“The University of Akron football team will return to action tomorrow night as they host the Toledo Rockets at the Rubber Bowl in front of a national television audience. The Zips (4-4, 2-2 MAC) last played Oct. 18 at Eastern Michigan. UA won 42-35 to even its conference record and to move to the top of the Mid-American Conference East Division standings.”
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The University of Akron football team will return to action tomorrow night as they host the Toledo Rockets at the Rubber Bowl in front of a national television audience.

The Zips (4-4, 2-2 MAC) last played Oct. 18 at Eastern Michigan. UA won 42-35 to even its conference record and to move to the top of the Mid-American Conference East Division standings.

After two consecutive bye weeks, the Zips still find themselves atop the division heading into the team’s final four games of the season – what UA head coach J.D. Brookhart has coined the team’s second season.

The Zips tilt with the Rockets will mark the 16th all-time meeting between the two schools. UT has won the last six contests, including a 35-20 decision in 2006 at Toledo’s Glass Bowl.

The Rockets (2-6, 1-3 MAC) will come to the Rubber Bowl fresh off the heels of their eighth-year head coach Tom Amstutz’s announcement that he will step down as head football coach at the end of the season and accept a position within UT’s Alumni Office.

I felt the time was right for me to announce that I will be passing the torch at the end of the season and moving on to some new challenges, Amstutz said during a news conference Monday. I love the University of Toledo and have enjoyed my eight seasons as head football coach. I now look forward to continue serving UT in my new capacity in the Alumni Office.

The Rockets fell to MAC West leader Central Michigan, 24-23, in their last game on Oct. 25.

UT’s offense was led by junior quarterback Aaron Opelt and junior running back DaJuane Collins. Opelt threw for 216 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-26 passing. Collins rushed for 94 yards on 19 carries while splitting time in the backfield with redshirt freshman Morgan Williams.

Brookhart said before the team’s long layoff that he hoped to see more consistency in all the team’s units.

Offensively, we are a much-improved team over last year, Brookhart said during his Oct. 20 news conference. I think you see a team that still makes mistakes that hurt, but across the board, they are much improved. Defensively, we have our ups and downs. We have the capabilities to do good things. We just have to get better.

We are looking for consistency.

Kick off at the Rubber Bowl is set for 8 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

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