2009 Akron Zips Game Notes
Bow l i n g G r e e n G a m e • F r i . - Nov. 2 0 • a t Bow l i n g G r e e n , O h i o ( Pe r r y S t a d i u m ) #43 Adam Steiner: A true freshman who won the role as long snapper and, starting at Syracuse, began seeing time on other special team units ... Recovered a fumble on punt coverage at Syracuse ... Was a very good linebacker and tight end in high school ... Set the UA all-time record for the vertical jump with a leap of 42 inches so, at 6-2, he could stand flat-footed and reach 11-6.
Zips Welcome New AD Tom Wistrcill
#45 (Def) Joe Rash: Missed the first three games due to injury and the Buffalo game with an illness ... Played at Central Michigan and versus Ohio, getting one tackle in each game ... Only played two series at Syracuse before being lost for the season with a knee injury.
University of Akron President Dr. Luis M.
#48 Tyler Campbell: A starter most of 2008 ... Came off the bench for the first three games of 2009 before starting at Central Michigan and versus Ohio ... Has contributed heavily at the safety spots ... Had five tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup versus Indiana ... Logged seven tackles, including six solo, at CMU ... Logged four stops, including a half TFL versus Ohio ... Missed the Syracuse game due to illness ... Returned at Northern Illinois and made two tackles, including an impressive open-field stop on punt coverage ... Only had a tackle assist versus Kent State, but made a bug play downing a punt on the KSU one with just over 2:30 to play.
Proenza introduced Tom Wistrcill, former senior
#51 Elliott Bates: Offensive captain for 2009 ... Has started 20 straight games at center and a total of 22 for his career.
places former AD Mack Rhoades, who left UA in
#55 Antoine Jones: A transfer from St. Francis (Pa.) ... Sat out 2008 per NCAA rules and was named UA Scout Team Player of the Year ... Seeing more and more action and has five tackles on the season ... Missed Northern Illinois due to illness.
Houston in Texas.
#56 Almondo Sewell: The junior is a two-time All-MAC honoree at defensive line ... Although his numbers may seem down, still ranks third on the team with 47 tackle and there is little doubt opposing teams are fully aware of his presence ... Had four tackles and a blocked field goal versus Indiana ... Turned in an eight-tackle performance at Central Michigan ... Backed that up with four stop with a TFL versus Ohio ... Added four tackles at Syracuse ... Had a huge game at Northern Illinois, logging 11 tackles — tied for second-best, single-game effort of his career — including 1.5 TFL ... Ranked second on the team with seven tackles versus Temple. #58 Marcus Lemon: Brother of junior Shawn Lemon ... Joined the Zips football team in 2008 as a walkon ... Had a good camp and earned his way on the travel squad ... Saw extensive action at Syracuse with a sick Brian Wagner and injured Troy Gilmer ... Responded with a career-high five tackles.
associate athletics director for external relations at the University of Minnesota, as the school’s new director of athletics on August, 25, 2009 at a press conference in Rhodes Arena. Wistrcill reJuly to take the same position at the University of Wistrcill, who has been with the University of Minnesota since May 2006, brings a wealth of experience in intercollegiate athletics, not the least of which includes the grand opening of a new $288 million 51,000 seat football stadium. UM will open its new TCF Bank Stadium on September 12, the same day UA opens InfoCision StadiumSumma Field. “I am incredibly humble and excited to be the new athletics director at The University of Akron,” Wistrcill said. “The vision Dr. Proenza has for this University and the Department of Athletics made it extremely attractive to come to Akron. The opening of InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field coupled with the success of the Zips’ athletics programs makes the timing great as well.”
#60 Dan Marcoux: Showing the experience this season of seeing extended playing time last season as a redshirt freshman ... Now a sophomore, Marcoux had a tackle and his first career sack at Penn State ... Had two tackles and a PBU versus Indiana ... Continues to do his job well along the defensive front, freeing the linebackers to make plays ... Tallied three stops at Northern Illinois.
country this year.
#64 Mitch Straight: Has played extensively as primary backup at both guard spots ... Played most of the Syracuse game at right guard.
Akron,” Proenza said. “His commitment to excellence, tremendous enthusiasm and passion will
#65 Adam Bice: Saw extended service through the first four games at both center and tackle .. Also serves on the PAT/field goal unit and as the backup short snapper.
claim for several of our athletic programs in the last several years and we expect this trend will
#67 Deni Odofin: Has taken a long road over his two years, battling injuries ... Continues to use his speed to apply pressure in the backfield ... Only had one tackle at Syracuse, but it was for a loss ... Made a highlight-reel tackle in the first quarter in the backfield, setting the stage as UA only alllowed Kent State to rush for 38 yards ... Also only had one stop versus Temple, an eight-yard sack.
UA and UM are the only NCAA Division I universities to open new football stadiums in the “I am delighted to welcome Tom Wistrcill as the new athletics director at The University of ensure success for all of our student-athletes. The University of Akron has enjoyed national accontinue under Tom, whose experience in the Big Ten Conference will help to springboard the university to even greater excellence in all of our athletic programs. “I also would like to thank the AD search committee, led by Candace Campbell Jackson, the
#71 Mike Ward: The junior has started every game in his career at left guard, a current streak of 34 games ... Scored his first career TD, recovering a fumble in the endzone at Buffalo for a 7-0 UA lead.
university’s chief of staff, for their commitment and dedication to the process and for bringing such
#73 Jake Anderson: After seeing most of his action on special teams (PAT/FG) last season, is the lone new starter along the offensive line, starting all 10 games this season right tackle.
served the University well as interim athletics director,” Proenza added.
#75 Corey Woods: The junior has started every game in his career, spending the first two at right tackle and moving to left tackle this season to replace three-time All-MAC honoree Chris Kemme ... Like Ward, Woods’ current streak of starts is 34 games.
ticularly in the Big Ten Conference. Prior to joining Minnesota, Wistrcill held the position of General
#78 Zack Anderson: Was named lineman of the game versus Morgan State ... Has been the starting right guard since 2007 ... The senior has played in 34 straight games with 32 starts, including a streak of 25 straight starts. #81 Anthony Meriwether: Did not come in as a highly touted player, but has certainly made his mark in his true freshman season ... Coach Brookhart says of Meriwether “he just seems to always make the play and is very smart.” ... Had a breakout game at Central Michigan, catching two passes for 45 yards, including an impressive 36 yarder. #82 Jeremy LaFrance: Leads the team with 37 receptions and 449 yards ... Has led the team in receptions six times ... Despite Akron having four returning starters at wideout, LaFrance has started every game in 2009 ... It was his good camp that allowed the Zips to initially move Andre Jones back to defense ... Had a team-high five receptions at Penn State for 53 yards ... Had three receptions for 10 yards versus Indiana ... Led the team with three catches for 54 yards at Central Michigan, including a 31 yarded to set up a UA TD ... Led the team with five catches for 65 yards versus Ohio ... Led UA with five receptions for 62 yards at Buffalo and had a team-high five catches for 46 yards at Syracuse ... Only caught one pass for 18 yards at Northern Illinois, but bounced back with a career game versus Kent State, catching eight balls for 126 yards with two TDs ... Had a 59-yard TD to give the Zips a 14-3 lead then caught a six yarder to provide the eventual game winner ... Although he graduated from a Louisiana High School and went to a California JuCo, LaFrance is from Belle Chase, La. (a suburb of southeast of New Orleans) and his family tore down their house and relocated after Hurricane Katrina. #84 Ryne Ladrach: The redshirt freshman severed as the starting tight end early but has yet to catch a pass. #85 Kyle Weber: A late spring JuCo pickup ... Has good size at tight end ... Started the Ohio game and caught his first career pass on the first play of the game ... Also caught a pass at Buffalo. #96 Hasan Hazime: Earned the starting role in each of the last six games (Ohio through Temple) ... Leads the team with 6.5 TFL .. Had a great camp and made huge strides in both his football knowledge and in the weight room ... Has great speed ... Logged six tackles at Penn State, including 1.5 for losses, doubling his tackles total of three from 2008 as a true freshman ... Had two stops, including a half TFL, versus Morgan State ... Added two tackles versus Indiana ... Started the Ohio game and responded with five tackles, including a TFL, and a PBU ... Also came up big at Buffalo, getting six stops with a sack ... Credited with four tackles and a QB hurry at Syracuse, including an 11-yard sack putting Syracuse out of scoring range on its first drive ... Had six tackles at Northern Illinois and blocked his first career field goal ... Logged four stops versus Kent State, including 1.5 for losses. #97 James Harvey: Part of Akron’s young, yet experienced defensive line ... The true sophomore had extended playing time last season, which is paying off this year in his play ... Started nine of the 10 games in 2009 ... Had four tackles versus Ohio and three at both Buffalo and Syracuse.
a talented pool of candidates to campus so quickly. I’d also like to thank Hunter Yurachek, who Wistrcill’s experience also includes marketing, sales, media relations and management, parManager of Badger Sports Properties at the University of Wisconsin, where he was responsible for managing $8 million in sales and marketing ventures for the Wisconsin athletic department. He developed and implemented several major first-time sponsorships at Wisconsin, including the development of the Badger Radio Network through Learfield Communications. Badger Sports Properties is a division of Learfield. Wistrcill served as commissioner of two NCAA Division II conferences, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, from 1994-2000. He also served as vice president of sales and marketing for VarsityOnline.com and is a former general manager of the St. Louis Quest, a franchise in the Women’s Professional Volleyball League. Wistrcill, 39, received his B.A. in Media Communications from St. Mary’s University in 1992 where he captained the men’s basketball team. He earned a master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1996. Tom and his wife, Kelly, have two children, Jonathan and Jack.