Bowl game stirs pride, hope among Zips fans

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700-plus to ride buses to Detroit on Monday



The Motor City Bowl, pitting the University of Akron Zips against the University of Memphis Tigers, is the day after Christmas, but that isn't deterring dedicated Zips fans from planning to go to Detroit. Charter buses are filled, plane tickets bought, car pools are set and hotel rooms are booked.
Some spirited UA alumni and local residents will arrive in Detroit on Christmas Day.
Others plan to make the trek Monday for the Zips' first bowl game.
``I've always been a University of Akron fan -- even when I was a Kent State student,'' said Joe Dunn, a KSU graduate. ``There have been a lot of tough losses and a lot of years we would like to forget about. This is sort of the beginning of a new era for University of Akron football.''
Dunn, a Zips radio announcer for WARF (1350-AM), and his family will be on one of 13 charter buses pulling out of the UA campus Monday morning with more than 700 fans.
Excitement surged after the Zips pulled off a miraculous come-from-behind victory over Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference championship game Dec. 1. UA senior receiver Domenik Hixon hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass with seconds left, and with the extra point, the Zips had a 31-30 victory.
Christine Curry, a UA alumna and director of UA's Alumni Association, said that after the game, phones started ringing off the hook. Soon afterward, the Alumni Association put together $75 packages that included a game ticket, round-trip bus transportation and a pregame party at Ford Field, the dome that is home to the bowl game.
For the bowl trip, the alumni group is two buses shy of the number taken to the championship game, which also was at Ford Field.
Fans have come up with other ways to get to the game.
Dave Feather, a former UA offensive tackle, will fly to Detroit from Wichita, Kan.
Feather, 38, and his 7-year-old son, Nathan, plan to meet former UA head coach Gerry Faust at a pregame event.
Feather, who played for Faust from 1987 to 1989, said he hasn't gone to a UA game since 1990, but he still follows the team and even sent a congratulatory letter after the last win.
``This gives me a great sense of pride,'' he said. ``I've always been proud of my alma mater.''
`A die-hard fan'
Two things irritate Michael Bruno when it comes to cheering on the Zips -- fair-weather fans, and alumni who don't support their alma mater.
Bruno, 39, gets upset with UA graduates who root for popular teams -- usually another Ohio university that's about two hours to the southwest and receives national exposure.
``That's clearly not me,'' said the grad, who has two bachelor's degrees from UA.
Bruno and his wife, Anne, 45, are big UA supporters. Never mind that his wife attended Miami University in Oxford as an undergraduate; she did get her master's degree at UA.
The two went by themselves to Detroit to watch the MAC title game. But this time, they'll drive up Christmas Day with their two daughters: Catherine, 9, and Michaela, 8.
``I'm a die-hard fan,'' Michael Bruno said, adding that he has probably been to more than 175 home football games and more than 200 basketball games.
This season, Bruno said, he made it to 11 of the 12 football games -- even when the team hopped on the road to play Purdue and Ball State in Indiana and Buffalo in New York.
The Sagamore Hills Township family, whose den is dedicated to the Zips, has seen some ugly losses and empty stands this year. So a Zips win Monday would be icing on the cake, Michael Bruno said. Either way, it's been a memorable season.
``I've been grinning from ear to ear the minute the ball hit Hixon's hands. It's been a three-week high.''

 

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Biggs no longer short on chancesUA senior back just wanted to play, and he isBy Gary EstwickBeacon Journal sportswriterFour years before running back Brett Biggs became the centerpiece of the University of Akron's berth to the Motor City Bowl, he left his hometown of Bartow, Fla., and zigzagged through the Midwest in search of a college football career.
All he wanted was a chance to prove that he wasn't too short or too slow.
Luckily for the Zips, they gave him that chance. Now, all that's left to add to his 1,184-yard senior campaign is Monday's game against Memphis at Ford Field in Detroit.
For the first time on his journey, Biggs is content.
``I don't even think about it now,'' the 5-foot-7 Biggs said. Since high school, he has fought off as many doubters as defenders. That is finally in his past.
``I'm just happy I'm here,'' he said.
Biggs entered his senior year at Bartow High School without any scholarship offers, but Arkansas had shown growing interest.
He then broke the fibula bone in his left leg. The recruiting phone calls stopped.
Biggs considered quitting football.
That's when Leroy Frazier, a friend from his hometown, talked him into returning.
``He was always on me,'' Biggs said.
He returned from injury in time for the state playoffs.
After the season, his future in football was in limbo. His only option was to enroll at a junior college. That way, he could develop over the next two seasons and then try again for a scholarship.
Next stop: nearly 1,450 miles away in Fort Scott, Kan.
Making adjustments
Fort Scott Community College was truly an adjustment for Biggs, an 18-year-old from central Florida. Still, he prospered.
In 2002, Biggs rushed for 594 yards in eight games, making him one of the nation's top junior college running backs. He had also sparked interest from Utah and Kansas. So did several teammates, including William McDonald and Eugene Oates.
Then, for reasons that Biggs never figured out, Kansas lost interest during the season, and Utah coaches dropped him off their recruiting board days before 2004 National Signing Day.
``I called and called and called and never got in contact with them,'' Biggs said of his attempts to reach Utah coaches.
``It's like they were avoiding my phone calls. But I caught the hint: `Y'all don't want me.' ''
The day that his junior college teammates signed their national letters of intent to play Division I football (Oates signed with Utah and McDonald with Indiana State), Biggs lay in his dormitory room, trying to figure out what went wrong.
He performed on the field. He left his family and friends for the middle of nowhere as far as his previous life experiences were concerned.
Still, he was no better off than his senior year at Bartow.
He again was ready to sacrifice for the game he loved.
Akron connection
Southern Illinois, a Division I-AA football program, wanted to sign Biggs.
Before he had a chance to sign with SIU, he visited UA. Kevin Verdugo, his former coach at Fort Scott Community College, was hired as the Zips running backs coach and first-year UA coach J.D. Brookhart was evaluating his new team during winter workouts.
Verdugo had an idea for the running back position.
He said, ``This is a kid that at least I know we can count on,'' Brookhart said. ``I don't know if he's a great one, but he said I know we can count on him.''
Brookhart looked at Biggs' tape, and he was unsure of how good Biggs was. Brookhart decided to trust his assistant coach.
Several weeks after Signing Day, the Zips offered Biggs his lone Division I offer. He gladly accepted and arrived in Ohio with little if any fanfare.
That quickly changed.
His jubilant personality and powerful runs quickly made him one of the more popular players on the team.
By the time the 2004 season ended, Biggs had started nine of 11 games and ranked seventh in the Mid-American Conference in rushing (871 yards). He also rushed for two touchdowns.
It wasn't until after the season that Brookhart realized just how lucky the Zips were to have him. The offseason was Brookhart's first opportunity to reflect on his decision to sign Biggs, and compare that decision with Biggs' junior college highlight tape.
``I had no idea watching that tape that he was this kind of runner, with that kind of power,'' said Brookhart.
This season, Biggs went even further. He increased his speed and strength as he powered his way past defenders, all the way to the MAC Championship game.
He will start his final collegiate game Monday as the Zips aim for a victory against Memphis in their first Division I bowl.
This is the chance Biggs always has dreamed about.
It's all he ever wanted.

 

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Ticket sales near bowl's record
More than 50,000 sold, about 2,200 to Tiger fans

Motor City Bowl executive director Ken Hoffman said Saturday more than 50,000 tickets have been sold to the game and Monday's game could set a record for ticket sales.

The mark to beat is the 52,552 tickets sold to last year's game between Toledo and Connecticut. The game will surpass 50,000 in tickets sales for the third straight year.

''We're over 50,000 tickets sold,'' he said. ''Three weeks ago I said we'd probably not break the attendance record we set last year, but now we definitely have a chance. It's a matter of what the weather will be like.''

Although a light accumulation of snow is forecast for today, there is no snow in the forecast Monday.

Akron fans, traveling to watch the Zips play in their first Division 1-A bowl game, aren't expected to be deterred by such a tame forecast. Akron sold its original allotment of 9,600 tickets and was sent an additional 250 tickets, which were sold by Thursday. Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said the school had sold about 2,200 of its original allotment.

Not all of those coming from Akron will be cheering for the Zips. Tiger linebacker Tim Goodwell said 30 members of his family, mostly from his father's side and living in Akron, will pull for the U of M.


They're a hit

The reasons for the UofM's second-half turnaround that led to a Motor City Bowl invitation have ranged from the play of converted receiver Maurice Avery at quarterback, the running of All-America tailback DeAngelo Williams and a solid rush defense. The players also say they were inspired by a midseason motivational play by coach Tommy West. West awarded helmet decals for outstanding play.

''I liked that,'' linebacker Tim Goodwell said. ''When I was in high school we had something like that.''

West said it was something he wanted to do to reward those going above and beyond. Players can't get a sticker with the football in their hand. A Tiger paw is awarded for unselfish play and a skull and crossbones sticker for a big hit. ''I was trying to put an emphasis on effort, out-of-the-norm plays, fundamental stuff and hard hits,'' West said.

It worked. The players loved it and even began campaigning for certain plays to earn recognition. West said there was a procedure to follow to get a play nominated.

''If you think you did something nice, you were supposed to go to an assistant and the assistant would bring it to my committee and the committee would decide.''

And the committee? ''Oh, I was the committee,'' West said.


One final chance

Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams would like nothing better than to end his career by throwing a complete pass. Williams has been throwing an occasional pass in practices and had an attempt in a game earlier this season, but the play was called back by penalty. The pass was incomplete.

Williams said he's been campaigning for one more chance to test his arm. Tiger coach Tommy West said he had a play called for Williams in last year's GMAC Bowl, but Williams broke his leg in the third quarter.

''I told him last year I was going to call it in the bowl game in the fourth quarter and then he laid down on us in the third quarter ... acted like he broke his leg and came out of the game,'' West said. ''But we have that play and we have worked on it so we have it available. I guess if we got ahead by 50 or behind by 50 I would probably let him throw one.''


Tulsa revisited?

Asked if Akron reminds him of any team the Tigers played this season, West immediately mentioned Tulsa. Tulsa beat the Tigers, 37-31, in overtime early in the season at Tulsa.

''If you break them down offensively and defensively, I think they are a lot like Tulsa,'' West said. ''Scheme-wise they're like Tulsa on defense and their quarterback (Luke Getsy) is like Tulsa's quarterback (Paul Smith), who I think is really good. He protects the ball well, he throws the ball well. And when we played Tulsa, it was a great game. It went into overtime. We were reeling a bit at that time, but I think we have settled down now.''


DeAngelo on his career

While he's largely responsible for the U of M's turnaround since 2003, Williams, the NCAA's No. 4 career rusher, likes to reflect on the team's recent success without mentioning himself.

''Things have just fallen into place for this university and this program,'' he said. ''And it's great for recruiting because recruits know now they can go to the University of Memphis and get the same national exposure as they would if they went to (a BCS school), or at least have a fighting chance.''

Williams recalls other programs recruiting him four years ago and telling him it what has happened at Memphis never would happen.

''It certainly hasn't been true at all,'' he said. ''Your college career is what you make it. If you come in thinking you won't have the national exposure, then you won't. But if you go in knowing you can make a difference, you'll get that national exposure.''


Well-deserved recognition

At Saturday's Motor City Bowl banquet at the downtown Atheneum Hotel, Tiger defensive tackle Marcus West was honored as one of two recipients of the bowl's 'On The Move' award for outstanding citizenship. Also honored was Akron punter/kicker Charlie Sullivan. A $1,000 check was presented to each school's scholarship fund in the name of the recipient.

Today, West will be part of a group participating in a 'Feed the Homeless' program affiliated with the Salvation Army. Each of the U of M seniors will be involved, along with selected members of the Akron team.


Merry Christmas to all

Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson is hosting a Christmas dinner in the team's downtown hotel for the athletic staff members who made the trip.

Also, the team is having its Christmas dinner, which will be open to parents and family members who made the trip. ''We're going to try and make it as family-oriented as we can,'' Tiger coach Tommy West said.