It’s a battle of desperation at the Glass Bowl on Saturday, as the Akron Zips (1-3) visit the Toledo Rockets (2-2) for an early conference game which could well dictate the direction of the season moving forward.
When last these two teams met, it was the upstart Zips finding one last punch in them to lead a late-game drive to win the game against Toledo in a roller-coaster overtime contest. Halfback Charles Kellom scored on the first play of the new period on a 25-yard receiving touchdown and defensive
end CJ Nunnally IV dragged down Tucker Gleason on Toledo’s turn on the ball to secure the 21-14 victory last November, setting the stage for a potential revenge game.
Both Toledo and Akron will have a lot to prove in this tilt, which will be played in back-to-back years in the regular season for the first time since 2016-17.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 27th, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
- Location: The Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio
- TV network options: The game will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+; a valid subscription is required for viewing.
- Radio options: Dave Skoczen (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color) will provide the Akron call for WHLO-AM 640; Mark Baier (play-by-play) and Jack Mewhort (color) will provide the Toledo call for the Rockets Radio Network.
- Gambling considerations: Toledo favored by 20.5 points, with an over/under of 48.5, per FanDuel.
- All-Time Series: Toledo holds the all-time lead, with a 13-10 overall record over Akron. The series was formerly a cross-division clash, with the two representing their respective divisions in the 2017 MAC title game in Detroit. Akron took last year’s contest.
About the Toledo Rockets
It’s Homecoming Week on campus, which typically means a festive atmosphere at the Glass Bowl. However, the game will be clouded with understandable concern after the Rockets took a loss to a winless Western Michigan to start the league slate.
Toledo has gained a reputation over the years for having listless performances at the worst times, and last week did nothing to ease the complex within the fanbase. UT looked laggard throughout last week’s game, unable to finish drives against a porous defense and losing focus on defense at the end after WMU made adjustments.
That makes their game against Akron— who beat them in extremely similar circumstances to end 2024— extremely important, both as a get-right game and as an opportunity to re-establish their league credentials.
In ideal circumstances, Toledo wants to control the ground game with an effective rushing attack, then launch for the big play through the air. They overhauled their offensive line and running back room to be able to do so this offseason, with transfer back Chip Trayanum being chosen as the talisman to build around. Through four games, the former Kentucky Wildcat sits at #10 in the country with 401 rushing yards and #14 in rushing touchdowns (five) on 65 attempts.
Tucker Gleason once again leads the passing attack, currently 58-of-99 passing for 699 yards and four total touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Junior Vandeross III has been the team’s leading receiver by a mile, with 22 receptions for 258 yards and four touchdowns through four games. (For context, four-time all-MAC transfer Trayvon Rudolph is second on the chart with eight receptions and 84 yards.) The inability to develop multiple options has been an issue which has limited the offense to this point.
For all the concerns about the offense, the defense has stepped up in a major way despite losing their entire front seven in the offseason.
The Rockets sit at 17th in the NCAA in total defense, allowing a strict 246.2 yards of offense to opponents per game and eight touchdowns overall. They’re as balanced a unit as you’ll find in the country as well; they’re 18th in pass defense (145.0 yards per game) and 34th in rushing defense (101.2 yards per game). That allows them to maintain their competitiveness despite a fairly pedestrian third-down conversion rate (35 percent; 62th in NCAA) and alright numbers behind the line (25 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks).
Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is the star of the show, making an early case for MAC Defensive Player of the Year with 22 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, a half-sack, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries through four games. K’Von Sherman has also been a revelation at linebacker, leading the team in tackles (30) and TFLs (four), while sitting second in sacks (one).
The defensive line trio of Malchi Davis, Louce Julien and Martez Poynter have collected 7.5 TFLs and five sacks, making them a formidable matchup for an Akron team which has has problems in pass protection historically.
About the Akron Zips
Akron is now on the right side of the ledger after taking Duquense to account last weekend. It was about as dominant as the Zips have looked in a long time, comfortably dispatching the Dukes by a final margin of 51-7. That hasn’t been a guarantee in several years, as their last three FCS opponents have kept it close against the Zips.
Their win was thanks to an explosive running attack— something which has been a struggle to establish in recent years for Akron. The Zips logged 265 yards, including 161 yards and three touchdowns from halfback Jordan Gant, to secure the victory. The discovery of the run game, combined with a shutdown defense which notched two interceptions and a forced fumble, allowed Akron to win fairly comfortably.
That said, this team has not performed well overall. Akron has been outscored 109-28 in three games against FBS programs, with all 28 points against UAB in Week 3 after two-straight shutouts to start the season.
The offense was largely dysfunctional prior to last week, with starting quarterback Ben Finley still completing under 50 percent of his passes. Despite that, his yardage is decent, with 694 yards and four touchdowns tossed to two picks. Occasionally, backup Michael Johnson Jr. is utilized in running formations and has 69 pre-sack yards (33 net.)
With his electric performance last week, Gant ascended to the top of the rushing charts (38 carries, 278 yards, three scores), but to this point, Sean Patrick (42 carries, 199 yards, one score) has been the primary back for a team which averaged 120 yards per game and scored one touchdown on the ground prior to the Duquense game.
Myles Walker (13 receptions, 154 yards) and Israel Polk (nine catches, 163 yards, one touchdown) are the team’s main targets in the pass game.
To their credit, the defense has ratcheted up their performance over the last two weeks once the schedule got lighter. In that stretch, the Zips have picked up 15 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, two interceptions (including a juggling pick-six by Malcolm DeWalt IV vs. Duquense) and two forced fumbles, while limiting opponents to 19 points per game and 325.5 total yards per game.
A dozen different Zips have at least 10 tackles on the season, with linebacker Shammond Cooper leading the tally with 30 total stops and 2.5 TFLs. Bruno Dall, a six-foot-seven defensive end, has been the breakout star of the defense with the departure of CJ Nunnally IV, leading the team with 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, four pass break-ups and three QB hurries to go alongside 14 total tackles. Defensive back Malcolm DeWalt IV has also shined in 2025, with 21 tackles (13 solo), two TFLs, a pick-six and a joint-leading four pass break-ups through four contests. Kent State transfer Alex Branch has solidified the hybrid corner position, with 21 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and a sack.
Special teams have been in turmoil, with Owen Wiley 3-of-7 on attempts— including two blocked kicks— this season. Matthew Schramm made his Zips debut vs. Duquense last week, finishing 2-of-2 with a long make of 41 yards. For now, Wiley is the listed starter.
Final Thoughts
The 2024 Akron loss and the 2025 Western Michigan loss for Toledo both followed similar scripts. Toledo let the underdog stick around too long, made some mental mistakes which allowed the opponent to gather confidence, then let the moment get to them once the lead broke down.
In front of what should be a raucous home crowd, Toledo must start the game off quick and dispel any hope out of the heads of the visiting Akron players. When the Rockets have managed to do that this season, they’ve looked every part the MAC contender we’ve expected them to be.
Akron, meanwhile, will look to stack good performances together and hope that pain has turned into progress. The game against UAB proved the Zips could score under pressure and find ways to poke and prod a defense, while the game against Duquense proved their ability to lock an opponent down and play their brand of football when everything aligns.
Talent should ultimately win out in this one, but we also thought the same thing 10 months ago, and look how that turned out. The game will ultimately come down to which team is more emotionally motivated to prove doubters wrong.
