Ohio was scheduled to play at Buffalo on Tuesday and Bowling Green at last-place Kent State on Wednesday.
Akron is coming off a memorable 31-27 “Wagon Wheel” win over Kent State on Nov. 1. Led by senior quarterback Jeff Undercuffler Jr., the Zips scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. Undercuffler was 23-of-39 for 298 yards and two touchdowns before scoring the game-winning touchdown on a five-yard, run-pass option carry with 26 seconds left.
He was named the MAC East Offensive Player of the Week as Akron snapped a six-game losing streak.
The Zips are 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the MAC and have lost six straight to the RedHawks, including each of the last three games in Oxford. Akron’s record includes back-to-back overtime losses, one in four extra periods at Indiana of the Big Ten, and 17-10 at Central Michigan. They’ve also lost at home to Northern Illinois, 55-14, and 41-14 at Bowling Green.
They rank last in the MAC with an average of 91.6 rushing yards per game.
Undercuffler took over after redshirt-senior D.J. Irons was injured after playing in five games, but Miami redshirt-junior linebacker Matt Salopek cautions about overlooking the Zips.
“I know their quarterback is injured, but they’re still a good team,” the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Salopek said on October 30. “The MAC is the MAC.”
“Akron started the year off by almost beating Temple,” 10th-year Miami coach Chuck Martin said. “They lost overtime games back-to-back. They have a really solid defense. Against Bowling Green, they had turnover after turnover after turnover. They struggle on offense, but almost every game has been tight. They’ve had a lot of transfers. They have some twitchy, athletic guys.”
Akron’s roster includes two local products: 6-foot-2, 300-pound sophomore defensive lineman Andre Proffitt from Lakota West and 6-foot, 185-pound freshman wide receiver Adrian Norton from Stebbins.
Miami has its own players of the week to celebrate. Salopek was named the division’s top defensive player after piling up 14 tackles while the RedHawks were reeling off 30 unanswered points in the win over the arch-rival Bobcats in the annual “Battle of the Bricks” grudge match in Athens.
Junior kicker Graham Nicholson earned the division’s special teams honor after connecting on field goals of 26, 40 and 32 yards along with three extra points and going 7-for-7 on touchbacks. Nicholson went into the week leading the MAC in scoring.
The RedHawks have a chance to win eight games for the first time since 2019 and to log at least five conference wins for the second time in three seasons.
Miami will be playing for the first time in 11 days since the momentous win at Ohio on Oct. 28.
“The break is wonderful going into the 10th game,” Martin said. “We can get some guys healed up.
“On the other hand, they have extra days to hear people telling them how good they are. They deserve the accolades, but as coaches, we don’t like them hearing that.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Akron at Miami, 7 p.m., ESPNU, 980, 1450
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