTS |
| Akron | Rushing | Lorenzo Lingard | 12 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD |
| Akron | Receiving | Daniel George | 7 receptions, 74 yards |
| Bowling Green | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 6/11, 69 yards, 1 TD |
| Bowling Green | Rushing | Terion Stewart | 19 carries, 131 yards, 3 TDS |
| Bowling Green | Receiving | Harold Fannin Jr. | 2 receptions, 34 yards, 1 TD |

### vs Kent State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kent State | 6 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Akron | 7 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 31 |
at InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH
* Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 8,113
* Referee: -
* TV announcers (ESPNU): -
| Statistics | AKR | KENT |
| First downs | 22 | 16 |
| Total yards | 393 | 346 |
| Rushing yards | 95 | 117 |
| Passing yards | 298 | 229 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–39–0 | 15–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:52 | 30:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | Jeff Undercuffler Jr. | 23/39, 298 yards, 2 TD |
| Akron | Rushing | Lorenzo Lingard | 22 carries, 106 yards, TD |
| Akron | Receiving | Daniel George | 9 receptions, 104 yards, TD |
| Kent State | Passing | Tommy Ulatowski | 15/23, 229 yards, 3 TD |
| Kent State | Rushing | Jaylen Thomas | 14 carries, 36 yards |
| Kent State | Receiving | Crishon McCray | 6 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD |

## Postseason

The Zips were named 2023 National Chumpions by The College Football Pillow Fighters for being the worst team in College Football during the 2023-24 season.