The Motor City Bowl matchup between Memphis and Akron features two evenly matched teams. The game will be an important one for Memphis star running back DeAngelo Williams, who will be playing in his last game for the Tigers.
Memphis Offense vs. Akron Defense
Although Akron has the MAC's top defense, Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe put up huge yardage on the ground in the MAC championship game. Things do not get any easier against Memphis star RB DeAngelo Williams, who will be playing in his final college game before moving on to the NFL as a first-round draft selection. Williams will be without question the best football player on the field in this game. Williams, the NCAA's career all-purpose yards leader, is a special talent. He is a dynamic playmaker who runs with great pad-level, vision, quickness and power. Memphis will throw him short passes to get him in space against lesser athletes, run him off tackle and pound him up the middle of the field. Williams will often run behind massive OT Willie Henderson and TE John Doucette, who is more or less an offensive tackle lined up at tight end and could be athletic enough to get out in space to get a hat on Akron's smaller, quicker defenders.
The Zips run a 3-3-5 defense that inherently lacks the pure size up front of traditional schemes and can be vulnerable to a power running attack. It is paramount for NT Kiki Gonzalez to be firm at the point of attack against a good center in Memphis' Blake Butler. He must draw double teams in the middle and free up defenders behind him to gang tackle Williams, as putting Williams on the ground with one tackler is no easy chore. LB Jay Rohr and DB John Mackey are two of Akron's top tacklers, and they will need to have career games in order to keep Williams somewhat in check.
Memphis' top two quarterbacks are lost for the season with injury, which only increases the emphasis of getting Williams as many touches as possible. Akron is sure to bring eight and possibly nine defenders into the box, while daring QB Maurice Avery, a converted wide receiver, to beat them through the air. Avery has only completed 60 passes this season and he was 1-for-8 passing in the team's last outing vs. Marshall. But despite the marginal quarterback play and overall poor supporting cast, Williams still has over 1,700 rushing yards and a 6.2 yards-per-attempt average this season. If Memphis can get him 30-plus touches in this game, Akron will have a difficult time keeping up.
Akron Offense vs. Memphis Defense
QB Luke Getsy transferred from Pittsburgh, where Akron coach J.D. Brookhart was the offensive coordinator. Getsy watched and learned behind Charlie Frye, while ineligible during the 2004 season. Now Getsy shows great comfort in the system and has become a playmaker who makes few mistakes. He is very intelligent, moves well, feels the rush and puts his receivers in good positions to make plays. Getsy throws a catchable ball and isn't afraid to throw the ball out of bounds instead of forcing a play that isn't there. NFL prospect Domenik Hixon is Getsy's top target and will be difficult for Memphis to slow down, as evidenced by his 1,147 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and 16.9 average yards-per-catch. Hixon has great size, impressive speed and is an intelligent player that has quickly understood what it takes to gain separation through his routes. He has only played the position for two seasons, but has worked hard and continues to improve.
Akron has good balance from the running game, as well. RB Brett Biggs is very short, but he is competitive, runs with power and is low to the ground and shifty. He also catches the ball very well (61 catches on the season). Akron will run a balanced attack with Biggs getting quite a few touches to eat up the clock and keep DeAngelo Williams on the sidelines.
Memphis plays a very unorthodox two-man front and will try to take away big plays and force Akron to sustain long drives to score points. DL Marcus West is a talented player that could get into an NFL camp next year, but often battles double-teams in this scheme. Keep an eye on LB Tim Goodwell who leads the Tigers in tackles and FS Wesley Smith, who is nasty in run support and shows deep cover skills to play over top of Hixon.
Special Teams
There are two outstanding special teams players in this matchup. Memphis PK Stephen Gostkowski is a pro prospect with a big accurate leg. He has 67 career field goals, breaking the Conference USA record. He was 19 of 22 on field goals, perfect with extra points and is quite capable of banging it through the uprights from outside of 50 yards.
Akron has an excellent returner in WR Domenik Hixon, who returns both punts and kickoffs. He is big and strong enough to break tackles, plays the game in balance and has impressive body control. He is a smooth runner with the speed to take it the distance. Memphis cannot afford to give Akron a short field and they must do a good job of getting Hixon on the ground quickly.
Three Key Individual Matchups
1. Memphis OC Blake Butler vs. Akron NT Kiki Gonzalez
2. Akron WR Domenik Hixon vs. Memphis FS Wesley Smith
3. Akron RB Brett Biggs vs. Memphis LB Tim Goodwell
Scouts' Edge
J.D. Brookhart has accomplished a great deal in just two years as head coach at Akron. A new facility on campus was finished before this past season that has helped the Zips out-recruit most MAC and several Big East teams. In 2004, the Zips were the only bowl-eligible team that was not invited to a bowl game. Their quarterback, Charlie Frye, was drafted by the Browns and now starts for Cleveland, while Brookhart was named MAC Coach of the Year in his debut season in 2004. Despite the loss of Frye to the NFL, Akron was able to win the MAC with a thrilling last-second victory over Northern Illinois in the championship game, catapulting the Zips to their first ever Division I bowl appearance.
After not going to a bowl game from 1971 to 2003, Memphis has gone to three in a row and its players will not be overwhelmed by the experience, as a result. The Tigers will obviously lean heavily on Williams in his last collegiate game, especially against an Akron defense that really struggled to stop the run in its last outing.
This is going to be a tight game that features good coaching and unorthodox defensive schemes. Akron will show great excitement and will play Memphis close. But in the end Williams will prove why he's the only marquee player in this game, and he'll also show why he's a shoe-in as a first-round draft selection in 2006.
Prediction: Memphis 24, Akron 21
Memphis Offense vs. Akron Defense
Although Akron has the MAC's top defense, Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe put up huge yardage on the ground in the MAC championship game. Things do not get any easier against Memphis star RB DeAngelo Williams, who will be playing in his final college game before moving on to the NFL as a first-round draft selection. Williams will be without question the best football player on the field in this game. Williams, the NCAA's career all-purpose yards leader, is a special talent. He is a dynamic playmaker who runs with great pad-level, vision, quickness and power. Memphis will throw him short passes to get him in space against lesser athletes, run him off tackle and pound him up the middle of the field. Williams will often run behind massive OT Willie Henderson and TE John Doucette, who is more or less an offensive tackle lined up at tight end and could be athletic enough to get out in space to get a hat on Akron's smaller, quicker defenders.
The Zips run a 3-3-5 defense that inherently lacks the pure size up front of traditional schemes and can be vulnerable to a power running attack. It is paramount for NT Kiki Gonzalez to be firm at the point of attack against a good center in Memphis' Blake Butler. He must draw double teams in the middle and free up defenders behind him to gang tackle Williams, as putting Williams on the ground with one tackler is no easy chore. LB Jay Rohr and DB John Mackey are two of Akron's top tacklers, and they will need to have career games in order to keep Williams somewhat in check.
Memphis' top two quarterbacks are lost for the season with injury, which only increases the emphasis of getting Williams as many touches as possible. Akron is sure to bring eight and possibly nine defenders into the box, while daring QB Maurice Avery, a converted wide receiver, to beat them through the air. Avery has only completed 60 passes this season and he was 1-for-8 passing in the team's last outing vs. Marshall. But despite the marginal quarterback play and overall poor supporting cast, Williams still has over 1,700 rushing yards and a 6.2 yards-per-attempt average this season. If Memphis can get him 30-plus touches in this game, Akron will have a difficult time keeping up.
Akron Offense vs. Memphis Defense
QB Luke Getsy transferred from Pittsburgh, where Akron coach J.D. Brookhart was the offensive coordinator. Getsy watched and learned behind Charlie Frye, while ineligible during the 2004 season. Now Getsy shows great comfort in the system and has become a playmaker who makes few mistakes. He is very intelligent, moves well, feels the rush and puts his receivers in good positions to make plays. Getsy throws a catchable ball and isn't afraid to throw the ball out of bounds instead of forcing a play that isn't there. NFL prospect Domenik Hixon is Getsy's top target and will be difficult for Memphis to slow down, as evidenced by his 1,147 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and 16.9 average yards-per-catch. Hixon has great size, impressive speed and is an intelligent player that has quickly understood what it takes to gain separation through his routes. He has only played the position for two seasons, but has worked hard and continues to improve.
Akron has good balance from the running game, as well. RB Brett Biggs is very short, but he is competitive, runs with power and is low to the ground and shifty. He also catches the ball very well (61 catches on the season). Akron will run a balanced attack with Biggs getting quite a few touches to eat up the clock and keep DeAngelo Williams on the sidelines.
Memphis plays a very unorthodox two-man front and will try to take away big plays and force Akron to sustain long drives to score points. DL Marcus West is a talented player that could get into an NFL camp next year, but often battles double-teams in this scheme. Keep an eye on LB Tim Goodwell who leads the Tigers in tackles and FS Wesley Smith, who is nasty in run support and shows deep cover skills to play over top of Hixon.
Special Teams
There are two outstanding special teams players in this matchup. Memphis PK Stephen Gostkowski is a pro prospect with a big accurate leg. He has 67 career field goals, breaking the Conference USA record. He was 19 of 22 on field goals, perfect with extra points and is quite capable of banging it through the uprights from outside of 50 yards.
Akron has an excellent returner in WR Domenik Hixon, who returns both punts and kickoffs. He is big and strong enough to break tackles, plays the game in balance and has impressive body control. He is a smooth runner with the speed to take it the distance. Memphis cannot afford to give Akron a short field and they must do a good job of getting Hixon on the ground quickly.
Three Key Individual Matchups
1. Memphis OC Blake Butler vs. Akron NT Kiki Gonzalez
2. Akron WR Domenik Hixon vs. Memphis FS Wesley Smith
3. Akron RB Brett Biggs vs. Memphis LB Tim Goodwell
Scouts' Edge
J.D. Brookhart has accomplished a great deal in just two years as head coach at Akron. A new facility on campus was finished before this past season that has helped the Zips out-recruit most MAC and several Big East teams. In 2004, the Zips were the only bowl-eligible team that was not invited to a bowl game. Their quarterback, Charlie Frye, was drafted by the Browns and now starts for Cleveland, while Brookhart was named MAC Coach of the Year in his debut season in 2004. Despite the loss of Frye to the NFL, Akron was able to win the MAC with a thrilling last-second victory over Northern Illinois in the championship game, catapulting the Zips to their first ever Division I bowl appearance.
After not going to a bowl game from 1971 to 2003, Memphis has gone to three in a row and its players will not be overwhelmed by the experience, as a result. The Tigers will obviously lean heavily on Williams in his last collegiate game, especially against an Akron defense that really struggled to stop the run in its last outing.
This is going to be a tight game that features good coaching and unorthodox defensive schemes. Akron will show great excitement and will play Memphis close. But in the end Williams will prove why he's the only marquee player in this game, and he'll also show why he's a shoe-in as a first-round draft selection in 2006.
Prediction: Memphis 24, Akron 21
